Is it time to retire the term "Bondage Cover" like we did with "headlights"? 4 4

[Doctor Dositheus]

Referring to it printed on the CGC label. I mean if that's your thing, you can see what it is. I'm no prude and I don't care really (just bored    )  It just seems kind of out of place when I see it. "Look, grandma, it's a bondage cover!"

Edited August 22, 2020 by Doctor Dositheus

[Whizzer]

The terms; 'Good Girl Art' & 'Bad Girl Art' probably wouldn't pass the woke test either currently.

[Ken Aldred]

I’ve always thought both terms sound a bit adolescent, desperate and sophomoric.

The interior quality of the material has always been a more important focus for me than a racy, superficial cover.

Edited August 22, 2020 by Ken Aldred

[Gaard]

Personally, I've never had a negative thought whenever I ran across either of those terms. I assume 'headlights' was retired due to people's sensitivities. The only negative thought I ever had with the term 'bondage cover' was "They're reaching a bit", but as far as being offended (by any term/name)...nope. I feel the same way with all this stuff concerning renaming sports teams and such. If you ask me, it's a bunch of malarkey. Never been one to get up in arms over words, I guess that makes me a racist, sexist pig.

[1950's war comics]

1 hour ago, Gaard said:

Personally, I've never had a negative thought whenever I ran across either of those terms. I assume 'headlights' was retired due to people's sensitivities. The only negative thought I ever had with the term 'bondage cover' was "They're reaching a bit", but as far as being offended (by any term/name)...nope. I feel the same way with all this stuff concerning renaming sports teams and such. If you ask me, it's a bunch of malarkey. Never been one to get up in arms over words, I guess that makes me a racist, sexist pig.

agree 100%

[Black_Adam]

I just hate when a seller describes it as a "bondage" cover and it's only Spider-man with his ankles bound by a rope. That's like calling it a headlights cover whenever Archie's jalopy makes an appearance. 

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

22 minutes ago, Black_Adam said:

I just hate when a seller describes it as a "bondage" cover and it's only Spider-man with his ankles bound by a rope. That's like calling it a headlights cover whenever Archie's jalopy makes an appearance. 

Maybe a more anatomically correct Spider-man cover that looks more like Spider scat

But to the OP I too am ok with the Bondage Cover and Label stating it , but as Black Adam said it needs to be true bondage and not this pump and dump descriptions.

[Murphman13]

Headlights has been retired?

[kav]

I think the term is fine-it describes a certain genre which was purposely used to sell comics to kids.  Old movies and serials had women forever being tied up and put on the train tracks and stuff.  It was a cliche, much like movies nowadays where the good guy can only get shot in the shoulder, and usually laughs abt it.

[alexgross.com]

'bondage' is not gender specific, nor derogatory. though it often involves tied up ladies, plenty of male characters (Bucky's main job) got tied up too. it is unlike the term "headlights" which obviously has plenty of sexist baggage attached.

on a related note, judging the content of creations from 30, 50, or 70 years ago based on today's accepted social mores is a fool's errand. yes, it's embarrassing that racism and sexism were so prevalent for so long in comics. but we should not and cannot erase history, and we should not attempt to cancel creators or their works from past eras whose ethics reflected the general standards of their own time. 

now, whoever decided that the african american kid in spidey 252 (1984) should be made white on the cover, that person i have some questions for. 

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

4 minutes ago, www.alexgross.com said:

'bondage' is not gender specific, nor derogatory. though it often involves tied up ladies, plenty of male characters (Bucky's main job) got tied up too. it is unlike the term "headlights" which obviously has plenty of sexist baggage attached.

on a related note, judging the content of creations from 30, 50, or 70 years ago based on today's accepted social mores is a fool's errand. yes, it's embarrassing that racism and sexism were so prevalent for so long in comics. but we should not and cannot erase history, and we should not attempt to cancel creators or their works from past eras whose ethics reflected the general standards of their own time. 

now, whoever decided that the african american kid in spidey 252 (1984) should be made white on the cover, that person i have some questions for. 

[thunsicker]

10 minutes ago, Very Metal said:

2 hours ago, 1950's war comics said:

3 hours ago, Gaard said:

Personally, I've never had a negative thought whenever I ran across either of those terms. I assume 'headlights' was retired due to people's sensitivities. The only negative thought I ever had with the term 'bondage cover' was "They're reaching a bit", but as far as being offended (by any term/name)...nope. I feel the same way with all this stuff concerning renaming sports teams and such. If you ask me, it's a bunch of malarkey. Never been one to get up in arms over words, I guess that makes me a racist, sexist pig.

agree 100%

Yup, if you're cool with team names like "redskins" then you're a racist POS 

I don't know, I really want to know what white males think should be offensive to women and American Indians.

[Artboy99]

I am proud to own books that denote "bondage cover". It is from comic history and I dont see why it would need to be removed. There is far to much "everything must be pc" in this world.

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by Artboy99

[Ken Aldred]

45 minutes ago, kav said:

 

I think the term is fine-it describes a certain genre which was purposely used to sell comics to kids

 

No problem with the terms themselves to describe a relic from the Golden Age, comic or pulp, other than always seeming extremely antiquated to me, even back in the less pc 1980s.  

And, as a long term reader of Heavy Metal and Humanoids books, not prudishness either.

 

[Gaard]

I really want to know what women and American Indians think should be offensive to white males.

[Robot Man]

I remember when these notations were first coined. These two along with “Injury to the eye”, “decapitation”, “esoteric” and others were first used by David T Alexander, Terry Stroud and Carl Macek of the American Comic Book Company in CA in the mid 1970’s. These terms were applied to slow moving books in their inventory. The ploy obviously worked and now these terms are universally used (sometimes a stretch) in our hobby. 

These terms have turned many books that no one cared about in the mid 1970’s into iconic books that bring nosebleed prices. 

None of these terms bother me in the least. If you don’t like books like this, don’t buy them. They are in the eye of the buyer. I have always known books like many of these were unique, different and sometimes hard to get. Now, quite expensive in many cases.

And, so glad I bought into the hype back then...

Edited August 22, 2020 by Robot Man

[kav]

1 minute ago, Robot Man said:

I remember when these notations were first coined. These two along with “Injury to the eye”, “decapitation”, “esoteric” and others

Dont forget "fish to face"

[Artboy99]

6 minutes ago, Gaard said:

I really want to know what women and American Indians think should be offensive to white males.

I grew up with a native indian family that lived next door to me and the family had a son and daughter my age and we hung out all the time. The son often referred to me as "honky". I never cared to be honest. 

[Gaard]

I understand completely. I take that back. I understand partially, but not completely. I understand that a lot of people are offended by that word, but many others (including myself) don't bat an eye over it.

[Robot Man]

When I hear derogatory terms used, I think about the person who is using it. Usually ignorant, scared or down right nasty people looking for a reaction. I don’t like or respect them so it doesn’t hurt me. I consider the source and I actually pity them. I was raised better. When you react to them, you slide into their dirty pit they call life.