[David]

I've followed female bodybuilding for over 20 years. In that time I've found people who are either enthusiastic, apathetic or hostile. The last two groups have far out numbered the first but they are slowly loosing ground to the first. IN all that time I've reacted to the last groups by trying to ask them why. I have converted a few haters to apathy and I hope a few of either group to enthusiastic. When I have been confronted by the rude I just ignore them. When I post Awefilms videos on YouTube and get a vile post I delete it and go back to what I like.

[Matthew Lim]

Or at times, even within your particular community – such lesser beings are known as Trolls and/or Haters.

I have to agree there. Trolls and haters are often times just as, if not more, discouraging to fresh and new artists, writers and content providers who should be nurtured and encouraged. I remember on the old Wreck-Shop forums, a particular individual who attacked fresh artists wanting to show their stuff. He had believed that only a few specific artists should be the ones to provide artwork and religiously flamed every other artist who posted their work on the forum. Another place I've seen this is in the Process forums. There are people on that forum who believe that simply because they have a high post count, that gives them the power to berate and degrade other posters who they felt were either providing 'inferior' content or that they had made the mistake of accidentally posting something that had been posted before. Amaz0ns is one of that last few places where a person is safe to post content and feel welcomed about it at the same time.

[btx]

I remember on the old Wreck-Shop forums, a particular individual who attacked fresh artists wanting to show their stuff. He had believed that only a few specific artists should be the ones to provide artwork and religiously flamed every other artist who posted their work on the forum.

I think that individual is still here. (Cue "Jaws" music).

BTX

[ScottG]

SinD, while I have not encountered anything personally like what you have, I have seen it many times.  (I see it all the time on FM videos on youtube.)  I would just say I applaud your attempt to branch out to other forums, and I hope the negativity only makes you stronger.  Even if the small minded individuals or even groups never catch on, there will always be an audience here for your fine work.

[Grandmaster]

Is a muscular woman more threatening than I thought…

Yes.

are people just insecure…

Yes, that and close-minded to art (to anything, really) that doesn't fit the prescribed parameters of what they like to look at…

or is a big bicep perverted…

Sometimes it can be…

…and a big breast ok?

Yes, more often than not.

A person drawing a man in tights and wearing a cape is not asked "What are you, gay?"

That would depend where you display said "man tights", and how the figure is drawn. Maybe you haven't experienced it yet, but there are people who believe "superheroes for adults" has homoerotic undertones.

…but a drawing of a muscular woman gets "Whats with you and muscles? Are you a perv?" I am simply amazed. My question is have any of you encountered this kind of muscle-phobic (new word I just created) uglyness and is this a common response.

Clearly, from the lack of responses, you are the only one. 🙂 It's happened to me on the street!

At some point, artists and photographers who deal in images of hyper-muscular women are going to have to accept that the image (or the presence) of a woman with muscles is provocative (clearly many of the respondents have). Exactly what is provoked in people cannot be controlled. It shouldn't be worried over too much, but it should be anticipated. We can't afford to be naïve.

SinD, if you become serious with art beyond doodling ;), you will be forced to develop a tough skin–a layer of armor (hmm, muscles…body armor?) that should remain in place even after you become "good."

Not having seen the doodles in question (that's not a request for a link, just a statement), the query are "You are perv?" (while admittedly not politely phrased) may not be an invalid one, as there is a difference between drawing women bodybuilders as they appear in reality and drawing them as sexualized inhuman giants with the fantasy watermelon-shaped breasts out to———————->here (I know, because I've done both).  There is a difference between drawings intended to titillate (no pun intended), and drawings where arousal is not the primary intention of the artist (I can't stress this enough because I think all of us who draw have done one or the other at some time or another). To claim that every drawing in the "genre" has the same intention toward the viewer would be disingenuous.

One can draw women with muscle as fetishistic material or with any number of other less controversial subtexts. But how many of us do the latter as opposed to the former?

[eccentricman]

Well, I think the points above are very valid, but from my perspective at least, the work on this site, to a very large extent is to do with a culture of sexual fetish. Sexual in that the images shown are often suggestive and reflect an aspiration on our part for qualities in a sexual partner or ourselves, or simply the enaction of a fantasy, and a fetish in the sense that no matter how popular it becomes to show women as muscular or dominant, there will still be a relative minority of women content to put in the effort required to achieve these desires.

I think the question of hostility is one almost more keyed in to the mind of the recipient than the deliverer. I know that I certainly don't feel comfortable sharing my ideas with others outside of this community, but equally I know that this is because I am not happy with a lot of things about myself. I just hope that when I find acceptance in myself, I can respond to hecklers with the same bemused detachment I show when someone shouts something pathetic about redheads or blondes or brunettes; when this fetish becomes just another choice I make.

Having said all that, if someone is fucking rude to you, I don't believe anyone should have to take it. My advice is: get high handed and treat the prick like he's a worm, shout so much and with so much ferocity that you frighten him/her and render them speechless, talk loudly enough that everyone else can hear what a stupid scumbag you are having to deal with and make them sound so wretched and low that no matter what poison they choose to spread they will always look worse. Don't be reasonable, don't assault them, but most importantly, don't let anyone ever get away with treating you like you are beneath them.

If in doubt, point your finger, put a look of immense disgust on your face and yell "Paedophile!" until they piss off… that was a joke btw, but try it if you want to.

[baditude41]

Hi, SinD 😀

First, I want to pass on some words that someone told me:  "If you write or draw, do it for yourself."  It's easier said than done, but at the end of it all, you're the only one who can judge you're own artwork.  I've seen great FMG/FBB artists get attacked for their artwork…mostly by people who don't have enough talent to draw a stick figure, or have a certain belief of what is acceptable.  The close-minded lose many things, but the open-minded gain many things. 
    Also, I go for a different tactic…I thank them for their comments and move on, because you have to draw what pleases you.  Only you can decide what you like, and stick to it!  😉

[Anonymous]

Hey SinD

In my opinion the best thing to do is to ignore the hostile comments. You have to wonder why people would look at a picture of a muscular woman and bash if they didn't like in the first place. Ask yourself how hard is it for those people to hit the (back) button in their internet browser and how insecure must they be with themselves to make such an effort to make their negative comments known to the world when they simply could not look at the art. Once you put it in perspective you realize that they are the ones that need to get a life or at the very least grow up.

[Author]

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