clay ([info]hardartist) wrote,
@ 2004-05-15 09:07:00
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... still terribly annoyed
Canada Post Delivers... 5 weeks later

Thursday was my birthday. Almost on cue, I received my copy of Trailer Park Boys 3rd Season on DVD. I guess the beaver who had the parcel strapped to its back finally made the swim to Japan.

(no need for birthday wishes, BTW -- to save from getting a dozen or so posts with just "Happy Birthday" in it)

The Myth of "Sex Sells"

I'm really tired of hearing this -- so many people believe it that it MUST BE TRUE, and applicable to as many situations as possible. I'm going to write a big ass rant on this, to challenge the idea that "sex really sells". Granted, sex is enough to get people's attention, but does it keep it? Does it make you want to buy stuff that's completely unrelated to sex? And what does sex exactly sell anyways?

Furthermore, how does it apply to webcomics and their audience? I mean, doesn't "sex sells" imply that webcomics have something to sell? Does this phrase have any meaning when a) most webcomics are free anyways b) people only generally surf on the web places that interest them anyways -- they wouldn't go into a sex comic site if they weren't already interested in one in the first place. I think people who use this phrase and apply it to webcomics are incredibly naive, and lack an understanding of the phrase and/or how webcomics get readers.

I'm also planning a survey in which I need your help. Before the surveys were always about the comic --- now I'd like to do a survey that focuses on the READER. Beyond simple demographics, I'd like to know WHY people read the comic -- because it's funny? because it makes fun of cultural norms? because of the depictions of sex? Let's put it to rest once and for all, because up until now, everyone is arguing with no data/facts to back them up.

Anyways, I'm developing the survey now, and I would like your help when it's finished.

And yeah, I'm working on another strip ^^;;;

(Post a new comment)


[info]bup6518
2004-05-14 05:41 pm UTC (link)
Happy Birth... oh wait.

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[info]just_you_wait
2004-05-14 05:46 pm UTC (link)
sex sells, in that it grabs the audience/reader's attention. I don't remember how I came across Sexy Losers, but for me, the sex theme pulled me in, and the comic's hilarity kept me in.

A friend of mine did her oratory (won first place) about "Sex Sells". Mind if I link her?

Oh, and Happy Belated Birthday.

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[info]hardartist
2004-05-14 06:12 pm UTC (link)
If it's relevent and she can handle the traffic, go nuts.

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on sex selling
[info]gramcracker
2004-05-14 05:53 pm UTC (link)
I believe the idea that "sex sells" refers more to themes of sexuality and sexy images, not necessarily graphic sex itself. I think packaging and advertisements and commercials are plastered with thin, scantily clad women because that sort of thing has been shown to attract more interest and sell more product. So while barely-covered breasts are attractive and can sell your product, the penis (especially in America) is much less attractive, and anything to do with the actual messiness of sex doesn't sell. So I don't think it's sex itself that's supposed to "sell," so much as sexiness and physical attraction.

So a comic like yours that uses sex as a constant theme might not necessarily "sell" as much a comic that claims to have nothing to do with sex, except for the scantily-clad, buxom female costar. I think in order to sell, sex can't be quite so explicit. Not that I've done any studies or anything, that's just what observation and intuition tell me.

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Re: on sex selling
[info]jedit
2004-05-15 02:22 am UTC (link)
I think the penis is pretty unattractive anywhere you go. It looks like a mutant kielbasa, for Christ's sake.

Naked women also have a greater range of physical beauty than naked men, who really have to conform to the "perfect muscularity" schtick to qualify (not to mention the "big dobber" requirement).

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Re: on sex selling
[info]tizex
2004-05-15 08:32 pm UTC (link)
Well I don't know about your penis, but...

Anyway, Elaine in Seinfeld summed it up pretty well when she said women's bodies were works of art, while men's were utilitarian, for "getting around."

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Re: on sex selling
[info]space_coyote
2004-05-16 07:05 pm UTC (link)
Aw, penises can be beautiful. I'm not fond of vulvas.

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Re: on sex selling
[info]ghastlycomic
2004-05-17 10:28 am UTC (link)
They're boxy, but supposedly very safe to drive.

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[info]grisman
2004-05-14 06:00 pm UTC (link)
I think people use the phrase "sex sells" to perhaps justify their own behaviour(s) in what may be perceived as a socially embarrasing situation if caught, or for envious competitors to justify why one company, above all others, is doing so well.

I forget which company it was, but awhile back a cellphone company offered free dildos as a new package when you signed up with them. Of course, all news reports would say, "...and this shows that sex sells!" Well no, not really. Those people most likely wanted a cell phone anyways, but even if they didn't, then it allowed for a socially acceptable way to obtain a dildo (rather than risking running into someone you know at a sex store).

Aside: I know it probably wouldn't be too popular, but have you ever thought of doing a spin-off strip on the Trailer Park Boys? I have no idea what the premise would be ... and I guess it'd have too much swearing to really make sense; ah well, just the thought of how big you could make Bubble's eye's ... :D

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[info]ghastlycomic
2004-05-14 06:15 pm UTC (link)

You know where a lot of this "sex sells" crap comes from?

It's people drawing comics that get maybe 1000 readers or less getting pissed off because they're not as popular as they expected to be. They measure themselves against the popularity of one of the big adult webcomics (like Sexy Losers) and then make themselves feel better about their place in the scheme o' things by dismissing that comic's success with the tired cliche "sex sells" while completely ignoring the corpses of many other comics that throught the key to instant stardom was sex.

This way they can say "Well I'd be popular too, except I'm above selling out and using sex to promote my work. What I do is art, not pornography."

They never have to examine why they're not as popular as comics like Sluggy Freelance, or Penny Arcade, or MegaTokyo, or Errant Story, comics which may have their naughty moments but avoid any actual graphic sexual depictions (at least depictions that don't involve machines fucking fruit). They never have to examine why their work isn't reaching the webcomic audience. They never have to reflect upon in what way their artwork might need to be improved. They never need to ponder in what way their writing can be tweeked to better reach their audience. Nope. Sex sells. That's all that needs to be said. They can rest content in their manufactured knowledge that they too would have a comic every bit as popular as Sexy Losers if they only drew titties and blowjobs. Of course it would be best for them not to dwell on the fact that there are a number of other adult comics out there delivering a cornacopia of copulation yet there's only one comic in the genre that has enjoyed the level of success that Sexy Losers has, and that would be, well, Sexy Losers.

Don't think. Just keep chanting that mantra.

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[info]bruceman
2004-05-14 08:54 pm UTC (link)
1000 readers is still a lot of readers and a good place to be.

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[info]ghastlycomic
2004-05-14 11:15 pm UTC (link)
It is indeed, and it is more readers than the vast majority of webcomics will ever have so one should take a sense of accomplishment in their work if they reach that level.

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[info]ohnefuehlen
2004-05-14 11:10 pm UTC (link)
All this whining makes you sound awfully Jewish to me :P

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[info]ghastlycomic
2004-05-15 10:32 am UTC (link)
Schmuck!

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[info]xhad
2004-05-14 06:29 pm UTC (link)
I read your comic because it's one of the few, print or online, that's funny enough to justify the effort it takes to keep up with it. The fact that sex is where you get your jokes just means that either sex is easier to joke about to my liking, or you're just a funny guy and that happens to be what you're able to joke about.

I'd also suspect that living in the rural American South and disliking Bible-belt conservativism means I'm more likely to laugh at exactly the things that would offend them. Despite your comic strip being the only one I keep up with, I must confess this is the funniest thing I've seen in awhile. I actually found a Jack Chick tract in my grandmother's house as a little kid...

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[info]january_funeral
2004-05-14 08:23 pm UTC (link)
ctually found a Jack Chick tract in my grandmother's house as a little kid...

you mean they actually exist?
i thought it was just something that fark.com made fun of all the time cause it was a parody or something

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[info]moonablaze
2004-05-14 11:26 pm UTC (link)
http://www.chick.com

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[info]watchingsitcoms
2004-05-14 11:28 pm UTC (link)
chick tracts are most definitely real.
BEWARE

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[info]evox3
2004-05-15 02:06 am UTC (link)
http://www.chick.com/. No, its not a porn site. Its the site of Mr. Jack T. Chick. And his damn offices are in my hometown.

My personal favorite piece of idiocy is Dark Dungeons. This man has no sense of reality (which is odd, as he's dismissing fantasy).

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O.O;; Oh my god, dude.. I almost crapped my pants reading that...
[info]chaosmastermind
2004-05-26 11:36 pm UTC (link)
What in the bloody hell???

Okay, for one thing.. I play D&D like at least every week, I've read all the manuals and am in many different games with many different Dungeon Masters, and am one myself.

That entire article is bullcrap.. utter shit.. tripe, garrrrrrghhh.. I can't even express the amount of frustration that that mind-blowingly ignorant rant has instilled in me!!

Okay, the writer claims that Dungeons and Dragons has Sadomasochism and encouraged torture, rapes, and occultism in it??

WHAT THE MOTHER FUCKING GOD DAMN HELL IS HE TALKING ABOUT???

Did they ever actually READ the books?? Have they ever even PLAYED the game?? God, I suppose they'd say that the Dragonlance novels were witchcraft training manuals too.. O.O;;;;

It is no different than Lord of the Rings.. God!! What is that guy's fucking problem? I bet he'd call that "satanic" as well.. :-P

Some people are just so brainwashed by their beliefs that they have lost all connection with reality and make total asses of themselves with complete confidence. O.O;; It's sick.. they should take a look at their own occult book and I think I could point out a few pretty satanic things in the bible. Anyone who thinks Christianity isn't a cult, should go to church sometime and watch the ritualistic brainwashing that they all go through.

First they bore you into a trance-like state by speaking a bunch of archaic gibberish for an hour.. Then they fire you up with loud charismatic speech and violent hand gestures.. They take control of your mind by making you all sing in unison, chanting their message of submission and acceptance and unconditional belief. They force everyone through peer-pressure to participate in a GROUP activity that reaffirms their allegience, (sacrament or something similar), use mind-numbingly large amounts of repetition and guilt to force you to not forget that "Jesus saved us and died for our sins, so you should be a good person for him.. don't you feel guilty about that?" (I can't REMEMBER how many times I've been told that... ugh). Then they all finish it off with a mass chant to get everyone on the same page and in perfect synch.. (prayer).

That sounds like ritualistic brainwashing to me.. They even set it to music so it goes right into your subconcious. You'll be singing the lyrics to some hymn about Jesus long after you leave.
Of course they rely that all of your friends will be coming from the church now, so if anyone falls out of line, the peer-pressure will drag them back.. It's all very sinister, really.

Dungeons and Dragons is NOTHING like what they described. It's a lot of fun, and that guy has his head way up his ass.
And if anyone ever truly got inducted into the Witchcraft by playing D&D.. then that is one hell of a weak-ass coven. Don't they accept people just for signing up, anyway? LOL Yeah, "I'm attacking the darkness!! I'm going to cast magic missle." You make all the hand-gestures you want.. it ain't going to happen, no matter how many books you have.

If anyone ever killed themself from losing their D&D character, they obviously were a depressed, codependant, delusional freak in the first place. They would have done it if their dog died, if their boy/girl-friend left them, or if their parents refused to let them watch Buffy anyway. Real D&D players would just write down all the stuff that happened to their character in their blog or journal or whatever, make a memorial sketch of them, roll up a new character and be back in the game by sundown.

Do you kill yourself when you die in Super Mario Brothers?? I think their message of eating magic mushrooms and stomping on turtles is pretty satanic.. ;-) I'm pretty sure that that Italian Plumber isn't a proper Christian role-model either.. lol
He spend too much time chasing after women (princess Peach) and lurking in dark demonic pipes.

Anyway, I'd love to meet that guy and kick him in his fucking balls.

I'm still wondering where he got the S&M torture rape thing from? I don't remember that in the player's manual.. I think he made that up from his own sick fantasies about the cover art. :-P

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[info]floopyboo
2004-05-28 01:39 am UTC (link)
Oh yes. That one was hilarious.

He could have been just as effective and scared all the fundies just as much with a bit of research into the topic.

Dianics? Indoors? clothed? The hell!?

Most Dianics I know would be outside, naked, singing happy songs about how the the moon about how pretty it is.

And the extremely neglectful parenting poorly disguised as 'the evils of RPG'..... wow.... if that happened in Australia, family services would have that mother in irons before you cans say 'hallelujah brother, I've seen the light!'

I can't say that particular chick tract is anti-RPG, because I can't see anything to do with RPG in it. I can't really say it's anti-pagan, for precisely the same reasons. But it does throw a hell of a lot of light on the lack of parenting skills encouraged within certain christian sects.

~~~

Back on topic...

Hard, I read your comics for the 'I can't believe it' humour. I can tell a good SL comic when I have to scroll back up and read it again, because my brain cannot accept what it has just read. Anyone who can consistently do that to me has a winner in my book.

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[info]roshy
2004-05-15 02:33 am UTC (link)
Oh no, they exist. Last year, someone actually visited all the flats in student village and left the Halloween edition on our dining room tables. I can't think why anyone thought the 18-25 demographic here would take that seriously, and I can only imagine what the large proportion of muslims/asians/people-who-aren't-fundie-christians thought about the whole affair.

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[info]xhad
2004-05-15 06:32 am UTC (link)
Others have already pointed out the site...Here's the specific tract I saw.

Oh, and I don't blame you for thinking he's a parody; he's totally batshit.

"So please, let the kids read “The Birds and the Bees.” It could save them from a homosexual nightmare in the future."

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[info]woekitten
2004-05-15 08:36 am UTC (link)
You don't get to find too many Chick tracts in Canada, so I go into Gotta Catch 'Em All mode whenever I visit the States. The first time I showed my mother a Chick tract, she nearly died laughing. She seriously thought they were parody.

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[info]marginoferror
2004-05-14 07:02 pm UTC (link)
Prudishness about sex sort of annoys me, so your comic - very funny in its own right - appeals to me even more because you take such care in perverting cultural norms.

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[info]xpurple
2004-05-14 07:19 pm UTC (link)
Your comic points out just how funny sex is. It's downright silly the things people do sometimes :)

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[info]ozoneocean
2004-05-14 09:17 pm UTC (link)
Sex is attractive. Whenever I've put art on the web, there's always been WAY more interest in the sexier stuff (generally revealing pics of females), from men AND women. We're programmed that way and society, pop-culture etc conditions it into you as well.
That said, sexual imagery is all pervasive, so it takes something MORE than that to actually hold and keep someone's interest.

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[info]0mniscient
2004-05-14 09:33 pm UTC (link)
Be wary what you ask people in a survey; I don't think that people will lie on it, but people do have a habit of overestimating themselves. Getting to know the demographics and how much it overlaps with the more self-congratulatory comics, interesting. But far more people probably do come just for the naughty joke bit than a survey would show.

Mind you, while sex does sell, that's more an advertising standby than a product one. Many of us here wouldn't have heard of Sexy Losers had it not been for a WTF or deep chuckle at hearing one of the jokes/plotlines. And this is far from unique to SL; I usually look at a comic when a linked strip/punchline/etc. amuses me, and most of the ones that catch my attention are adult-oriented. So in that sense, yes, sex might very well bring fans (or rather, the people who become fans) to a comic.

As Ghastly points out, however, most of these peter out soon after and are quickly forgotten. Which is where the difference between "real products" and webcomics comes into play. The normal advertiser just has to make sure you reach for his product instead of a competitor's, the webcomic has to keep providing content. Otherwise, tits might be hits, but only as a flash in the pan, and potential fans instead turn into people who might, vaguely, remember the comic.

So what makes Sexy Losers noteworthy, ignoring things like art and character focus that always seem to slip under the radar, is how consistently it's been top-ranking. Sex appeal does draw attention, shock value does sell, but I'd be curious to see what the average lifespan on a "tits-for-hits" is, webcomic or other medium. And use that baseline to ask why certain "dirty pleasures" have the staying power they do.

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[info]azurelunatic
2004-05-14 10:17 pm UTC (link)
I think for the US, it's implied sex that sells. The actual boinkage in full detail is considered offensive by many (why? I don't get this!!) but when there's a rumor just verging on TMI, or sexually attractive people to drool over, the market is right there.

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[info]greysil
2004-05-14 10:24 pm UTC (link)
When you do your poll, you may want to ask how people found Sexy Losers. I myself have never sought out a single webcomic, though I read about a dozen of them. With one exception, all of the webcomics I read were either links posted by friends or links from other webcomics...

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[info]miss_grim
2004-05-14 11:14 pm UTC (link)
Well, first of all, I think that when people use the phrase 'sex sells', they're referring to using sex appeal or sexuality to make an idea or a product more appealing. Sex in itself wouldn't be enough... it would have to be some kind of sexual aspect of something that the target audience is attracted to or enjoys. For example, using attractive men or women in a beer commercial that are the same age, etc. as the target consumer. Another way that 'sex sells' is to use the idea of sex in a way that you wouldn't normally expect to see it so as to combine sex and humor in your advertisement. One of my favorite examples of this is the Humane Society ad that shows a cross-dresser getting dressed (stockings, mini-skirt, bra, frilly blouse, high-heeled pumps, all shown at 'sexy' angles) and at the end he bends over and pats his obviously affectionate dog on the head with the caption 'unconditional love is underrated' or something like that. My second favorite is the commercial where a boy is riding down an escalator, and he is fascinated by an overly sexy woman riding the opposite direction when an insanely huge pile of condoms is dropped from the sky onto his head with the caption 'Don't even think about sex without a condom'.

The reason I read Sexy Losers is pretty simple... you've managed to capture a rare form of humor in an industry that is seldom looked at so candidly or honestly. In my opinion your comics are not about the sex but the situation, and I would like to see more forms of entertainment that contain sex and sexual themes but where they are not the focus nor the point of the piece. Also, I like to laugh so much I risk falling out of my chair.

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[info]watchingsitcoms
2004-05-14 11:34 pm UTC (link)
Sex most definitely does sell, or rather, the *implication* of sex sells, as actual graphic depictions of sex are not considered acceptable in most of the world.

As for webcomics, you're right on. Comics are not simply advertisements for a product, so "sex sells" is just not applicable. Sex in the comic might lure readers in, but only the story/jokes and characters will keep them reading.

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[info]misoranomegami
2004-05-14 11:52 pm UTC (link)
If I wanted sex, I'ld look at porn. You're a good artist, but honestly there are much better artists out there if I was only looking for drawings of sexual acts and parts. I read your comic because its funny. If you see something that's humorous you share it even if others might find it inappropriate. I can always trust you to be funny without holding back.

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[info]hardartist
2004-05-15 05:04 am UTC (link)
I agree. I look at my art, and I wonder how ANYONE can get off on THAT. I consider it very flattering that anyone would think that my art would elicit sexual arousal in people. Or they are just looking for an excuse or something. What I do ain't jerk-off worthy.

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sex sells.....kleenex
[info]crashnbang
2004-05-15 12:37 am UTC (link)
Yep, sex sold lots of kleenex to me when I was single and even more now that I'm not. That's about the only thing sex sold me. Now when sex kicks your ass, now that's another story, it's also why I like your comic, I have had my ass kicked by sex and seeing it portrayed in a comic in all of it's varieties you portray it in just makes it that much more amusing. How did I get my ass kicked by sex you ask? Well, nothing as imaginative as your strip man, I just accidently stuck my finger in a light socket around the time of the big O. I found your strip from links from another comic long ago, can't remember which one exactly, either Ghastly's, Queen of Wands, or T.A. Vision. Thanks for the entertainment man, it's better than "Cats".

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(oratory part 1) sex ... does sell why do you think pornos are 15% of the GDP in America?
[info]thisisthetrueme
2004-05-15 10:59 am UTC (link)
here is my oratory ...i wrote it on advertising but it will most likely refute all evidence against the fact that sex sells...because it does. it sells. numbers show it and so does my oratory...enjoy:

You know the commercial, the woman shampooing her hair moaning and groaning? “Herbal Essences. A totally organic experience.” An Organic experience?

"You get a new haircut?" Bob answers, "No," as he walks through a party. The woman looks puzzled as she notices a difference about him. A man with glasses greets Bob and asks him if he’s lost weight, Bob says, "Uh uh." A man carrying a tray of hors d'oeuvre asks him if he’s wearing a new jacket; Bob again answers, "No." An off screen announcer states, "What's different? He finally asked his doctor about Viagra” His wife turns to him, "Did you?" He interrupts her. "Call the sitter, walk the dog, I saw the doctor."
Advertising, huh? Sex sells. Whether it’s a lack of sex or the promise of sex, it sells. Sex sells. It sells because Americans are obsessed with their bodies, obsessed with dreaming, obsessed with analyzing, and critiquing instead of living and caring. America has a bundle of secret cultural insecurities, and a will to put things in boxes, to categorize, to pigeonhole a person sometimes even a group of people, an urge to stereotype; advertising companies take those stereotypes and manipulate them. They manipulate our insecurities in order to take advantage of our needs for success whether it is in the business arena or the bed. First, the ads target or create a need. Then they give intended-bias information about that need. Finally, they make it seem that their product will turn insecurities into securities. Sensuous advertisements such as the ones I reenacted are misleading because they promote sex and American desires.

But not all advertising is bad; some of it seems quite informative and educational. Notice any commercials for depression, allergies, or herpes lately? Off screen announcers narrating depressed onions bouncing across the screen with sagging eyebrows and a thinly drawn mouth? A guy in his mid 20s wearing a white t-shirt with the word “allegra-d” printed on it standing in an “allergy line up” along side other medications? A woman early 20s, thin, maybe even beautiful, walking and bouncing on a beach with a lover and then the surprising “ask your doctor about valtrex and other treatments for genital herpes”?

These ads actually convey medical information that is helpful. I was not aware of the symptoms of depression. I was not aware that it was a medical condition not just a really bad day. I guess if I had those symptoms, I would ask someone for help. If I knew someone who was suffering, I would tell them they could be treated. The same is true for allergies or herpes. These ads increase public awareness of medical conditions that can be treated. If you have physical symptoms and aren’t aware that they might be a medical problem, you aren’t going to go to a doctor, as a result, you’ll just suffer.

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(oratory part 2) its not the play its the player
[info]thisisthetrueme
2004-05-15 11:01 am UTC (link)
Television and magazines have a lot of these types of ads and people seem to have become more aware of their own medical conditions. Therefore, more people are getting medical care and improving their health. Aren’t ads like this really important for public education? If ads like this get people to seek medical attention aren’t these ads good? How can we argue against this?
Well, consider this, information itself is neutral. It’s the credibility of that information that is often under scrutiny. So, how do you evaluate the credibility of information when its not that obvious? You need to look at the intent of the person providing the information. What is the intent of a seller to provide you particular information? The seller’s intent is to simply sell and reap the benefit. So, the information provided to you by a seller will be skewed to serve that purpose, in other words, the seller wants to influence your decision to buy or not. The ad only gives you the information that will persuade you to buy his product or service. You can start to see how certain information is not going to be provided. Why? Because if the seller provides this other information you may decide not to buy. You will not hear the negative things about products in ads because that would not sell it. Like if I were to hold up a sub I would say this sub is delicious, the best, you haven’t had lunch until you’ve had this sub. But many people mistake advertising as serving a consumer benefit, to be there to inform you of a product you might need, maybe even to educate you. However, you can see by what I have just said that any “education” is secondary to the seller’s intent to influence your decision.

In the advertisements, there is only one stance presented to you, and that is the positive-buy-this-now-because-you’ll-need-it-later stance. Advertisements are not meant to be unbiased information. Lets’ consider intent again. In school, when teachers provide information what is their intent? Contrary to student belief, their intent is not to torture us. Their intent is to provide a broad base of information. Their intent is to teach students how to digest and synthesize information. The student is then better able to make informed decisions based on this broad, non-selective, range of information. Consider the sub example. If I were a teacher I would say, “This sub looks good, but the company that makes it doesn’t make the ingredients, half the time they aren’t fresh ingredients, and its so greasy it drips, and leaks, and stains.” So, now you can now see how the information is altered based on the providers’ intent. The sellers’ intent is to sell. The benefit of that sale is for the seller, not the consumer. The teachers’ intent in providing information is for the benefit of the student, not the teacher. So, you can now see how the intent to provide information influences the information provided.

In summary, advertising isn’t bad because it’s too sensual, too seductive, or too provocative, it’s not even bad because it’s selectively educational. Advertising is bad because it presents information in a deceptive fashion to uneducated consumers. It seduces its audience by appearing informative and educational but uses slight of hand to take advantage of the average American.


so i hope that answers any questions you might have for anything about sex selling... there is also useful information that will support my theory by way of statistics in Eric Schlossers "Reefer Madness" in it there is a good 1/3 of the book devoted to the history of porn and its profit and its impact on american culture/economy. enjoy.

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Sex...yeah whatever
[info]kuroi_nekochan
2004-05-15 10:35 pm UTC (link)
Sex is just funny in general even though its supposedly a taboo that's dirty and shouldn't be talked about! OH NO! ITS SEX. RUN AWAY.

There is absolutely wrong with sex, its very healthy, I swear its the only reason some people are still alive. Its just that very few people take it so lightly because there are so many little taboos and uncomfortable feelings that surround it. And the people who are comfortable enough to talk about it in the open are called "gross perverts" and such. I bet they do what we laugh and talk about anyways.

I was working on a random fanart for your birthday (since I have no idea when it is) but hey, cool, now I do. I'll finish faster now...I hope. Oh yeah, and Hard... I've never seen you use a smiley like "^^;;;" ever...wow.

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[info]ttragicomic
2004-05-16 10:04 am UTC (link)
The Return of the Jerker I - "I jerked myself today... the only that's real", classic! Made me laugh my head off.

I read your comic because it's frigging hilarious. Keep up the good work man.

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[info]project626
2004-05-16 10:31 am UTC (link)
im open for that survey thing...anytime

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[info]ttragicomic
2004-05-16 11:33 pm UTC (link)
oh yes, I forgot...

Fappy Birthday!

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[info]chemnerd
2004-05-17 12:02 am UTC (link)
I think the concept of "sex sells" is true in many points. I've never seen it applied to web comics though. A good example of proof for those who saw "The Apprentice" on the first episode with the lemonade. The women won - why? Because they could show off their goods and flirt and the likes - they were able to sell more lemonade because they attracted people by flirting. It's very obvious when it happens - the girl flaunts her chest, trying to convince you to buy something. Another form of proof is Axe body spray. I know that won't happen but the commercials made me feel like I wanted that stuff for a moment. At least thats the meaning of that term to me.

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[info]hentaikid
2004-05-23 03:04 pm UTC (link)
For me it's not so much a matter of "sex sells" as "sex CAN be sold"

I doubt I'd get people to pay for a collection of short animations of characters NOT having sex. Heh.

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Sex Helps
[info]thefifthbrian
2004-05-23 11:50 pm UTC (link)
I first caught on to Sexy Losers because it was the raunchiest and boldest comic at the time (this was in its first year of existence). I think it may still be. I've always thought of hentai as an art form, and this comic definitely exploited that sentiment and sent it packing. ;-)

Your humor is always clever, hard, and has remained so for the longest time. Seems like you are always willing to experiment. The only sad thing is that you've covered so many bases already. When I started reading, the Suicide Girl thread nearly made me sick. I liked Kenta's Horny Mom because it was bold and funny - but also because Kenta's Mom is really, really hot. Then, I came to appreciate the writing and context of SL a little bit more, which is when I got into some of the other, less sexy characters and their stories.

All of your serials are sex-comic gold. I'm just wondering when you'll go even further, to introduce regions of sexual perversion more absurd than even incest and necrophilia.

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Why I read Sexy Losers
[info]chaosmastermind
2004-05-26 10:52 pm UTC (link)
Hard,
I read your comic because it is brilliant, man.
You and Ghastly are the best comic artists I've ever seen.
(please don't be offended if you are a great webcomic artist reading this, because I probably haven't seen your comic, but I've seen quite a few)

There is a reason for this.. and I'd say that it's guts.
You guys make comics about things that most people wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole... and I respect you for that.
People usually don't touch on the subjects in your comics, and hell, Ghastly did a whole bunch of Tentacle rape, Jesus, and gay stuff that people would most likely lynch him for maybe 20 years ago. :-D You show the humor in things that really are very humorous and taboo, like necrophilia, scatophilia, incest, and of course the neverending quest for poor losers like myself to get laid..

Like I said, a lot of the stuff in your comics could be something that I would think about to myself and have a good laugh, but probably wouldn't tell anyone, or say anything. Which is not to say that at least 90% of your comic is completely original and surprising to me. :-) but you have the guts to do it, and do it well.

The artwork is superb, I could never get the skill or the software to do that well, and the storylines are well crafted and continuous. The characters are original and interesting, and the jokes are hilarious.

I love mostly all of your comics, and I hope you aren't mad, but I took a little snippet of one of your drawings, modified it a little and use it as a livejournal avatar.. is that okay?
I'll stop if you want me to. I took that brooding goth guy and changed him to look more like me. :-) it should be displayed in this message. That comic was so me.. :-) I know all too well exactly what that guy is going through. Except the whole sex part.. :-D

Anyway, I would just like to say that your comic is my favorite and I've read all of them so far.. which is a lot. Ghastly rules too, I even made a guest comic for him. I would make one for you too if you wanted. My favorite character is Mike. :-)

I have my own shitty Microsoft Paint webcomic on keenspace if you want to see. It's chaosmastermind.keenspace.com
The comic is called "Squandered Youth".

I can only hope that someday I'm even a fraction as good as you guys. Thank you.

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Re: Why I read Sexy Losers
[info]hardartist
2004-05-30 12:07 am UTC (link)
I don't personally care about the use of avatars, but Blog Boy is sure pissed off.

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