# She-Hulk is the biggest load of sexist crap! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 12, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889 "2015-05-12T21:57:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/21 "2015-05-13T00:33:18Z")
It should be pointed out that the real-world reason the She-Hulk character was created was not to please the males who read comics, but to try to get more females to read them. This ploy has too often lead to sexism, but I don’t think She-Hulk can be dismissed as cheesecake. I only read her for a while, when she was a member of The Fantastic Four. Didn’t read much of her own book or her Avengers time, I’m afraid. Always liked her a lot, and not merely for her hotness. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/22 "2015-05-13T02:28:31Z")
Never found her attractive. Not into 7 feet tall green women who can throw me into orbit. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/23 "2015-05-13T03:00:23Z")
> [@Saltire](#): > > It should be pointed out that the real-world reason the She-Hulk character was created was not to please the males who read comics, but to try to get more females to read them. That may have been the public reason, but the actual reason was Marvel making sure to defend/protect it’s trademarks (or copyrights–I can never remember which is which for these purposes–I think it’s trademarked here, but either way). The Six-Million Dollar Man had the “The Bionic Woman” spin off and (something something something) someone didn’t get any creator rights and Marvel was worried that if the then very successful Hulk TV show decided to give him a female counterpart, Marvel wouldn’t end up with the rights to the character. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/24 "2015-05-13T03:13:30Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > So, you have this guy who, when exposed to gamma radiation, turns into a giant, raging, unstoppable monster who causes millions and millions of dollars of damage - and maybe kills a bunch of people, depending on which version you’re talking about. > > On the other hand, you have a woman who, when exposed to gamma radiation, opens her own law firm. > > Who is this supposed to be sexist against? This post fills me with rage, disgust, and rage. The last sentence should begin with _whom_. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/25 "2015-05-13T03:30:19Z")
Like the Jolly Green Giant isn’t 50 feet of pure sex and chlorophyll, luring shoppers to buy his frozen carrots and corn. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/26 "2015-05-13T03:30:53Z")
> [@skald the rhymer](#): > > this post fills me with rage, disgust, and rage. The last sentence should begin with _whom_. HULK PROOFREAD!!! Stupid software won’t let me type in all caps unless there’s some lower case in the same post. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/27 "2015-05-13T04:10:06Z")
> [@grude](#): > > The Hulk is basically invulnerable and probably the strongest hero in the Marvel stable, crossing universes he could probably go toe to toe with Kal El. I’d say he got the better deal. And at least his character model looks it. > > Have they ever done a one off where She-Hulk looked like the Hulk but with boobs? Sure. In the Gerber/Hitch issues of _The Sensational She-Hulk._ Artists making She-Hulk sexy and cute is probably kind of John Byrne’s fault. He really liked the character and made a point of drawing her as a heroic lead rather than a plain-faced screwball in the back of the Avengers. I kind of like that the recent legal-practice-oriented series haven’t tried very hard to make her a sex symbol. She’s big, she’s green, she’s decent-looking, she doesn’t have to be Aphrodite as well. But I hear that even in her original series, she had a guy who liked her as She-Hulk. And it’s not like the Hulk himself hasn’t had three wildly different love interests in Hulk form. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/28 "2015-05-13T04:42:48Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > She-Hulk’s appearance may be sexist. But if you think it’s the _biggest_ load of sexist crap in comics, you haven’t read a lot of comics. Comic books are so full of sexism, this wouldn’t even make the top fifty. Wendy Whitebread, Undercover Slut – now that’s top fifty material. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_of\_Words](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@Jack\_of\_Words](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_of_Words)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/29 "2015-05-13T06:16:50Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > This post fills me with rage, disgust, and rage. The last sentence should begin with _whom_. No, it should begin with ‘Against’, surely? ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/30 "2015-05-13T07:10:07Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Wendy Whitebread, Undercover Slut – now that’s top fifty material. I actually googled that wondering if it was a real comic, its a porn comic.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/31 "2015-05-13T08:06:51Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Have they ever done a one off where She-Hulk looked like the Hulk but with boobs? The Geoff Johns issues of _Avengers_, and an issue or two of Bendis’ _Avengers Disassembled_ did this. Within a year of each other, if I recall correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/32 "2015-05-13T08:25:00Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Never found her attractive. Not into 7 feet tall green women who can throw me into orbit. See? That’s your problem, you are too picky. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/33 "2015-05-13T08:56:12Z")
[Quite terribly relevant…](http://gwillowwilson.com/post/118822887543/dr-lepores-lament) ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/34 "2015-05-13T09:49:22Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > This post fills me with rage, disgust, and rage. The last sentence should begin with _whom_. Puny editor. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/35 "2015-05-13T11:12:20Z")
> [@Jack\_of\_Words](#): > > No, it should begin with ‘Against’, surely? Take your preposition hate back to Rome. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/36 "2015-05-13T16:09:14Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Correction: third-best. The _best_ She-Hulks were Byrne who created the modern, fun-loving She-Hulk and made her a star and then Slott, who got her back into law and wrote a far better book. David just picked up where Slott and Byrne left off. I would have to agree, as much as it pains me to say that John Byrne got a character right, for once. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/37 "2015-05-13T16:14:10Z")
She’s a green, sexy lawyer? She needs to be part of the Avocado Firm from Daredevil. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/38 "2015-05-13T16:32:54Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > She-Hulk’s appearance may be sexist. But if you think it’s the _biggest_ load of sexist crap in comics, you haven’t read a lot of comics. Comic books are so full of sexism, this wouldn’t even make the top fifty. I don’t think I’ve ever opened a comic book, but I’m familiar enough with the genre to know that there are things like Power Girl’s ‘boob window’ that kinda blow the whole She-Hulk = worst thing ever idea outta the water. ---
**Author:** ![Gerald\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Gerald\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gerald_II)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/39 "2015-05-13T20:11:03Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Bruce Banner human male turns into the Hulk, an enormous hulking human shaped monster with green skin. > > Jennifer Walters human female turns into She-Hulk, a hot chick with green skin. > > :dubious: > > I’m sure this has nothing to do with the average comic reader. Probably has to do with what’s marketable. The Hulk was created at a time when giant, irradiated monsters on film were popular. He fits the archetype of the scarred, disfigured protagonist like Frankenstein’s monster. Also, I always thought that the Hulk was never a full time hero. He seemed to be the villain at times other heroes needed to stop, sometimes he was the anti-hero, a threat that humanity reluctantly has to rely on to destroy the bigger threat of, say, an alien invasion. Or he was the hero like when Peter David wrote him. Interestingly enough, The Hulk was drawn as much more handsome during that era. On the other hand there isn’t really much of a market for disfigured female protagonists, even if the creators are aiming for female audiences; at least not that I’m aware of. Someone mentioned Power Girl. I like the character, and I’m one of the people that think the boob window is kind of her trademark. However, her costume is sexist and if that turns female readers away from the character then maybe DC should change her costume. As long as she keeps her traditional white, red, and blue suit, I don’t have a problem with her covering up her chest. There’s way better examples of sexism in mainstream superhero comics than She-Hulk. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889/40 "2015-05-13T20:52:18Z")
> [@Gerald\_II](#): > > . . . On the other hand there isn’t really much of a market for disfigured female protagonists, even if the creators are aiming for female audiences; at least not that I’m aware of. . . . There are two interesting examples…both named Batgirl. Barbara Gordon was in a wheelchair for a while, after The Joker shot her in the spine. And Cassandra Cain was emotionally crippled. You’re right, these characters weren’t strongly marketed or marketable. They had their following, but weren’t wildly popular. But they are both very interesting characters, not least for feminist reasons. (Dispempowered by circumstances, they found ways to empower themselves.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-hulk-is-the-biggest-load-of-sexist-crap/719889.md?page=3)