What We Lose When We Eliminate Controversial Content

[Umbran]

Actually...

And, maybe that's a fair critique. But I don't think it really fits into the "controversial content" bucket this thread seems to be focused on.

 

[Voadam]

And again, I think that's why it's such a great contrast to what the article talking about: he's not the clean cut, spotless Chris Evans Captain America. I mean, that dude could be sexy and he is in the first one (or at least, Peggy Carter acknowledges him as such at one point, which is more than most post-Disney Marvel films ever do).

Worth noting that her reaching out to touch his bare chest was an ad lib on the actress's part.

 

[Voadam]

THIS is what happens when we reduce the amount of gratuitous inclusion of controversial elements. When we stop just putting in slavery cos we need a reason for bad guys to be bad in need of killing, and actually make slavery the subject, or when we stop putting images of half naked women on the cover of the DMG,

So since 1983 1e AD&D.

 

[Bagpuss]

or when we stop putting images of half naked women on the cover of the DMG,

Yeah where can I get that one?

 

[Bedrockgames]

Yeah where can I get that one?

I think this is a reference to an interior image in the DMG for second edition (there are a bunch of oil painting plates and one of them is of a scantily clad sorceress). As far as I recall the 1E covers didn't have anything like this and the 2E covers were a fighter on horseback for the PHB and a wizard with a crazy long beard for the DMG.

And the PHB had this one (which I always thought was kind of cool):

 

[Voadam]

Yeah where can I get that one?

The original 1979 1e DMG DCS cover. The efreeti dual wields a scimitar and a scantily clad woman.

 

[Thourne]

Worth noting that her reaching out to touch his bare chest was an ad lib on the actress's part.

and his reaction to that gets me every time. It isn't planned, he dosent know it is going to happen and his head just snaps to her hand and for a second. Makes me laugh seeing his natural reaction every time.

 

[Bedrockgames]

The original 1979 1e DMG DCS cover. The efreeti dual wields a scimitar and a scantily clad woman.

View attachment 279505

I have seen that cover so much but never noticed that detail before

 

[Bagpuss]

Actually, I do think there definitely is a problem with the art in the current edition of D&D. In my opinion, I think the majority of these images define beauty and heroism in humans and human-like individuals as being slim, youthful, muscular, and having highly regular features, a stereotypical and unrealistic look that is wholly devoid of any substance and realism - stylized, empty, and dare I say Manga-esque - and which I would consider problematic especially re those of the young internet generation that do not look like any of that. I do believe that there has been some recent research into how images like this have a negative, even dangerous, influence on children and teenagers growing up with them.

5E PHB, pp. 25, 29, 38, 42, 44, 51, 55, 61, 64, 67, 70, 76, 90, 94, 99, 105, 125, 129, 130, 134, 137, 138, 140, 148, 167, 192, 199, 200, 206, 217, 220, 232, 253, 262.

Page 25? The weirdly draw halfling, yes having a huge head like Mr. Mackey off South Park is an unrealistic body image.
Page 29 - A pretty normal looking black woman. Not overweight but not slim, can't tell if she is muscled, in her 20's.
Page 38 - A white male elf, again in their 20's by human standards, average to thin build hard to tell with robes.
Page 42 - Average build tiefling woman, most unrealistic part of her body is the tail and horns, clearly going to cause issues with kids body image.
I could go on but I don't see why I need to. nobody seems excessively slim, or ridiculously muscled. They generally look a healthy weight, and muscles like a track and field athlete or gymnast rather than a bodybuilder.

Plus there are lots of images you aren't calling out in between them like the middle-aged bearded barbarian on page 46, that while muscled doesn't look like Arnie in Conan, or the stocky female dwarf on 48. I mean what is wrong with the Fighter dude on 70, he could be anything between 20 and late 30's or even older, not slim. Oh a fighter has muscle... that would be realistic. None of the art is Manga-esque except the elf ears. The guy on page 112 is so old all his hair is white and needs a cane, 176 the guy has male pattern baldness. So it's not like the book is just full of youthful, athletic types, there is a real mix.

Sure the majority of art is of youthful athletic types, but then adventuring isn't likely to be something the old, overweight or infirm get up to is it?

Is it really dangerous to encourage people to have an athletic physique? Seems more dangerous to idolise being overweight.

Also the PHB has a much more diverse, in race, age, body type, and beauty than you are likely to see on TV in the US.

It seem if they are complaining about this then the "young internet generation" need to find something better to do with their time, and stop being so thin skinned.

 

[Bagpuss]

I think this is a reference to an interior image in the DMG for second edition (there are a bunch of oil painting plates and one of them is of a scantily clad sorceress). As far as I recall the 1E covers didn't have anything like this and the 2E covers were a fighter on horseback for the PHB and a wizard with a crazy long beard for the DMG.

View attachment 279499

And the PHB had this one (which I always thought was kind of cool):

View attachment 279503

So not a problem from this century millennium then... I mean most people playing probably weren't even born when that came out.