[Dragon] Lord, the cheese...

[Eridanis]

The issue is about demons and devils, so a succubus is an appropriate cover illustration...

Granted; and, as SHARK said, given the proper understanding of context, it would be a good illustration. But, when I got home tonight, I grabbed my copy out of the mailbox and immediately went down to Pizza Hut to get some dinner. The cover illo stopped me from taking the magazine into the restaurant to read while I waited for my food; the families there eating would not understand context, they'd only see a guy reading an unknown publication with a "sexy" woman on the cover. [And my personal preference is to be considerate of others, and to present myself in a favorable light (just habit, I guess).]

As a practical matter, it doesn't reflect well on me, or on my hobby, to read a magazine with such a cover in public, even if the content is excellent. In the home, of course, it's a whole different story.

Now, I'm going to sit down and actually READ the damn thing. Sounds like a good issue.

 

[Darrin Drader]

One thing I think extremely humorous about this whole debate is the irony of it all when you place it into context.

Yes, the succubus is sexy. I don't think anyone will argue with that. However, the succubus uses sexuality to lure weak mortals into letting their guard down so they can turn around and kill them. So in a very real sense, they are a morality lesson. Putting one on a cover should be provoking discussions of this kind with those of an impressionable age as opposed to a simple statement about whether or not it's appropriate based on your own personal set of values.

 

[s/LaSH]

Putting a succubus on a cover should be provoking discussions of this kind with those of an impressionable age as opposed to a simple statement about whether or not it's appropriate based on your own personal set of values.

Does... does this mean we're doing Paizo's bidding? Unwitting pawns moved on a board we cannot see, for it is all around us? Wait, are we of an impressionable age? (That last one is a trick question, if you think about it. And only if you think about it, if you think about it.)

Insane yet?

 

[buzz]

However, the succubus uses sexuality to lure weak mortals into letting their guard down so they can turn around and kill them. So in a very real sense, they are a morality lesson.

Yeah:

Sex = death

Women = sin.

Wonderful.

 

[buzz]

The issue is about demons and devils, so a succubus is an appropriate cover illustration, sure they could have had a Bebilith or something else but a succubus is probably one of the better known demons.

The issue contains one article (granted, a big one) about demons and devils, and none of them are succubi. The word "succubus" comes up once in the Sage Advice column, iirc.

The article paired with the succubi is on a point-tracking system for redemption/temptation, based on the Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Virtues. I'll grant that, as a common symbol of the "temptation" of sex, there is an albeit tenuous connection to justify the cover.

IMHO, this doesn't change the fact that its still cheesy, dorky, and assuming they had to do it at all, it probably could have been done better.

I finally finished reading the issue, though, and I thought the content was great, so I guess I'll try to stop harping on this. I still think Paizo is doing a great job in general.

 

[Kai Lord]

Yeah:

Sex = death

Women = sin.

Wonderful.

That's not remotely close to what he said, and you know it.

Try:

Sexual Immorality = death

Engaging in Sexual Immorality = sin

Whether or not you believe that in real life, its what the Succubus has always embodied in fantasy.

 

[Kai Lord]

As I've been saying, I have no objection to (nor am offended by) sex. I just would prefer if the sex depicted on the cover of one of my favorite magazines didn't make me look like a freaking dork.

Right, because reading a Dragon magazine depicting a fully clothed and armored dwarf on the cover makes you look soooo hip....

Its "Dragon", dude, if you're reading it in public, you're gonna look like a dork. No different then hanging out at the mall sportin' your new Legolas t-shirt. If you're concerned with how dorky you look and the succubus on the cover prevented you from taking Dragon to work or Round Table pizza then thank the publishers of the magazine. They did you a favor.

 

[buzz]

That's not remotely close to what he said, and you know it.

Try:

Sexual Immorality = death

Engaging in Sexual Immorality = sin

Whether or not you believe that in real life, its what the Succubus has always embodied in fantasy.

I don't see a huge difference, but whatvever. And, yes, I didn't mean to say that's what Baraendur meant. I was simply quesitoning what "moral lesson" a sexy succubi was supposed to convey.

 

[buzz]

Right, because reading a Dragon magazine depicting a fully clothed and armored dwarf on the cover makes you look soooo hip....

You're pretty much missing my point. I'd restate it again, but I've already done that about five times this thread.

Quick summary anyway: Dragon = good. Cover of #306 = lame.

 

[ergeheilalt]

A word from the young...

I found this month's Dragon cover to be well ... to be perfectly honest, nothing to yack about. I goto a school were the majority of magazines feature buxom women spread eagle all over chrome laden cars. Seeing a woman with a skull and bone brassiere on the cover of a hobby magazine is in no way (IMHO) offensive. Take a look at your everyday video game magazines, there are a fair share that also feature women as their cover art. They're appealing to a demographic.

I understand that some may find the cover a tad over the top ... but you can always do what my mother did when she got a cosmo or a vogue that was a bit too revealing ... draw a shirt on it


Erge