Opinions on featured content and why it bothers me

BlueWindyHood 2016-07-11 11:32:17 UTC #1

I've been on Tapastic a little over a year now. I like it. I enjoy the usability.... But I have a problem with the featuring policy. The other day a comic about teen pregnancy was featured that glamorized and seemed to sexualize the minors who were part of the story, a story in which the young character's worth and populatity was gauged by how lavish their baby showers were. That steps out of the realm of problematic and into a realm of 'genuinely not ok'. I don't know how else to say that. It's damaging and moderately horrifying. I'm an adult. I've been an adult for about half that main character's life. I was 16 once. A lot of my friends were getting pregnant and were absolutely terrified of having a kid at that age, being able to support their kid, what their families were going to think about their situation. I know that sensation intimately, and I know that that kind of content is upsetting for adults who lived through it, and kids who are living through it. Honestly I don't think the feature was appropriate at all, and knowing that there have been individuals who sent in complaints about it only solidifies the idea that it was a biased feature and not in the communities best interest at all.

I don't really understand why it was brought into the spotlight when the content is borderline against community guidelines, and there are so many OTHER really good comics that deserved that feature more.

My big question here is, are there other ways we can determine what gets featured, so harmful content doesn't wind up in people's snacks, or in the banner feature? Maybe some way we can come together as a community to determine the guidelines for choosing comics to feature, ESPECIALLY when the app is accessible by impressionable minors?

Beebutts 2016-07-11 14:14:47 UTC #2

I'm so done.
Glorifying teen pregnancy and sexualizing minors is far from okay.
"Humor" or not this is taking it too far. Tapastic is available for a young audience whose world view can and will be affected by stuff like this.
I have a 15 year old sister. 15 year old is a CHILD.
Thank you for addressing this issue Blue! ♥ I agree 100% with everything you said, and I do hope this will be taken seriously.

PotooGryphon 2016-07-11 14:20:21 UTC #3

I highly agree as well. However, some comfort is that because of the app's 17+ rating, minors with parental controlled phones won't be able to download the app, they can only read from the website.

It's hard to tell really what Tapas' target audience and target age range is on the app, maybe they aren't really trying to target an audience (?) However, featuring material that a general audience would find distasteful isn't good.

UzukiCheverie 2016-07-11 15:19:29 UTC #4

The only problem with this is that, so long as it doesn't fit into the category of 18+ (what would generally put a comic into that category, ex. extreme violence, profanity, nudity, sexual themes, etc. what makes an R-rated movie an R-rated movie). is that before you hit that threshold, much of "what is appropriate" can be rather subjective. I may be fine with reading a comic that has very dark messages and character suffering, but what about the comic creator next door who only wants to be reading gag-a-day's here and hates anything else that shows up that doesn't fit into that category? The daily snack feature is meant to showcase many different types of comics, so that you can usually find one that suits your tastes - and the featured section (aside from the banners) is an automatically generated view of what's been popular over the past several hours.

I'm not disagreeing with you per se, just that "leaving featured content to the community to decide" is a lot easier said than done, and it doesn't matter whether it's the community or the staff doing it - there's going to be bias based on personal opinion that will lead to some questionable features either way (it's just that the staff is held to a much higher standard).

Kayke 2016-07-11 15:26:19 UTC #5

Where was this comic featured? I haven't seen anything like that featured on the main site, but I don't use the app.

noxfox 2016-07-11 16:05:20 UTC #6

I've heard it was featured in the Daily Snacks yesterday. Before this it was featured in the Tapastic newsletter as well, because it's some kind of new concept, "tapisodes", which are more like just script with some illustrations. I'm quite puzzled by the fact that it seems like the work might have been commissioned by Tapastic – out of all possible stories out there, going for something this edgy is quite a risky choice imo.

I can't even begin to say how wrong this sounds like...

I agree so much. This content is really insensitive and potentially harmful for kids and adults alike. I don't think you can do anything under cover of humor, and there is a time and place for all things. I don't think this kind of content has a place on a platform accessible to so many teens (seriously, what's the percentage of kids who actually have parental control on? and how many parents would refuse that their kids access a comics app --cuz you know, comics are for kids prejudice...) It's irresponsible not to think of those things!

Just like it is expected of creators not to use pictures that can be offensive/NSFW as cover for their series, I think it should be expected from the staff not to feature content that will make a lot of user very uncomfortable. I honestly do not like how things are going since the new App was released. Tapastic was always a super nice place and community, with open-mindedness and a good atmosphere overall. But Tapas feels unhealthy and unsafe, and I even get uneasy about recommending it to anyone anymore.

Kayke 2016-07-11 16:29:22 UTC #7

Considering it's in a new format that people can't submit to yet and was done as a sample of that, it does seem like a really strange choice of story. You'd think they'd choose something with a wider demographic that everyone could enjoy as they warm up to the whole "Tapisodes" thing

I checked the email that's from and it looks like there's also a romance novel about an Italian "bad boy" which is not really the kind of thing I think of when I think Tapastic, so maybe they're trying to expand their demo?

UrMom 2016-07-11 16:31:02 UTC #8

I dunno. Content like that does have a right to exist as much as anything else, and sure, it's alright to have stuff like that on Tapastic in general as long as it doesn't violate the rules. That comic certainly isn't the most offensive thing you could come across on the internet, but I do agree that this type of comic shouldn't be showcased on a site flooded with impressionable children. (teens = children) It's okay to have offensive material, censorship of creation is wrong, but it's not good to encourage it.

We like to argue all that time that we're not so gullible of a species that we could be easily affected by what you consume, and it's only a small minority who does. But just look how everyone reacted when 'Jaws' came out. Humans are impressionable, and curious animals, whether we want to believe it or not.

iddqd 2016-07-11 16:43:45 UTC #9

This post actually raises a very important issue.

I didn't read the comic, and from its description, it sounds like it's something done in bad taste, and something I won't personally read. But I noticed something, and I don't know if you've noticed that too. It seems that as the replies roll in, it's turning from something that's in bad taste to "harmful", "damaging", "not in the best interest of the community", something that "will make a lot of user very uncomfortable", "unhealthy" and "unsafe" (whatever that last one means). It also seems that the consensus so far is the comic glorifies teen pregnancy and sexualizes minors ("seemingly sexualizes" in the original post). In other words, it's literally Hitler. Now note I neither agree nor disagree with these characterizations (I didn't read the thing), I am making an observation.

So now we have a bit of an issue here. If someone disagrees with a public expression of an idea through a webcomic medium because it makes them uncomfortable (of an idea that is not illegal, like hate speech), should it be censored by never being featured? Or censored through other means, like social media pressure? I think that's the question. Because I can think of a few works on Tapastic that can be censored by the same criteria (like everything in the Horror genre, and more).

UzukiCheverie 2016-07-11 16:56:40 UTC #10

That's a bit of a different scenario though. When you go into the horror section, you know what to expect - comics that are going to either scare you, or disturb you, or just downright horrify you. These comics are delivering what their genre expects them to - exactly what their genre entails. These comics are labelled NSFW where it's appropriate, and usually these comics are only featured during appropriate times (ex. Friday the 13th, Halloween, etc.) And even then, whenever they're featured, it's made clear quickly WITHOUT using a cringe-y description that this comic will scare the jeebus out of you.

I think what the problem here is that the comic that's being featured seems to be pretty cringe-worthy, even by horror readers' standards (and I've read some terrifying horror stories out there let me tell you /cough cough Junji Ito /cough cough Even most horror stories aren't like this though). It's unrealistic, over exaggerated, and on an app that's largely used by teenagers in the 16-year-old age range (below and above) it's no doubt that it would be a concern to fellow creators and readers about what kind of things are getting featured and shoved into the users' faces - it also can make the app itself look bad. Aside from that, again, the comic itself is just cringe-worthy - it's the usually horrifying experience of being a teen mother mixed with Degrassi. Reading the description alone left a bad taste in my mouth. Who is this comic targeted towards? Teenagers? Adults? What's it trying to be besides completely ridiculous and unnecessary? And why is it being featured over a comic that actually suits the genre it's categorized as and doesn't enter the morally uncomfortable? (to extreme standards). And of course, out of all the comic ideas they could have used, why is it this one that's being used as the introduction to an upcoming new feature on Tapastic? First impressions are important here and this comic hasn't left a good one with anyone, it seems.

indagold 2016-07-11 17:04:28 UTC #11

well it certainly sounds really stupid and as pulp as it can get but I'm guessing it has to feature actual underage sex for it to be considered inappropriate? I don't see how something in bad taste = destroying community guidelines. I think you have to go really far for that to happen. This is pale in comparison to some really messed up stuff i've seen.

UrMom 2016-07-11 17:21:53 UTC #12

I wasn't going to say anymore on this thread, but this comment is just silly. Why is it when people bitch about something, someone always goes in with a comment about how everyone is comparing that thing to Hitler?
Hitler was a horrible monster who killed, according to ushmm.org, over 6 million people in the Holocaust. To say people are comparing something that makes them uncomfortable, to a person like that is ridiculous. Lmao!

As far as censorship. Like I said before, everything has a right to exist, but everything has it's place. While I don't agree that not featuring a certain thing is censoring it, because it's not actively suppressing it, I do think that certain works shouldn't be featured on a site meant to be kid friendly. It'd be like turning the mentioned comic into a cartoon series, and trying to get it shown on Cartoon Network. The creator has every right to make that animation, but a children's channel isn't the right place to show it, they should try Adult Swim or something. Now if this site were Drunkduck/Theduckwebcomics, I would be totally chill with it being featured, because DD isn't a site that is meant to be totally kid friendly with it's allowance of adult material.
Also horror and comedy are two totally different things. People go into horror knowing it will be disturbing, and that's how it's supposed to be, comedy on the other hand isn't. It's like the romance genre, you go into it expecting romance and cute fluff, maybe some drama. But a lot of that genre is caked with romanticzed abuse, and rape that has no business being there. Then you get people reading it, and thinking that's how romantic relationships are supposed to work... but I digress.
Horror is supposed to be disturbing, comedy isn't.

Also while I, and others voice Tapastic isn't the place to showcase romanticized child pregnancy, and sexualization of minors due to the site's demographic. If it's not breaking the rules, and the staff wanna feature it, they're going to and there's not much anyone can do about it. Doesn't mean people can't vent, though.

J.Z.Castillo 2016-07-11 17:51:21 UTC #13

EEEEGH, I don't like that premise at ALL. I know adults well in their 30s who are TERRIFIED of having kids. This just looks like a choppy narrative, not for it. I do agree, content needs to be better picked. That comic was just all sorts of problematic, even after reading that intro I knew it was bad news. Do better, Tapastic!

heterodont 2016-07-11 18:01:15 UTC #14

Godwin's Law. Though I do agree that comparison was unnecessary.

I don't think that tapisode even gets the benefit of the doubt of maybe it doesn't glorify teen pregnancy, but then the synopsis straight up saying that prestige in the comic's universe relies on how much babies one pops out, it's kinda...well alright, and not in a good sense.

The issue has already been addressed though that its problematic in that it's sponsored and supposed to be something that pushes people towards tapisodes - it's really an odd choice of a story...iirc the daily snacks and spotlight at first only chose gag a days or slice of life bc tapastic wanted to increase traffic to the site before including long form comics within those two things, so it just kinda begs the question as to why they didn't do that with tapisodes?? and honestly, it seems like if it wasn't for the fact the story was chosen to represent tapisodes, no one except for the people who stumbled upon it would really be bothered by it - if it happened after tapisodes were already well ingrained and there were tons of them already.

TomSawyer 2016-07-11 18:11:57 UTC #15

I'm just imagining a story that causes this kind of reaction
Like every 5 seconds, you end up cowering in fear or disgust

UzukiCheverie 2016-07-11 18:13:42 UTC #16

It's called the /r/WTF subreddit lol

TomSawyer 2016-07-11 18:15:12 UTC #17

Hearing how bad this is, actually makes me curious

Maybe I'll take a look just to see how bad it might be?

*edit
Nevermind I changed my mind. They show everything? that's my limit

theawkwarddreamer 2016-07-11 18:24:31 UTC #18

I do agree that it shouldn't have been featured as much as it did. It certainly shouldn't have been the posterchild for tapisodes. A fantasy or adventure story would benefit from a mix of prose and illustration much more than a story about teen pregnancy (or any story about pregnancy, really. Ew.)

It really was in poor taste. I usually try to finish the snacks, but there was an illustration of birth and I just- I just couldn't. The dialogue was bad and the concept was gross and I'm a year older than the main character and just- no. Bad Tapastic. Time to abort whatever plan you have and go back to plain comics because this clearly isn't working if you have to resort to that being the posterchild of a new feature.

Beebutts 2016-07-11 18:38:14 UTC #19

"People go into horror knowing it will be disturbing, and that's how it's supposed to be, comedy on the other hand isn't. It's like the romance genre, you go into it expecting romance and cute fluff, maybe some drama. But a lot of that genre is caked with romanticzed abuse, and rape that has no business being there. Then you get people reading it, and thinking that's how romantic relationships are supposed to work... "

Yess!!! And then Tapastic refuses to give a Spotlight to my favorite series just because it's labeled "BDSM".. =_=
The BDSM has not even started yet, and the creators are being very mindful of their audience..
Like how can you share something like this, and then say you "can't highlight something because it has the label "BDSM" in it."
BDSM does not equal rape. It requires consent and trust and this series is well-documented for once. The creators are very focused on making it a safe read even for those not familiar with the concept.
Mutters >.<

Michelle 2016-07-11 18:42:25 UTC #20

I've used the term cringe-worthy before, but very seldom has reading a comic description ACTUALLY made my face contort with discomfort.

I agree, the comic has every right to exist, and I'm sure there's an audience for it, but it's really sending an odd message by being a featured pick. I haven't read this comic so I can't speak to its actual quality or content, but from the description it seems like it's edging toward teen pregnancy fetishization which is just... erm, no thank you.