So I have this habit of checking out the site AskMen.com (affiliated with Cosmpolitan.com which I also check) every month or so. I have an interest in how others behave and in the sector of romance and sex these sites are like fountains of information both good and bad (mostly bad) as they distribute advice to the “average man/woman.” In my latest quest, I found a list of perverted behaviors that guys should really keep in check if they want success with the ladies.
Feel free to click that image to read the small text which goes on to say, or rather tell you, that your love of anime is all for perverse reasons though comics have made it into the acceptable realm. This is all so inane first, and most obvious, because of the utter disregard for the medium out of ignorance. And the prods at anime girl depictions is somewhat amusing when compared to the same accusations once being hurled at comics in the past (and still in the present). This seems to reflect how anime is still viewed as so fringe even when it has made inroads. Comics have gained ground in the last decade, thanks in most part to all the film adaptations probably, so is that what it will take for anime? Or does the fact that comic characters are recognizable as such, whereas any upcoming anime adaptions won’t be connected to anything in the minds of the general public not change a thing? And lastly, they think the majority of readers on their site would relate to such behavior? I don’t know if that is true or not, but it seems unlikely that the “average man” is accustomed to getting his kicks from anime or cosplay.
I have to say in all my browsing this is the first time I came across something anime related. I don’t know if I was really shocked at how it was presented, as I was shocked it was even thought of at all.
Reverse Thieves 
Well hey, at least they didn’t bring up lolis.
I’ve seen a lot of this firsthand, especially at off all places, the comic shop. It’s surprising how many die hard comic fans love to poke fun at people buying manga, despite the fact that, at least from outward appearances, the people buying manga do not “look the part.”
With all the inroads anime has made, it still has a lot to do if it wants to overcome the perception that its all “kids stuff.”
Hey, it took video games over a quarter century to become roughly ‘publicly accepted’ (skipping the MMO crowd), and Anime’s only been recognized as an individual entity in the states for just over a decade.
Give the US’ first gen of anime fans time to grow up (just like the gamers) and things will be different.
also check out the comments, #3 is already getting hammered Px
First, there’s a fundamental disconnect between fandoms– while those who bridge gaps between fandoms don’t see the difference. I told a (geeky) classmate I’d been to anime cons and she gave me a weird look and said, “Really? I thought those places were full of weirdos. I’ve been to Star Trek cons, and those were pretty cool.” And I realized my gut reaction, despite being a Star Trek fan, was that Trek cons were 100% Klingon cosplayers shouting in their native tongue. Cross-fandom stereotyping is pretty common, even though we think nerd stereotyping is just something non-geeks do to geeks.
Second, this is exactly the sort of garbage advice one can expect Cosmo and AskMen.com to dispense, alongside “10 haircuts that will drive the ladies wild.” I sort of think AskMen.com is sadder, because it’s full of guys who want to discuss tie knots and cufflinks, but are incredibly insecure, and desperately afraid of being seen as gay.
My only comment was even if cosplay was pervy then any person in a healthy relationship should have learned to give and take from near the beginning. Maybe some deal like you dress up as Saber tonight and I dress up as the hunky fireman or your favorite TV character tomorrow night would most probably work for everyone.
But do articles like this really ever deal with such things?
– Hisui
While I agree, I am not sure that the sort of relationship typically advocated by AskMen.com resembles a “healthy relationship”.
Also I am sure all that armor Saber wears is heavy and sort of cumbersome to be sexy in. Unless she just stands still a lot and doesn’t do anything. Oh wai
Look Saber has many different outfits.
You can have classic Saber but in powered down mode without the full armor: http://www.animeresimleri.com/img3066.htm
Then you have Saber in Rin’s old school outfit aka casual clothing Saber: http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=327910
There is the classic swimsuit saber: http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=111612
There is casual dark Saber for all the goth loli fans: http://kosupurei.blogspot.com/2008/11/fatehollow-ataraxia-dark-saber-02.html
You also have her in her Fate/hollow ataraxia outfit aka holiday Saber: http://www.justmanga.com/jmcover/FATESABERPVCHOL.jpg
Tsk Tsk Tsk. It is super easy to be sexy in any of those outfits. You seem to thankfully assume I don’t sit and think about these things all the time.
– Hisui
It’s very subjective since Anime had an image that its all about hentai and ecchi, which is way too broad considering that not all anime had panty shots, bouncing boobs and that sort nor they all about sex and more about story or the usual comedy. I think Anime is no different from the shows that are shown on TV… Its perception that the mainstream has on Anime and it’s definitely going to take time until that negative image goes away and become widely accepted like video games are.
I would figure that the “average man’s” reaction to this would be “what’s anime?”
Anime’s still fairly unknown, and most people that know what “anime” means are already of the geeky persuasion (Or at least hang out with peeps of the geeky persuasion.). For anyone to have an opinion on anime, they’re more than likely some other kind of fanboy, and we get into the in-fighting mentioned by some of the other posters.
That tells me that whoever wrote this article is probably a fanboy himself and is trying to pass off his fanboy prejudices as mainstream. Way to be insecure, dude at AskMen.com.
Either unknown, or more likely, anime gets equated to Saturday Morning Kids’ Cartoons.
It’s the stigma that never goes away. As much as I would like it to happen alongside all of these live action comics adaptations, I just don’t see it. And yes, something tells me that the author of this particular article may have some kind of barrier pre-installed. It’s all just a case of blind hair-splitting. Even if we were a bunch of pervs, who really cares but the people I personally wouldn’t have any fun with at gatherings?
Insecurity, thy name is crappy magazine advice.
I find it mildly interesting that every comment was criticizing the inclusion of point no. 3. It’s this kind of people that leads to such a horrible generalization that anime = perverted.
Worse still, AskMen.com has so many readers (supposedly). It’s the blind leading the blind.