That D&D cover makes me rage every goddamn time. It doesn't help that I think that artist sucks (I can't even interpret that horrible mess of plates to the left of the cleavage -- it's supposed to be a dragonborn, but looks more like a sloth that someone rolled through a scrapyard). He seriously can't draw a woman who isn't dancing around an invisible pole with her boobs about to pop out of her tight dress, and can't draw a man that doesn't look like a grimacing homunculus of corded muscle and anger.
Unfortunately, previous editions' neutral covers were usually wrapped around a book that featured women with their nipples visible through their chainmail shirts, or wizards overlooking their stable of half-naked harem girls. Interior art for the past two editions -- even the one with the cleavage on the cover -- has been a LOT better in this regard. They've also been drawing pictures of non-white characters more frequently. So, I dunno.
The point about the sexualization of dudes is an excellent one. My favorite RPG, Exalted, always gets dragged out as an example of 'equal-opportunity cheesecake' when it contains, at most, one or two heavily sexualized pictures of dudes per book, compared to practically every other picture of a woman. That handful of sexy guy pinups carries more weight in people's minds than legions of sexy female pictures, because people aren't used to seeing it and it stands out as particularly jarring -- men aren't LIKE that, after all. People are willing to de-sexualize female characters (WoW has been putting in fewer and fewer pieces of gear that look significantly different on males and females, for instance), but they aren't willing to accept sexualization of male characters.
I don't think I'm actually adding to the discussion here, but.
no subject
Unfortunately, previous editions' neutral covers were usually wrapped around a book that featured women with their nipples visible through their chainmail shirts, or wizards overlooking their stable of half-naked harem girls. Interior art for the past two editions -- even the one with the cleavage on the cover -- has been a LOT better in this regard. They've also been drawing pictures of non-white characters more frequently. So, I dunno.
The point about the sexualization of dudes is an excellent one. My favorite RPG, Exalted, always gets dragged out as an example of 'equal-opportunity cheesecake' when it contains, at most, one or two heavily sexualized pictures of dudes per book, compared to practically every other picture of a woman. That handful of sexy guy pinups carries more weight in people's minds than legions of sexy female pictures, because people aren't used to seeing it and it stands out as particularly jarring -- men aren't LIKE that, after all. People are willing to de-sexualize female characters (WoW has been putting in fewer and fewer pieces of gear that look significantly different on males and females, for instance), but they aren't willing to accept sexualization of male characters.
I don't think I'm actually adding to the discussion here, but.