THE SHOT – R. Crumb’s proposed cover for the June 2009 issue of The New Yorker, rejected by editor David Remnick (presumably for the gender inspection sign, though Crumb says that Remnick never offered him any explanation). Gawker’s Seth Abramovitch points out:
“…millions of gays and lesbians who would have undoubtedly felt marginalized and stereotyped by the depiction. On the other hand, you need to put the illustration in the context of the illustrator: Crumb’s entire career was built on his hypersexualized images of hulking women with lumberjack legs and the scrawny she-men who fawn over them. The picture was celebrating gender-defiance, not mocking it.”
Though the illustration has a definite transgressive quality, we know men and women who look like all three of the people pictured—life imitates art imitates life?
Cinesnatch
The cartoon is a provocative criticism at traditional marriage laws, but it doesn’t surprise me that Queerty would consider it having a 50/50 shot at being transphobic. Thanks for being consistent Queerty!
Giovannidude
The New Yorker rejected the cover because it’s the one that’s transphobic.
Cinesnatch
@Giovannidude: You call it transphobic without the context of familiarizing yourself with the Crumb’s previous work.
Jay
@Cinesnatch: The “it” in the sentence refers to the New Yorker, not the cover.
Cinesnatch
@Jay: thanks for the correction. I totally jumped the gun. Apologies to giovanni dude.
Charlie
It’s just classic Crumb – and I love classic Crumb.
Bard
This is NOT being Transphobic, hasn’t anyone here actually read R. Crumb comix or seen any of his illustrations?
declanto
If you’ve done R.Crumb and done The New Yorker, you can only laugh at Crumb’s audacity for offering this splendid take on social norms. I find it baffling that the New Yorker wouldn’t leap at an ironic opportunity like this. Nothing transphobic here unless you’re totally paranoid.
truth
Does anyone actually care about transphobia?
Whisper
No. 9 – transgendered people care about transphobia, as do the cisgendered people who consider transgendered people amongst the folk they love.
Anyway, it could be transphobic, but as others have said, considering Crumb’s love of the larger lass, it isn’t necessarily.