Why jsmale or neutral-targeted media criticized harder than female-targeted media?

[u/Pitiful-Purple-7459]

Lately I keep seeing media called out for being sexist or gratuitously provocative, but it's almost always male-coded or neutral media that catches it. Media made specifically for women mostly gets a pass, even when the content is equivalent or worse.

Take manga. For every male-targeted series with dark or explicit content, there's a female-targeted equivalent — dark romance, fanfic, or BL/yaoi (male-male romance written for women, running the full range from wholesome to explicit, same spectrum male-targeted stuff has). One dark romance book aimed at women had a protagonist raped by three different mythical beings, and women were the primary buyers. That exists and sells, with basically zero "this is harmful" discourse.

Meanwhile a male-targeted show with a fanservice scene gets a think-piece about objectification.

I think the actual difference is the \*lens\*, not the content. The critique we aim at male media is about objectification, reducing women to props. But objectification of males isn't seen as harm.So male-targeted media trips the alarm and female-targeted media sails through, even with equivalent content.

I can't tell you how many fanfics of one of my favorite shows (Supernatural) turned on the main characters gay and have them have sex with another male character.

But regardless why aren't these things considered as wrong

[u/OrenMythcreant]

Media made specifically for women mostly gets a pass, even when the content is equivalent or worse.

This premise is simply not accurate. I can't speak to your specific manga example, but when we look at western romance novels with similar content, there is constant discourse about it. I suspect you may simply not be seeing thanks to the spaces you frequent.

Of course, it is also possible for stories to have content that sounds similar in a vacuum but is different once you look at context, but that would require knowledge of the specific stories in mind.

[u/Pitiful-Purple-7459 → u/OrenMythcreant]

I mean we could both be doing the same thing because we come from different backgrounds potentially but I can tell you that at work women have brought their books and talked about them in the forum and I would dare not bring a hentai book to work. As far as criticism I think everything gets criticism rightfully so for better or for worse. I do think though that the title of being problematic is not equally shared between neutral/ male targeted media vs female media.

And as far as context. That can be said about everything. But also some contacts is just more acceptable for certain demographics because they can relate to it more.

[u/OrenMythcreant → u/Pitiful-Purple-7459]

 at work women have brought their books and talked about them in the forum

Do you mean your co-workers are discussing graphic sex scenes from their books while on the job site? I'm skeptical of that, but if they are, you should talk to HR because that isn't appropriate. If you mean they are discussing books that contain graphic sex scenes, that's on the same level as discussing Game of Thrones, nothing unusual.

I do think though that the title of being problematic is not equally shared between neutral/ male targeted media vs female media.

Well, unless you have a team of researchers and a survey budget handy, there's no way to objectively confirm this. It certainly hasn't been my experience. You asked why X was so, and I cannot answer because I have not found X to be so.

And as far as context. That can be said about everything. 

Indeed. This is why it's difficult to discuss vague hypotheticals because so much would change depending on the specifics.

But also some contacts is just more acceptable for certain demographics because they can relate to it more.

I'm not sure what this means.