Is froud Sexist

I know there are loads of Froud fans here so I'm opening myself up to lots of criticism but please be gentle with me.

Anyway, for a long time I've found some of the illustrations a bit disturbing, especially of the female fae. Quite a few seem to be naked or partially clad on all fours or leaning forward with their breasts shoved forward in sexual poses.

The only 'sexy' fae males I can think of are Himself and the Piper both of which do not come close in their sexuality when compared to the female fae.

Why do you think this is? Is it because a lot of female fae's clothes are just naturally see through and they find posing on all fours exposing their breasts the most relaxing or do you think it's because Froud enjoyed painting women in these poses?

I'd be interested to hear what you think especially those who believe the Fae exist. What do the Fae tell you about this? Is Froud a sexist person with an unhealthy interest in the naked female form or is this how the Fae enjoy being depicted?

Please put my mind at rest

There are only three cards where maybe he used 'sexual' poses.
1) The Bright Mother - back to the painter, full view of bottom and side of face. I do not see this as sexual though but rather a pose she has struck to best describe herself.
2) The Dark Lady - pushing her arms together allowing her breasts to be 'enlarged' by the pose. Very sexual, but it is a sexual card. Dark, romantic, sexual, the dark side of females. BTW I love this card, it is maybe my fave card.
3) Faeries of the Future - the four legged pose of the upper faery. I don't see it as sexual, rather a way of getting a second faery into the picture along with the guy above her.

Along with those some have frog faeries 32, 37, and 39. They are all on 4 legs but have frog legs so it would be a natural pose.

(Side note 32 has a naked ruler but she is open and so not sexual in nature, rather being natural)

The last card I would want to mention is 21 - The Faery Who Was Kissed by the Pixies - a slightly embarsed faery but who can blame her. Just happy, carefree, and in love. Not sexual energy but love energy.

I noted the naked female fae too - and the lack of naked male fae .

I don't agree that painting naked females (fae or not), including in sexual poses, is sexist in itself. It's beautiful, at least I think so. It all depends on the intent.

Perhaps the most that can be levelled at Froud is that he likes his naked folk more female than male, which is OK in my book, and that he seems to like doggy style . We all have our preferences.

Given the nature of male sexuality, I am not sure, either, what a sexual pose could be shown for a male fae, beyond what was represented. Obviously an erection would be out of the question in that kind of imagery (given the intended public). Himself is pretty sexual. I think the Glauconer is too - a disturbing sexuality, but sexuality nonetheless. Arguably Gawtcha, with his peekaboo stance, is a tease . The male Fae on the Undressing of a Salad is doing a naked turn with balls, which wouldn't look out of place in a higher-class strip joint.

As I said on a previous thread, having the benefit of having met and spent time with Froud, (it just seems everyone knows each other in magickal social circles!), I really don't think he is sexist. He's too far in the otherworld to even realise that anyone would think that of the poses! he really does paint from vision , not fantasy. I have never encountered fae in such great numbers except around Brian and Wendy- they are surrounded by hordes!

If they are painted in sexual poses, then that is how they appeared to him. So, they are sexual- does that make the images sexist? I will have another look and attempt to see them through different eyes, but in all my years of using the cards, this has never occurred to me once.

I don't feel there is an imbalance of male and female figures- again, I will have another look with this in mind. There are certainly more humourous male figures, or gnomish ones, than sexual, but there are a few. I don't think this makes it sexist either.

I may come back to this thread later afetr looking through the cards with this in mind- and after convincing a little pixie to get back into bed!

Blessings,

Em x

I don't want to sound like a stodgy old gramma, and I don't know if Froud is sexist or not--the poses really don't bother me, nor the nudity, as long as things are in reasonable proportion. I do really wonder why so many of the female fae have such huge breasts, usually bare. I have noticed that it embarrasses adolescent girls and mesmerizes adolescent boys. I don't read in public with these cards, because of this. Would it have killed him to at least float a wisp of glossemer over them? I'd like to be able to take this deck out in public occasionally without worrying about shocking people.

caridwen said:

Why do you think this is? Is it because a lot of female fae's clothes are just naturally see through and they find posing on all fours exposing their breasts the most relaxing or do you think it's because Froud enjoyed painting women in these poses?

I'd be interested to hear what you think especially those who believe the Fae exist. What do the Fae tell you about this? Is Froud a sexist person with an unhealthy interest in the naked female form or is this how the Fae enjoy being depicted?

Please put my mind at rest

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I think Froud definately enjoys painting women in erotic poses. I don't think that makes him sexist or unhealthy.

There is an aspect to fae energy that is very erotic. Faeries don't have the same kind of expectations we do around keeping our sexual energy under wraps. Froud recognizes this.

--Myrrha

I have noticed the huge breasts on some of the female fae, but I just had a laugh. To me the faeries are not as uptight as we humans about the naked body and sexuality. They think we're strange and all bothered about things that are natural to them. They may have shown themselves to Froud in this manner for a reason or maybe never thought about it since that's just the way they are. (shrug) After my intial look through I've just never thought about it one way or the other since then. This is just the way they are to me.

I am not sure if I see him as sexist. But I have always felt a little uncomfortable with this deck. And some of the ways that the fae are presented has a little bit to do with that, I now think, so I see where you are coming from Caridwen. I havn't looked at my deck in a while, but when I think about it, I do remember provocatively placed fae with dirty little gnomes and things sitting 'not too far away', smiling. Haha. Maybe my memory is slightly cloudy as it has been a long time, so don't quote me on that. But like the Rohrig, some of the images did turn me off of using it. Can't explain why. Personal thing, I suppose. Just made me feel uncomfortable.

LB

caridwen said:

Why do you think this is?

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Because Brian Froud is a healthy heterosexual male who likes women and enjoys the naked female body.

Seems pretty normal to me.

And he's obviously a breast man. Yowza, yowza.

I think he's just a bloke.
If my bloke could paint faeries I'm sure he'd paint more naked female faeries than male faeries.
I don't think it's sexist, it's being male

LB you made me chuckle, I don't have this deck and now I'm imagining beautiful, sexy fae surrounded by 'dirty little gnomes'