Vespertino

[Prodatron]

In the 80s we loved people, whether they were beautiful women or strong men. Today, we spend more time discussing what's not allowed than simply creating great and useful things 

[Gryzor]

Well if a movie was done in an 80s style, with all the stereotypes included (and there are such movies) we'd still have fun and laugh both with and at it; not because "we appreciate such images" (as if we're teens gawking over a glimpse of showing ankle), not because we would agree with or accept what we saw, but because there are people who can distinguish between "OMG BOOOOOBZ" and a representation of the era. 

Boy I think Aristophanes would have a hard time today...

[robcfg]

Heh! We played Lysistrata in High School, fun times! 

[OneVision]

Having worked in the video game industry and commented/validated marketing assets for about 25 years, I'd say that this cover does the job but IMHO the globe is too big and hides too much the cars between the red one. Also the girl has not the same scale as the main red car which is a bit troubling. I would have focused more on cars than on the girl.

Anyway this is a good piece of marketing artwork nevertheless, lightyears away from most materials from average homebrew. We're approaching professional quality here, in my opinion.

[Gryzor]

Heh! We played Lysistrata in High School, fun times! 

Lysistrata is a prime example... I'm doing a seminar right now and am bored to death so I started thinking about the whole thing, so I asked ChatGTP for a more complete list (hit Expand):

Here's a complete but concise list of why Aristophanes would likely be considered offensive or "cancellable" by today's standards—especially in the context of modern social norms, sensitivities, and platforms like social media:


---

🔞 1. Sexually Explicit Content

Constant phallic imagery and sexual jokes (e.g., The Clouds, Lysistrata)

Overt discussions of erections, masturbation, and orgies

Casual references to sexual coercion or dominance


🧠 Logic Check: What was satirical for Athenian theater would now trip content filters and spark debate on public decency.


---

🧍�♂️🧍�♀️ 2. Misogyny and Gender Stereotypes

Women as manipulative, simple-minded, or sex-obsessed (Ecclesiazusae, Lysistrata)

Lysistrata's premise is that women can't resist sex long enough to impact politics

Ridicule of gender roles and fluidity in ways that mock rather than affirm


🎭 Framework (Double Diamond): While Aristophanes explores female agency, the framing often reinforces rather than subverts patriarchal norms.


---

🧑�❤️�💋�🧑 3. Homophobia or Problematic Portrayals of Same-Sex Desire

Mockery of effeminate men or passive homosexual roles (The Clouds, Thesmophoriazusae)

Queer-coded characters treated as comic buffoons or moral degenerates


📚 Academic Insight (Sedgwick, 1990): Such portrayals rely on stigmatizing sexual variance as deviance.


---

✝️🕊� 4. Religious Irreverence

Satirizing traditional gods and religious rituals (e.g., The Birds, The Frogs)

Accusations of atheism in The Clouds' mockery of Zeus

Profaning sacred spaces and beliefs


👀 Real-World Anecdote: Socrates was executed partially for impiety; Aristophanes mocking him in The Clouds arguably fueled public hostility.


---

⚔️ 5. Nationalism and Ethnic Mockery

Mocking foreign customs, dialects, and dress (e.g., Persians, Spartans, Scythians)

Ethnic slurs or xenophobic caricatures used for comic relief


🌍 Modern View: Today's audiences are more attuned to colonial and racial subtexts.


---

🏛� 6. Political Smearing and Defamation

Relentlessly mocking public figures (Cleon, Socrates, Euripides) by name

Using plays as political hit pieces

Encouraging ridicule-based populism


⚖️ Debate Mode: Free speech vs. targeted humiliation—modern defamation laws and cancel culture would clash with his style.


---

🧒 7. Inappropriate Treatment of Children or Youth

Jokes about child sexuality or young boys in sexual contexts

Pedagogical satire that veers into pedophilic innuendo


🚨 Red Flag: These lines would trigger serious backlash or bans today.


---

📢 8. Anti-Democratic Undercurrents

Mocking the Athenian mob, juries, and democracy itself

Portraying the masses as ignorant, manipulable, or lazy


🧠 Framework Injection: From a civic perspective (Deliberative Democracy model), this challenges the legitimacy of collective rule.


---

✳️ Summary: Why Aristophanes Would Be "Cancelled" Today

Sexual explicitness + innuendo → NSFW + flagged for obscenity

Misogyny + gender jokes → "Problematic" feminist backlash

Ethnic & LGBTQ mockery → "Bigoted" by modern diversity norms

Religious satire → Accusations of cultural disrespect

Public smears → Violates norms of civility and cancel resistance

Pedo-adjacent jokes → Flat-out unacceptable



---

💡 Final Note: Aristophanes used comedy as criticism, not endorsement—but satire doesn't always translate well across time. As Gibson (2022) argues, contextual literacy is vital when judging historical voices—but that nuance is often lost in cancellation d
iscourse.

[rexbeng]

Oh wait, I have a good example! How about a presumably non-marketing, unprofessional cover...


...and then an obviously professional, driven by marketing version.

[Gryzor]

Oh wait, I have a good example! How about a presumably non-marketing, unprofessional cover...


...and then an obviously professional, driven by marketing version.

I actually much prefer the first over the overly generic second one

[rexbeng]

Yes, because my post is sarcastic. 

[Gryzor]

Yes, because my post is sarcastic.

I was certain 99.9%.

[andycadley]

Still not as weird as the SNES art



But they were all produced at different times for different markets, probably by different marketing teams with whatever strategy they supposedly had.

I'm not sure why you'd single out any on version as being "not professional" regardless of your overall opinion of each.