I told ya I'd start this topic. This is a spin-off of Vig Starmax's “Which sells better, SEX or SEXY?” (http://www.drunkduck.com/community/view_topic.php?tid=52351&cid=226).

Basically, in this day and age, which sells better – CUTE or SEXY? Yes, sometimes you can do a bit of both… but it's very difficult to pull off a character who is both. Cuteness usually requires a lot of innocence, while Sexy tends to be a lot more wanton and knowing.

Even when you do have a character who is both – basically being innocent without being ignorant – ultimately they still tend to lean one way or the other. (For example, cute during the day, sexy at night… or sexy with cute tendencies)

I have to admit, I prefer cute to sexy, and if I had to pick a tool to get attention I'd rather go with cute. (Anyone who reads Super Temps will attest to this).

What do you think?

Cute better outrank sexy, or else I'm screwed.

GracehFaceh
Cute better outrank sexy, or else I'm screwed.

It does. Cute is innocent which is far more sexier then sexy.

I think it can be summed up like this: People want to have sex with sexy. They want to marry cute.

I had a cute girlfriend once. Best times ever.

I thought we were talking about selling things?
If cute trumps sexy, we need to tell the world. This could change everything!

Well I'd rather look at a fully formed woman than loli. -_-

So sexy trumps cute.

It all depends on the context though.

ozoneocean
Well I'd rather look at a fully formed woman than loli. -_-

So sexy trumps cute.

It all depends on the context though.

I kind of agree and disagree. I'd also rather a fully formed woman over a loli, but I don't think that it means that sexy trumps cute for me. I think it means that, to me, lolis just aren't cute. So they're blown away by whatever comes along in comparison.

I think sexy sells better than cute. Even when something is cute, but alluring, it's like sexy repackaged.

I think the prostitutes in the world need to answer this one. Which one can sell your body better, cute or sexy?

Scribe_Drizz
I kind of agree and disagree.

It's context though isn't it?

I mean, if you're buying clothes for a little kid, most normal people would prefer to browse through a catalogue with kids looking cute modelling the stuff and be extremely put off by any sexualised images.

…but more to the point of the thread which is sort of specifically talking about comic characters appealing to adults… I'd say that sexy is a better strategy overall generally. Cute is better for different audiences.

—————–
Haha, I just saw this-

GracehFaceh
Cute better outrank sexy, or else I'm screwed.

Or not, ironically. :)

“Cute” doesn't always mean “loli”, just wanna point that out right there.

One of the more common comments I get about Skull Girl is that she's cute, and she's definitely not loli.

You can be an adult and still be cute – sometimes it's not even so much being innocent as it is never losing the love of life or aspirations. My wife's cute and she's a fully formed woman. (She often tells me I'm very cute myself)

I agree a lot of it is context, even more importantly it depends on your target audience.

Two things I find though: Cute has an easier time appealing to both sexes, and more often it's the personality that plays the bigger part. You can take the same basic character design, and depending on pose and expression play it as cute or sexy.

Sometimes, both are the same… (Summer Glau, Alexis Bledel, Zooey Deschanel)

I agree with ozoneocean… It all depends on WHAT you want to sell.

I'm not sure that sexy ads will work to sell baby diapers… and I have my doubts that cuteness will help to sell beer…

As comic characters, I do like cute characters a little better than sexy ones. Probably because cute characters (when written well) do tend to have more interesting personalities.

(Summer Glau, Alexis Bledel, Zooey Deschanel)
I want to marry all of them.

I'm gonna go with cute here, I don't mean little-girl-cute but I mean adorable-girl-cute. Sexy is (At least in MY mind) very close to slutty.

But to really settle this we should contact an expert:
Rokulily

Kroatz
(Summer Glau, Alexis Bledel, Zooey Deschanel)
I want to marry all of them.

I'm gonna go with cute here, I don't mean little-girl-cute but I mean adorable-girl-cute. Sexy is (At least in MY mind) very close to slutty.

But to really settle this we should contact an expert:
Rokulily

Only a professional like her could solve this kind of problem.

Considering the merchandizing power of Hello Kitty, I think it would be foolish to understimate the marketing prowess of cuteness.

Then again, it's difficult to dismiss sex. I really do think that almost everything that is bought and sold in this global society is wrapped up in carnality in some form or another. (Directly or not)

Sometimes cuteness serves as a gateway drug to sex. Think of all those Disney performers over the years who started out really clean-cut and then got all scuzzy once they turned eighteen.

Air Raid Robertson
Sometimes cuteness serves as a gateway drug to sex. Think of all those Disney performers over the years who started out really clean-cut and then got all scuzzy once they turned eighteen.

lol!

But think about that… Is being an adult, making your own choices and being sexual, “scuzy”, or wrong?
And is extending and making a virtue of very early childhood cuteness truly a good thing?

The former is natural, while the latter can be rather creepy.

Could talk about this stuff forever.

ozoneocean
Haha, I just saw this-

GracehFaceh
Cute better outrank sexy, or else I'm screwed.

Or not, ironically. :)

This is my life.

Kroatz
(Summer Glau, Alexis Bledel, Zooey Deschanel)
I want to marry all of them.

That's only legal in some select countries and Texas.

ozoneocean
But think about that… Is being an adult, making your own choices and being sexual, “scuzy”, or wrong?

Depending on how public you make those choices. With celebrities, you're basically “in public” most of the time, so then it depends if you're incorporating your sexuality into your performance or if people are just prying into your private life. When people appear “clean cut” until they're legally an adult, it sounds more like executive meddling to me. “No, you can't do that yet. No, this is Disney you can't DO that yet. OK, now you're legal. Go for it”

Honestly, my initial question is loaded because there is no context. Obviously, you can't use just one for all situations, as neatly pointed out by Dark Pascual. Doubly so for anything even approaching art like a comic. Cute central characters generally don't work in a dark comic, but I imagine a number of people can pull it off regardless. Sexy characters in a colourful kids world? Oh yes indeed it has happened (“Animaniacs”, anyone? I know it was written for adults too, but it was still marketed to kids)

It does get discussion and thought about it going nicely though, doesn't it?

Cute trumps sexy. You get a reaction at all ages from cute, and I'm far more likely to care if something's adorable. An adorable baby rabbit will make me pay far more attention than some sexy guy.

My girls are cute AND sexy.

Dave Mire
My girls are cute AND sexy.

That's impossible! It's an oxymoron!

you're an oxen moron!
^.^

alwinbot
That's impossible! It's an oxymoron!

now you went and made Jessica cry.

Oh crud, looks like the broken page curse is back again? (Looking at the front page's comic entries at the time of this posting. Lot of broken image uploads.)

Not exactly on topic, but I see OzoneOcean's posted his test comic so the admins are working on it. Stay frosty.

Product Placement
I think it can be summed up like this: People want to have sex with sexy. They want to marry cute.

I agree fully.

As far as what I like, sex appeal only lasts for so long while cute lasts forever.

Dave Mire
My girls are cute AND sexy.

Seems to be leaning more towards sexy given the series of poses and lack of bras in the last few updates. Not that I'm innocent of TNA and fan services charges myself.

Product Placement
It does. Cute is innocent which is far more sexier then sexy.

*Cough*

Faliat

*sets pic as desktop background* anyway I'd say CUTE and SEXY are pretty even matched, I sure can't pick one over the other.

Faliat

Product Placement
It does. Cute is innocent which is far more sexier then sexy.

*Cough*

This is the origin of pedophilia right there. It's a little too ‘Cute’ for my tastes.

Exactly, that girl isn't a day over 10.
Bet her mom is pressuring her to get implants already.

I have to admit that picture creeps me right out. I'd like to think that she's actually a psycho-killer like BB Hood/Buletta and has a knife behind the bear… somehow that seems better than the other implications.