Is Dr. Psycho ableist?

[SiegePerilous02]

If anything, Psycho's ugliness (if it needs to be present at all, which I'm not sure it does) should be a result of him getting warped by his powers and hatred. He should be average looking beforehand, his physical appearance should have nothing to do with his misogyny.

[Michael Watkins]

If they weren't able to do that with the disfigured Dr Poison, what makes you think they'll be any better with a little person Dr Psycho?

that's my point. if Doctor Psycho being of short stature is an issue, why isn't Doctor Poison being disfigured an issue? i'm not bothered either way. Doc Poison's dramatic "acting" bothered me; not her look. and i've never attributed Psycho's evil to his stature. it's just one aspect of the character; like Black Manta being black.

[LordUltimus]

Personally, I'd have him as a dwarf, but not disfigured.

[Agent Z]

that's my point. if Doctor Psycho being of short stature is an issue, why isn't Doctor Poison being disfigured an issue? i'm not bothered either way. Doc Poison's dramatic "acting" bothered me; not her look. and i've never attributed Psycho's evil to his stature. it's just one aspect of the character; like Black Manta being black.

Dr Poison being disfigured was an issue for many. I recall at least three reviews of WW criticizing it.

Psycho being a misogynistic rapist is attributed to mockery because of his height. His evil nature is attributed to his stature.

[LordUltimus]

Dr Poison being disfigured was an issue for many. I recall at least three reviews of WW criticizing it.

Psycho being a misogynistic rapist is attributed to mockery because of his height. His evil nature is attributed to his stature.

Well, then go with an alternate origin, then. Have him be treated as normal, but his powers prove too much of a temptation and corrupt him.

[Jim Kelly]

I always thought that relatable villains turning to crime in response to social and psychological traumas was a plus. If comics have to avoid offending anyone, they won't look like the real world, where many of us are mocked and attacked for how we look, speak, think, act, believe.

[Agent Z]

I always thought that relatable villains turning to crime in response to social and psychological traumas was a plus. If comics have to avoid offending anyone, they won't look like the real world, where many of us are mocked and attacked for how we look, speak, think, act, believe.

You can reflect that aspect of reality without turning the victims of such behavior into villains.

[kjn]

I always thought that relatable villains turning to crime in response to social and psychological traumas was a plus. If comics have to avoid offending anyone, they won't look like the real world, where many of us are mocked and attacked for how we look, speak, think, act, believe.

That really depends on the specific way it is handled. It requires a reasonably deft hand and, perhaps more importantly, that there is some contrast to the villain's turn to villainy due to trauma. If we take the Joker, who turned mad due to his loss of wife and kid, then you can contrast him with Bruce Wayne or Dick Grayson, who didn't turn to villainy due to the loss of their parents.

But in the case of Dr Psycho, there is no heroic dwarf to make a contrast with. On the contrary, there is a strong trend within media with the idea of the nasty or depraved dwarf. That's a stereotype you want to avoid.

You could do something similar to what George RR Martin does with Tyrion Lannister, but then you'd have to rebuild the character entirely. Or you could simply do what Morrison did in Earth One: keep all the nasty and misogynistic aspects of the character, and give him a more normal stature and look. Because I can guarantee that there are more misogynistic assholes of normal stature than there are misogynistic assholes that are dwarfs.

[Michael Watkins]

You can reflect that aspect of reality without turning the victims of such behavior into villains.

so, speculatively, you aren't a big fan of Magneto?

[Agent Z]

so, speculatively, you aren't a big fan of Magneto?

Not particularly, no.

To be clear, I don't have an issue with sympathetic villains. I don't have an issue with villains who are evil because of how they've been treated by society. But when almost all acknowledgement of persecuted groups is to have them as the villains, that's an issue.

Dr Psycho wasn't created to criticize societal prejudice against little people. Him being a little person is just a way to make him seem more evil and inhuman.

[Michael Watkins]

Not particularly, no.

To be clear, I don't have an issue with sympathetic villains. I don't have an issue with villains who are evil because of how they've been treated by society. But when almost all acknowledgement of persecuted groups is to have them as the villains, that's an issue.

Dr Psycho wasn't created to criticize societal prejudice against little people. Him being a little person is just a way to make him seem more evil and inhuman.

isn't the idea behind his creation to be a representation of misogyny? his size is just what makes him visually interesting. it's sort of like Lex Luthor and baldness. Lex with hair is just some dude. Doctor Psycho doesn't technically need to be short. but would he be interesting at all if he weren't. it wouldn't be that different from Peter Dinklage's turn as Dr. Trask in the x-movies. the story isn't about his dwarfism. he's simply playing upon the fear of mutants. he's a hatemonger. his stature just makes him stand out on the screen. that said, there does need to be balanced. someone like Dinklage should have representation on the side of good (which he somewhat does in Infinity War). there's the movie Willow or Lord of the Rings. but these are fictional non-human beings.

[Agent Z]

isn't the idea behind his creation to be a representation of misogyny?

Wonder Woman has at least two other villains who do that without being little people.

his size is just what makes him visually interesting.

No it doesn’t. Dr Psycho’s design has never been a high point of praise for the character.

it's sort of like Lex Luthor and baldness. Lex with hair is just some dude. Doctor Psycho doesn't technically need to be short. but would he be interesting at all if he weren't.

Yes he would. See Morrison’s Wonder Woman: Earth One.

[Lex Luthor]

They could just make him short without making him a dwarf. I think it was to make his character distinct but I don't think he's well known enough to where a change in the character would make any difference.

[LordUltimus]

Yes he would. See Morrison’s Wonder Woman: Earth One.

Are you using Earth One as a positive example? Isn't that a cardinal sin around here?

[SiegePerilous02]

Are you using Earth One as a positive example? Isn't that a cardinal sin around here?

If it is, I don't think it should be.
It's not replacing the main canon, and Wonder Woman needs more experimental, alternate takes. And this one has a lot of roots in the old stories.

Looking at its take on Psycho in isolation, I think it does a fantastic job of making him more relevant than he's ever been while staying true to the core of the character and moving away from the unfortunate trends that were common in the 1940s. Marston touched on something timeless with his some of his basic Psycho ideas, but he's obviously from a different time period and not everything can work as it was. Psycho's dwarfism is one of them.