A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about one of my coworkers who enjoys dressing as a femboy. I used an AI-generated image that depicted a man in a stereotypical femboy costume featuring a maid’s dress and cat ears, which is one of my coworker’s favorite outfits.
In the comments, I received quite a bit of feedback about that AI-generated image and most of you weren’t excited about it or the AI-generated images I use in general.
I have resorted to AI-generated images to depict the topic I want to express with a post since there is a distinct lack of available stock images in this (still) fairly niche topic. Unsurprisingly, any pictures I find with skirts exclusively feature women.
So now the question: Should I change the way I use them? Or should I stop using them altogether Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below as any feedback would be incredibly helpful! Thank you!
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A actual photos would be better.
I agree and I do try to use actual photos from my own collection when applicable. Unfortunately, finding stock photos is an impossible task.
The AI images are good, but very polished. Images more similar to real life can encourage ordinary men to wear skirts every day.
I agree!
Alex, I find the AI images used so far(and likely what’s doable currently) fall into the “uncanny valley” – too real-ish to be a cartoon, but too fake to look real. Further, you are a solid writer and can let your words stand by themselves. If an image is not actually a part of the story (adding information not better offered in your text – and I think these decorative AI pix have failed this test), then why use it? Call me a Luddite, but there is no law or even any style guide that demands an illustration beyond the images you evoke with your story!
Of course, I will always come for the story, and just gloss over any extraneous graphic that may be there anyway.
Thanks again!
I can try to make them a bit more cartoonish so that they look more like a sketch rather than in the no man’s land that is between too fake to be real, but still real enough to be uncanny. Thank you for the compliment! I do prefer to include an image with each post, however, because as someone who has been professionally involved with web design and user interaction for the past 25 years or so, I have read several studies that show including images increases the appeal and will, at a subconscious level, often help some readers understand the posts better. That is why I’ve been so careful choosing images and, in the case of AI-generated images, prompts to generate images I think express the essence of what I’m trying to convey with the post. I usually go through at 10-20 different prompts per post before I finally get an image that I think is suitable.
I don’t mind the use of AI images per se. They are a means to an end and when you get pushed and need a certain image, they can add to your story. Of course, real pictures are better. But also harder to get.
I think the biggest problem I had with the image you chose for your colleagues story was the maids uniform and cat ears. I did not realize that he actually wore that but that picture depicted the exact nightmare I have when wearing skirts and tights.
I’m not saying he’s wrong to wear what he wants. In fact I stand in complete support of him wearing whatever he wants. I’d back him up if I was ever in a position to do so. But that image is the epitome of what I fear society thinks about a man wearing skirts and tights. And as I see it, society needs to be mollycoddled into accepting men wearing clothing from across the aisle. That picture was shocking and made me a little insight to why his father was so shocked. No, I don’t condone how his father reacted but I’m also in the camp that we all just need to be nicer to each other. Even those who react poorly at first. Bashing them doesn’t help. Educating them fixes everything.
Im in favor of him continuing to wear what he wants. I can even see myself wearing more things more feminine that what I’m currently wearing. In fact I’m of the mindset that the sexes will never truly be equal til clothing is fully degendered (not the only thing required for equality but a part). I hope I will want to occasionally dress in things considered super-femme eg femboy and can in the near future.
In my opinion, it was the shock of the maids costume and cat ears that was troubling. So I don’t have a problem with AI images per se.
That’s exactly my problem. I would rather use real images, but they are nearly impossible to find unless I go very abstract and don’t include men in skirt at all. :/ I use my own pictures when it makes sense, but it doesn’t always make sense for the content of the post.
I can absolutely see why you would have a problem with the cliche image of a femboy in a maid’s dress and cat ears, especially when we’re trying to break stereotypes here. I really should have described his actual outfit better in the post than I did. It would have made a lot more sense then.
And you’re certainly right that the shock of the whole outfit probably contributed to the father’s extreme reaction. If his son has just been in a denim skirt and t-shirt, for example, it probably wouldn’t have been nearly as extreme.