I have yet to report anyone for it. But the cuteness of the characters was an intentional move on my part so in the context I can't call it a bad thing. Although it does occasionally lead me to wonder about the mental health of some of my readers.
I can't really say anything new about the words connotations really since to my mind it implies neither a negative or positive tone in and of itself.
Yeah, I second this. Only I don't think I have subject matter that would lead me to wonder about my readers. :) I draw "cute" intentionally so I'm not really affected by it.
I've noticed increasingly that the more helpless/vulnerable a thing/person looks, the more often cute is used in a description. That being said, I tend to equate "cute" with "vulnerable" and try my best to avoid using it often. As a girl, I'd much rather be pretty than cute. Of course, I'd rather be cute than lunch-losing hideous. (If I were a guy, I think I'd be irritated if people described me as cute.) In general, I don't think people use the word negatively. Could go either way depending on context and tone.
I think cute is generally an ambigiuous and non-committal term. As said before about calling a comic "cute" or "nice." "Cute" can have very specific meanings, though, like when referring to a baby or a dog, where "cute" is really the highest compliment you can think of. Calling a guy or girl "cute" is a very bland compliment (why not beautiful or handsome?) and in similar situations I think "cute" is really used to get around giving a real compliment. (Although, of course, there are exceptions to that, too…) The most interesting use of the word "cute" I've found, though, is the passive-aggressive use of the word. Generally found in couples, when something irritates one about the other, and he or she says: "it's so cute when you do that." Specific example: "it's so cute how you act like I don't give you attention, when that's all I've been doing." It's not cute at all! But it's a way of getting that elephant out in a seemingly friendly way.
I think the fact that "cute" can be used in so many different contexts and can mean different things is why it's become the ambiguous term it has. It's really a neutral term. When I think "cute" I don't think positive or negative, I think, "vague."
