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seiberwing ([info]seiberwing) wrote in [info]fandom_rant,
@ 2009-02-12 17:19:00


Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
I'd have had this up earlier, but the server was robusting.
Snagged this link off a comment on [info]shortpacked and I have to admit, it's bothering me a little bit. Here's the disclaimer.

Imagine if you will. Girls that get just as upset as you do when that boss battle just isn't going well and you you've been hacking away at the bastard for hours! A Girl that can counter your obscure science fiction movie reference with one of her own. A Girl who can hand you your ass at Mario Kart. A Girl that, when you suggest watching a movie, will choose that kung fu flick or something rife with gun violence and explosions hands down every time. A Girl who thinks your obsession with giant robots is perfectly normal. A Girl who thinks sword fights are sexy. A Girl with opinions about console games. A Girl who spends more time in the graphic novel section of Barnes and Nobel than you do. A Girl who owns her own RPG dice...and thinks they're pretty.

They're out there. Fangirls.

Thats right lads, hands off your joysticks...We bring the best (and sometimes the worst) of our favorite fandoms to you with a refreshing (sometimes terrifying) female perspective.


I'm all for girls transcending traditional gender roles through fandom, but they make it out like this somehow makes them unique. On LJ alone there's dozens of comms for all of the above and I'm betting more than half of them are female dominated. I'm not even getting into the whole capital letter on Girl thing because I have no idea what that's about, but it bugs me anyway. A small disclaimer on your personal nature and identity is the norm for most bloggers, but

I prefer action movies to romantic comedies, think sword fights are intensely sexy and usually full of lovely sexual tension, get pissed off at that one boss that I can't seem to beat (I hate you Metroid: Fusion spider boss, I hate you so fucking much), and I'm pretty certain the girls writing the blog don't even know the depths of giant robot obsession that I have descended to. None of this makes me special. In the ranks of girl geeks, I'm actually pretty mediocre. If you're going to make your gender a selling point, I want to see you bring something new to the table instead of going "hey, boys! We like what you do and think you're cool, do you like us now?".

I took a quick skim of the content on the first page (after getting past the formatting and font, which is nigh unreadable), and bar a few offhanded references to their gender and a bit of gushing over Twilight, the entire thing could just have easily been written by a guy. There is no "female perspective", or at least not one that's noticeably female, there's just yet another fan perspective on which video games are good and how Frank Miller has lost his whore-loving mind. Girl-wonder.org, this is not. I'm not even sure it's [info]girl_gamers or [info]scans_daily. Definitely not [info]mecha_erotica, although I don't think that's the kind of fangirling they're looking for. It's just gender-neutral commenting, and I'm not sure why they think that's a bad thing.

Ladies? I'm sorry, but you're not the geekiest girls I know. Not by a long shot.



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[info]sandglass
2009-02-12 05:37 pm UTC (link)
World of Warcraft (PC): Wrath of the Litch King: It's nothing "technically new" and therefore it didn't meet my criteria.

Uhm, phasing anyone? First time to be used in an MMO, ever? Widely praised?

Those bloggers suck, and I'm sick of seeing my hobbies fetishized.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-12 05:41 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tofuknight, 2009-02-12 06:21 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cygnia, 2009-02-12 06:43 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-12 06:46 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]anonyrat, 2009-02-13 06:42 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]eleutheria, 2009-02-13 12:51 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]cygnia, 2009-02-13 02:09 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sandglass, 2009-02-12 07:49 pm UTC

[info]plazmah
2009-02-12 05:41 pm UTC (link)
That first paragraph sounds like me and a bazillion other cool women I know online. The way those interests are viewed as some kind of rare gem skeeves me out.

(Reply to this)


[info]theladyfeylene
2009-02-12 05:53 pm UTC (link)
Wow, yeah. I wandered over there, and saw absolutely nothing interesting or unique whatsoever. It's just...geeks spazzing and babbling about the usual. There's no gender-slant at all. Which...based on the writing abilities of the bloggers who's posts I sampled, may be a good thing....

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]kijikun, 2009-02-13 02:49 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]theladyfeylene, 2009-02-13 04:59 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kijikun, 2009-02-13 05:02 am UTC

[info]thebratqueen
2009-02-12 06:07 pm UTC (link)
Imagine Girls who do this because That's What They Enjoy Doing and not because they need to Justify Themselves To A Male Gaze.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-12 06:10 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]dez_chan, 2009-02-12 06:49 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ariadne484, 2009-02-12 07:39 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ecchaniz0r, 2009-02-12 08:56 pm UTC

[info]kadath
2009-02-12 06:27 pm UTC (link)
Blah blah I'm not like those other icky girls blah.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]ecchaniz0r, 2009-02-13 01:52 am UTC

[info]bobafeis
2009-02-12 06:34 pm UTC (link)
the graphic novel section of Barnes and Nobel

How about I imagine geeky girls who can correctly spell the name of the damn store?

And am I the only one who read the first paragraph and expected it to end in porn? Way to objectify yourselves, ladies.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-12 06:42 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]eleutheria, 2009-02-13 12:52 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-13 12:59 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]eleutheria, 2009-02-13 02:21 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-13 02:42 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]eleutheria, 2009-02-13 09:15 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]missingopossum, 2009-02-13 06:47 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]munchkinott, 2009-02-12 11:50 pm UTC

[info]edgyspice
2009-02-12 06:43 pm UTC (link)
Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl

Personally, I'd rather be a woman, but maybe that's just me.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]dez_chan, 2009-02-12 06:51 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]esclaramonde, 2009-02-13 12:29 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]julesnoctambule, 2009-02-13 12:41 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]electricwitch, 2009-02-13 01:12 pm UTC

[info]dez_chan
2009-02-12 06:53 pm UTC (link)
In the ranks of girl geeks, I'm actually pretty mediocre

^This. Sorry, wasn't aware that having interests could possibly be sexualized in some way. Honestly, if I met a man who talked like this, I'd slap him silly and tell him to grow the fuck up, and in the interest of equality....

*SLAP* GROW THE FUCK UP!

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]plazmah, 2009-02-12 07:07 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]dez_chan, 2009-02-12 07:48 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]plazmah, 2009-02-12 08:35 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tofuknight, 2009-02-12 08:13 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]come_love_sleep, 2009-02-12 08:46 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]phosfate, 2009-02-12 10:16 pm UTC

[info]spacelogic
2009-02-12 07:02 pm UTC (link)
The geekiest girl I know is my mother. She can bring geek guys to their knees with a combination of alpha-geeking and being aggressively female/feminine, and she does so regularly for her own amusement. These geeklings could learn much from her, like how very unnecessary begging for attention really is for the seriously geeky female.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-12 07:10 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]spacelogic, 2009-02-12 08:06 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-12 08:09 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]bobafeis, 2009-02-13 04:14 am UTC

[info]tiki
2009-02-12 07:08 pm UTC (link)
Some years ago, I was at some anime con or other-- Anime Central, I think it was-- and saw a teenage girl walking the halls with a sign pinned to herself (because it was de rigeur for these kids to walk around with signs of some sort) that read something along the lines of "Guess what, boys, there IS such a thing as a single fangirl who's interested in the same things you are!"

This blog reeks of that sort of desperation. At least, what's quoted here.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]rose_tyler, 2009-02-12 08:48 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tiki, 2009-02-12 08:59 pm UTC

[info]erototoxin
2009-02-12 07:11 pm UTC (link)
I guess if these poor guys don't KNOW any actual women, finding out that there are women geeks out there would be exciting.

(Reply to this)


[info]ladyofviolets
2009-02-12 07:19 pm UTC (link)
As a female who's often the only or one of the less-than-five girls in a HUGE, almost all-male Humongous Mecha geeks group (and able to whoops more than a few asses in fighting games; that's how I met one of my best male friends EVER), I'm pretty much all "BITCH, PLEASE".

You're not speshul, ladies, and being such elitist b*tches doesn't make you Cool and Edgy either, kthxbai. I like my shoujo manga AND my UC/AU Gundams (for the mechas and storylines just as much for the guys) just fine, thank you. =D

(Reply to this)


[info]luxshine
2009-02-12 08:05 pm UTC (link)
My grandmother was a Trekkie who was as geeky as they came. The only thing she never did was sew herself a federation uniform. I have an aunt who can recite the Smarillion. I am a gamer and a zombie freak. So yeah. Nothing special about girls being geeks.

(Reply to this)


[info]coffee_mug
2009-02-12 08:08 pm UTC (link)
Girls, on teh interwebs? It can't be!

(Reply to this)


[info]pyrrah
2009-02-12 08:35 pm UTC (link)
Well then.

*goes back to her usual reading*

(Reply to this)


[info]vitalitat
2009-02-12 08:37 pm UTC (link)
It reads as if it's a guy trying hard not to sound like a girl to me. :|

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-12 08:44 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]vitalitat, 2009-02-12 08:57 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]vitalitat, 2009-02-12 08:57 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ruffwriter, 2009-02-12 10:06 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sparkysrevenge, 2009-02-13 08:18 am UTC

[info]inarticulate
2009-02-12 08:45 pm UTC (link)
Wow, it's insulting to other women AND to the men who don't fall in that ZOMG IT'S A GIRL 8O stereotype. Equality at it's finest!

(Reply to this)


[info]rose_tyler
2009-02-12 08:51 pm UTC (link)
So am I automatically a better, awesomer, and edgier geeky girl because I don't gush over Twilight?

The layout bugs the crap out of me.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]julesnoctambule, 2009-02-13 12:42 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]funwithrage, 2009-02-13 12:30 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ladyofviolets, 2009-02-13 12:39 pm UTC

[info]hallidae
2009-02-12 09:39 pm UTC (link)
I love having a mother who is so very much my ally in geekdom. I remember once, when I was about ten, they had categories for both Star Wars and Star Trek on one of the college episodes of Jeopardy, and my dad stared at us both like we were nuts as we proceeded to clean house on both.

(Reply to this)


[info]sneer
2009-02-12 10:14 pm UTC (link)
People who feel the need to add the "girl" qualifier to their "geek" or "gamer" status bug the fuck out of me.

(Reply to this)

TAMPONS LADIES, AM I RIGHT?
[info]dawnswalker
2009-02-12 10:35 pm UTC (link)
Imagine if you will. Girls whose only identities are their online fandoms! A Girl who is perpetually broke because she spent the last ten bucks in her chequeing account on Gurren Lagaan yaoi. A Girl who might be moderately literate. A Girl who can't boil water, but got gold medals on every last recipe in Cooking Mama. A Girl who doesn't know what the hell is going on in the real world, but genuinely believes that Light Yagami could totally turn it around. A Girl whose voice sounds like the dying screams of a yeti in heat, who never shuts up about how Blizzard sold out by nerfing those pallys. A Girl who'll tolerate your own obsession with your hobbies because of a soul-crushing terror of being alone. A Girl you can take home to Mom, because of her completely non-threatening lack of a sexual identity. A Girl whose grasp of personal hygiene is so poor... you might just shine by comparison.

They're out there. Fangirls (with no redeeming features other than being "Fangirls").

Thats right lads, hands off your joysticks... We bring the worst (and sometimes the saddest) of our favorite fandoms to you with a shocking (sometimes terrifying) perspective from someone who couldn't be arsed to proofread this manifesto.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

Re: TAMPONS LADIES, AM I RIGHT? - [info]anon_a_mouse, 2009-02-13 02:54 am UTC
Re: TAMPONS LADIES, AM I RIGHT? - [info]persephonea, 2009-02-14 03:14 am UTC

[info]frau_eva
2009-02-13 01:04 am UTC (link)
See, there's this unspoken idea that you're only a "good" and legitimate geek if you like male-dominated media, not all those icky girl-dominated hobbies. Being a worthy geek is not because you're passionate or intelligent or any of these qualities, but because you like things that make you more attractive to the male gaze. You won't challenge their comics when Frank Miller writes about whores, or when they neglect you for pixilated night elves. You're exactly like them, but totally OMGHOT! But any media dealing with a female perspective, or god forbid, female sexual fantasy, is immediately terrifying. The prevalent chainmail bikinis and other absurdities though, well, you're being oversensitive if you object.

Anything that's predominantly liked by a female audience is treated as inherently silly in our society, or even threatening. How else can you explain that some people apparently think icons that are popular with women, like Oprah or Martha Stewart, are downright evil? I'm not even a fan of them, but you have to wonder why so many people treat them as if they're hiding under your bed waiting to kill you.

I remember mentioning I write fanfiction in a geek club and being openly laughed at by guys who dress up and pretend to be vampires, as well as avid wrestling fans. Despite people trying to say throughout the year that no one should make fun of one's geeky interests, the same person would have no qualms about groaning and shouting us down. Girl hobbies were the only ones that were treated with contempt(except playing Yugi-Oh, but the whole club had seen the abridged series). And girls would advertise them liking the male-oriented hobbies proudly, as if that made them more worthy, and some would even take up things like Warhammer just for the attention of the players(ew, so not worth it).

Can you tell I'm bitter? :D

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]anon_a_mouse, 2009-02-13 02:54 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sorchar, 2009-02-13 03:14 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]anonyrat, 2009-02-13 06:50 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-13 01:03 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]anonyrat, 2009-02-13 08:40 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]frau_eva, 2009-02-13 07:38 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]anonyrat, 2009-02-13 08:28 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sparkthatbled, 2009-02-14 01:39 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]electricwitch, 2009-02-13 01:16 pm UTC

(Deleted post)
(no subject) - [info]frau_eva, 2009-02-13 07:47 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ecchaniz0r, 2009-02-13 08:41 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]kuromitsu, 2009-02-13 06:00 pm UTC

[info]kijikun
2009-02-13 02:57 am UTC (link)
Please tell me Willis ignored it. Dude did that 'girl' ever pay attention to the shotpacked lj? Willis and those following his lj seem well aware that girls like video games, action figures, comics, and sci-fi.

Did they miss the part about Maggie having interned for Pixar?

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-13 03:11 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kijikun, 2009-02-13 03:13 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-13 03:23 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kijikun, 2009-02-13 03:26 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-13 03:35 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kijikun, 2009-02-13 03:36 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-13 03:47 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kijikun, 2009-02-13 03:48 am UTC

[info]sorchar
2009-02-13 03:12 am UTC (link)
Heh. I was bringing the double-X chromosomed geekery when these girls were still nothing more than a future random encounter between a sperm and an egg. They're not nearly as speshul and unique as they'd like to think.

(Reply to this)


[info]anonyrat
2009-02-13 07:00 am UTC (link)
I fucking hate this kind of post. It's so condescending -- "Look, there are girls out there that actually manage to hold the controller the right way around, can you imagine that!!!!! I like all the things you boys like without any weird threatening girly stuff, do you accept me yet because I'm terrified that you won't!!!!"

You get these kinds of things in gaming forums a lot for some reason. It's totally objectifying and only marginally better than the old "Post your experiences with female gamers!" thing that I've also seen crop up. Every time I show up to play, I AM someone else's 'experience' of a female gamer, asshole. Thanks for treating me like I'm a piece of designer furniture, and kindly roll a save vs Rods, Staves, and Go Fuck Yourself.

/rant

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-13 01:05 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]anonyrat, 2009-02-13 08:34 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2009-02-13 08:52 pm UTC



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