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dottiness ([info]dottiness) wrote in [info]unfunny_fandom,
@ 2011-04-19 22:12:00


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Right, so, Ginia Bellafante did a terrible, sexist, uninformed review of HBO's adaptation of Game of Thrones including statements about how it was boy fiction, the sex and intrigue was only in there as a bone thrown to women viewers, and she'd never met a woman who would rather read "The Hobbit" than a piece of literary fiction.

Apparently she got hundreds of angry emails, hundreds of angry tweets, and "three supportive notes from people she is personally considering adopting." So what lesson does she take from all of this?

"Pull up a throne and let's talk" includes such well-written responses as this:

"As I wrote in the review, I realize that there are women who love fantasy, but I don’t know any and that is the truth: I don’t know any."

"But they have also sent long and vitriolic attacks claiming that, in my negativity, I made it clear that I had no idea what I was talking about. I appreciate the economy of those readers who began and ended their comments: “You are a complete idiot.” Phrases like that constituted a whole subgenre of the online response."


Lots of comments on both sides of the issue, but, unsurprisingly, a tremendously large number calling her out on her excuse for saying no woman would ever want to read fantasy.

I didn't know where this should go, so I stuck with the old "if you aren't sure, put it in UFB!" rule. The last post about this was in [info]fandom_lounge, but I think her continuing to dig the hole deeper probably belongs elsewhere.


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[info]oddplaces
2011-04-20 01:59 am UTC (link)
That is just... wow. I mean, I don't personally know any female fans of Country music, but I don't blithely assume that means there aren't any! Entire genres of entertainment that have been around for ages are not going to be gender-exclusive, even if they're gender-biased! That goes for books, music, television, and anything else. Even if there are more boys than girls, or vice-versa, there aren't going to be only boys -- even as a kid I knew girls who liked Transformers and boys who like My Little Pony, so if I can grasp this concept at the age of seven there's no excuse for a grown woman making it in a public review.

Really, it's reminding me of the time I was perusing a Discworld-fandom post and someone said that, essentially, "the Guards subseries only appeals to teenage boys"/"it's only there to appeal to teenage boys" -- I have never forgotten how that person's rudeness made me feel, since it's my favourite Disc subseries, and I'm a female over the age of 25! (So... I have the taste of a "teenage boy", which is implied to be unsophisticated and violent? Or I just don't exist? Or I am actually wrong about what my favourite series is?)

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]rosehiptea
2011-04-20 02:53 am UTC (link)
the Guards subseries only appeals to teenage boys

Well, the Guards subseries does have a canon romance in it, and everybody knows teenage boys... um... yeah, never mind.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]rosehiptea
2011-04-20 02:55 am UTC (link)
... And I correct myself, it has two that I can think of.

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[info]seiberwing
2011-04-20 03:29 am UTC (link)
Exactly what about the Guards set screams 'teenage boys'? If it's geared at anyone it's geared at older men (especially fathers) who find something of themselves in Vimes.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]kosaginolegion
2011-04-20 01:10 pm UTC (link)
So not limited to older men.

*comes up as Vimes or Granny Weatherwax on most tests.* (Of course, those things are easily gamed, but the fact that I prefer to may mean something as well.)

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[info]cmdr_zoom
2011-04-20 04:45 pm UTC (link)
that you want to decide who lives and who dies?

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[info]kosaginolegion
2011-04-20 04:56 pm UTC (link)
Never noticed that being an aspect of either character. Responsible Adult despite themselves, on the other hand....

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]frequentmouse
2011-04-20 08:46 pm UTC (link)
Both of them would answer that with "sooner or later, everybody dies."

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[info]seiberwing
2011-04-21 12:53 am UTC (link)
...at least for Vimes, the entire point is that it isn't his choice. It's for the Law to decide. Look what happened with Carcer in Night Watch.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]cmdr_zoom
2011-04-21 02:04 am UTC (link)
okay, clearly I know nothing about the books or characters. sorry.

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[info]seiberwing
2011-04-21 02:48 am UTC (link)
So, uh...where'd that comment come from, then?

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[info]cmdr_zoom
2011-04-21 04:56 am UTC (link)
if this comm has taught me anything, it's when to just shut up.

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[info]seiberwing
2011-04-21 04:58 am UTC (link)
If you don't know anything about the characters, why did you make that comment? You're pouting but I can't tell what about.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]frequentmouse
2011-04-22 10:09 pm UTC (link)
A lesson worth learning, right up there with understanding that willingness to recognize reality does not equal deciding who will live and who will die.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]kumquat_of_doom
2011-04-23 12:54 am UTC (link)
...Have you even READ the Guards or Witches books? Because seriously, where did you get that impression from?

(Really, I'm actually interested. Am writing my BA dissertation on the Guards books and am interested to know how you got that interpretation of Vimes.)

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]ekaterinv
2011-04-20 04:02 am UTC (link)
Huh, I don't think I've ever known any male fans of Country music.

It's funny how nearly everything in the world that isn't specifically geared toward women is supposed to only appeal to teenage boys. And how nothing geared toward women could ever possibly appeal to men -- pfft, men don't like romance at all of course! They just want to stick their dicks in something really quick and get off on blowing shit up, they don't have or care about relationships or emotions or hot sex scenes at all!

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]jaythenerdkid
2011-04-20 08:08 am UTC (link)
One of my best friends is a charming young fellow from Louisiana who loves the stuff. Don't quite see the appeal myself, but he tells me it'll grow on me in time. XD

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[info]mirhanda
2011-04-20 08:00 pm UTC (link)
*sputter*

I am also a woman over the age of 25 (WAY over) and the Guards subseries is absolutely my favorite. I boggle that people think that way!

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[info]littleshebear
2011-04-20 08:17 pm UTC (link)
My middle-aged uncle recommended Terry Pratchett to me (so that's another strike against teenage boys) and I found it difficult to get into for the longest time. It was Guards, Guards! that made me fall in love with Discworld. I'm now a 30 year old woman and I still prefer the Watch books over the others.

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[info]athersgeo
2011-04-20 09:02 pm UTC (link)
Ditto, ditto and ditto (apart from the middle-aged uncle; I was recommended Pterry by a girl who was [is, presumably!] a good three years younger than me). She started me off with The Hogfather which I STRUGGLED with and then she handed me Feet of Clay and I read it inside three hours.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]rosehiptea
2011-04-21 01:28 am UTC (link)
Guards, Guards! was the first one I read and still a huge favorite.

I'm behind in my Pratchett reading though. Must remedy that.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]kumquat_of_doom
2011-04-23 12:52 am UTC (link)
I am twenty-two, but I'm also the girliest girl to ever girl ... and I'm writing my dissertation on the Guards subseries of Discworld books.

So that must be, what, at least half a dozen reasons why I don't exist, now...

(Reply to this)(Parent)


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