I just don’t understand where this concept of ‘fake geek girls’ came from. Like, AT ALL.
Cus when I look for fandom related stuff like 90% of the fan art and the fanfiction and the meta, zines, comics, etc. Like 90% of the shit that I’ve seen is created by women & girls.
And all that stuff take’s a lot of work and research and critical analysis and staring at reference photos for hours.
We are literally the most well versed and invested group in the fandom. So, like, What the fuck boys? You mad you can’t keep up?
I saw an argument, and I can’t find it now, but it totally made sense, that there’s a gender split in fandom. Male fandom tends to be a curator fandom; male fandom collects, organizes, and memorizes facts and figures. Male fandom tends to be KEEPERS of the canon; the fandom places great weight on those who have the biggest collection, the deepest knowledge of obscure subjects, the first appearances, creators, character interactions.
Female fandom is creative. Females create fanart, cosplay, fanwritings. Female fandom ALTERS canon, for the simple reason that canon does not serve female fandom. In order for it to fit the ‘outsider’ (female, queer, POC), the canon must be attacked and rebuilt, and that takes creation.
“Male” fandom devalues this contribution to fandom, because it is not the ‘right’ kind of fandom. “Girls only cosplay for attention, they’re not REAL fans!” “Fanfiction is full of stupid Mary Sues, girls only do it so they can make out with the main character!” “I, a male artist, have done this pin-up work and can put it in my portfolio! You, a female artist, have drawn stupid fanart, and it’s not appropriate to use as a professional reference!”
In the mind of people who decry the ‘fake geek girl,’ this fandom is not as worthy. It damages, or in their mind, destroys the canon. What is the point of memorizing every possible romantic entanglement of heterosexual white Danny Rand if someone turns around and creates a fanwork depicting him as a bisexual female of Asian descent (thus subverting Rand’s creepy ‘white savior’ origins)? When Danny Rand becomes Dani Rand, their power is lessened. What is important to them ceases to be the focus of the discussion. Creation and curatorship can work in tandom, but typically, in fandom, they are on opposite poles.
This is not to say that there aren’t brilliant male cosplayers or smashing female trivia experts, this is to say that the need of the individual fan is met with opposing concepts: In order for me to find myself in comics, I need to make that space for myself, and that is a creative force. Het white cis males are more likely to do anything possible to defend and preserve the canon because the canon is built to cater to them.
This is genuinely the best post I have ever read.
Comment bolded by me because effing important that’s why.
This.
“I, a male artist, have done this pin-up work and can put it in my portfolio! You, a female artist, have drawn stupid fanart, and it’s not appropriate to use as a professional reference!”
Seeing this spelled out was revelatory to me.
Tag: men
Men choose Hamlet because every man sees himself as a disinherited monarch. Women choose Alice [in Wonderland] because every woman sees herself as the only reasonable creature among crazy people who think they are disinherited monarchs.
Adam Gopnik (via currentboat)
I swallowed a lung I laughed so hard. Oh dear god I can’t breathe well. I miss my lung.
(via atlinmerrick)
This is unbelievably accurate.
Whenever males on this site disagree w women
They always say we’re ugly, like, why do they think we care how attractive we are to them????
Besides, nothing is uglier than what they show their hearts to be. And one day, all that ugliness inside them will show on the outside.It’s their go to response if a woman says something they don’t like.
Nothing makes its more obvious that it’s a man on the other side of the screen when they start insulting your appearance. Men are good at reducing women down to their appearances. I may be ugly/fat/gross/etc…but at least I make sense while you have nothing logical to say to continue the conversation.
If a man insults a woman’s appearance he’s already lost the debate.
men never bring anything useful to the table lmfao embarrassing
Though they expect us to set the table and serve them first.
Patriarchy backfiring on men is not sexism against men.
Whenever males on this site disagree w women
They always say we’re ugly, like, why do they think we care how attractive we are to them????
Besides, nothing is uglier than what they show their hearts to be. And one day, all that ugliness inside them will show on the outside.
It’s their go to response if a woman says something they don’t like.
I hate the terms “toxic masculinity” and “hyper masculinity” when they’re used to criticize masculinity, as if masculinity is only harmful in excess rather than being an inherently harmful construct (along with femininity/gender) used to ensure male supremacy and oppress women. Liberals love weak pseudo analyses and criticisms that may seem subversive but don’t actually make a dent in the status quo at all ^_^
It also paints men as passive victims of masculinity and therefore patriarchy, instead of the perpetrators of it
when you tell a man that he can’t be a feminist and that feminism was never about men and he proceeds to toss every sexually violent misogynistic slur ever at you
men are so predictable lmfao
“woman go for assholes” = women are to blame for men’s manipulation and abuse and women deserve to be condemned for becoming the victims of violence in a society that hates them by the beneficiaries and creators of that violence and hatred
The inferiority of women is man-made.
American author, activist, and lecturer Helen Keller, June 11, 1916
(via manakahandmade)
(via manakahandmade)
I consume a lot of problematic media (who doesn’t, tbh), and the biggest gripe I have, is that men who display all the elements of toxic masculinity are consistently, consistently presented as having a heart’o’gold, as meaning well and being genuinely good and kind and sympathetic, underneath it all.
It’s just constantly normalising and creating appeal in characteristics which in reality, result in violent hatred of women and other marginalised groups. Men who treat women as objects, who are insecure and shackled to their masculinity, who solve situations with violence and/or machismo, they’re not generally big ol softies underneath it all, they’re not men who need my sympathy or understanding. Realistically, they’re the type of men that don’t care if they hurt you, because they don’t have a full understanding of your humanity.
And at the end of the day, I can’t stand to see women denied their humanity, whilst the worst kinds of men are glorified as good guys.
Celtyradfem 