Here's a rant about ~girl geeks~...
Mar. 10th, 2011 02:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
obliviousally_ljSo I following a link from The Daily What to a 'geek girl' site called The Mary Sue. On the sidebar my eyes caught 'Why A Geek Site for Women?' and I repeated the question in my head as I clicked on the link.
Now, anyone who knows me knows I find OMG GRRL GAMER to be ridiculous. I don't subscribe to the mentality that girl gamers are ~more speshul~ than regular gamers. In fact, I only have two categories in my head for girls who really push that 'gamer' label onto themselves (in an obnoxious manner, of course): trying too hard and trying WAY too hard.
This article is falling in the latter category and let me just tear it apart because I'm really pissed about a certain paragraph.
Maybe it's just me and I'm really fucking awesome, but I've never had this problem. I've never had to 'work harder' to 'fit in' to any geek culture.
I've been going to my hometown comic book store (which I still stop into, despite having moved forty-five minutes away!) since I was, like, twelve. Never once did the guys there pander to me when I was picking up titles like Crimson or Sailor Moon. Because, SHOCK OF THE CENTURY, some 'geek girls' like blood and violence AND girly cute things. I know it's difficult to understand. I grew up around the comic store and the guys that run it are great friends now. I help with the small local convention the store holds and spend lots of time just bullshitting about things with them. WHILE I pick up titles like Iron Man or Elfquest issues I find hidden in their longboxes.
I've never had the issue of the cashier thinking I'm buying a 'guys' game for someone else. Yes, in fact, I DO pick up games for my boyfriend and they're sometimes 'girlier' than the ones I'm interested in. But a girl can't like Silent Hill and Resident Evil and still like Animal Crossing and Cooking Mama, huh?
Yes, admittedly, I've had some asshole cashiers at game stores. But they were simly assholes, not assholes being assholes about what I was buying. My new local store has awesome employees who like chatting about games with you in general, doesn't matter what sex you are.
Here's the thing. These days, comics and video games are a huge market and the market is going to advertise to the largest group that buys them. With comics and video games, it is guys. This is just something that IS. Besides, I don't want games and comics marketed specifically to me. I want to discover them as they are and make my judgement from there. I'll agree, Marvel is pretty bad with their female characters, but that doesn't stop me from reading their comics.
In regards to scantily clad charactes and booth babes? I like T&A, so I'm not exactly losing anything here anyhow.
This is the paragraph that really pissed me off.
I don't enjoy a whole lot of ~womany~ things, for example, Sex in the City, Eat, Pray, Love, ectera, ectera. However, I DO enjoy celebrity gossip and fashion. Does this not make me a 'geek girl'? Can I not enjoy both of these things and still be allowed in your little club? Can I not like looking good and still pick up my copy of Pokemon or World of Warcraft while I do? Is it not acceptable to shop at Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe and still throw on a Batman or Zelda t-shirt? Can these things not co-exist?
Apparently not. Because YOU'VE never meet a geek girl who's been both of these things.
I'd rather play with the boys, thank you.
I'm pleased to see, however, that there are other girls who feel the same way.
From the comments:
YES. EXACTLY THIS. ALL DAY. EVERY DAY.
Now, anyone who knows me knows I find OMG GRRL GAMER to be ridiculous. I don't subscribe to the mentality that girl gamers are ~more speshul~ than regular gamers. In fact, I only have two categories in my head for girls who really push that 'gamer' label onto themselves (in an obnoxious manner, of course): trying too hard and trying WAY too hard.
This article is falling in the latter category and let me just tear it apart because I'm really pissed about a certain paragraph.
We know the point at which you would be satisfied is to just be able to geek out with all geeks, of any gender, without feeling like your femininity is front and center for scrutiny. To not feel like you have to work harder than guys to prove that you’re genuinely into geek culture. We want simple things, like to be able to visit a comic book store without feeling out of place. To be able to buy a video game without getting the sense that the cashier thinks we’re buying it for someone else.
Maybe it's just me and I'm really fucking awesome, but I've never had this problem. I've never had to 'work harder' to 'fit in' to any geek culture.
I've been going to my hometown comic book store (which I still stop into, despite having moved forty-five minutes away!) since I was, like, twelve. Never once did the guys there pander to me when I was picking up titles like Crimson or Sailor Moon. Because, SHOCK OF THE CENTURY, some 'geek girls' like blood and violence AND girly cute things. I know it's difficult to understand. I grew up around the comic store and the guys that run it are great friends now. I help with the small local convention the store holds and spend lots of time just bullshitting about things with them. WHILE I pick up titles like Iron Man or Elfquest issues I find hidden in their longboxes.
I've never had the issue of the cashier thinking I'm buying a 'guys' game for someone else. Yes, in fact, I DO pick up games for my boyfriend and they're sometimes 'girlier' than the ones I'm interested in. But a girl can't like Silent Hill and Resident Evil and still like Animal Crossing and Cooking Mama, huh?
Yes, admittedly, I've had some asshole cashiers at game stores. But they were simly assholes, not assholes being assholes about what I was buying. My new local store has awesome employees who like chatting about games with you in general, doesn't matter what sex you are.
Until advertisers, producers (of, say, The Big Bang Theory), and the larger society cease to assume that if you’re into sci-fi or videogames then you’re universally male; until the Big Two of American comics figure out that the way to get women to read comic books is not to pander to the demographic, but simply to make consistently good comics; until videogame makers finally figure out exactly why booth babes are flagrantly, shockingly sexist… the voice of the female geek needs to be heard.
Here's the thing. These days, comics and video games are a huge market and the market is going to advertise to the largest group that buys them. With comics and video games, it is guys. This is just something that IS. Besides, I don't want games and comics marketed specifically to me. I want to discover them as they are and make my judgement from there. I'll agree, Marvel is pretty bad with their female characters, but that doesn't stop me from reading their comics.
In regards to scantily clad charactes and booth babes? I like T&A, so I'm not exactly losing anything here anyhow.
I have never met a geek girl who was even halfway interested in almost anything Cosmopolitan had to say. We were too busy reading Cicada and Popular Science when we were the age that Teen Magazine wanted our attention. I’ve rarely seen a “women’s” site that seemed to report on much that I was half-way interested in. The only celebrity gossip I care about is who’s on what project next, the only fashion I’m interested is where to get Batman shirts that allow for boobs. It took me months to realize that Eat, Pray, Love wasn’t actually Eat, Prey, Love (“That’s sounds sort of interesting in a mantis-y kind of way,” I thought).
This is the paragraph that really pissed me off.
I don't enjoy a whole lot of ~womany~ things, for example, Sex in the City, Eat, Pray, Love, ectera, ectera. However, I DO enjoy celebrity gossip and fashion. Does this not make me a 'geek girl'? Can I not enjoy both of these things and still be allowed in your little club? Can I not like looking good and still pick up my copy of Pokemon or World of Warcraft while I do? Is it not acceptable to shop at Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe and still throw on a Batman or Zelda t-shirt? Can these things not co-exist?
Apparently not. Because YOU'VE never meet a geek girl who's been both of these things.
I'd rather play with the boys, thank you.
I'm pleased to see, however, that there are other girls who feel the same way.
From the comments:
Though your intentions may be noble, this website is exactly why we can't just get along with men on the internet: we call attention to our gender, even when it has no value in the conversation.
YES. EXACTLY THIS. ALL DAY. EVERY DAY.
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no subject
Date: 2011-03-10 09:03 pm (UTC)i agree wholeheartedly.
i've met far too many of those "gamer grrrrls". the ones that go on and on about liking X game, and "oh-eh-eff-gee i am a rare breed of girl! i am a snowflake!"
woohoo.
i like tabletop RPG, console, computer and board games. so what.
you don't see me walking around, crying for attention because i so desperately NEED it, apparently.
i will say this, though, i have had issue with one comic shop in particular~ my best friend and i walked in and literally 20 guys all stopped everything to stare. weird. the other comic shops here's are completely normal. that one, is just full of creepy guys. D:
no subject
Date: 2011-03-10 10:33 pm (UTC)I've never felt the need to point out my gender in regards to my hobbies. When you start pointing out your gender (or anything else) you put yourself up for critique against the stereotypes that exist. Instead of just being a 'gamer' and liking video games you become a 'girl gamer' who has to justify WHY you like those things instead of just liking them because you like games. The same bullshit you claim everyone else is pulling on you, you start pulling/bringing on yourself because you felt the need to point something trivial out.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-10 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-10 09:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-10 09:43 pm (UTC)Also, I HATE Halo so your boyfriend isn't alone in guys not playing it. I'd much rather chill with my Pokemon or my Invizimals. >_>;
no subject
Date: 2011-03-10 10:54 pm (UTC)It is unfortunate that people don't take that into account either. Can't a guy buy and enjoy Animal Crossing? People bitch about sexism towards females all day long, but no one gives to shits about sexism towards males.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-10 10:57 pm (UTC)I've never felt singled out because I'm a girl and like ~boy~ things. Maybe it's because I always have and I've never felt the need to PROVE my interests to anyone. I played with Hot Wheels and Barbies. I liked TMNT and Care Bears. It's ridiculous to assume that people can't like all sorts of things and have to fit into a predetermined slot depending on what you label yourself as.