(no subject)
This has been brewing for a couple of years now. Strap in for a ride, I'm about to (calmly and politely) lose my shit all over fandom.
Have you guys ever seen the Katara is a cunt comic Booter Freak did when Season Three of Avatar aired? (Spoilers for middle of season three, but they're a) a turn of events I expected since episode three of season one, and b) don't matter if you never plan to watch Avatar.)
It's funny because that's the way fandom behaves. Especially the slasher side of fandom. In fact, slashers being sexist towards female characters is such a common trope, you have bingo cards with the arguments you see again and again.
Internalized sexism is a problem endemic to our cultures.
Short definition: Internalized sexism is the involuntary internalization by women of the sexist messages that are present in their societies and culture. It also the way in which women reinforce sexism by utilizing and relaying sexist messages that they’ve internalized.
-- Finally, a Feminism 101 Blog
"Oh, I don't do that." Yes, you do. Everyone does that. We are a product of our cultures, and our cultures tell us over and over again what is expected of us as women, that women aren't worth as much as men, that we have to follow certain rules or we'll be raped, etc., etc., etc.
It is a part of our cultures. It is a part of our sub-cultures. It is everywhere, and it is in us, and ignoring it won't make it go away. It just gives it more power because we assume we're right in everything we do. We assume because we're not overtly sexist then we must be okay.
No. We're not okay.
Look at the way you behave. Look at what you do, the way you react to female characters. Take your favorite male characters and flip their genders - are the traits you find so admirable in them as males still admirable in female characters? Don't lie to yourself. Don't you dare lie to yourself.
No one is saying you have to love all female characters or be sexist. But take a good long hard look at your motivations. Look at your patterns. If you female characters have to be saints for you to be interested, if you give male characters a pass on things you'd never forgive a female character for, there's a problem.
Look at it. Look at your problems and your tics and your issues. Don't shy away from them and pretend they don't exist. That just means things stay broken.
Recognize it. Look at what you do and recognize what you do. Acknowledge it. Acknowledge your patterns, your tics, your issues.
Fail better. Expect more from yourself and try harder and don't be afraid to fail because this is something that's been in you your entire life.
Don't be afraid.
Have you guys ever seen the Katara is a cunt comic Booter Freak did when Season Three of Avatar aired? (Spoilers for middle of season three, but they're a) a turn of events I expected since episode three of season one, and b) don't matter if you never plan to watch Avatar.)
It's funny because that's the way fandom behaves. Especially the slasher side of fandom. In fact, slashers being sexist towards female characters is such a common trope, you have bingo cards with the arguments you see again and again.
Internalized sexism is a problem endemic to our cultures.
Short definition: Internalized sexism is the involuntary internalization by women of the sexist messages that are present in their societies and culture. It also the way in which women reinforce sexism by utilizing and relaying sexist messages that they’ve internalized.
-- Finally, a Feminism 101 Blog
"Oh, I don't do that." Yes, you do. Everyone does that. We are a product of our cultures, and our cultures tell us over and over again what is expected of us as women, that women aren't worth as much as men, that we have to follow certain rules or we'll be raped, etc., etc., etc.
It is a part of our cultures. It is a part of our sub-cultures. It is everywhere, and it is in us, and ignoring it won't make it go away. It just gives it more power because we assume we're right in everything we do. We assume because we're not overtly sexist then we must be okay.
No. We're not okay.
Look at the way you behave. Look at what you do, the way you react to female characters. Take your favorite male characters and flip their genders - are the traits you find so admirable in them as males still admirable in female characters? Don't lie to yourself. Don't you dare lie to yourself.
No one is saying you have to love all female characters or be sexist. But take a good long hard look at your motivations. Look at your patterns. If you female characters have to be saints for you to be interested, if you give male characters a pass on things you'd never forgive a female character for, there's a problem.
Look at it. Look at your problems and your tics and your issues. Don't shy away from them and pretend they don't exist. That just means things stay broken.
Recognize it. Look at what you do and recognize what you do. Acknowledge it. Acknowledge your patterns, your tics, your issues.
Fail better. Expect more from yourself and try harder and don't be afraid to fail because this is something that's been in you your entire life.
Don't be afraid.