ranty rant rant

[annwyd]

It really seems like in fandom, anyone who actually takes time to explore the deeper ramifications of just about anything--from female-negative language in a show's dialogue to the reasons a certain popular behavior is unhelpful--is characterized as a tightly wound loser with sand in her vagina and no life

Comments

[paperclipchains]

-is characterized as a tightly wound loser with sand in her vagina and no life.

I must have the sandiest vagina of all.

I've never actually experienced that, though. I mean, I get the "lololol sandy vagina" thing all the time, 'cause I'm often aggressive, but...

You tried posting to feminist_fandom?

[annwyd]

Entire beaches in there, apparently!

I know there are parts of fandom that are very encouraging of deeper analysis, both feminist and otherwise, and that's helpful...but that this undercurrent exists still bugs me. And I definitely get the impression that it does in most of the "mainstream" fandom communities that I frequent (fandomsecrets is a good example; it's only "mainstream" for anime/manga/video game fandom, but that is a corner of fandom I spend a lot of time in, so...).

And I haven't posted there yet, but I do have some stuff I want to talk about there eventually. :)

[elisabeth]

I tend to get -more- upset when folks start dropping the 'relax' line on me. I see a lot more of the 'ass' side of things than any wisdom.

*hugs* Fight the good fight, lovie.

[annwyd]

One of the better hints, I think, is, "If you're saying the 'relax' line to other people instead of yourself, you're more likely to fall on the 'ass' side of the line."

Even that's not fool-proof, mind you. I know better than most that people can be taught to demean themselves. :P

[elisabeth]

Agreed; self deprecation is a skill some of us learned a little too well. Some learn from parental figures, some learn from peers, some learn from emotional duress... and in almost every case, it's the _wrong_ lesson to learn. Unlearning it completely escapes me still. :/

[a_white_rain]

Agreed!

Related: I came to the conclusion today that the secret to life is knowing when saying, "Relax, you don't have to take it so seriously" makes you an ass and when saying the same thing makes you wise.
Learning how to do that requires constant study of Iroh from Avatar.

[annwyd]

Fact:
Iroh makes the world a better place.

Fact:
Chi makes the world a better place.

Conclusion:
CROSSOVER???

[a_white_rain]

adsfask Chi would win over Zuko in the sequel.

[moebot]

YOU'RE HARSHING MY SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

No, but seriously. I agree 100%.

[annwyd]

Because clearly harshing someone's squee is the worst possible thing to do in fandom. D:

[stormcoming]

Yeah, uh. I had to write a paper on Blade Runner for English class, (lame example, I know, bear with me). Even in a liberal college english class I got those looks when I picked a feminist standpoint to critique that movie.

Damn, if there isn't a lot to crit there.

[annwyd]

Pffff pretty much anything in mainstream sci-fi (and a fair amount of non-mainstream sci-fi) can be thoroughly critiqued from a feminist standpoint.

[stormcoming]

Tell me about it.

Three female main characters, one is a "pleasure model", one is supposed to be a political assasin but she works as a stripper, and the main char's love interest?

Niiiice.