If anyone wonders at my generally foul temper, my quick descent into condescension, and the gradually sharpening tone of my writing style, I have an explanation.
I read every fucking link I post on When Fangirls Attack.
Normally I can take some delight in the more spirited debates, and in widespread rages I can usually find some lovely new blogs that combine comics and feminism regularly. I always look back at the recent posts on any new blog to see if there's other posts that suit my interest, and if they are worth reading. Its my little joy.
Well, that and watching people rant at each other.
But this Mary Jane thing has been beyond irksome. I've logged over 150 posts on it (and I have twenty-some in the folder, and more places to look still), and at least two-thirds of those are blogs I've never seen before.
And out of all of those brand new (to me) blogs, I've gotten maybe two livejournals that are worth keeping an eye on. A few Feminist blogs, a lot of movie fans, but few of them seem to discuss comic books aside from this.
I want ice cream, and a comic starring Mary Jane Watson-Parker in which she uses Laundry Fu to kick the asses of a bunch of Nazis who have kidnapped Peter to experiment on him and clone a master race of Super-Aryan-Spidermen.
Written by Beau Smith, of course.
It says something tho.. that a lot of these ppl aren't even interested in comics or prolly know much about MJ. This COULD be how she normally presents herself (and in some comics, I think it is XD). Some of these ppl have no way of knowing :o
ReplyDeleteBut they see it and they go EWWWWW.
And this IS something the comic industry should pay attention to. A lot of its defenders will always respond with "oh well, if you dun read comics, who cares about you?" but no other industry will do that. You dun make money if you just decide to please your hardcore little fanbase while the rest of the world looks at you with disgust.
If the regular ppl who might have some interest in comics thanks to movies or childhood memories of Superfriends or nething else see these statues or covers, they're going to go ICK is this what comics are now?
Walking by many comic shops and seeing these things on display in the window will only add to the idea that ppl who read comics are horny greasy pervs and that comic books are nothing but male sexual fantasies on paper. :\ That's the reputation (rightly or wrongly) that's been out there for some time, and you know, ppl can dismiss feminists, or even female readers as being a minor group, but what about the rest of the world that's ignoring comic books b/c of stuff like the MJ statue? :\
Ppl who say that comics are for boys are wrong. If you take the statistics, they're for like 1% of straight men XD
And all the fallout from this is rly saying something, that ppl who dunno nething about comics, might not even read them evar, are looking at the statue going "this is why I'm right not to care about comics".
Heh...I love Beau Smith. The manliest man in comics writes some of the best women.
ReplyDelete::waves::
ReplyDeleteFWIW, I want my blog to have more comics content on it. And it probably will this summer, after the con season starts.
Will you be at San Diego? Perhaps we can try and get a Feminist Comics drinks meet up going or something?
I read every fucking link I post on When Fangirls Attack.
ReplyDeleteDayum. Yeah, that'd explain it for me. I find several I have to skip over with an eyeroll or else I spend the rest of the day seething and hating humankind.
The MJ thing boggles me a bit, just because IT'S STILL GOING.
I read every fucking link I post on When Fangirls Attack.
ReplyDeleteFWIW, I appreciate that attention to detail; you're providing a wonderful service with that site.
I've followed WFA for a while, and seen ebb and flow different issues - it's interesting just how much traction this particular one has had not just amongst the usual suspects but well beyond them.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand it is just startlingly blatant, even the usual apologists are being relatively quiet about it.
I'm not blogging about it because its certainly well covered now, but I do forward the links around to folks who usually don't follow these things.
"Will you be at San Diego? Perhaps we can try and get a Feminist Comics drinks meet up going or something?"
ReplyDeleteme! me! me! I'm going to try to go for at least a day.
Ragnell,
I would send you ice cream - since you so very much deserve it - but I don't think it would survive the trip. Guess I'll have to get working on Laundry Fu MJ.