elizabethbanner:

Cosplay Ain’t Comics — But Neither is Misogyny

I’ve stood there for hours at a time rolling my eyes as yet another ‘geek prodigy’ attempts to quiz us on who we’re cosplaying, hoping that we’ll slip up so their group of fedora-wearing friends can all have a good laugh at the silly woman’s expense — and despite the almost obsessive knowledge of Polaris’ relationship with Magneto shown, they just don’t quit, either.

Because the geek prodigy and his merry band of followers know our secret. We aren’t nerds, we’re actresses, and we’re so good at it that we’ve spent our entire lives reading comic books and putting up with this kind of bullshit just so that we can prey on you and your delusions that you’re entitled to a piece of us based purely on a singular mutual interest. That alone is the reason that we spend months and almost every spare cent we have putting these cosplays together. Not because we actually love the source material enough to put ourselves through this — just because we want your attention.

Yes, Tony Harris, the illustrator of comics such as Starman and Ex Machina was 100% correct in his Facebook ravings. Us attractive female cosplayers are indeed evil succubi, thriving off the attention guys at conventions give us. We really just can’t think of anything better to do with our lives than stand around while entitled men at conventions objectify, harass and insult us.

Except for, you know, clawing our own faces off.

I have a great many things to say to Harris, you know? Not just as a cosplayer, but as someone who lives and works within pop culture for a living, someone who shares comic books as a livelihood. The issue here is that I just don’t know where to start because there is so much wrong with what he had to say, and it not just the things to do with women.

“I think before any of these women are allowed to cosplay at cons they should be required to take a written exam on comic books, past and present, followed by a before and after comparison, one in their cosplay outfit and the other NOT in their cosplay outfit but in their normal, average looking boring clothes.

Then again you could just ask them who Jack Kirby was…I imagine they’d all fail”

I think that before any of these misogynist assholes are allowed to come anywhere near women they should be required to take a written exam on sexism in geek culture, followed by a speech explaining how this sort of shit is toxic and harmful to women and makes all geeks look bad.

Of course I’m pretty sure they’d all fail.




Christ, why can’t they have a douchebag only con? That way us decent folks can have fun without all of that crap. Said brovention could be held inside of a lovely spacecraft, which would be launched into space once everyone was loaded up. Don’t worry, sweeties. THERE ARE NO SLUTS IN THE SUN!

(Source: cosplaynaut)

rune-midgarts:

anjellstar:

I found this discussion through a friend on my fb. She pointed out how many men called this women unattractive..then went on to make disgusting comments. 

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder…so while some will find her pretty some won’t. But that’s not the issue here. 

The issue is cunt bastards saying she’s ugly ONLY because she’s black. She has a pretty figure from what I can see of her, pretty eyes, and lips most women pay millions for!!! 

Oh…and of course most of the girls on this facebook “smash or pass” page are white and skinny. Most of them blonde. 

I think all women are beautiful no matter hair and skin color….in this society that probably makes me sound like an alien or something. 

Here are some of the comments. 

:DISCLAIMER:

I am not blocking out the men/women names since they felt the need to make these statements on a public network to see them. Any consequences these people face I am not responsible for….and let the shit fest begin….

ORLY?????

you’ve honestly got to be kidding me. 

She’s the only black girl on the page as well…here’s the link http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.234801359919329.57718.228332343899564&type=3

You fuck with one of us..you fuck with all of us..and reap the repercussions :D 

i am so angry right now

we will never be seen as beautiful, and the rare times that people find us pretty it is because we’re being exoticized

ugh

Fuck every single one of those sexist, racist assholes.

I hope a rattlesnake gets ahold of them and bites ‘em all on the butthole region, and gets them them so bad that they need to have asshole replacement surgery, and that asshole itches all of the time, and they itch at it in public without thinking, and their main crush sees them and laughs at it, and embarrasses them for life. Shitstains. :I

As for the individual in the pic: They are beyond gorgeous! I really don’t see how anyone but a racist ass fuckwit could hate on someone as beautiful. They are just about as close to perfection as one can get, IMHO.

cognitivedissonance:

If you’d like to avoid the loss of sponsors, stick an aspirin between your teeth and hold it there.

XD YES!

dumbthingswhitepplsay:

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) on Thursday said that if the sponsors of Rush Limbaugh’s radio show continued to support his “hate mongering” then women should boycott those companies.

afunnyfeminist:

feelinghellastabby:

abaldwin360:

Everyone should boycott his sponsors. 

Here’s a list of his sponsors according to this FB page dedicated to shutting Rush down (I don’t know how old this list is, but a few other sites list the same sponsors, so I believe it is at least somewhat up-to-date):

Tax Resolution Services
Online Ad on Rush Site
1-866-IRSPROBLEMS

Heart & Body Extract
Online Ad on Rush Site
1-866-295-5305

ProFlowers
Sales or Service: 1-800-580-2913
Phone: 800.580.2913

Sleep Train (Mattress Center)
4350 Warehouse Ct., Ste 100
North Highlands, CA 95660Phone: (800) 919-2337
Fax: (866) 293-5719

eharmony
300 N. Lake Ave., Suite 1111
Pasadena, CA 91101
media@eharmony.com 626.795.4814
FAX 626.585.4040

CARBONITE, Inc.
617-587-1100
177 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
Direct Dial Office: 617-587-1100 EXT:1115

Sleep Number Bed
Select Comfort Corporation 6105 Trenton Lane N
Minneapolis, MN 55442
Phone: 763-551-7000
Fax: 763-551-7826
800-438-2233
Oreck Upright Vacuum CleanersOreck Corporation
100 Plantation Road
New Orleans, Louisiana 70123
800-289-5888

Mid-West Life Insurance Company of Tennessee
9151 Grapevine Hwy.North Richland Hills, TX 76180
Phone (800) 733-1110
(ads on rushlimbaugh.com)

AutoZone Inc.
901-495-7185; Fax: 901-495-8374
P.O. Box 2198, Memphis, TN 38101
LegalZoom
800-773-0888; Fax: 323-962-8300

Citrix Online (GoToMyPC)
6500 Hollister Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117
Phone: 805-690-6400; Fax: 805-690-6471
American Forces Network
Contact Us: @MyAFN.net

Mission Pharmacal Company
10999 IH-10 West Suite 1000
P.O. Box 786099
San Antonio, TX 78278-6099
Telephone: (800) 531-3333

Life Quotes, Inc.
32045 Castle Court Evergreen, CO 80439
1-800-670-5433
Lending Tree
(704) 541-5351

Many of these same companies sponsor progressive radio stations, so it would make sense to contact them and say you don’t want them sponsoring Limbaugh.

albinwonderland:

“The reason why male privilege is so insidious is because of the insistance that it doesn’t exist in the first place. That willful ignorance is key in keeping it in place; by pretending that the issue doesn’t exist, it is that much easier to ensure that nothing ever changes.

Geek society prides itself on being explicitly counter-culture; nerds will crow about how, as a society, they’re better than the others who exclude them. They’ll insist that they’re more egalitarian; geeks hold tight to the belief that geek culture is a meritocracy, where concepts of agism, sexism and racism simply don’t exist the way it does elsewhere. And yet, even a cursory examination will demonstrate that this isn’t true.

And yet geeks will cling to this illusion while simultaneously refusing to address the matters that make it so unattractive to women and minorities. They will insist that they treat women exactly the same as they treat guys – all the while ignoring the fact that their behavior is what’s making the women uncomfortable and feeling unwelcome in the first place. They will find one girl in their immediate community who will say that she’s not offended and use her as the “proof” that nobody else is allowed to be offended.

Changing this prevailing attitude starts with the individual. Call it part of learning to be a better person; being willing to examine your own attitudes and behaviors and to be ruthlessly honest about the benefits you get from being a white male in fandom is the first step. Waving your hands and pretending that there isn’t a problem is a part of the attitude that makes women feel unwelcome in fandom and serves as the barrier to entry to geeky pursuits that she might otherwise enjoy.

Bringing the spotlight onto the concept of male privilege as it exists in nerd culture is the first step in making it more welcoming of diversity, especially women.”

-One of my favourite excerpts from this article on Dr. Nerdlove, “Nerds and Male Privilege”. The article is very enjoyable and I urge you to read it in it’s entirety.

fromonesurvivortoanother:

[trigger warning: brief mention of racism and lynching as an example, discussion of triggers, ableism— privilege denying]

I saw a post earlier tonight in which a person said something like, “I should listen to trigger warnings instead of ignoring them”. This really spoke to me— sometimes I will see trigger warnings, and I just mindlessly brush them off and read on anyway. This is obviously not the greatest way to approach things, and it usually means that I end up feeling pretty unsafe and messed up. So I wanted to write a guide on trigger warnings— how people can use them, why they should be used, and so on.

Things to ask yourself when you encounter a trigger warning:

• Do I have a personal investment in this category or issue? This is not the same as asking, “do i belong to this group?”— Although it is more likely that you will be offended by an issue if you are a part of that same group, it is still possible that you can be hurt. An Asian American, for example, can be triggered by racism against Black people if that racism presents itself in a form similar to what they have personally experienced.
• How much does this wound still hurt? Practice self-measurement. If this is something that is still fairly new, it might be good to leave it alone for awhile.
• Do I have the spoons for this right now?  Are there things that I need to get done later today? Will I need to be around other people who fit into the offending group? Do I have the emotional and physical patience for this? Remember that you do not have a limitless reserve of energy.
• If this does trigger me, what are the possible ways in which I might react? Would any of those reactions be harmful or dangerous? Would my reaction throw me off from my current path? Please don’t forget to consider this! You owe it to yourself.
• If this does trigger me, what strategies do I have for bouncing back?  Do I have someone I can talk to after? A favorite activity or hobby? Is there a safe space I can go to? Practice self love; make sure you have something positive to help you recover.
• Do I have the time and the space to deal with these things right now? If not, then it might be best to pass on this. Remember that after you finish reading this, you’ll still have to go to class or work.
• Am I making this into a challenge? Sometimes I like to think that I am strong and brave and ready to push forward. While this kind of gusto is good in some situations, it can also be very self-defeating. Remember that no one is making you read this material except for you. If you feel as if someone else or that some internalized part of you is, then it might be good to take a step back. 
• Am I ready for this? It’s okay to admit that you’re not. Some things take a lot of time and struggle before they stop hurting, or that hurt is made bearable— don’t force yourself into doing something you don’t want to.
  

Why should people use trigger warnings?

(the following section has some examples of people being butts. If you don’t want to listen to ableist things, please skip down to the last two points, or to the next section.)

• “I can handle this material, so they should be able to as well.” Only you are you. No one else is exactly the same, so please don’t assume that they are. This is a very privileged, ableist, and self-centered thing to say.
• “Aren’t trigger warnings infantilizing?” No. Every person is at a different stage of healing and together-ness. For some individuals, the situation may have happened to them recently, or the wound is still fresh, and being exposed to this could be harmful even life-threatening. For others, it could be something that they have been working on for years, but it is still difficult to deal with.
• “People need to stop dwelling on things and just get over it.” This is not for anyone to decide except for the person who was actually hurt. Some people could be seriously set back in their progress or even retraumatized by unwilling exposure to certain topics. Trigger warnings allow people to move at their own pace— something which can only be decided by them, and no one else. 
• “I think that trigger warnings look awkward/No one uses these in real life or in other internet spaces.” The only reason trigger warnings feel “weird” or “strange” is because they are not used as much as they should be. If people did, we’d be used to trigger warnings and just see them as a normal part of everyday life and discussion. If you think that petty aesthetics are more important than real human beings with feelings, then you need to ask yourself, “why does this make me feel so insecure and threatened?”
• Trigger warnings are as much about giving people a choice as they are about preparing them for the content.  If a person knows that X issue will come up, then they can mentally prepare for it beforehand. Some people have specific strategies for this, while others have subconscious barriers that they put up to distance and protect themselves. If they are suddenly exposed without warning, then they don’t have the opportunity to do this, and it could hurt them much more than if they had prepared. 
• Trigger warnings force you to check your own privilege. Adding trigger warnings is an act of empathy that forces us to consider another person’s experience of the world. It makes us confront the fact that our lives are very different from the lives of others. This is especially true when someone calls you out for overlooking or forgetting to include trigger warnings for certain issues.

If you are posting triggering material, please consider the following:

• Is my trigger warning at the very beginning of the post? This can include the title as well. It’s not okay to simply drop the warning right before the triggering material happens— by then, your reader may have an investment in the text, and they could be less likely to step away, even though the material may be harmful.
• Is my trigger warning set off in an obvious manner? Most people use () or [], and sometimes boldface or all caps. If possible, It should also be set off on its own line apart from the rest of the text.
• Is the trigger warning specific and detailed? Simply saying “racism” may not be enough; instead, you could say, “racism— lynching” or “racism— slurs against X group”.  The more information you give, the better. This does not, however, mean that your triggers should be triggering themselves; use phrases like “graphic description”, “first person account”, “racial slur”, etc, rather than the actual language. If you feel like you can put a value on how extreme or benign the trigger is, then that should also be included.
• Have I covered every possible issue in this post? Please double check to make sure, even if it’s just for a second.
• Remember that if someone calls you out, it’s not a personal attack. We all come from different positions of power and privilege. It’s not your fault— that’s just the way the world is. Having someone tell you that your trigger warning is incomplete is not in any way meant to be an insult; it just means that you may have taken a different view of the world for granted. No one is perfect, and that’s okay.

eximago:

sedatephobia:

the-elder-scrolls:

A short spat I just had of blind rage gave me the urge to announce this.

I’m a male feminist.

Just throwing that out there for future reference.

I have been feeling particularly ragey about the blatant sexism in video games, and “nerd culture” in general, a lot recently.  And, much to my amazement, I’ve been reading a lot about it too.  I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees it.

It’s actually one of the reasons I love TES.

Armor in a TES game, both original and how the average gamer thinks it should look:

Female armor in any other franchise:

No need for any realistic protection. As long as she’s enough to jack off to, it’s “well-designed” armor.

This is why TES is one of my favorite game series as well. c: Bethesda doesn’t make their characters into generic “wank material” like some designers do. Of course The Elder Scrolls doesn’t need that shit, because it’s a FUCKING SOLID game franchise.
Only weak games need to use weak shit to lure buyers in.

I’ve never understood the whole “Put some porn into this game” mentality that some folks have. I mean, aren’t you *supposed to be* playing it to be immersed into an epic adventure? An engrossing story, paired with brilliant gameplay? Seeing all them titties poppin’ out just takes away a lot of the immersion of a game, and focuses it too much on the “HEY LOOK AT THIS”

I can’t take a game seriously if it’s focusing more on giving people boners, and keeps forgetting all about story and gameplay.