http://karinacooper.com/rage-warnings-she-was-asking-for-it
Long story-short a well known Steampunk "personality" opens up a fetish-y/erotica site. Steampunk "fans" go ape shit.
Then there was this little gem about cosplayers, ie women (mostly) that go to comicbook/fantasy cons dressed as their favorite characters. I think it is great that women are interested in what has been to date a predominately male-centric hobby. But not everyone agrees.
Comic book illustrator Tony Harris doesn't like cosplayers. Here are some links, you can read them.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/comic-book-illustrator-tony-harris-hates-women-co
http://dcwomenkickingass.tumblr.com/post/35644420254/tonyharris
and one from Other Side favorite Strikes Twice, http://strikes-twice.deviantart.com/#/d5l04ol
If there is someone in fandom and you don't like them or think they don't belong there then the trouble might be with you, and not them.
Following me so far?
We have had the same battles in Atheism and Skepticism. (Remember "Elevator-gate"?).
The problem is this is all the same thing. The systemic devaluation of women in society.
It's not a male-rights thing or something like that. No one is trying to stand up for something they want or need. This is about keeping a certain class of humans down. In this case, women.
Overreaction? No. Not really.
See we have built a culture here where women are treated like sex objects. Look no further than the recent Steubenville rape trial where one of the guilty rapists claimed he didn't even know what rape was, or the victim's mother stating that their daughter was used like a toy.
I am not saying someone can't be sexy, or have sex appeal. At all. I am saying that we need to start treating each other better than what we have been doing.
In fact "sexiness" isn't even the issue. A woman (or a man for that matter) should be able to walk down the street in ANYTHING or NOTHING and isn't "Asking for it" any more or less than any other circumstance.
For example.
Who is this woman? No idea. But she is brave as hell.
I love the look on her face. Strong and confident. She could be covered head to toe and with that look still more confident than anyone else there.
Could that pic be considered "sexy" of course it is. But message matters. The message here is "don't judge me by how I look. Judge me by my actions and words." Same with the Cosplayers. Same with Kato. Same with Jane Doe in Steubenville.
And then who is to blame? The victim. At least that who gets blamed by the media, courts, people involved.
https://twitter.com/search?q=%23steubenville&src=typd
http://publicshaming.tumblr.com/
http://rogercanaff.com/site/2013/03/media-rundown-on-steubenville-from-thinkprogress-org-its-her-fault/
and so many more that it is making me ill reading these responses.
All I can do really is raise my kids better and ask you all to do the same.
The rest of humanity seems pretty fucked if you ask me.
It disturbs me that some people claim that these guys only did what most people would have done in their situation. Really? Are people that bad, or are some people simply that deluded and arrogant? A decent human being would make sure she made it home safely,or was at least somewhere safe. Just because they had the opportunity to take advantage of her doesn't mean it's acceptable. It's NEVER okay to do that to anyone.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I have been reading so many of these rape apologists. There is something fundamentally wrong with with these people. Imagine what it would be like if we were talking about being in a plane crash, "it was her fault! trusting that airline, hanging out in the terminal all day. BUYING tickets!"
DeleteI never understand the current back and forth with women's rights and/or lack thereof.
ReplyDeleteI have seen some really crappy stuff thrown in my wife's face though. My wife was working for a very male dominated company doing as much if not more than most of the men in here office and even then was not making a quarter of the pay the male employees where making even though she had worked as long if not longer than others.
Equality means equal in all thing right?
Another situation, as it pertains to geekery and such, My daughter who has been frustrated for several years now because here "nerd" friends have now clue what the "culture" is all about. Nerdom is the in thing right know and for my daughter, a truly dedicated Whovian, it's frustrating for here to want to share here passions with others that truly have no real interests in the DC Universe outside of the latest Hollywood blockbuster.
Broke my heart one day last month when she came home from school and said, "Dad, why can't I find any nerd friends?". I blame the "Big Bang Theory", the TV show, not the Creation of the Universe, although, that could be at fault too..if I was a nihilist.
ERIC!
That case hasn't been reported much over here in the UK - but now that I read about it I'm as angry as you are. I just have to hope things are at least moving in the right direction. Things are better then they were surely? As the father of two girls, I damn well hope so...
ReplyDelete