Silver Tongue

nerdysingingcatlady:

codenamecesare:

aranel-parmadil:

ormondhsacker:

scifigrl47:

gingerjuju:

I just don’t understand where this concept of ‘fake geek girls’ came from. Like, AT ALL.

Cus when I look for fandom related stuff like 90% of the fan art and the fanfiction and the meta, zines, comics, etc. Like 90% of the shit that I’ve seen is created by women & girls.

And all that stuff take’s a lot of work and research and critical analysis and staring at reference photos for hours.

We are literally the most well versed and invested group in the fandom. So, like, What the fuck boys? You mad you can’t keep up?

I saw an argument, and I can’t find it now, but it totally made sense, that there’s a gender split in fandom. Male fandom tends to be a curator fandom; male fandom collects, organizes, and memorizes facts and figures. Male fandom tends to be KEEPERS of the canon; the fandom places great weight on those who have the biggest collection, the deepest knowledge of obscure subjects, the first appearances, creators, character interactions.

Female fandom is creative. Females create fanart, cosplay, fanwritings. Female fandom ALTERS canon, for the simple reason that canon does not serve female fandom. In order for it to fit the ‘outsider’ (female, queer, POC), the canon must be attacked and rebuilt, and that takes creation.

“Male” fandom devalues this contribution to fandom, because it is not the ‘right’ kind of fandom. “Girls only cosplay for attention, they’re not REAL fans!” “Fanfiction is full of stupid Mary Sues, girls only do it so they can make out with the main character!” “I, a male artist, have done this pin-up work and can put it in my portfolio! You, a female artist, have drawn stupid fanart, and it’s not appropriate to use as a professional reference!”

In the mind of people who decry the ‘fake geek girl,’ this fandom is not as worthy. It damages, or in their mind, destroys the canon. What is the point of memorizing every possible romantic entanglement of heterosexual white Danny Rand if someone turns around and creates a fanwork depicting him as a bisexual female of Asian descent (thus subverting Rand’s creepy ‘white savior’ origins)? When Danny Rand becomes Dani Rand, their power is lessened. What is important to them ceases to be the focus of the discussion. Creation and curatorship can work in tandom, but typically, in fandom, they are on opposite poles.

This is not to say that there aren’t brilliant male cosplayers or smashing female trivia experts, this is to say that the need of the individual fan is met with opposing concepts: In order for me to find myself in comics, I need to make that space for myself, and that is a creative force. Het white cis males are more likely to do anything possible to defend and preserve the canon because the canon is built to cater to them.

Comment bolded by me because effing important that’s why.

This.

“I, a male artist, have done this pin-up work and can put it in my portfolio! You, a female artist, have drawn stupid fanart, and it’s not appropriate to use as a professional reference!”


Seeing this spelled out was revelatory to me.

This.
Is.
Absolutely.
AMAZING

I never understood why guys have to test girls knowledge of the subject with trivial things that only those who devote their lives to would know or how liking mainstream things like star wars or zelda do not qualify people as real gamers though.

  1. tyrannosaurus-maximus reblogged this from yeahwehadatime
  2. youhateme-ihatemetoo reblogged this from moonsandstar-s
  3. theduchessofnaxos reblogged this from thegoliathbeetle
  4. savethepinecones reblogged this from thegoliathbeetle
  5. thegoliathbeetle reblogged this from anisthasiazewicor
  6. anisthasiazewicor reblogged this from theonewiththegays
  7. theonewiththegays reblogged this from galahadwilder
  8. mariamauva reblogged this from yikeytown
  9. opposingsigns reblogged this from hatofacorns
  10. getbacktofandomlife reblogged this from keysmashehly
  11. miloe reblogged this from blackkatmagic
  12. girlboyssing reblogged this from little-bullheaded-shit
  13. little-bullheaded-shit reblogged this from little-bullheaded-shit
  14. madraykin86 reblogged this from scifigrl47
  15. empress-of-elsewhere reblogged this from cognitiveinequality
  16. cognitiveinequality reblogged this from that-metropolis-hussy
  17. ruiconteur reblogged this from becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys
  18. queenbidoof reblogged this from orangesandblues
  19. orangesandblues reblogged this from nyamaisdoneleavemealone
  20. that-metropolis-hussy reblogged this from flameraven
  21. unspecifiedsalt reblogged this from amaltheafan
  22. thesadpilotclub posted this