i need a t-shirt now

[seperis]

So I had this entire grumpy post, and now I do not.

This is why.

thefourthvine sees girls lining up to watch the three AM premiere of the movie Eclipse.

Oh, and girls? Please don't laugh along with people you think are laughing at you. Nothing you're doing is stupid or embarrassing. You care about something. You love something. It's important to you, and that makes it valuable. If people think that's funny? Please, please: just tell them to go fuck themselves.

I wish this could be handed out on embossed cards. And not just to teenage girls.

Posted at Dreamwidth: http://seperis.dreamwidth.org/29940.html. | You can reply here or there. | comments

Comments

[skadi.livejournal.com]

Word!

[iteari.livejournal.com]

I like that kind of thinking there. Especially since that whole 'boy toys are awesome and girl toys suck!' mentality gets old so fast.

[porntestpilot.livejournal.com]

I find it humorous that these books teach women that they only find value through men and of course men are the key to immortality [per Mormon] and it's excused because we're celebrating a female based fandom. I'm starting to value female-based fandom less because of the things girls seems to be fans of - not because there aren't enough explosions but because look at this crap. What is it with fandom? They harp any kind of perceived offensiveness to death but real offensiveness is brushed off.

Girlwonder.org? Stephanie Brown was Robin for 90 days and not Bruce's adopted child but of course they can't treat her any differently than Jason because I say so, that's why. I was more offended by that damn skirt. If Cassandra Cain had gotten a damn website maybe I'd care - but the major thing for her is by a guy. She had a huge moral dilemma, struggled emotionally, was half-Asian, and was competent as fuck. But no, everyone identifies with Steph because they think they would be her so now she's Bargirl. What progress!

Twilight? You will die without a man. He will protect you, he can stalk you, it's okay. Buffy was the freaking hero - she fought back - Bella simpers and falls down a lot. Everyone identifies with her.

Sex And The City - Once again it's about men and being shallow! And everyone loves shoes right?

TV Sookie Stackhouse is a twit. What happened to Blood Ties? It wasn't smutty enough right? Maybe we should put Anita Blake on TV so I can stab myself in the eye. No wonder everyone prefers Harry Dresden - his female friends are intelligent and amazing.

Grey's Anatomy? Holy shit. When Jeffrey Dean Morgan was on the View that's all they wanted to blather about - nothing about the role he was actually on the damn show for - a serious, misogynistic role that could have been a great discussion.

Our rolemodels are crappy. This is embarrassing. I'm embarrassed. All this crap about responsible media and how we're all accountable for our actions until boys mock it and then we're all up in arms. Guys lose respect for women when they see this shit. Not because it's brainless, but because it shows women as less and women eat it up. What does that say to men?

I'll stop mocking this crap when it stops being horrible. Just because a girl likes it doesn't give it value.

I want a button that says that!

[boggit.livejournal.com]

That's such a wonderful way to put it! I definitely have to deal with feeling embarrassed and stupid about my fannishness. I haven't even told any of my friends I'm having an Adam Lambert crazy, because they'd totally judge me and make fun of me and I don't want to taint the glittery awesome.

On the other hand, I wish I wasn't such a coward and could just say, "Yeah, I'm going to see this awesome amazing rock star sing his heart out in leather pants and a codpiece, and I totally bought boots with sexy zippers for the occasion. And I am possibly going to get to see cool people from online at both shows (you and your friend in Seattle, maybe) and (me_maneuver in Portland)", so you should be jealous, not judgmental.

[lexstar29.livejournal.com]

I agree so much with this, it's perfectly put. Thanks so much for linking to the post.

[lizziebethlj.livejournal.com]

I cannot stand Twighlight, but I totally love the fandom. Because I love fandoms in general, but also because I remember being fourteen and sleeping overnight in a parking lot with two of my best friends to buy tickets to NKOTB. And that same year, doing the exact same thing for Les Miserables when they finally toured in LA. And rearranging my college classes so my friends and I could watch General Hospital together every day. And Battlestar watching parties with my friends...last year. And talking to you obsessively about what I was going to wear to Glambert. And getting excited this morning because an author I like replied to my tweet with a "Ha!" (I immediately fanned myself, because omg he thought I was funny!)

Long live all unironic love.

[omnipresentdmat.livejournal.com]

That linked entry actually got me kind of teary. Twilight's not my thing and it obviously has its problematic points, but the fans put up with so much shit that it's gone far past ridiculous. I love that these girls are able to have a fannish experience that means so much to them. There's almost nothing as awesome as being with a group of people who love the same things as you do and are willing to be geeky and enthusiastic with you.

[omglawdork.livejournal.com]

I love that. I have a similar quote from Sars (of TWoP, though this was from her personal website (http://tomatonation.com/culture-and-criticism/dork-the-other-white-meat/)) on my LJ profile:

...[F]or me, it comes down to the fact that dorkiness, or nerdiness, or whatever term you want to use, isn't a trend. Calling it a state of mind instead seems rather overly grand, but I think it's possible to dork out about anything -- even if it's something "cool" like Italian film or Kate Spade -- because it's that idea of looking to that thing, that signifier, to let you belong because that thing belongs to you, horses, baseball, Broadway, Harry Potter, Risk, loving it as though it will love you back, without apologizing for it or winking at anyone who might be watching you. This is what makes Max Fischer a great character -- that the movie he's in is like, "Look what you can accomplish if you don't care who knows how much it means to you." (emphasis mine)

I just love it. Everyone dorks out about something - and you should never, ever let anyone judge you for what you love. At least you love something, and as thefourthvine says, anyone that laughs at it derisively can go fuck themselves.

[stripedpetunia.livejournal.com]

I laughed at this: "I guess there is no Team Bella? Or is that not how that works?"

Because yes, exactly. I think Team Bella would have her going for a healthier choice in significant other. Maybe I'm on Team Bella.

[naughtyoldlady.livejournal.com]

For making me aware of that post, I love you. That is all.

I understand porntestpilot's point

[trienne-hovus.livejournal.com]

... perhaps she could have made it less starkly, but I do see her point.

Pop culture *does* seem to be offering more girls who are defined by their romantic attachments and less by self-confidence, competence, and independence. Bella is the poster child for this, and I can understand why people find that... problematic. I'm not sure what to make of it myself, since the fans just seem to be enjoying the OTT romance *without* necessarily internalizing Bella's moody mopey co-dependence.

And it's not just that Bella is a bad role model; it's that she doesn't have much competition for the position.

Up to a couple years ago, valiant and powerful women were all over the place. There was Starbuck and Six and Laura Roslin; there was Zoe from Firefly, the metas from Birds of Prey, and practically every female on BtVS and Angel; Ivanova and Delenn from B5, Kira and Rho from DS9 and Janeway on Voyager.

What happened?

Where are today's female heroes? Where are the women who take control of their own destiny; who are fearless and adventurous and heroic? Are they no longer interesting? no longer relevant?

I'm not hating on Twilight. I'm just saddened that Twilight seems to be all there *is*.

[shelby-tiger07.livejournal.com]

This post made me happy. :)

[clairshadows.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the signal boost, that was beautifully said. Not a huge fan of Twilight though I do really like the idea of a Mary Sue (John sue?) that eats you. Anyway, it's always nice to see people happy and excited.