Wow, can you say offensive?

[the_wanlorn]

Dear Kevin Maher,

Bite me, asshole.

No Love,
In fact, Negative Love Because I Want to Beat the Shit Out Of You,
Nire

I have never read an article as offensive as this one. Now excuse me while I pick it apart.


Okay, let's start with the modified Chasing Amy quote.

Approaching from four sides are: a) your typical socially maladjusted and intellectually inert comic-book geek; b) a woman in fishnet stockings who likes getting smacked; c) a naked pole-dancer who knows karate and can take a good beating; and d) a topless lesbian cop in high heels and a thong. The question is: who gets to the money first? The answer, of course, is the comic-book geek. Why? Because the other three are figments of his imagination.

Let's see... a) I think he forgot the word "stereo" in front of "typical". b) Um, what? I don't think a woman like that would be hard to find at all. c) Eh, a lot harder, but not necessarily impossible. d) Okay, I'll give him that one. Grudgingly.

By the "his" at the end, we're clearly dealing with the assumption that the mentioned comic book geek is male and straight. Ooookay... and thank you Mr. Maher for emphasizing the "his". Gee, I wonder what this is going to be about...

[Sin City] is so steeped in fetishistic adolescent imagery and casual misogyny that it overexposes the sinister appetites of its hardcore fanbase.

Sexist? Yeah, Sin City is definitely sexist. No more so than any film noir, in my opinion. Did I, a woman, still love the movie and want to read the comic? Why, yes, I did. I know, I'm such a horrible woman, aren't I? (/end passive-agressive annoyance with supa-feminists)

But mysoginistic? Forgive me for not seeing that.

[T]he movie unwittingly reveals the frank and masturbatory hatred of women that is fundamental to any understanding of the comic-book geek.

Oh gods, I hate myself! Why didn't I see this before?! Thank you, Kevin Maher! Thank you for showing me just how much self-loathing I have!

...

For most people (those who have a life and don’t actually care about the great intergalactic struggle between Marvel and DC comics) contact with comic books is generally a secondary experience.

Okay, I admit, I'm shamelessly copping my response to this from apiphile. It captures exactly what I was thinking, except far more amusing and well-put than I could.

"'For most people (those who have a life and don't actually care about the great intergalatic struggle between $generic_footbal_team_a and $generic_football_team_b)' OH WAIT SUDDENLY I'M BEING OFFENSIVE. And yet no hordes of geeks have been seen trashing pubs and STABBING PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF FINSBURY PARK STATION I WONDER WHY THAT WAS."

Honestly. How are comic book fans any different from other fans? How do they have any less of a life? Please, do explain this to me. I don't have a life because I read comic books? Oh dear, and I thought that was because I watched movies & TV shows all day. SILLY ME.

...a jaded industry that’s [...] entirely hostile to women...

Right. This is why you see women shopping in comic book stores and working in comic book stores. Or do you...

“Women just don’t go into comic-book stores,” explains Trina Robbins, the author of The Great Women Cartoonists, speaking recently to the New York City Comic Book Museum. “A woman gets as far as the door, and after the cardboard life-size cut-out of a babe with giant breasts in a little thong bikini and spike-heel boots, the next thing that hits her is the smell. It smells like unwashed teenage boys, and it has this real porn-store atmosphere.”

Um, what? Wait, so you're telling me I'm not a woman? Damn! And all this time I thought I was... *looks down* Do I get a prize for having The Biggest ManBoobs Ever? *checks pants* :-( What about a consolation prize for having The Smallest Penis Ever? Has this woman ever been in a comic book store? Or a porn store? 20 bucks says this woman is more the type who spends 4 hours in the bathroom each morning, getting all prettied up even though she's not leaving the house and spends 400 bucks on a new handbag every season and wouldn't be caught dead in a store that didn't sell clothing. Expensive clothing. OH YEAH BITCH! I CAN PLAY WITH STEREOTYPES TOO. Seriously. Shut up. You're an idiot.

Elsewhere the political work of Last Gasp comics in San Francisco and the cult feminist series Wimmin’s Comix tried to show a side to the craft that was witty and thoughtful.

Okay, I'm just disagreeing here. I find most comics to be witty and a far number of them to be thoughtful. But I guess that's just me, easily amused and looking for deeper meanings in everything.

[T]he fundamental law of the comic-book universe states that the geeks are male, and the breasts are large.

Again, I'm a guy apparently. Or maybe he's saying that there's no female geeks in the comic books, in which case he contradicts himself on the second page. Under the Superpowers heading he has “online skills” (and gymnastics and fucking with people's emotions) instead of whatever super-cool superpowers male characters get. Gee, that sounds kinda geeky to me...

And the breasts are large? Yeah, no shit. Last I checked, they were drawing the idealized human body for the heros and minor characters and most of the villains. How come we get no mention of how all the male characters have huge packages and bulging muscles? Is he saying that's true to life? o.O

[T]he movie business is actually fuelling the comic-book industry’s continuing obsession with hooker chic.

Personally, I would say that it's general society's obsession with hooker chic. I'm fairly certain it's not just limited to the comic book industry and things that spin off from the comic book industry.

It goes on a bit more. But I've run out of steam to write about it and I have a feeling that I'm not doing my utter disgust, anger, and offendedness justice.


What I want to know is what the fuck is this guy's problem? I'm insulted as a woman, as a comic-book geek, and as a general geek.

Comments

[twocorpses [journalfen.net]]

Howdy! I clicked on your name over on one of the wank communities and read this entry because it piqued my interest.

I couldn't read the whole article. I suppose I should learn how to to better understand (or at least try to) where these people are coming from or to better formulate an argument against them but eh... I can't be bothered. SO kudos to you, first off, for reading the whole thing.

What stuck out at me though, aside from what you have already mentioned, was this: In fact, such is the sublime level of sexual sadism on display here (paedophilia and slut-killing are big in Sin City)... [emphasis mine]

The only paedophilia I remember in the movie was by The Yellow Bastard (or whatever his name was before he was yellow.. it's been a while since I've seen it) and it was quite clear that he was a BAD GUY! BAD GUYs do BAD THINGS. heh okay... I'm done now. LOL

I can understand SOME of the complaints because yes, it is sexist but I, like you, still enjoyed the movie.

[the_wanlorn [journalfen.net]]

Hi!

I think that what he was referring to was the relationship between Hartigan and Nancy. That is, the old!Man/young(impressionable?)!Girl aspect of it. Nevermind that she was legal (as far as I remember).

Of course, I might be completely off and he's just hyperbolizing The Yellow Bastard.

I suppose I have no room to comment on any of it, since I've never understood what the hangup is once a girl/boy is "legal". 60-year-old wants to have a relationship (of any sort) with an 18-year-old? Go for it! However this view isn't shared by most people, making me overly defensive when issues of age difference in relationships comes up. :-)

[twocorpses [journalfen.net]]

I never thought of that relationship... because age is just a number and I'm pretty sure that she was 19 or 20 by the time they met up.

And I'm all about not caring about age gaps. Sometimes it seems a little creepy (read: Anna Nicole Smith anyone?) but if they're happy what do I care? :D

[the_wanlorn [journalfen.net]]

Yeah, I'm fairly certain that they wouldn't've put it in the movie (or at least upped the age) if she was still underage in the comic book. I mean, age of consent laws are a super huge big deal in the US. Not sure about elsewhere, but US audiences would've had a major problem with it.

Oh yes. Some people are triggered by GLBT issues. Some people are triggered by race issues. I? I'm triggered by age issues. Can you say weird? :-P