On Shipping, Fanboys, and Feminism (Again)

patheticfangirl:

I wrote a post about shipping, and it blew up in a way I never anticipated. Apparently my anger resonated with a lot of people, which is simultaneously amazing and sad. People who are completely outside the Avengers fandom have told me how closely my experience matches their own in fandoms ranging from Sherlock to the Legend of Zelda to Star Trek.

It’s funny. If I had known this would turn as big as it has, I might have written something a little more eloquent and with fewer pictures of Iron Man and Captain America being gay whoops sorry folks heterosexual life partners.

I don’t have time to respond to everyone, but a few people made great points about that post that I want to address.

1. Fans that don’t fit into a gender/sexual orientation binary

The post contained very, very simplified definitions of “fanboy” and “fangirl,” and people from innumerable backgrounds felt left out. “What about fanboys who ship?” “What about fangirls who don’t ship anything?” Those are important questions and they deserve an answer.

I didn’t expand on this before, so I will now: Everyone has a place in fandom. Everyone. For the sake of that piece I targeted a very specific subset of fans and in no way want to generalize about the others. I could never even claim to speak for all heterosexual women who ship; that would be arrogance. Each person defines their own fanhood. The important thing is that fans respect each other and accept that different people find different ways of enjoying their fandoms.

2. Why this actually is a women’s rights/LGBT issue

Some people took offense.

(thatonedevochka)

I understand the frustration that comes from fetishizing homosexuality. I do. But I want to be clear: I never once considered myself some sort of GLBT rights crusader. I ship because I see interesting relationships to be explored, and because it’s fun. That being said, the angry tone of my post didn’t originate with me. It came as a response to very real anger from certain fanboys directed at people like me. And a lot of that anger comes from places that are, most certainly, a rights issue (“You can’t make [X character] gay because being gay is wrong!”)

I also take offense to the notion that “some of these characters are important to people” is a valid excuse for their anger. It implies that these characters aren’t important to people like me. You have no idea how important they are to me and how often a Captain America comic has gotten me through a rough day.

And it’s not just me:

(gweena)

Honestly, I can’t articulate any better than this why women’s rights do come into play here. Shipping is a great outlet for women:

(carororo)

It’s also a great outlet for anyone who enjoys exploring sexualities:

(mini-mosca)

I’m honestly thrilled to have provoked so much discussion. People are saying important things, and I’m sorry I can’t quote all of them. So I’ll quote Captain America quoting Mark Twain:

Fangirls, fanboys, shippers, nonshippers: keep speaking. Let your voice be heard.

Source: patheticfangirl

On Shipping and Fanboys

patheticfangirl:

This is my letter to angry fanboys.

First, let it be known that I love most fanboys. When I go to a con, most of the guys there are respectful. They share a passion with me, and that’s awesome. We’re all on a rock floating through space with little connection to most of the people who surround us, so anything that allows us to bond is fantastic.

What I don’t love are angry fanboys (I wish there were a different word for them). I don’t love being scoffed at when I jump excitedly at finding a comic. I don’t love being told that, if I didn’t like something, it’s because it wasn’t “meant for chicks.” I don’t love the notion that I’m not a real fan because I have two X chromosomes and like to look at the Avengers cast. And I sure as hell don’t love my online interests (particularly shipping) being looked down on by the people who do this:

(Comment on a negative Rotten Tomatoes review of The Avengers.)

(Message in my inbox. Way to be an anonymous coward.)

(Comment on the the SHH boards.)

That last one’s fairly tame. It followed a (now deleted) comment that went something to the effect of this: “Tumblr is sick. I can’t even browse the Avengers tag because of all the fangirls posting porn.”

Well, you know what? I’m not sorry.

I’m not sorry my enjoyment of fandom is different from yours.

Maybe my time would be better spent bitching at reviewers and complaining that Black Widow made it to film before Ant-Man. But that’s not what I choose to do. I choose to draw. I choose to write fanfic. I choose to share podcasts and make comic book recommendations. I choose to be positive (when I’m not pissed of at people like you anyway).

I’m not sorry you sometimes stumble upon sexualized male characters.

You know why? Because of this:

(Zatanna’s new “costume”)

And this:

(Starfire)

And this:

(Heroes for Hire #13)

And, finally, this:

(Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, and TITS AND ASS!)

You get to ogle comic book characters constantly. You get to ogle movie characters constantly. And you know what? While I have a problem with the double standard in comics, that is your right. Women are sexy.

But if I want to put Iron Man and Captain America on the cover of The Notebook or pose them like Cyclops and Jean Grey, I’m going to do it. And I think I have the right to without being thought of as some sort of freak.

(Shameless self-promotion.)

How is the way I enjoy my hobby less healthy than the way you enjoy yours? How am I the one who’s inappropriate? I think it’s because I sexualize male characters instead of female ones.

I’m not sorry that makes you uncomfortable.

(“Leave the Avengers aloooonnneeeee!”)

(Wasp would never say this.)

I’m not sorry you’re a homophobe.

Actually, I kind of am. Exploring alternate sexual orientations isn’t “defamation of character.” It’s 2012, for crying out loud. I’m not a lesbian (or curious for that matter) but I can appreciate the Spider-Woman/Ms.Marvel pairing and the occasional Pepper/Natasha fic. The world of internet fandom has a lot to offer you if you let it.

I’m not sorry for shipping.

Shipping is glorious. I ship because it’s nice to think that these epic heroes have equally epic romances. Some of the fanfic out there is better written than a lot of comic books. Some of the fanart is better than real comic book art (looking at you, Rob Liefeld). Some of the things I ship are canon (Spider-Man/MJ). Others aren’t.

(Not canon.)

There’s a misconception that fangirls are only interested in male/male pairings. Some of them are, and who cares? That’s their right. But the assumption just isn’t true. There’s a reason Natasha/Clint is popular among movie fans. There’s a reason Tony/Pepper is popular. Those characters have boatloads of chemistry.

Then again, so do Loki/Thor, Tony/Bruce, and Tony/Steve. Don’t want ladies to overwhelmingly ship male characters together? Make a movie with more than one female lead. We can’t help it that The Avengers is a sausage party.

We are going to ship. We are going to ship loudly and proudly and there’s nothing you can do about it. I suggest you stop complaining and jump on the bandwagon. You might be surprised at how much you enjoy fangirls when you get to know us. We have a sense of humor. We have a sense of fun. We just happen to also have a strong sense of romance and a thing for attractive men.

So sue us.

—

[Follow up post due to overwhelming response]

(via justjasper)

Source: patheticfangirl

Q:24.Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a broken heart, or never loved at all? Why?

keepcalmandcarryonn

…gah I don’t know. Probably never. I don’t do heartbreak.

woo deep questions.

  • 1. What is more difficult for you, looking into someones eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someones eyes when they are telling you how they feel?
  • 2. Think of the last time you were REALLY angry. WHY were you angry? Do you still feel the same way?
  • 3. You are on a flight from Honolulu to Chicago non-stop. There is a fire in the back of the plane. You have enough time to make ONE phone call. Who do you call? What do you tell them?
  • 4. You are at the doctor’s office and he has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? What do you do with your remaining days? Would you be afraid?
  • 5. You can have one of the following two things. Which do you choose? Why? Love and Trust.
  • 6. You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late even once more, you are fired. Do you take the time to save the dogs life? Why or Why not?
  • 7. Would you rather be hurt by the one you trust the most or the one you love the most?
  • 8. Your best friend confesses that he/she has feelings for you more than just friendship. He/she is falling in love with you. What do you (or did you) do/say?
  • 9. Think of the last person who you know that died. You have the chance to give them 1 hour of life back, but you have to give up one year of yours. Do you do it? Why or Why not?
  • 10. Are you the kind of friend that you would want to have as a friend?
  • 11. Does love = sex?
  • 12.Your boss tells your coworker that they have to let them go because of work shortage, and they are the newest employee. You have been there much longer. Your coworker has a family to support and no other means of income. Do you go to your boss and offer to leave the company? Why or Why not?
  • 13.When was the last time you told someone HONESTLY how you felt regardless of how difficult it was for you to say? Who was it? What did you have to tell the person?
  • 14. What would be (or what was) harder for you to tell a member of the opposite sex, you love them or that you do not love them back?
  • 15. What do you think would be the hardest thing for you to give up? Why would it be hard to lose?
  • 16. Excluding romantic love, when was the last time you told someone you loved them. Who were they to you?
  • 17. If there was one moment and one time in the last month what would you change and why?
  • 18.Imagine it is a dark night, you are alone, it is raining outside, you hear someone walking around outside your window. WHO do you wish was there with you?
  • 19. Would you give a homeless person CPR if they were dying? Why or Why not?
  • 21.You are holding onto your grandmother’s hand and the hand of a newborn that you do not know as they hang over the edge of a cliff. You have to let one go to save the other. Who do you let fall to their death? What was your rationale for making the decision?
  • 22. Are you old fashioned?
  • 23. When was the last time you were nice to someone and did NOT expect anything in return for it?
  • 24.Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a broken heart, or never loved at all? Why?
  • 25.If you could do anything or wish anything, what would it be?

Source: kylegeraghty

Though no one would ever think of using the term honor violence (we reserve that descriptor for brown people who live somewhere else, motivated by religious something-or-other or tribal something-or-other), one-third of women murdered every year in the United States are killed by their intimate partners. In 2005 that amounted to 1,181 women, or three women every day. To put that in perspective, the UN estimates there are 5,000 honor killings every year in the entire world. 5,000 in a world of 6 billion versus nearly 1,200 in a single country of 300 million. In other words, a woman in America runs a greater risk of being killed by her husband or boyfriend than a woman in Pakistan.

A woman in America runs a greater risk of being killed by her husband or boyfriend than a woman in Pakistan.

How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Feminists. (via popmuslim)

A woman in America runs a greater risk of being killed by her husband or boyfriend than a woman in Pakistan.

A woman in America runs a greater risk of being killed by her husband or boyfriend than a woman in Pakistan.

A woman in America runs a greater risk of being killed by her husband or boyfriend than a woman in Pakistan.

(via silverqueen)

Let me reiterate that for you all …

A woman in America runs a greater risk of being killed by her husband or boyfriend than a woman in Pakistan.

A woman in America runs a greater risk of being killed by her husband or boyfriend than a woman in Pakistan.

A woman in America runs a greater risk of being killed by her husband or boyfriend than a woman in Pakistan.

(via dank-potion)

I think you’ve missed a crutial point though, let me point it out:

A woman in America runs a greater risk of being killed by her husband or boyfriend than a woman in Pakistan.

A woman in America runs a greater risk of being killed by her husband or boyfriend than a woman in Pakistan.

A woman in America runs a greater risk of being killed by her husband or boyfriend than a woman in Pakistan.

(via themindislimitless)

I think that being repeated so many times is fantastic for Western fauxminists and “egalitarians” that think all issues here are “fixed” (or “reversed” so that men are oppressed) so now  we just need to go save the brown women in other countries.

(via stfufauxminists)

(via stfufauxminists)

Source: popmuslim

SO LIKE 88% OF THE GIFS I HAVE COLLECTED AND USED ARE FROM COMMUNITY AND I NEVER KNEW

lsj;htg;HR WHAT THE FUCK WHAT IS LAIIIIFE

Just finished watching S02E19 of Community.

Spent it more or less constantly yelling “BOOOOOOONE” at Jeff and Abed. 

MY BABY
View Separately

MY BABY

Source: pasiapuska

randomhumanrambling:

endymion-:

There is a blog called “Dylan Moran sexual frustration”.

I am not alone out there.

There are others like me….

you mean everyone?

Source: endymion-

I just want to cuddle Abed FOREVER CAN I JUST PLZ

Q:what are all of your ships? BE THOROUGH :)

Anonymous

Oh dear. Well. I don’t really ship anyone like in a die-hard, otp fashion, but I do have a few ships that I like in particular- some that no one else apparently gives a fuck about. In no particular order, I ship the following (note: I may not actually be DOING anything about these ships. I read fanfic of the slash ones [and occasionally write it] but I don’t even read the rest, I just ship them in general because I think it would work. Also I’m just going to list the ones I REALLY think would work bc I’m ambivalent about a lot):

  • Harry/Draco
  • Ginny/Luna 
  • Harry/George (exclusively post DH. There needs to be more fic for this)
  • Remus/Severus
  • Albus/Gellert
  • Jack/Ianto
  • All canon for DW I guess
  • Sherlock/John. So, canon, basically.
  • Jeff/Abed (I just started watching Community this week and will be done with the second season like tomorrow, but WHOA these two need to get it ON because sflhs;dkfh).
  • Natasha/Clint (from the ONE Marvel movie I’ve seen :/)

I think that’s all the major ones I can think of. I’m really very picky about fandoms/fanfiction. I hope that’s thorough enough, Anon!

PS so Community.

Why aren’t Jeff and Abed making babies yet now?

Because they should. All the time. Preferably with Jeff handcuffed to a bed.

My best friend just went out to have a sexy clandestine meeting with her new boyfriend/not-boyfriend.

In the meantime, I’ve been having a conversation about Community with my ex-boyfriend’s new/current girlfriend. So.

Q:welcome to my Jeremy Renner obsession. Come back home and i'll show you the spot on my bed where i cry because he is so perfect. <3

keepcalmandcarryonn

YES. OH GOD. ARMS. NARROW EYES. INCOHERENT FEELS.

The Indian Middle Class and Westernization

Cultural standards we COULD import from the West:

  • Professionalism
  • Emphasis on creativity and innovation
  • Inherent moral worth of each individual

The shit we actually DO pick up from the West:

  • Destructive beauty standards
  • Homophobia
  • Homophobia
  • New ways to be sexist because obviously we weren’t sexist enough
  • Ruthless capitalism
  • Homophobia