"We're putting a team together."
It seems like nerd/geek girls have been a hot topic lately between websites posting opinions on how celebrity women “pander” to men by faking their nerdiness and discussing how women dressing in scantily clad costumes are anti-feminist. Well, I’ve put together a dynamite group of talented ladies and gentleman to discuss all of this and more. Don’t miss it!
What would YOU like me to ask these panelists?
When: Thursday, 7/21. 10:45-11:45 a.m.
Where: San Diego Comic-Con, Convention Center Room 6A.
What: Convention panel.
Why: That’s a long answer, story for another day.
Exactly What: Does displaying the sexiness of fangirls benefit or demean them? When geek girls show off, are they liberating themselves or pandering to men? Do some “fake fangirls” blend sex appeal with nerdiness just to appeal to the growing geek/nerd market, or is that question itself unfair? How about sexy fanboys? And what’s up with all the Slave Leias? The Action Flick Chick asks these great panelists whether fans can be sexy and geeky at the same time – and if they should!
Who:
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War Chief: Katrina Hill (@ActionChick) Alias: Kat Hill, Action Flick Chick. Previous Panel: Where Are the Action Chicks? Achievement Unlocked: Next Woman of the Web Sightings: Wired, io9, BusyGamer, PoP! |
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Adrianne Curry (@AdrianneCurry) Previous Panel: Where Are the Action Chicks? Achievement Unlocked: America’s Next Top Model Achievements Judged: Judge on The Tester Relevant Controversy: FilmDrunk’s “Pandering” Video |
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Bonnie Burton (@BonnieGrrl) Base of Operations: Grrl.com Books: The Star Wars Craft Book; Girls Against Girls Previous Panel: Geek Girls Exist Relevant Debate: “Fangirl Furor…” Interview: “Cosplay or Can’t Play” |
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Clare Grant (@ClareGrant) Affiliation: Team Unicorn Achievement Unlocked: Best Online Video Award Relevant Controversy: “Fangirl Furor…” Interview: “G33k & G4m3r Girls 1 Million Views” |
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Kiala Kazebee (@Kiala) Base of Operations: Nerdist.com Previous Panel: Geek Girls Exist Relevant Debate: “Fangirl Furor…” |
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Clare Kramer (@ClareKramer) Alias: Glory Glorificus Base of Operations: Clare Kramer Online Previous Panel: Where Are the Action Chicks? Achievement Unlocked: Killed Buffy. |
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Jill Pantozzi (@TheNerdyBird) Base of Operations: TheNerdyBird.com Previous Panels: Action Chicks?; Geek Girls Exist Relevant Controversy: Boobgate |
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Jennifer K. Stuller (@InkAmazon) Book: Ink-Stained Amazons & Cinematic Warriors Previous Panel: Where Are the Action Chicks? Relevant Post: “Anthem? Or Geek Girls Gone Wild?” |
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Chris Gore (@ThatChrisGore) Base of Operations: G4TV’s Attack of the Show! Book: Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide Photos He Says Got Him on the Panel: “Does This Make Me Look Gay?” |
FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE (must be logged in):
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=177954175594492
And that night, my friends are having a party, the 2nd Annual SDCC Geek-Out.
Geek Girls Network has info and need sponsors.
A few of the many related posts:
* So You Want to Throw a Comic-Con Party?
* Comic-Con Panel: Best Superheroine Movie? No, the ONLY Theatrical Superheroine Movie
* Our Comic-Con Panel: Where Are the Action Chicks?
* Our Comic-Con Panel Video: Where Are the Action Chicks?
* You’re No Geek!
* Interview: Why Seth Green Loves Geek and Gamer Girls
* SFX Magazine Interview by Bonnie Burton – Cosplay or Can’t Play
* How Do Fan Convention Experiences Differ for Women & Men?
* Girls’ Guide to Comic-Con with Ninja Tricks
Related posts:
short url = http://is.gd/OHYOU http://is.gd/SEXYGEEK http://bit.ly/SEXYGEEK
Gore’s on a panel that he’s not moderating? This should be interesting. I hope my schedule allows me to attend.
Here’s a question, if I’m not there, and make it from well, me….
Will you go out with me? 😉
Better yet, don’t ask this question, because Gore might answer first….
I wonder if I’ve got a competing panel….
Glory killed Buffy? Well, Glory and Buffy fought and as in indirect result, they were both killed by the direct and indirect actions of each others’ supporters (Giles murdering Ben and Doc bleeding Dawn to open the gate which Buffy closed by committing suicide, through some as of yet not adequately explained mechanism).
This is one of those “he killed a bear with his own bare hands, but historians note that in all probability, the bear actually killed him.”
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why only one guy? would have thought you could make it a more even and wide spead panel, just curious
Since you forgot to invite me on to the panel 😉 I shall have to pepper you with questions.
I think one question is, who and what is guiding the definition of “sexy” as it relates to geek girls? Because many media presentations seem focused on it as relating to a specific body type.
I also think it’s fair to ask Chris what he feels his show’s role has been in promoting that body standard: though the women who contribute on AOTS’ various beats (Morgan Webb, Blair Butler et al) are unquestionably knowledgeable, they’re all of a certain body type. Also, what message is AOTS sending female geeks when it seemingly focused a lot of attention on Olivia Munn putting things in her mouth? (reference link: http://tinyurl.com/2a5yh5u)
If this were Facebook I would “Like” A Boy Named Art’s comment.
By the way, props to Racialicious – I hope some of y’all will be in the audience asking the tough questions!
Thanks very much, Jennifer; I hope I can make it for this one, since I’d like to support Jill and Kat. Can’t say I’m not leery, though, that asking a question based on critical analysis won’t get dismissed as “OMG HATERZZZZ” by some portion of the audience. But we’ll see how things play out.
“Can’t say I’m not leery, though, that asking a question based on critical analysis won’t get dismissed as “OMG HATERZZZZ” by some portion of the audience.”
Oh, it undoubtedly will! But that doesn’t negate the importance of critical questions – or mean we should only bring them up in “safe” spaces.
And regardless of how the audience responds, I really respect Kat for cultivating conversation by representing diverse opinions.
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Cool!! You guys are such badasses 😀 Will there be a vidjo or something of your comicon exploits?
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First question: Why are basement dwelling mama’s boys afraid of sexy geek women? Addendum: Why are ‘less attractive’ geek women more inclusive of good looking guys than butt ugly guys are of good looking women?
Second Question: What will it take for people to see the value of funny, witty, and/or smart over someone else’s idea of beauty?
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With the idea that geeks are *mostly* ahead of the curve in terms of being open to new things, and the fact that so many geeks have experienced being on the outside looking in, why is this so hard? Most of us have lived through being invisible at the very least, and being tortured for non-conformity at the worst. (And I do mean daily physical and verbal abuse at the hands of our peers, sometimes with the tacit approval of adults.) Why can’t we be the people we wish we’d had in our lives? The acceptance that there’s no one way to geek, and geeks come in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders and orientations would go a long way towards breaking the social paradigms we suffered under. So why isn’t that happening?
Another ultimate Geek girl Brittney Powell. Total brainiac and genre freak.
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hmmm…methinks this could devolve into bashing certain “fake” nerd/geek girls. especially if people insist that to be a nerd/geek you have to be a gamer.
regardless, i think the issue of whether it’s exploitative of the women is a question best answered by the individual woman. if the woman doesn’t feel like she’s being exploited, who are we to insist that she is? though, i also believe there is a fine line in every situation. for example, if a show (or fans) starts to require a certain “fangirl” to dress in sexy costumes, then it starts to become exploitative.
as with most things, there are no clear cut easy answers & i doubt this panel will reach any conclusions, but it is certainly worth talking about and perhaps some good will come out of it. but i doubt it.
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I would like you to ask the panelists:
1) What does the fact that corporate-controlled and created sites like io9 and TheMarySue.com are commercializing the entire “geek” phenomenon and appropriating it into mainstream culture (just like Comic Con itself) have to do with the “sexy” geek girl trend? Or does it have nothing to do with it? For example, 20 years ago, if you were gothic, you made your own clotes out of thrift stores and your sewing machine. Now you can go straight to Hot Topic and pick up commercialized clothes that exploit the gothic look to sell a product. The same with Punk Rock. It’s no longer subversive. It isn’t unusual to see ordinary people walking around in Hot Topic goth and punk -inspired looks. Perhaps now we’re seeing more non-geeks appropriating geek-looks and behaviors, and it’s pissing us off?
2) Don’t good-looking people always get more attention that unattractive people, in our society, and can you blame women for trying to find a niche in which they appeal to people?
3) What is the definition of “geek” anyway? Now that geek culture has gone mainstream, what are the things that are still subversive, and looked down upon?
Let me identify myself first as a woman, because my name is masculine and it matters how you perceive what I write.
My Questions:
Sexuality can be act of power for women in RL. Is it possible that “geek” power is perceived as male and usually the anti-thesis of sex, so it’s threatening for women to have it as well?
Are women seen as a second class in fandom in general?
As mainstream adoption occurs and new people join the community who have never experienced being truly “outcast” or nerds in the true sense, will original members of the community experience some kind of exclusion or loss?
My thoughts:
Traditionally if a someone was a geek, it was because they were unattractive in some way and rejected by the mainstream so they lost themselves in other things. The stereotype for nerd is unattractive. While for men this doesn’t matter as much in establishing camaraderie with others, for women especially, looks are always a big part of that equation. So I think it’s only natural that people try to present themselves as best they can.
In this I define Geek as unusually consumed with technology, or studies that are obscure and not of interest to the general population to include anything ( ex: word junkies and people who are obsessed with puzzles or a particular online game…also nerds) but known especially for science fiction/fantasy and the supernatural.
As the integration of technology into our lives has occurred and interest in sci-fi/fantasy and the supernatural have grown I think there has been a confusion of terms. “Geek culture” has not gone mainstream. Topics that people who were considered geeks were interested in have now caught the attention of the mainstream. Congratulations, you are part of the in crowd. If you are like me that is the last thing you want to be.
On the other hand, look at all the money that is pouring into causes, productions and topics that we care about. Yay! Still that means people are now getting to know each other in fandom on the basis of interests, not ALWAYS because someone was rejected or an outcast. Women feel free to explore their interests and be attractive at the same time. Not sure if everyone has caught up with that idea yet though. Like maybe some Old School Geeks. It’s OK for a woman to be an object of lust aka Slave Leia but it’s a lot more intimidating if a woman is both Slave Leia and knows Canon and has a bigger collection of memorabilia and swag than you. Wilt. And if you are one of the original geek girls who has always just been one of the guys? Nothing could be more threatening than someone with the same chops but more sex appeal.
So my theory is it’s primarily a problem of mainstream adoption of the interests and passions of a previously excluded class, generating fear that it will lead again to some sort of exclusion. Naturally the gender issues exacerbate the issue, because women were already second class citizens in this group, what will happen if new and improved versions come along?
is olivia munn the “poster girl” for this fake “fangirl” phenomenon?
Another panel question… (I’ll be there, in a sexy costume of course)
What do you think is the reason for the separation within the fangirl/geek girl community itself? Why does the most hatred towards geek girls, especially those who enjoy cosplay and sexy costumes, seem to come from other women? Is it primarily jealousy due to the “ugly duckling” phenomenom or is it truly the thought that being a sexy, attractive woman somehow discredits you from being a true fan/geek girl?
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I know that the panel is over, but I wanted the thoughts of someone more well-versed in the DCU than I am to comment. So, I’m posting this here in hopes of a response.
I was just over at themarysue.com, and the clips from the failed Woman Women pilot were up. In the comments, one blogger asked: Why are DC female action heroes so horribly handled in live-action adaptations?
I think this this is a valid question.
Someone (on another blog discussing whether or not DC would do a film series like Marvel) mentioned that DC heroes are less adaptable into live action entertainment than those of Marvel, because of their costumes and unrealistic origins. I don’t agree with that. The success of the Batman, Superman, and even Green Lantern (it was not the origins of the characters that people disliked) film franchises weaken that argument; and, outside of the DCU, Hellboy and X-men. I wonder if it because the lead character is a female?
Is this inability to adapt female superheroes a DC issue? or, If Marvel made a film with a female superhero as the lead (I’ve read rumors of She Hulk), would the adaptation be just as bad?
Pfeiffer’s Cat Woman and the female X-men were handled well, but they were supporting cast (for lack of a better term).
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