Dirk Deppey has
some food for thought regarding this whole Mary Jane Does Whiter Whites business. There's some stuff I disagree with (for example, the "make your own fucking comics" argument is a cousin of the "unless you're creative, you can't criticize me" auto-failure, albeit one that stands on slightly steadier feet; also, that statue is hideously tacky, and casting aspersions on the G-W outfit's motives is right out), but there's a good deal that I think has some merit or at least deserves some thought. Feminist comics fandom has developed into an unfortunately reactionary force, one that seems at times more satisfied with railing against individual deviations from the party line than effecting real change, and that's a real lost opportunity. In a sense, since fandom means you're paying attention to creative products from some other source, of course a lot of the activity is going to arise in reaction to something the comic companies have done, but that doesn't mean that such reactions have to comprise the bulk of that activity. Does it seriously matter if some blogger has idiotic opinions on superhero comics? In the grand scheme of things, what good will it do to change that one person's mind if that's all you do? There's a lot to do and not much time to do it in, and we can either waste our energy convincing anonymous assholes that their opinions are incorrect, or we can do something with more tangible results. And yes, I know that the two are not mutually exclusive in theory, but in practice how often do they coincide? I've been guilty of it too in the past, but after a while the futility of it gets to me and I have to do something more useful (or at least more fun).
Oh, and if you end up seeing this, Dirk, some of us DO make the fucking comics we want to see. Some of us are even hosted on Girl-Wonder, not that most people seem to notice. Some of also get e-punched in the face for doing it,
and we keep at it, because we are stubborn and hate everyone and these gay anarchist cowboys aren't going to write comics about themselves.
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heykidzcomix
Comments
Why? This is an organization that implicitly accuses its detractors and DC of misogyny. Shouldn't their motives be called into question as well?
Because they as a group didn't, but some of the more extreme Hal fans probably did, just as I'm positive there are just-as-extreme loser freak fans of Kyle Rayner, Stephanie, Ted, and so on. There are always extreme fans, and I could believe one or two certain HEAT members did send in a death threat, but these were probably the Guy Gardner fans anyway. Which is to say, inclined to be loudmouth aggressive idiots and trolls.
I haven't given a crap about HEAT or anything involved with GL comics for six years or so, when I finally realized that Hal and the Corps would be coming back no matter what, and there was no point sweating it by living on the DC message boards. But every so often, I'm still inclined to speak up and defend the group, an organization which actually did charity work for children's hospitals back in the day, in addition to bitching on message boards.
Ugh... in the end, hell, I guess even I'm turned off by close-knit fan groups with an agenda, be they Browncoats, G_W, and, yes, even HEAT. Still, just as you're tired of hearing things like that, I'm kinda sick of it too. Know what I mean? Most HEAT guys were good, sane people, and friends of mine, back in the day. And I'm just sick of that group getting a bad name because of a couple idiots and the poor editorial skills of fucking Wizard magazine.
I'm less favorably inclined toward HEAT as it seems a purely fannish group, and I don't know of any reason to belong to HEAT except if you were an angry Green Lantern fan. It's not quite the same thing as G-W, which one can certainly support without being a Stephanie Brown fan. (If I'm wrong about HEAT, go on and correct me.) Still, considering they did charity work, I guess that does help improve my opinion of them--rather like Child's Play, really.
It's just too much fun to say that a certain movie, comic, or TV show was "browncoated" for me!
I'd agree, but naming your organization after your chosen martyr and directing members to write letters asking for the snowglobe seems to be inviting that criticism. And trotting out "feminism is not the Borg" or "there is no Hive Vagina" is just as unfairly dismissive of that criticism. I'm sure there are G_W members who couldn't care less about Stephanie Brown and sincerely just want to have better female representation in comics. But how many?
In all seriousness, though, I noticed most of the management and mods responding in the affirmative. So who's to say it's not just a bunch of Steph-fans fleecing the majority of female comic book fans who genuinely want change? Manipulating them in the interest of fannish entitlement? Certainly that's a motive to cast some aspiration on.
Dirk Deppey,
The Comics Journal
Dirk Deppey,
Yadda yadda yadda
Still, I really like that turn of phrase, so I've been using it a bit more lately. :D
Also, be sure not to kill him off now that this is revealed, you will have a Wild West Freedom Ring on your hands.
Honestly, don't mind me, I am a bit obsessed with spoilers, or not exposing myself to them. Anytime there are commercials for Lost on, I jump for the mute button or put my hands over my ears and shout out "na na na na na" and so on.
I'm more bewildered that comic makers generally don't take women into consideration--a whole lot of women still want to buy comics, and they have money. (!) When you market something, and arguably become a cultural icon, you really ought to respond to the culture instead of staying years behind because "sex sells" and girls shouldn't feel so "entitled" to equal treatment. A lot of the outrage over this tasteful statue is from new fans, or even people who weren't (and probably never will be) comic book fans. Some of the protesters are even guys. Gasp.
I like comics, and I am good at ignoring the ones that suck. I love your comic and I'd be happy to read that over Spider Man forever and ever. But I can't say I disagree with people's anger, or demands for change. Even if they don't go about it effectively.
Gail
When I've seen people going, "All g-w does is bitch and bitch," I've tried to politely flail and point out Goodbye Chains and Planet Karen, but I don't know if anyone actually bothers to go check them out or whether they're just strawmanning for the sake of strawmanning. But, for the record.