Women Attend Comic-Con But Don’t Run the Show

[redqueen]

http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2012/07/18/women-attend-comic-con-but-dont-run-the-show/

This year, 40 percent of the attendees at the just completed annual Comic-Con were women. If only that percentage was reflected in the event’s programming.

Instead, the majority of programming consisted of panels where the ratio was (at best) one woman for every five men. Though it’s true there are more strong women’s roles than before in television, film, games, comics and graphic novels (as discussed here), there is no equivalent growth in the number of women writing, producing and directing that media–let alone equivalent numbers of men and women on the Comic-Con panels.

(snip)

While older women are indeed reigning on TV, it would have been nice if more women of all ages had reigned at Comic-Con. Sadly, the women at the Con, whether real-live “booth babes” or illustrated characters, were far more sexualized and less clothed than their male counterparts. Thank goodness for the likes of Joss Whedon, who complained during the Dark Horse panel about the fact that he has been coming to Comic-Con for 10 years and has yet to find a woman hero statue that doesn’t look like a porn star. When he described the story of his career as depicting women who are not helpless, I was reminded of the “Zombie Dice” game I encountered on the Comic-Con floor, which included the characters “action hero” and “girlfriend.” When I asked the man demonstrating the game why the “girlfriend” couldn’t be a “action heroine,” he said “Oh, it gets worse … he has two brains and she only has one … but it’s OK because they save each other.” Too bad that the creator of this game didn’t take a page from Whedon’s book and create a woman with brains who didn’t need saving.

Here’s hoping that next year’s Con includes more strong women who are not only acting but also producing, writing and directing. And, who knows, maybe 2013 will be the year in which Whedon finally finds a non-pornified statue of a woman hero.

[flamingdem]

1. Same thing for art/technical conventions

I've noticed the trend. It wasn't as bad a decade ago. I see men with their laptops open sharing technical info and rarely see women acting this way. I find it hard to develop my passion with other women. It's still seen as "nerdy". Creative is another thing but support is difficult to find there as well. There are exceptions, but it's usually with men that I can learn technology and find opportunity.

Women want to talk about men and social moments overall too much imo.

Also, it seems too much for many women to let go to a career 100%. I can see why, if you do that you might not have time for a relationship or children.

[Common Sense Party]

2. In related news: Water is Wet. Film at 11:00.

Geeks are mostly men, many of whom have sexual fantasies involving lusty women.

Color me unsurprised.

[seabeyond]

3. ya cause it isnt like women dont fantasize. why should anyone expect responsible and respectful

such a foreign concept in todays world.

[Common Sense Party]

4. Not sure I follow the non-sequitur.

[seabeyond]

5. because we all have fantasies, we do not need to be sexist, objectify. we can actually be a better

person than that without much effort at all and be responsible and respectful.

you act like, because "geek" males have fantasy, that is all they can be.

disagree. there should be more expected of us, than immaturity.

[Common Sense Party]

6. No, I do not act like that.

But people are free to behave how they want to behave.

Geeks are free to like the entertainment that they like.

And entertainment providers (comic books, movies, music, video games) are free to sell people what they want.

It's a beautiful thing, freedom.

I completely agree with you in that "we don't NEED to be sexist, objectify" and yes, I concur that people CAN and SHOULD strive to be "responsible and respectful". That's how I try to live my life and how I teach my children to live theirs.

But at the same time, I recognize that not everyone feels that way, not everyone has the same values, and in a case like this--when no laws are being broken and no one is being treated unfairly--it does me no good to get all exercised and upset that other people are simply behaving the way they want to behave, and liking what they want to like. What I think they SHOULD do doesn't mount to a hill of beans.


I just didn't follow your part about women having fantasies. Of course they do. I don't see what it has to do with this story, though.

[seabeyond]

9. yes, they have the freedom to be sexists. i have the freedom to speak out against the sexism.

people have the freedom to be racist and homophobic also.

i bet you would not be so willing for gays and blacks to sit back adn shut up because someone else has that freedom to be a racist. that you would applaud the person that speaks out against the racism.

[Common Sense Party]

10. Is THAT what this is about? You want my praise and accolades?

Very well. If it means that much to you:

[seabeyond]

11. can you be more silly? so, if on a discussion board a person disagrees with you,

and speaks up, this is the result?

where is your common sense?

[Common Sense Party]

12. Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.

[seabeyond]

13. hmmm. nt

[redqueen]

8. "This year, 40 percent of the attendees at the just completed annual Comic-Con were women."

Regardless of any assumptions about the sex of most geeks and what that makes them entitled to, but it's time to stop pretending that this kind of sexist crap is tolerable, for whatever excuse.

[eridani]

7. Check out Roberta Gregory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberta_Gregory

I particularly like Artistic Licentiousness

http://www.atomicavenue.com/atomic/titledetail.aspx?TitleID=18234

Noted alternative comix artist Roberta Gregory (Naughty Bits) was asked in 1989 whether she would create an adult comic. At the time, it seemed to her like a good way to cash in on the “smut glut” of erotic comics, and at the same time it gave her the chance to make a truly adult (i.e. intelligent) adult comic. Other work intruded, though, and it was not until 1991 when Artistic Licentiousness appeared.

The story centers on an overweight comic artist named Kevin who can only watch while his friend Mitch uses and discards beautiful women. Meanwhile, Kevin’s downstairs neighbor Denise, a bisexual woman writer is having her own troubles. After spending the night with the woman she had been after for months, she made the mistake of revealing that she had dated men in the past, leading the woman to conclude that she was “just fooling around until a man shows up.” When Kevin and Denise finally pair up, their mutual angst level is unbelievable —and all too real.