Why Postmodern Barney hates comic books

[rivkat]

Bookslut blog had this link and I --

Well. Apparently all comic book fans think alike (also, I appear to have misplaced my penis, which PMB assumes is a necessary attribute of comic fannishness), and that makes them racist, homophobic, and intolerant of change. But it's really not our fault, because we probably have Asperger's or some mild-spectrum autistic attributes. Which is "not to say I’m trying to pathologize super-hero fans and their behavior." Really, PMB? Because I'm sort of interested in what trying on your part would look like.

Comments

[danielleleigh.livejournal.com]

For the record, I read this guy on a regular basis, and I don't think he's making it up (He works in a comic book store and if he makes this shit up? He's got other people who work with him who also have blogs and could call him on this shit if they wanted to).

I've SEEN comic book fans say shit like this on-line - I've seen the racism ("Jessica Alba looks like a whore in that blond wig! Actually, all hispanic/latina women with dyed blonde hair look slutty! How can she be Sue Storm!" etc), I've seen the sexism, I've seen the homophobia (seriously, people have spent a great deal of time and energy trying to convince others that Batman is NOT GAY and to read him as such is somehow a crime against the intent of the industry or something.).

I'm not defending this argument (because I think it is a ridiculous one) but on-line I've seen more of the type of fan he is talking about than the one you are (although I agree that fan exists).

[popfantastic.livejournal.com]

I've SEEN comic book fans say shit like this on-line

Once again, I'm glad not to be so much involved the online comic fandom.

I have seen *plenty* of bad behavior from comic fans IRL, as we have discussed in the past, but it tends to be directed against mundanity (in the sense of not being in the fandom...and, okay, in the usual sense too) rather than at specific gender, ethnic, etc. groups. I in no way doubt its existence, but it seems to me that the good behavior at least in terms of outright homophobia, sexism, racism have vastly outweighed the bad, and I'm offended on behalf of my experience of Average Comic Guy.

Of course, I am lucky in that one of my local comic book stores is beside a college campus and staffed by folks I've come to know who would pretty much kick out anyone at the first use of the word fag. But we're not particularly urban or enlightened, so I don't know that this is so far from the norm.

[danielleleigh.livejournal.com]

I think they would turn out folks like that at my comic book store as well...somehow on-line has turned into a "safe" place to vent one's disgusting attitudes.

[popfantastic.livejournal.com]

He works in a comic book store and if he makes this shit up? He's got other people who work with him who also have blogs and could call him on this shit if they wanted to

(Was joking about The Authority, by the way. I should have said "who is reading" -- as in, the decline of the title has to do with many things beyond Apollo and Midnighter. Me no type more with bad headache.)

[danielleleigh.livejournal.com]

oh man! jeez...totally misread the sarcasm/humor in that...(obviously, I don't read that title or I (hope) I would have gotten that...

[harriet-spy.livejournal.com]

I've SEEN comic book fans say shit like this on-line - I've seen the racism ("Jessica Alba looks like a whore in that blond wig! Actually, all hispanic/latina women with dyed blonde hair look slutty! How can she be Sue Storm!"

That wasn't a fan. That was GODDAMNED MOTHERFUCKING JOHN BYRNE.