Gender and Sexuality

  • Links Roundup for 5 December 2011

    By Claudia Rebaza on Monday, 5 December 2011 - 5:59pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gender and Sexuality, Books, Movies

    Here's a roundup of stories on Twilight fandom that might be of interest to fans:

    • The recent release of Twilight's latest film produced a flurry of news articles, many of them focusing on fans. The FabLife posted for a week on fans including a feature on Lori Joffs and the Twilight Lexicon. Asked "Have you ever felt this way about any other book/movie/person/thing?" she replied "Of course! I am a fan through and through. When I say I am a fan of something big, I mean it! I’ve been a fan of Disney since I can remember. I saw Beauty and the Beast in the movie theater seven times when I was in high school. I’m a fan of sci-fi and have played around in both the Star Wars and the Star Trek fandoms. And of course, there is Harry Potter! Laura (the co-owner of the Lexicon) and I met each other on line through Potter, and we visited so many Potter fansites that we learned from them how we wanted to run our own site."
    • The Midland Daily News declared that 'Twilight' fandom spans generation, interviewing various mother-daughter fans. "Aimee Seamster, a young wife and mother to two daughters, said, "I heard about it when it came out but I refused to get in on all the hype of the whole thing. I was flipping through HBO and decided to watch "Twilight." Half-way through, I fell in love with it." Later her daughter Sheridan watched New Moon at a friend's house. Aimee said, "After I watched it I realized we both liked it and we had something special just between her and me. It was something we could share.""
    • Many other press clippings deal with the importance of women's issues, sometimes, as in NY Magazine, simply by noting that it's a major film with multiple female roles. The Hairpin's feature compared the story to an "eighteenth-century seduction novel", while Alyssa Rosenberg responds by noting how the horror of pregnancy and childbirth are addressed in a way few texts dare. Time Magazine agrees and suggests "Maybe part of the reason critics deplore these movies is not only because they are so unfamiliar with kooky heterosexual female fantasies but also because they don’t really like what these fantasies say about men."

    If you are part of Twilight fandom, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

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  • Links Roundup for 30 November 2011

    By Claudia Rebaza on Wednesday, 30 November 2011 - 4:25pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gender and Sexuality, Intellectual Property, Gaming, Takedowns, YouTube, Remix

    Here's a roundup of stories on corporate decision making affecting gamers that might be of interest to fans:

    • Scottish journalist Rachael Carmen Simpson reported on a video game freebie for the game Assassin’s Creed that was offered only to those using a male avatar. "Essentially this is the online equivalent of [her sister] Eleanor visiting a real life game shop offering free cloaks with a purchase and being told she can’t have one as she is the wrong gender."
    • Microsoft has made changes to its X-Box consoles that prevents people from playing pirated games. Microsoft "made the silent update without user consent and without many being aware that it actually took place at all" and there are concerns that Microsoft will follow this with mass bans. "The last time Microsoft had carried out mass ban [sic] was in 2009, when the company had banned Xbox Live accounts playing pirated versions of Halo Reach. The company also does not approve of consoles that have been modded by users."
    • A non-profit organization ""dedicated to the appreciation and promotion of video game music as an art form,"" had its YouTube account suspended. While asking their users to protest the decision, the community's manager stated "We're all volunteers, and all of the work we've done since 1999 on OverClocked ReMix is to help promote the art of video game music, as well as the great musicians who create the OC ReMixes, which have always been distributed for free and with the artists' permission.""

    If you are part of a gaming fandom or have experienced a YouTube takedown of your fannish work, why not share your experiences on Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

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  • Links Roundup for 23 November 2011

    By Claudia Rebaza on Wednesday, 23 November 2011 - 6:48pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gender and Sexuality, Comics, Fan Conventions

    Here's a roundup of stories providing a closer look at comics fans that might be of interest to fans:

    • Newsarama has begun a series of articles on comics fandom that focuses on what fans are expressing now that their voices can be so publicly visible. They began by looking at fans' sense of "ownership" over characters and storylines, the conclusion of which was that "what the fans do matters more than what they say", specifically, when what they do affects the finances of the producers. This point of view was repeated in Part II which went so far as to speak to psychologists about why fans "don't know what they actually want."
    • A more sociological look at comics fans is discussed by the University of Cambridge's Casey Brienza who asks "Why are superhero comics so masculine? After all, other comic book-loving countries such as Japan and France do not manifest the same trends, and the self-same superhero characters, when presented in another medium such as Hollywood film, have truly mass appeal." She concludes that the cause was "1) the institution of the Comics Code in the 1950s and 2) the rise of the direct market in the 1980s."
    • Online magazine Slate offered some numbers on the sex breakdown of Comic Con attendees by looking at a speed dating event held there, and note "New York Comic Con (NYCC) and other fan specific spaces also do a tremendous job of inverting many carefully crafted social norms." For one, "normally, gay men are the largest queer demographic at Speed Dating events, but at Comic Con, "girl-on-girl" action is taking precedence."

    If you are part of a comics or manga fandom, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

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  • Links Roundup for 18 November 2011

    By Claudia Rebaza on Friday, 18 November 2011 - 4:35pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gender and Sexuality, Cosplay, Fan Conventions, Books, Music, Television, Fannish Histories, Fannish Practices, News Media

    Here's a roundup of stories about fans in the media that might be of interest to fans:

    • Australia is launching a comedy television series about fans which "has been compared to The Big Bang Theory", only Outland features a group of gay sci-fi fans. "Outland's producer Laura Waters said: "[Production company] Princess Pictures is proud that closeted science fiction fans will finally have a voice and that a full family of gay Australian characters can go where they never ventured before - prime-time television." (A trailer for the show is available at the link.)
    • An increasing amount of media attention is being paid to fan conventions as journalists take part in them. The result of more "insider" type coverage is reflected in this lengthy television segment on Steampunk fandom that provides not just a look at fan cons, but goes farther to investigate the fandom's origins, and explain its creations and its influence on popular culture.
    • Some of the increasing news coverage of fans can be attributed to their visibility in the social media that journalists happen to pay attention to, making them more familiar with both fans and fannish practices. The multigenerational fans that were shown in the Steampunk con segment, for example, belie the "loner" label so often used in the past in stories on fans. As this essay by a second-generation U2 fan points out, fandom can be a way of life for many. "I must say that U2 are the most important band in my life. They’ve been the soundtrack of the past several years, and they’ve been there for me through all the toughest times, as well being right along for the good times. "

    If you attend fan cons or are part of the Steampunk or Harry Potter fandoms, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

    Read more

  • Links Roundup for 16 November 2011

    By Claudia Rebaza on Wednesday, 16 November 2011 - 5:40pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gender and Sexuality, Studies, Books, Sports, Fannish Practices, Technology

    Here's a roundup of stories on the performative aspects of fandom that might be of interest to fans:

    • Several researchers at Lousiana State University have been studying sports fans. "Osborne's research on "Performative Sport Fandom" looks at how fandom is socially constructed. Her major area of interest is how the performances of fandom, particularly for hyper-masculine sports like football, work in conjunction with other performances such as gender. Put simply, how is performing as a fan different for women than it is for men?" Another professor studying sports fans' use of social media found "that the more active you are in the these social areas, the more passion you have for the sport and the team. People that were high users had a lot of frustration and anger - they are more aggressive."
    • One look at a very clear performative aspect of sports fandom is on ESPN’s College GameDay, which relies heavily on fans to provide both audience and backdrop for the broadcast. "At the heart of the show are the students. When I asked coordinating producer Fitting what was the best part about doing GameDay he replied that it was going to a campus for the first time. “To see the excitement and the thrill these kids have to see the guys and be a part of the show, it’s awesome."
    • Another clear aspect of fans' "performance" is a non-traditional sport taking place on college campuses. A University of Kansas article mentioned the International Quidditch Association's documentary about last year’s World Cup titled “Brooms Up” on YouTube and also the activities of the local team. "The Kansas quidditch team members ...travelled to Overland Park on Saturday afternoon to teach local kids how to play quidditch or, as they call it, “kidditch.”"

    If you're part of a sports fandom or on a quidditch team, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

    Read more

  • Links Roundup for 4 November 2011

    By Claudia Rebaza on Friday, 4 November 2011 - 4:50pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gender and Sexuality, Anime and Manga, Cosplay, Fan Conventions, Fandoms, News Media

    Here's a roundup of stories on images of fans that might be of interest to fans:

    • Fans have become accustomed over time to inaccurate or sometimes simply unpleasant portrayals in the media. For example, when a recent Saturday Night Live skit focused on manga fans, many of them were upset at the humor even though they felt it was a fairly accurate portrayal of the community. The reason? "For some fans, being cast into the limelight means many now feel judged for indulging in their hobby so enthusiastically."
    • While manga fans felt that their behavior was being judged, a portrayal of Comic-Con cosplayers in Men's Fitness instead judged fans' physiques. However one fan took a deeper look at the incident to note not only why sexism hurts men too but how the media profits from it. "Men’s Fitness literally has the power to change these stereotypes and male beauty myths. But they aren’t, because they make money off telling men (and women) that their bodies are not perfect enough. Why would you buy Men’s Fitness unless you somehow felt bad about your body?"
    • A post at the Good Men Project initiated a contentious discussion of sexism by pointing out how there may be more room for the "female nerd" in fandoms these days, but only if her opinions and behavior are convenient. "It’s definitely hot when a girl wants to play Halo or Gears of War or any other formulaic testosterone-fuelled first-person shooter, but it’s kind of a turn-off when she wishes that videogame developers take a more unisex approach to design and marketing. Time and time again, I have seen women run into brick walls of male privilege when they raise important issues about gender and equality within their chosen nerdy field. "
    • Furries are a fandom that often feels judged, even by other fans. This experience means "members of the furry community are hesitant to talk to reporters and afraid of readers taking things out of context". The silence tends to encourage negative portrayals by outsiders, even as participants consider "the fandom to be an art form, with members drawing, designing costumes, performing and writing or composing music." As multifandom favorite actor Mark Sheppard noted in a recent interview, "I think the people who dress up and show their allegiance and their fandom and passion are incredibly brave... And truly exceptional as a group. You never see 'Gang of sci-fi fans rob 7-11' [in the news] do you?"

    If you cosplay, are a furry are part of manga fandom, or have indeed robbed a 7-11 with your fandom gang, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

    Read more

  • Links Roundup for 31 October 2011

    By Claudia Rebaza on Monday, 31 October 2011 - 5:20pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gender and Sexuality, Comics, Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality, Sports, Television, Fandoms

    Here's a roundup of stories on race and gender in fandom that might be of interest to fans:

    • An article in The Root pointed out that given the diversity of attendance at New York's recent Comic Con, the number of minority characters and the attention paid to them is clearly lacking. "Eaton also sees problems with the structure of fan culture itself, which seems content with the status quo. This was neatly symbolized by the editorial choices at Comic Con. "My panel featuring four black creators and a professor of history was shot down so that a panel on black characters -- featuring no black creators -- could be held. I am still very salty about it because it perfectly illustrates my issue with the industry," she said. "They want us as consumers, but God forbid we actually try and snag a seat at the creator's table."
    • Racialicious posted Fandom and its hatred of Black women characters which focuses on reactions to characters in the British series Merlin and Doctor Who and the American series Glee and True Blood. Of concern to the poster and commenters, "When I see fandom reacting to fictional Black women this way, I wonder what they’re saying about real Black women while our backs are turned."
    • In this Huffington Post article about fandom bandwagon jumpers, an unfortunate comment was made about how most female sports fans are fans only because of their boyfriends. "So ladies, don't get caught up in impressing your boyfriend with your sports knowledge. Understand the fine line between attending a game and ruining the sporting experience for your boyfriend's buddies." While a male figure is indeed the most important influence in a woman's sports fandom, that person is equally important for men: fathers, as a study from Murray State University found.
    • A college sports blog column supported the Murray State study numbers on a school's influence on female sports fans. But unlike the Huffington Post story, this post put a positive focus on how casual fans are fans too. It also reflected on how the simplicity of connecting to fandoms and other fans through social media helps fans become increasingly passionate about their interests over time.

    If you're part of Merlin, Glee, True Blood, or Doctor Who fandom, or want to share your experiences on race and fandom, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

    Read more

  • Links Roundup for 28 October 2011

    By Claudia Rebaza on Friday, 28 October 2011 - 4:46pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gender and Sexuality, Studies, Fannish Communities, Sports, Television

    Here's a roundup of stories on fandom statistics that might be of interest to fans:

    • MarketingCharts.com posted survey results on sports fans which provided both expected and unexpected data. "For instance, 73% of Avid Gymnastics Fans are female and 81% of Avid Figure Skating Fans are female. This is a unique demographic makeup since Avid Fans of sports like the Olympics, Women’s Tennis and the WNBA – classically “female friendly” sports – are only about 50% female." What's more, fan interest in these sports was higher than other well known sports such as college basketball, NASCAR, the NHL, or the men's PGA tour. However the compiled statistic lumped together "avid fans" with people who were only "a little interested" in the sport, making the results clearer about how many men, women, or ethnic and racial group members were disinterested in the sport than "Avid Fans".
    • Our News of Note post on October 3 cited a study showing low-rated shows were getting more fan activity than high-rated shows. Nielsen has now released some figures on The Relationship Between Social Media Buzz and TV Ratings which states that the two are positively correlated -- the higher the show ratings, the more likely there is social media activity surrounding it. They also looked at "the genre of the show, whether the program aired on broadcast or cable, and the length of time the show had been on-air...the amount of ad dollars spent promoting the show and prior ratings (both episode and season)" as factors. In addition the service Tweetreach noted that Twitter traffic could predict the cancellation of new TV shows by measuring both the number of tweets and the favorable or unfavorable nature of their content.

    If you're part of a sports fandom, or if you use social media to play in fandom, why not contribute your perspectives to Fanlore? Contributions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

    Read more

  • Links Roundup for 26 October 2011

    By Claudia Rebaza on Wednesday, 26 October 2011 - 10:57pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gender and Sexuality, Commercialization of Fans, Education and Curriculum, Fanfiction , Music, Remix

    Here's a roundup of stories on women in fandom that might be of interest to fans:

    • A post at Pop Culture Pirate both celebrates women's skills in creating remixes, and urges others to join in. "For women and girls, especially, it’s a way to talk back to branded affirmations of beauty, take back our identities from corporate commodification, and create better stories about women that don’t revolve around men."
    • Two instructors at the The Alice Smith School Secondary Campus in Malaysia also urge the hands-on approach when writing about how to use fan fiction in the classroom to help students better engage with literature. Among their suggestions are the “substitute” ending, the "“what if?” of both characters and events", creating backstories, imagining crossovers, and creating diary entries or email exchanges for characters.
    • Much of the media coverage of fans tends to focus less on fan activities than in how they make a good market for the entertainment industry. In this article from the Christian Science Monitor titled "Duran Duran fans spend hard", fan finances are the focus in a piece that nonetheless reveals the fandom's influence on their lives. "Kasandra O’Connell lives in Dublin, Ireland. At the end of October, she will travel to New York on business. The trip, however, coincides with Duran Duran’s Madison Square Garden show...She plans to travel to Venice, Italy, in the spring for a concert. "I never would have traveled like this to see them before Twitter but I've met so many ‘DD sistahs’ that I feel perfectly happy traveling and meeting up with new friends,” O’Connell says.""

    If you create remixes or fan fiction or travel to concerts, why not contribute your perspectives to Fanlore? Contributions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

    Read more

  • Links Roundup for 17 October 2011

    By Claudia Rebaza on Monday, 17 October 2011 - 9:42pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gender and Sexuality, Comics, Fan Conventions, Sports

    Here's a roundup of stories on gender in fandom that might be of interest to fans:

    • Newsarama interviewed Geek Girl Con organizer Erica McGillivray about the recent event which "celebrat[es] female involvement in "math, the sciences, comics, sci-fi, fantasy, fiction, gaming and more"" as part of their "Pro-Girls" series. Discussing her particular area of interest, comics, McGillivray did "Some math: women + ethnic and racial minorities + queer people + disabled = the majority of the world's population and the largest potential audience. Except to continue the status quo of the white heteronormative patriarchy, I don't understand why any industry continues to only serve the white male market. Of course, comic books aren't the only industry that does this and [sic] makes me scratch my head."
    • NPR ran a segment on the new FX television show, The League and "how they explore the bigger theme of middle-aged male friendship through the prism of rabid fandom." The idea sprang from one of the co-producers who is herself a fantasy football player. "[I]t seemed to me that fantasy sports were really, really growing. There's so many things about it that make it such a more contemporary book club, if you will, that brings both men and women together in a really organic way."" (Partial transcript available).

    If you play fantasy sports, are in a comics fandom, or if you are a con-goer why not contribute your perspectives to Fanlore? Contributions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

    Read more

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