Two (more) examples of misogyny in
Two (more) examples of misogyny in "geek" culture that just happened to well known female geeks
I’ve just become aware of both of these and so I want to share them here and some of my thoughts.
http://www.feministfrequency.com/2012/07/image-based-harassment-and-visual-misogyny/
First, this is Feminist Frequency sharing some of the hatred that’s been directed her way for daring to have a kickstarter project to talk about misogynist tropes in video games. And of course there’s the sexualized/rape imagery, which is sadly so not surprising. :\ Back when I was doing most of my comics blogging, a similar thing happened with Jade Raymond, because she’s a woman, she’s involved with video games, and therefore we must “reduce” her to the most basic idea of what these guys (not all guys, these guys) seem to think women are for: sex. It’s the misogynist version of that old public speaking trick of “imagine everybody naked”. In that case, it’s supposed to reduce people down to a point where you don’t feel intimidated speaking to them. This is similar, it’s meant to reduce women down to a sex object, therefore not a threat, therefore not an intellectual critic: she’s just a “slut”, a “whore”, she’s not a person, she’s “just a woman”, she’s a thing.
And it’s sadly a way that’s used to dismiss and harass a lot of outspoken women, especially if they’re in spaces that are traditionally seen as “male”. The guys threatened need to remind themselves “she’s just boobs and a vagina”*, she’s no danger to anybody.
It’s so gross and disgusting. Disagree with her? Fine. Don’t think she’s right? Fine. Make your own videos about how there’s no sexism in video games. Or write an essay breaking down her points, or a blog post. Give REASONS why she’s wrong.
This is not disagreement. It’s harassment. It doesn’t critique a thing she’s produced, or a thought she’s expressed, it’s just playground bulls- mixed with sexual harassment and rape imagery, and it’s absolutely ridiculous. If they wanted to give an A plus reason why so many women still don’t feel welcome in “geek” spaces, and feel as if the video game community is unwelcoming if not downright hostile to us, they did an excellent job, so thumbs up!
http://www.themarysue.com/destructoid-writer-takes-aim-at-felicia-day-shoots-himself-in-the-foot/
This is the other link I wanted to share. This one is different, because it’s not mass harassment, it’s just a Destructoid writer yelling at Felicia Day. Why I wanted to point this out is that, again, this is an example of reducing female geeks to “they’re just women” because he even ADMITS he had no real idea who she is. So, then what’s his complaint? She’s a woman. She’s a geek. She’s well-known. Therefore it MUST be because of her looks, therefore it MUST be because she’s a woman, and not be because she’s witty, or clever, or anything. She’s just like a “booth babe” because well… she’s a woman, what else could she offer?
And that’s the underlying message of both of the above, and a LOT of the harassment and misogyny that is directed at women gamers, women comic book fans, at women in geek spaces:
You’re just a woman. Your worth is your body. We don’t care who you are, what you think, what your issues are, how good you are at what you do, or anything else. You’re two boobs and a vagina. And that’s all you’ll ever be.
* I know not all women have boobs and a vagina. But I’m describing the mindset.