fandom with a side of feminism

I'm a fangirl to the core and I'm also a feminst, so this blog is a blending of the two. You'll find reviews, essays, etc all about feminism and fandom. My plan is to post several times a week, more so when there's just so much fandomy-pop-culture goodness going on. I crosspost everything here to my blog: The Feminist Fangirl. So feel free to read it either place. new TWTR.Widget({ version: 2, type: 'profile', rpp: 4, interval: 30000, width: 'auto', height: 300, theme: { shell: { background: '#a991b3', color: '#ffffff' }, tweets: { background: '#5e445e', color: '#ffffff', links: '#8bc4f5' } }, features: { scrollbar: false, loop: false, live: false, behavior: 'all' } }).render().setUser('ladyteatime').start(); View ladyteatime's check-ins on GetGlue

[ladyteatime]

bunheads: in hopes of a lesbian storyline

I ADORE Bunheads. Its funny, poignant, sad, witty and makes the Bechdel Test look outdated. There are just so many lady characters!! Talking to each other! With names!! Aside from the lack of racial diversity (which is indeed an issue), its one of the most unproblematic shows on television right now (though I will also add that the concept of a "large" body on this show is skewed When the issue of queer representation on television is discussed, the contemporary focus is on gay relations between men (usually white men), leaving out the experiences of queer women. I realize change is a painfully slow process, but with the increase in m/m romantic relationships growing on tv (90210, Glee, Smash, Revenge, AHS, True Blood, Gossip Girl, to name a few). And while this is great progress and work still needs to be done so that these men are main protagonists and not always white, the fact remains that male relations easily outnumber the lesbian relationships we see on tv. Heck, its been 10 years since Buffy the Vampire Slayer's beautiful Willow/Tara OTP. For f/f romantic relationships on tv right now, I can think of a handful of shows.... Glee, Pretty Little Liars, Degrassi, The Good Wife....there needs to be more. And this is where Bunheads has a unique opportunity. A show dedicated to telling the stories of women in a female-centric community, should be telling the stories of queer women. The show is already undermining so many of the systemic ideas of what sells as television, why not push the envelope a little further and explore this too. I don't want an 'experimental' episode where one of the girls has lesbian feelings but then by the end of the episode returns to her heteronormative default. I want a genuine exploration of young women exploring their feelings for one another....and how beautiful would a romantic dance scene look?! The characters for this are Boo + Sasha. They clearly have some unresolved tension between them and the chemistry between the actors is fantastic. This isn't a case of me wearing slash-goggles, but instead realizing the potential of two characters on a unique show. If either Sasha or Boo was male, this storyline would already be in the works I expect. Sasha clearly has issues to deal with (and the show is suggesting that Michelle will become a mentor for her), but it would also be fantastic to see how she grows up and pushes through her drama with the support of someone who loves her....in addition to her galpals. It would also be great (not to mention incredibly subversive) for Boo, the "larger" dancer to be depicted as not only having a sexual identity (and being desirable) but also for her to be queer. So Bunheads....get on that. *note: I didn't even get around to talking about gender-fluid queer identities/relationships. These are important viewpoints and stories that are also in need of accurate representation on television. crossposted at thefeministfangirl.com

[ladyteatime]

gendered advertising during Legend of Korra

I'm a BIG fan of Legend of Korra, its a fantastic show with a truly badass female protagonist. In Canada it airs Saturday afternoon on the TeenNick channel and so far we're 5 episodes into the season (it might have aired previously here, but this is my first time viewing it). One thing I've noticed is the commercials that air during it and that all of the commercials are almost exclusively targeted to young boys (ages 9-15). The commercials are usually for toys like LEGO, Hot Wheels, and other action-toys as well as food/snack commercials which mimic the sales pitches of their older brother; the beer commercial. This got me thinking about the apparent lack of symmetry between the programming and paid advertisements; the show and the ads just didn't line up exactly. You've probably experienced this before, when you go see a movie and the trailers that air before it clearly indicate the Powers That Be had no idea who would be seeing this movie (case in point Magic Mike: none of the trailers before it targeted the dominant straight/female audience that is watching this movie. Instead it was like we were lined up to see an Adam Sandler movie.) Anywho, back to Korra. I know from various readings that I've done over the years that animated tv shows (and really any tv shows aimed at the under 13 crowd) don't tend to skew one way or the other in terms of gendered viewers; just as many boys seem watch a show as do girls (there are of course exceptions). So one could presume that just as many girls are watching Korra as there are young boys....and yet, the advertisements indicate that only young boys are watching. Gendered construction of toys: This assessment is based on the idea that toys are constructed alongside strict gender lines. There are specific toys for boys and specific toys for girls. Walk into any toy aisle or a Toys'R Us and you'll instantly know which toys are for whom. Girls' toys are usually covered in pinks and usually have something to do with traditional feminine spheres, such as motherhood, cooking and shopping. There is nothing wrong with these spheres, but the problem lies in that these are the only options that young girls have to engage with. On the reverse, toys for boys are designed around ideas of war, construction, and imagination. And the two never cross. Young boys are strongly discouraged from wanting an Easy-Bake Oven, being told its just for girls and its 'wrong' to want it; thereby enforcing the gender binary and sending the message that girls' toys aren't good enough for boys, that there is something wrong with them....and pink...and traditional female spheres...and girls/women in general. For more on gendered toys, I encourage you to check out queen-of-badasses Anita Sarkeesian's series Part 1 is here, and Part 2 is here over at feministfrequency.com. Seriously, go check it out, she says everything better than I do :P And yet, is there something awesome in this assumption by advertisers? They are assuming that young boys are the dominant audience for The Legend of Korra....and what if they are? What if millions of young boys are watching this show about a confident, competant young woman who saves the world? Korra is a lot more like Buffy than she is Bella, so I'm inclined to think there is something subversively awesome in this assumption. It is important that boys grow up watching/relating to female characters. By encouraging boys to relate to girls, it helps to dismantle the strict separation between the social gender binary. At a young age, children are taught that boys and girls are very very different and you shouldn't really play with the other group. Girls have girl toys and boys have boy toys, etc. What this establishes is that girls/boys are so different from one another that there is nothing that connects them. It encourages differences, in the wrong kind of way. This separation will carry on into adulthood and if men have not grown up in an atmosphere where they are encouraged to relate to women's experiences (and female protagonists), it ensures that the lives and experiences of women will always be second rate. So hopefully, with shows like Korra being marketed to young boys, this will help counteract this social construct. By encouraging boys to engage with women's stories and to see girls/women doing things that aren't "traditionally" feminine, this mindset will grow up with them into adulthood where they will see the women in their lives as complex, diverse and capable. crossposted at wordpress