Ruining the Genre Since the age of 7 Years Old

[eumelia]

When some one links to an article titled The War on Science Fiction and Marvin Minsky on a website called The Spearhead and the Author's nick is Pro-male/Anti-feminist Tech; you know you're in for some fun sci-fi critique!

My first thought after reading that diatribe of misogyny, homophobia and exclusionary nostalgia, was pretty uncharitable, petty and mean.
Not even the most "one of the boys/I'm not a feminist" female-geek wouldn be able to consider this person particularly tasteful.
Seeing as he's laying out misogyny and homophobia pretty fucking thick. Without any shame and certainly without any self-reflection.
But That's what cowards do.

I'm reminded of my entry into the comic book world, there are women there (readers that is) and I gravitated to the classics (Batman, Superman, Catwoman, Wonder Woman, the Justice League - yeah, I'm a DC grrl) and to horror-fantasy (DC's Vertigo line; Sandman, Hellblazer, Fables, Lucifer etc).
This is not an odd thing, most people like more than one kind of genre in they chosen form of medium, but I definitely felt the overwhelmed by the amount of boys in this medium and how my reading of the stories being feminist (even before I could articulate why it was feminist - I was 15 when I got into comics) made me iffy about getting into discussion with other Batman fans - many of them, somehow, ignoring the fetish gear he dons in order to fight crime and the only women he's ever been interested in sexually (he doesn't do romance) have been other criminals who wear costumes.
I digress.

The article linked above says this:

Science fiction is a very male form of fiction. Considerably more men than women are interested in reading and watching science fiction. This is no surprise. Science fiction traditionally is about men doing things, inventing new technologies, exploring new worlds, making new scientific discoveries, terraforming planets, etc. Many men working in the fields of science, engineering, and technology have cited science fiction (such as the original Star Trek) for inspiring them when they were boys to establish careers in these fields.

Emphasis mine.

This is the opening paragraph.
He may have missed the fact that some of this year's Nobel Laureates, in the sciences, were women.
They probably began their careers, what 30-40 years ago?
Sci-Fi is "traditionally" about men doing things because, 'Lo the things women did were/are not considered important or as important as the things men do, this includes writing sci-fi - which women have been doing for the same amount of time as men... it's called having a pseudonym.
One of the regular writers of Star Trek:TOS was D.C. Fontana (i.e. Dorothy Catherine Fontana), who neutralised her name and used the pseudonyms Michael Richards and J. Michael Bingham in order to get ahead in the field of teevee and sci-fi writing.
She wrote other well-loved "male" oriented programmes and shows we all grew up on.

How's them apples shit-bag? Feeling excluded? Feeling as though your wants and desires have been co-opted and changed in order to incorporate a vision that *gasp* doesn't 100% reflect you.
Welcome to the human condition.
Numerous books, movies and teevee programmes have been written about it, as I'm sure you know.

According to this dude, sci-fi has been ruined by its feminization.
And lest we forget them pesky Homoseckshuals!

Things are worse in Britain. A few years ago Doctor Who was brought back. The man who brought back Doctor Who was Russell T. Davies, a gay man who proceeded to add a recurring character called Captain Jack who comes from the 51st century that was bisexual omnisexual. Yes, omnisexual as in not only is this character bisexual, but he has no problem with having sex with non-humans too.

Don't worry bb, the Captain kisses people he actually likes, you he'd probably shoot and state he was thinking of humanity's future.
The author goes on to cite the BBC's leftist leaning and pro-woman agenda, so he's not surprised that shows like Torchwood get huge ratings and was the biggest sci-fi hit of the summer.
What? Action and inter-personal drama?! It actually works!?!?
News flash, it's what works in Hard Science Sci-Fi as well - Have you read Heinlein? Herbert? The buddy-films that are a huge portion of the sci-fi/action genre are about the relationship between the two men - but relationships are for women or something idiotic like that and so any chemistry between two men (and to a lesser extent two women) is us Slashers reading too much into it.
It's called subversive reading, it's what minorities do in order to actually enjoy shows, books, comics and other texts which show case us as blatant stereotypes, parodies or ya know simply Bechdel Fail.

Times they are a changing, and guess what, they've been "changing" and "changed" since the mid-60's, you, Pro-Male/Anti-Feminist Tech failed to get on that boat and complaining about us women and queers taking over your genre and taking your jobs in science...
This is not a tree-house club and there are no more Wendy houses.
This is a sandbox - please stop peeing in it.

ETA: I couldn't stop myself. I commented, sans a link to this blog. I don't need to make easier for them to find me.

Comments

[lilacsigil.livejournal.com]

The link I saw to that rant mentioned that he agreed with Dirk Benedict's comments on Starbuck, so I laughed and moved on. That's a very sad person, but I'd rather he whines on the internet than takes his entitlement complex out on actual women (and here's hoping he doesn't have the chance to!)

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I actually went ahead and read a few other postss on that website and they scared the bejezus out of me.
I also looked at the contributors private blogs and I fear for the lives of women and queers that they interact with.
That's not run-of-the-mill unexamined sexism, that is actively hating women (or any body who isn't a cis hetero male).

Fucking scary.

[proleptic-fancy.livejournal.com]

Don't mind me, I saw your comment on metafandom.

My god this man couldn't have his head lodged up there any higher if he tried. I seriously sat there boggling my way through his diatribe, and I'm still not entirely convinced anyone could say all that with a straight face.

I'll be the first to admit I'm not usually a fan of throwing in romance for the sake of romance in my space adventures, but well-written interpersonal relationships are just as valid to the genre as shooting aliens is. Without the epic friendship between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, would Star Trek have been nearly as dynamic and memorable? One of the best things about the new BSG was how beautifully, painfully human all the characters were instead of just cardboard cutout action men.

I also just love (read: rolled my eyes until I strained something) how clear it is that it would never occur to this guy in a million years that a girl could have taken inspiration from the same sci-fi heroes he did, because they were manly men who did manly things and I should stop showing up the rocket jockeys in my degree program and either please him or get back to the kitchen. Ugh.

And us ladies and/or queer folks are never satisfied either. First it's something approaching appropriate representation on tv after decades of marginalization (whatever, I still want more kickass lady engineers on my screen). Next we'll want to be treated as equals in real life too! Horrors!

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Horrors indeed :)

[avgboojie.livejournal.com]

Word of advice: next time you see something which answers that description, don't read it.
It's not worthy of your time. Really, it isn't. There are so many worthy words out there - much more than you'd ever be capable of reading in a hundred lifetimes - why waste time and effort on unworthy ones?

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

You are right of course, but look what a great post it made!

No doubt it's been taken a little too seriously, alas, that is how I roll.
I will though take your advice and do my best to read (and write) the worthy words.

[avgboojie.livejournal.com]

Okay, now, if only I will manage to listen to my own advice, life will be so much better... :-P

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

LOLZ!

I now want to snuggle you and your Cthulu plushy as we commiserate on how unworthy words drive us batty!

[starlady38.livejournal.com]

Here via Geek Feminism. And you're so right.

Don't worry bb, the Captain kisses people he actually likes, you he'd probably shoot and state he was thinking of humanity's future.

So true!

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

You can count of Jack to think of Humanity's best interests :)

I was surprised to have been linked, but way happy about it!

[sio.livejournal.com]

here from GeekFeminism. awesome writeup.

and before D.C. Fontana, there was Andre Norton.

love your post title too...i've been essentially doing the same, as my dad introduced me to sci-fi about the age of seven. :P wonder what they'd think of that....A MAN introducing his DAUGHTER to their boys' club OH NOES.

:eyeroll x 100: ;)

[l-arlesienne.livejournal.com]

I couldn't finish the article myself, short though it is. I eventually got to the point where I just wanted get a hard-cover copy of Frankenstein and throw it as his head, shouting something to the effect of "Mary Shelley has been getting girl cooties in your sci-fi since 1818, your argument is invalid."