Anita Sarkeesian | unfridged

Emily L. Stephens has been writing excellent recaps of Twin Peaks: The Return. [The AV Club]
Pop Culture Detective put out some great videos on the alternative masculinity of Fantastic Beasts‘s Newt Scamander, as well as my personal sparkle muffin Steven Universe.
You will probably enjoy Be Steadwell’s music video for her song “Sage (Witch Two)“.
Also entertaining: Funny or Die’s Handmaid’s Tale for men.
Did you wonder how, exactly, the Babadook became an unexpected queer icon? Vox has got you covered.
“As a trans woman, I’ve seen nerd culture’s misogyny from both sides.” [The Establishment]
A bunch of Harry Potter fans on Tumblr read Severus Snape as trans, an analysis that ends up being pretty convincing. [Broadly]
Anita Sarkeesian is done with your bullshit, and I’ll just be over here, a one-woman cheerleading unit. [Polygon]
A lot (no, really, a lot) of people loved Wonder Woman (and for good reason!), but Ariel Henley over at Bustle is disappointed in the film’s conflation of disfigurement and morality. Teen Vogue agrees, looking more broadly at the legacy of disfigured villains.
Okayafrica has a great introduction to afrofuturism, if you’d like a refresher.
“Sex with demons was totally chill until the church ruined it.” [Broadly]
Refinery29 explores how to cast a love spell without being a creep.
Art site Topical Cream has a great piece on MHYSA, RAFiA, and Liz Mputu, three artists tackling science fiction, blackness, and radical softness.
“The black person’s guide to Game of Thrones.” [The Root]
Brujos is your new dark, queer, latinx, magic webseries.
And finally, Buzzfeed explores how witchcraft became a brand.

Tagged Anita Sarkeesian, Ariel Henley, Be Steadwell, Broadly, Brujos, Bustle, Buzzfeed, Emily L. Stephens, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Funny or Die, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Liz Mputu, MHYSA, Okay Africa, Polygon, Pop Culture Detective, RAFiA, Refinery29, Steven Universe, Teen Vogue, The AV Club, The Babadook, the Establishment, The Handmaid's Tale, The Root, Topical Cream, Twin Peaks, Vox, Wonder Woman

May 17 2017

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Weekend Reading List

Weekend Reading List: Atwood, Buffy, Carrie, Disney

Hey kids, it’s been a while! Lots to catch up on:

“No world for us: broken girls and embodied trauma in Porpentine’s Psycho Nymph Exile.” [Autostraddle]
In this film, Broadly’s documentary series explores the witches of Romania.
In a similar vein: “the game developers who are also witches.” [Kotaku]
Tibeb Girls is Ethiopia’s answer to the Power Puff Girls. [Afropunk]
My friend Kai Cheng Thom wrote a beautiful, magic realist queer coming of age novel, Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars, and amid many, many glowing reviews, here’s one from Autostraddle.
Today’s tearjerker: A tribute to Carrie Fischer
“Stardew Valley gave me and my sister a chance to swoon over girls together for the first time in our gay lives.” [Autostraddle]
Have you seen Get Out? Do that immediately:
- B. Willis on Medium on how black women are the most overlooked characters in the film.
- “What Becky gotta do to get murked: white womanhood in Jordan Peele’s Get Out.” [Very Smart Brothas]
- Intelexual on the character of Rose and America’s legacy of racist white women.
Buffy turned twenty! And everyone’s singing the show’s praises:
- USAToday on the wonder the show provided fans.
- Vulture on the show’s ongoing legacy.
- Vice on how Willow helped kids everywhere come out.
- Hazlitt with a heartfelt roundtable discussion on the show’s emotional resonance.
People have feelings about the new Beauty and the Beast remake:
- “Why I want my son to know that boys can find beauty in a beast, too.” [Washington Post]
- Autostraddle charts Disney’s journey from gay-coded villains, to the textual representation of LeFou.
- But Buzzfeed thinks the film, and company, are receiving too much credit for such a small step forward.
And the new Handmaid’s Tale show has just premiered! It’s pretty amazing:
- Anne Helen Petersen writes about the “radical feminist aesthetic” of the show. [Buzzfeed]
- Autostraddle is thrilled with the adaptation’s additional queerness. Their book club also takes a closer look at the source material.
- “Margaret Atwood on what The Handmaid’s Tale means in the age of Trump.” [The New York Times]
- The New Yorker on how, despite some disappointing cast comments, the show is very much a feminist work.
- “I grew up in a fundamentalist cult—The Handmaid’s Tale was my reality.” [The Establishment]
- ELLE on how the show, in Serena Joy, depicts a modern day anti-feminist by charting their rise from Phyllis Schlafly to Ivanka Trump.
Little White Lies sings the praises of the voice behind that idiosyncratic Twin Peaks ambiance: Julee Cruise.
“Twin Peaks was the most visually striking TV show ever made. And still is.” [Slate]
“How to become a deadly misandrist fairy vampire.” [Austostraddle]
Great British Bake Off alum Ruby Tandoh wrote about her new zine Do What You Want, which explores how queerness and mental health are represented in film. [Little White Lies]
“The casual racism in nerd/gaming communities needs to stop.” [Afropunk]
Pop Culture Detective takes on the “born sexy yesterday” trope so often present in science fiction film.
Black Girl Nerds discusses the American Gods adaptation, depictions of lynching, and the realities of race in America.
Over on Youtube, Jill Bearup has a multi-part series on the history of fanfiction, from its earliest manifestations, to its rise in the Star Trek fandom, all the way to a discussion of the Mary Sue character type.
And lastly, Feminist Frequency’s Tropes vs. Women in Video Games series has, sadly, come to an end. But the last film, a discussion of lady sidekicks, won’t be the last we see of Anita Sarkeesian. The channel is still going strong with the FREQ Show: the first episode tackles Hollywood whitewashing.

Tagged Afropunk, American Gods, Anita Sarkeesian, Anne Helen Petersen, Autostraddle, B. Willis, Beauty and the Beast, Black Girl Nerds, Black Panther, Broadly, Buffering the Vampire Slayer, Buffy, Buzzfeed, Carrie Fisher, Disney, Do What You Want, Donald Trump, ELLE, Feminist Frequency, Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars, Get Out, Hazlitt, Intelexual, Jill Bearup, Julee Cruise, Kai Cheng Thom, Kotaku, Little White Lies, Margaret Atwood, Medium, New York Times, Pop Culture Detective, Porpentine, Psycho Nymph Exile, Ruby Tandoh, Slate, Star Wars, Stardew Valley, Ta-Nehisi Coates, the Establishment, The Handmaid's Tale, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Tibeb Girls, Twin Peaks, USAToday, Very Smart Brothas, Vice, Vulture, Washington Post, Willow Rosenberg

Feb 04 2017

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Weekend Reading List

Weekend Reading List: Dystopian warriors and exotic others

Okay stop whatever you’re doing and go watch Grimes and Janelle Monáe’s “Venus Fly” video. Trust me on this one.
In very much the same vein, I’m sure you’ll enjoy Neon Bunny’s psychedelic techno-dystopia in her video for last year’s “Forest of Skyscrapers.”
At the end of Obama’s tenure, Little White Lies takes the opportunity to discuss the films that characterized the president’s time in office (in the same way that Reagan-era films have emerged as being highly distinctive). There are pieces on black empowerment and the rise of the black stormtrooper, and on how Obama-era horror cinema unleashed the horrors within ourselves.
Oh hey oh hey oh hey, there’s a new Feminist Frequency video! This time on how non-white women in games are turned into exotic fantasies.
A little while ago I mentioned Elly Blue’s last kickstarter project, a literary anthology all about bicycles and zombies. This time around, the bike-centric publisher is putting together a collection called Biketopia! It’s still funding on kickstarter, and looks great, so go check it out!
“Philip K. Dick’s vision for resisting fascism in America.” [The New Yorker]

Tagged Anita Sarkeesian, Biketopia, Elly Blue, Feminist Frequency, Forest of Skyscrapers, Grimes, Janelle Monáe, Little White Lies, Neon Bunny, Obama, Philip K. Dick, Star Wars, The New Yorker, Venus Fly

Dec 25 2016

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Weekend Reading List

Weekend Reading List: Here’s to 2017

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It’s been a while since I’ve had a Weekend Reading List for you, but never fear: here’s a selection of stuff to keep you busy as you gear up for the new year:

“Black Mirror‘s gay love story in ‘San Junipero’ is the best romance of 2016.” [Bustle]
“‘San Junipero’ is a beautiful, haunting queer love story with mixed messages about disability.” [Autostraddle]
Sailor Moon is now being used to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and STIs in Japan. [Nylon]
Everyone’s been raving about Westworld (and rightly so), but the Mary Sue contends that though the show is pretty clearly modelled after video games, it takes after some not super great ones.
Another huge event this year was the arrival of Netflix’s Luke Cage. And if you’re looking for a syllabus that includes books mentioned in the show, as well as works that deal with some of the issues raised, Black Nerd Problems has got you covered.
“Humanity not included: DC’s Cyborg and the mechanization of the black body.” [The Middle Spaces]
The New York Times chronicles the rise of afrofuturism.
Afropunk is here to remind us that despite the sea of Hermiones, Sabrinas, and Maleficents, it would be a mistake to assume that witchcraft is white.
On a similar note, you have to watch the video for Princess Nokia’s song “Brujas.”
I’ve been missing Melissa Hunter since she had to stop her Adult Wednesday Addams series, so here’s another of her short films, titled “Dead Puppies.”
GUTS has a great piece on reading Little Shop of Horrors as a trans story.
New from Feminist Frequency’s Ordinary Women series: the amazing life of Ada Lovelace.
I read everything that Anne Helen Petersen writes religiously, and this piece on The Witch, Puritanism, and the fear of teen girls’ sexuality is absolutely worth a look. [Buzzfeed]
Fathers, a currently funding film by Leo Herrera, aims to explore what the world would look like if the AIDS crisis hadn’t wiped out an entire generation of gay men. [The Huffington Post]
Rape and sexual assault used for shock value is becoming an increasingly common occurrence in film and television, and many producers are beginning to put their foot down. [Variety]
“For women of colour, the price of fandom can be too high.” [The New Republic]
“Swords, Satan, and sexuality: queer nuns of the past.” [Autostraddle]
Actually, all sorts of great things have come out of Autostraddle recently: A discussion on how Steven Universe episode “Gem Harvest” tells kids that it’s alright to have hope, and news about Southwest of Salem, a documentary that explores the 1990s satanic panic investigation that led to four Latina lesbians being charged and convicted of sexual assault.
Everyone is saying not to go see Passengers, including (but certainly not limited to) CBR.
It’s almost impossible to talk about 2016 without discussing the monstrous failure that was the US presidential election, and the Mary Sue has some great advice on how Dumbledore’s Army can continue the fight.
Lit Reactor has a list of 11 “nasty women” who are doing interesting things in horror/crime/weird fiction.
“How women in games saved my life.” [The Mary Sue]
And lastly, an old Unfridged blog post was included in the first issue of Scarlett North-Cavanaugh’s Zenith zine, along with some amazing writing and artwork! Check it out!

Image from “Brujas” music video, Princess Nokia

Tagged Ada Lovelace, Adult Wednesday Addams, Afropunk, Anita Sarkeesian, Anne Helen Petersen, Autostraddle, Barbarella, Black Mirror, Black Nerd Problems, Bustle, Buzzfeed, CBR, Comic Book Resources, Cyborg, Dead Puppies, Fathers, Feminist Frequency, GUTS, Harry Potter, Leo Herrera, Lit Reactor, Little Shop of Horrors, Luke Cage, Melissa Hunter, Nylon, Ordinary Women, Passengers, Princess Nokia, Sailor Moon, Scarlett North-Cavanaugh, Southwest of Salem, Steven Universe, The Huffington Post, The Mary Sue, The Middle Spaces, The New Republic, The New York Times, The Witch, Variety, Westworld, Zenith zine

Mar 18 2016

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Weekend Reading List

Weekend Reading List: Ordinary women and overblown wingnuts

The Mary Sue asks what Star Trek even means as a franchise in its current, depoliticized state, and what it would take to make the show groundbreaking again.
The Toast on Ghostbusters 2016, science fictional diversity, and how only a certain type of women is seeing notable advances.
I’m also really into how the Toast has been riffing on the tired “is it feminist?” question, now asking “is It! (the Living Colossus) feminist?”
Native Appropriation’s Adrienne Keene is getting a lot of coverage for her critique of JK Rowling’s North American magic, as the CBC continues to report.
Autostraddle just celebrated their seventh birthday (happy birthday!) and is doing it with these really great retrospective pieces. Here’s the top seven lesbian, bisexual, and queer tv shows of the last seven years, but you should go poke around the site. They’ve got lots of good stuff, like lists of all the queer women on television who have died, and who have lived happily ever after (predictably, a much shorter list).
“Queer Indigenous rapper Dio Ganhdih shared extraterrestrial video for ‘Pussy Vortex‘” [The Fader]
The Xena reboot will feature an openly gay warrior princess! [Out magazine]
“The witchy feminism of modern music videos.” Beyoncé, and Azealia Banks, and FKA twigs, oh my! [Bitch]
There’s going to be a new Feminist Frequency show! It’ll be called Ordinary Women: Daring to Defy History and it’s funding right now!
The town of Vardø, Norway, unveiled a monument in memory of the 91 people killed for witchcraft. [The Daily Beast]
Want to see a caricature that combines Donald Trump and Attack on Titan? You’re welcome. [Otaku USA]
Writer Mey Rude is the one responsible for Autostraddle’s great witchy content, and here she is on Bitch‘s podcast talking about sorcery, cultural appropriation, and the best witches in pop culture.

Tagged Adrienne Keene, Anita Sarkeesian, Attack on Titan, Autostraddle, Azealia Banks, Beyoncé, Bitch, Bitch Media, CBC, Dio Ganhdih, Donald Trump, Feminist Frequency, FKA twigs, Ghostbusters, Harry Potter, It! The Living Colossus, JK Rowling, Mey Rude, Native Appropriations, Ordinary Women, OtakuUSA, Out magazine, Star Trek, The Daily Beast, The Fader, The Mary Sue, The Toast, Vardø, Xena, Xena Warrior Princess

Jun 11 2015

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Weekend Reading List

Monthly Reading List: The Sequel

The Toast on how classic horror film Carnival of Souls is a queer coming of age story.
Leonard Nimoy’s passing affected me more than most celebrity deaths. He was truly a good, open-hearted person, and he’ll be missed. [The Verge]
“Paintings of Witches Sabbats That Resemble Parties I Have Attended.” [The Toast]
Here’s a trailer that answers a burning question: What if Wes Anderson had directed the X-Men?
I know cartoonist and illustrator Chad Sells from his RuPaul’s Drag Race recaps, but here he draws superheroines on their days off, and it’s charming.
Superheroes redrawn with realistic body types! [Bulimia.com]
The fantastic Arthur Chu is back, talking about bitter nerds, feminism, male privilege, and resentment. [Salon]
I’m super in love with the Toast’s “Three Adults Discuss [Insert Childhood Book] Seriously and at Length” series, and lo and behold they made my day and discussed (seriously and at length) Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wind in the Door.
Which Doctor has the most Bechdel Test-passing episodes? The Mary Sue went above and beyond in the research department, and has the infographics to prove it.
“17 Sex Scenes in Graphic Novels.” Never say I don’t take care of you. [Buzzfeed]
So in the last two months or so I’ve become OBSESSED with Steven Universe, and for good reason. Autostraddle weighs in on the show and the need for all-ages queer representation. And because it has not gone unplayed for long: Garnet’s song.
And the Mary Sue recapped the huge dump of new episodes we got!
Another great series from the Toast: Children’s Stories Made Horrifying. I heartily recommend The Little Mermaid, because damn.
“A feminist ranking of female superheroes.” [Marie Claire]
Autostraddle does this thing where they roundup good femslash fanfiction, and here’s some choice Buffy stuff for you.
I will never stop being in total awe of Anita Sarkeesian and her bravery, and the speech she gave at All About Women 2015 just solidifies that.
Speaking of Sarkeesian, Feminist Frequency is still going strong. Here’s a video on a positive female character (hopefully the first of many): The Scythian from Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP.
“Every woman in every Disney/Pixar film in the past decade has the exact same face.” [every-flavored-bean.tumblr.com]
“An abridged history of video game dicks.” [Kotaku]
On the tenth anniversary of the New Who, Tor celebrates Rose, the first episode (“Rose”), and how the character ushered in the revamped show.
Y’all know that when the Guardian titles a piece “Kapow! Attack of the feminist superheroes,” I’m going to share it.

Tagged A Wind in the Door, All About Women 2015, Anita Sarkeesian, Arthur Chu, Autostraddle, Bechdel Test, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bulimia.com, Buzzfeed, Carnival of Souls, Chad Sells, Disney, Doctor Who, every-flavored-bean.tumblr.com, Feminist Frequency, Garnet, Leonard Nimoy, Madeleine L'Engle, Marie Claire, Pixar, Rose Eveleth, RuPaul's Drag Race, Salon, Star Trek, Steven Universe, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, The Guardian, The Little Mermaid, The Mary Sue, The Scythian, The Toast, The Verge, Tor, Wes Anderson, X-Men

Dec 07 2014

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Weekend Reading List

Weekend Reading List: stormtroopers and double standards

JK Rowling will be writing a thing about Draco December 12th! Ah! [The Guardian]
In light of the internet collectively losing its mind over the new Star Wars trailer, Al Jazeera tackles the disturbing racist stereotypes present in the franchise thus far.
Some (racist) people are also not happy about the new movie’s inclusion of John Boyega. Because of course they’re not. His reply is pretty great, though. [The Dissolve]
Best dressed villains! [Tor]
I don’t think it’s possible to read the Redwall series and not salivate over those feast scenes—The nut-studded cheeses! The roasted fish! The elderberry everthings!—and the Toast has got you covered with your very own Redwall diet.
Also from the Toast, memories of mermaids and a genderqueer childhood.
Anita Sarkeesian’s Feminist Frequency channel just released a new video: “25 invisible benefits of gaming while male,” based on an older Polygon article.
You should know about the webcomic Robot Hugs, but also you should see this great “gender rolls” comic. (It’s a joke, but I just played a one-shot game using it to generate characters, and it was really fun).
A Bitch contributor read 50 books by people of colour this year, and has, as a result, some great recommendations. Of particular interest are the science fiction/fantasy titles.
Hey remember when DC wouldn’t let Batwoman get married? They’re apparently fine with her getting raped instead, and both the Mary Sue and Autostraddle weigh in.
GameLoading: Rise of the Indies is a documentary that will be coming out in the new year, but for now here’s a sneak peak about harassment in the game industry.

Top image by Grace Kraft.

Tagged Al Jazeera, Anita Sarkeesian, Autostraddle, Batwoman, DC, Draco Malfoy, Feminist Frequency, GameLoading: Rise of the Indies, Grace Kraft, Harry Potter, JK Rowling, John Boyega, Mariel of Redwall, Polygon, Redwall, Robot Hugs, Star Wars, The Dissolve, The Mary Sue, The Toast, Tor

Oct 19 2014

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Weekend Reading List

Weekend Reading List: Ghosts, ghouls, and gamergaters

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Eeeeeeeee it’s almost Hallowe’en!! And the Hairpin has a list of thirteen things that “all women in their twenties who are possessed by Lucifer, Prince of Darkness, are sick of hearing.”
Okay, y’all know that if I’m sharing something called “8 signs he’s cheating,” it has to be good. [Clickhole]
And here are costume ideas inspired by the ladies of Buffy! [Autostraddle]
Gillian Anderson really wants a part in the new Ghostbusters. I also really want her to get a part in the new Ghostbusters. [Flavorwire]
The Toast has a reading (and watching) list for a bunch of fictional characters and, real talk, I really want to watch Antiques Roadshow with Voldemort.
Neil Gaiman has a new children’s book out and it is called The Sleeper and the Spindle and it is a version of Rapunzel wherein two ladies kiss. Exciting! [io9]
Héro(ïne)s is a currently-being-funded comics anthology that seeks to genderbend some characters from classic French comics, focus on the side characters of others, and otherwise shed some light on gender in the genre.
Bitch took a bunch of photos at Seattle’s Geek Girl Con, and holy FOMO, Batman!

And I really wish I didn’t have to, but here’s this week’s #gamergate update:

Anita Sarkeesian had to cancel her lecture at Utah State University when a school shooting threat was made and local authorities wouldn’t change their open carry policy. [The Guardian]
Social scientist Jennifer Allaway is officially classifying Gamergate as a hate group. [Jezebel]
Brianna Wu, self-proclaimed “Godzilla of bitches,” speaks out about her harassment over on XOJane.
Eron Gjoni, who originally sparked this whole mess, reaffirms that he is a shitty human. [The Mary Sue]
Autostraddle has a really moving piece that weaves current Gamergate issues with personal recollections of gaming. This medium belongs to everyone.
The Daily Beast delves into the historical context that produces the tightly-wound mix of anger and fear in a dominant culture that manifests itself violently–whether the target is disco or women in gaming.
If you’re looking for a clear, basic guide to the entire situation, the Washington Post has got you covered.
Vox officially denounced the movement.
As did Polygon’s editor in chief.
Quartz has a good essay on how the tech industry still acts as though it is made up of underdogs, when the reality is very, very different, and how that “ingrained sense of victimization has become a perverse justification for bullying.”
And I think at this point everyone needs a palate cleanser, so here’s a list of nerd characters that can serve as role models. [Bitch]

Tagged #GamerGate, Anita Sarkeesian, Autostraddle, Bitch, Brianna Wu, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Clickhole, Eron Gjoni, Flavorwire, Geek Girl Con, Ghostbusters, Gillian Anderson, Halloween, Héro(ïne)s, io9, Jennifer Allaway, Jezebel, Lucifer, Neil Gaiman, Polygon, Quartz, The Daily Beast, The Guardian, The Hairpin, The Mary Sue, The Sleeper and the Spindle, The Toast, The Washington Post, Vox, XOJane

Oct 13 2014

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Weekend Reading List

Weekend Reading List: Cartooning advice, Cho Chang, and The Craft

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Looks like more Twin Peaks episodes are definitely in the cards! I’m very excited, Diane! [Deadline]
Vulture has some extra speculation about the setting, returning characters, and what new additions there might be to the show.
The Mary Sue takes a look at Buffy’s relationship with Riley (God I hate Riley) and the emotional abuse he put her through in the wake of the big conversation we’ve been having about domestic abuse and #whyIstayed.
Another Femslash Friday! This time it’s The Craft. Wait, you haven’t seen The Craft? Go see The Craft immediately. [The Toast]
Okay so in addition to being part of a weekly horror movie screening club, I’ve recently started reading a book called House of Psychotic Women (it’s excellent by the way, and worth checking out). On the one hand, it may explain my recent insomnia, but on the other, I’m now super obsessed with how women are portrayed in horror cinema. And since Autostraddle always seems to know exactly what I want to read, they’ve got a list of (mostly queer) lady monsters in film.
The always great MariNaomi wanted to come up with tips on writing people of colour (when you are a person of another colour), and asked a bunch of cartoonists (including Elisha Lim!) for their help. [Midnight Breakfast]
ALL-FEMALE GHOSTBUSTERS REBOOT WHAT. [Mashable]
#Gamergate continues to rage on, and I continue to lose what little hope I have for us as a species. Game developer Brianna Wu had the temerity to poke fun at the toxic wastes of space known collectively as Gamergaters, and was summarily doxxed, threatened with rape and murder, and driven out of her home. There is no excuse. [We Hunted the Mammoth]
While on the topic, Anita Sarkeesian spoke at XOXO Festival in detail about the campaign of harassment against her. You should definitely watch the whole thing, but the main takeaway? “One of the most radical things you can do is to actually believe women when they tell you about their experiences.”
Slam poem of the week: “To JK Rowling, From Cho Chang.” Do it, click it, learn it.

Top image (my new favourite thing of all time) by Abraham Perez

Tagged #GamerGate, #WhyIStayed, Abraham Perez, Anita Sarkeesian, Autostraddle, Brianna Wu, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cho Chang, Deadline, Ghostbusters, Harry Potter, House of Psychotic Women, MariNaomi, Mashable, Midnight Breakfast, The Craft, The Mary Sue, The Toast, Twin Peaks, Vulture, We Hunted the Mammoth, XOXO Festival

Sep 01 2014

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Weekend Reading List

Weekend Reading List: Potter porn and #GamerGate

Okay, so this is an EXTRAORDINARILY NSFW thing that is wonderful. Ever wondered what Disney princes’ penises were like? Jezebel has (well-drawn) answers for you.
In, sort of, the same vein: io9 has 10 times when comics and movies sexualized male superheroes, which really lays to rest the old “men are just as sexualized in comics as women are” argument.
J.K. Rowling has been killing it with the Harry Potter extras lately, and now we’re getting some more info on magical songstress Celestina Warbeck, plus some songs! [The Mary Sue]
The Mary Sue also discusses other important issues, like whether or not supernatural beings (mermaids, vampires, and the like) menstruate.
I really love Anita Sarkeesian, her work, and her seemingly superhuman ability to weather the storm of internet bullshit thrown at her. In response to her latest Tropes vs. Women video (part two of “Women as Background Decoration”), her harassers upped their game and drove her out of her house. This is so many levels past not okay that I’m not sure what else I can say. [Polygon]
There is, however, a petition calling for Valve to block Steam access to their games for one hour, in protest of the treatment of women in games. [Change.org]
Ars Technica also has a very thorough rundown of the situations Anita Sarkeesian and game developer Zoe Quinn have found themselves in (#GamerGate, as it’s being called), and just how unfair their treatment is.
Also, here’s a piece that dissects the motivations behind some of the more awful angry nerd boy behaviour, which, though it doesn’t condone what’s happening, at least helps us understand where it’s coming from. [Badass Digest]
There’s a really touching piece over at the Toast about how, as a queer child, taking up otherworldly fantasy personas can help verbalize the difference you feel in yourself.
Also a great biography of legendary fantasy writer Leigh Brackett. [The Toast]
You’ve probably seen that horrible Spiderwoman #1 cover and hated it immediately (no matter how many times I look at it, it still makes me shrivel up a little inside), but redditor dinoignacio rendered it in 3D and it really shows how contorted (and deranged) the pose actually is. [Gizmodo]
Jess Fink was a guest artist on Oh Joy Sex Toy and talked about her love of erotic comics. All my webcomic suggestions are combining into a big sexy Optimus Prime!
Here is a slam poem about Harry Potter erotic fan fiction and wanting porn that doesn’t make you an object, and not gonna lie, I’m still digesting how close to home it hit. It might be triggering for descriptions of sexual violence but it’s definitely a good thing to watch.
Forbes is calling out Nickelodeon’s mismanagement of Legend of Korra, and asserting that the show will outlive the network’s short-sightedness.
Here’s an unpublished excerpt from an early draft of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! [The Guardian]
And, lastly, I just stumbled across Black Girl Nerds, and they have some great stuff: The importance of Meteor Man and the need for more black superheroes and twenty superheroines of colour who aren’t Storm.

Tagged #GamerGate, Anita Sarkeesian, Badass Digest, Black Girl Nerds, Change.org, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Disney, Forbes, Gizmodo, Harry Potter, io9, J.K. Rowling, Jess Fink, Jezebel, Legend of Korra, Leigh Brackett, Meteor Man, Nickelodeon, Oh Joy Sex Toy, Polygon, Spiderwoman, The Guardian, The Mary Sue, The Toast, Zoe Quinn

unfridged

feminism and fantasy, science fiction and sexism

Tag Archives: Anita Sarkeesian

Weekend Reading List: Baby, it’s been a while

Weekend Reading List: Atwood, Buffy, Carrie, Disney

Weekend Reading List: Dystopian warriors and exotic others

Weekend Reading List: Here’s to 2017

Weekend Reading List: Ordinary women and overblown wingnuts

Monthly Reading List: The Sequel

Weekend Reading List: stormtroopers and double standards

Weekend Reading List: Ghosts, ghouls, and gamergaters

Weekend Reading List: Cartooning advice, Cho Chang, and The Craft

Weekend Reading List: Potter porn and #GamerGate