Comic Book Nerds Come Together

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Comics are making a come-back, but none of them interest me. Something about a strong, mysterious guy perpetually saving a woman in distress just doesn't appeal to me. Where are the comics for women?

The comic book industry is male-dominated. This is because readers are 75-95% male. So the readers eventually become the writers. This circle will never break until comics start attracting more women. This means we need more female superheroes who aren't hyper-sexualized. We need characters that young teen girls can idolize. I love that characters such as Wonder Woman and Catwoman display courage and bravery, but why do they have to fight crime half-naked in heels? You don't have to be a slut to save lives.

Author of DC Comics Covergirls Louise Simons explains in this article that women will eventually get more involved in this industry:

"I know the (mature) Vertigo line has a lot of women as well as men reading it. The editor of that line is a very talented woman named Karen Berger. So I expect over the next 10-15 years there will be an influx of woman writers going towards that end of the market.”

Now I'm not all that familiar with the Vertigo comics but some quick research offered me some promise for the future. This series features a character named Madame Xanadu. The artist for this character is Amy Hadley who echoes my concern for a more female presence in the industry in this article:

"I’m a strong proponent of bringing a female audience to comics, and a typical female audience at that—not just girls who happen to be unique enough to notice that comics are for them, too. I really hope that, one day, comics will be as common as films. You need a female audience to accomplish that. Nobody asks if you watch movies. And although some films bring in more of a female audience and vice versa, it’s not quite so polarized. Vertigo does a good job of publishing intelligent comics, and I think intelligent stories bridge the gap between male and female. That’s the goal, I think—not to alienate either sex."

A non-gendered comic book! Now there's something I'd consider reading....maybe you should to.

FIrst Lady makes more than just a fashion statement

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There has been much buzz in the fashion world about Michelle Obama's wardrobe. At first, I thought this was so stupid. I could care less about Michelle's wardrobe because it has nothing to do with her political views and her position as First Lady. But the more I read about it, the more I began to understand the fascination.

Previous first ladies have always been judged by their appearance, so it's no surprise Michelle Obama was on the cover of Vogue Magazine. But it seems like Michelle is using that opportunity to make a bigger statement. I came across an article that suggests Michelle's clothing is telling women they can still be taken seriously in feminine fashion. Mandi Norwood, the former editor in chief of Shop Etc. who is now writing a style guide directed to Obama for publisher Avon A, explains:

"Most previous first ladies have appeared to believe that displaying an interest in fashion and style undermines the importance of their role. They've subscribed to the old-fashioned view that a woman should de-sexualize herself or dress like a man if she wants to be regarded as intelligent and of good conscience. Mrs. Obama, however, has a much more modern view, She's demonstrated that it's smart to be stylish; that strong and positive statements can be made through the right choice of outfit."

Some of these statements her fashion has made include:

1. You don't need to break the bank to look professional. Any women can look powerful. Michelle wears clothes from stores with more modest price tags such as H&M, Gap and J. Crew.

2. It's okay for women to wear jeans. There has been some worry from the fashion world that she is projecting too much of a casual image. But the truth is, our generation IS casual. And by reflecting this style, people can relate to her because she looks like everyone else.

3. Wear what makes you feel beautiful, not what trends tell you are beautiful. Michelle's style is always changing. Fashionistas can never pin-point her style. But this is actually ironic because women are now trying to copy Michelle's clothes. I guess this statement didn't come across as well as the others!

4. Practical clothes are smarter than glamourous clothes. Don't sacrifice comfort for beauty. Michelle is quoted in Vogue as saying, "Some will think a sweater is horrible, but I was cold! I needed that sweater."

5.Don't worry about what other people think about your fashion choices. There will always be people who will criticize you. But self-confidence will overshadow them.

Michelle Obama is a great icon for the fashion industry. She has a healthy figure and a style that makes femininity sophisticated....not slutty.

Rihanna: Part of a much bigger problem

Photo courtesy of D.S.B.

50 Cent announced yesterday he is going to start cleaning up his music after hearing about Rihanna's domestic abuse incident. He says, "After I saw the photograph, that wasn't funny anymore." He added: “There will definitely be no more reference to that from me in any way." Millions of women have suffered from domestic abuse, 50 Cent. Are you just realizing this now because it happened to someone close to you?

Why do we need a celebrity to fall victim to abuse before we start talking about the issue? Why do we care more about one celebrity than millions of regular people.

MuchMusic will air a one-hour show to analyze the star duo's relationship and how the incident affects their careers. Foundations that help young teens suffering from domestic abuse "are also on hand". I don't know if this means they will actually go into detail about their services or how this issue affects today's youth. But this part is crucial and the only relevant part of the show. Young girls don't need to hear about what went wrong between Chris Brown and Rihanna. They want to know who to turn to when faced with a similar issue. People need to hear that domestic violence is highest among people between the ages of 15 and 24.

I guess it's inevitable that celebrities will always lead the way when dealing with humanitarian issues. Celebrity activists are everywhere these days. But we must stop making the celebrities bigger than the issues. Anna Hanstra, an international developments graduate student, says "The endorsements of celebrities also oversimplifies complex issues and places the spotlight on the activist, instead of on the people who are being helped."

This is an opportunity to talk about an issue that affects more than just a pop singer. But no one is jumping on it.

Worst Movie Ever

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I just came back from watching Confessions of a Shopaholic. I want those 2 hours of my life back. Ladies, this may seem like a cute, romantic chick flick. But it's actually quite infuriating. If you still plan on watching this movie, then stop reading. But I strongly suggest you do.

This movie is about a dumb, young New York girl named Rebecca who is trying to be a journalist. Her ultimate goal is to work at this chic Fashion Magazine, so she applies to work at a finance magazine and work her way up. But she knows nothing about finances since she is in massive debt. She gets the job because she writes an article about how shopping for shoes is related to finance when she was drunk. What is this telling young girls? Don't worry about working hard to reach your goal. Just get drunk and the solution will come. Oh, and magazines will hire you even if you've ever only written one decent article.

So she gets the job at the finance magazine. But there are very few women who work there. And those who do are mostly receptionists and assistants. The women are also very boring looking compared to the main character. What's this telling the audience? If you don't dress nicely, no one will notice you and you'll only be an assistant to the successful.

But Rebecca soon becomes very successful at this magazine because she writes articles that are "more accessible" to the people. In other words, she dumbs down finance. And, not surprisingly, she starts to fall in love with her boss. This was the only good part of the movie- the guy who plays her boss is Hugh Dancy who is really hot. But he also symbolizes the ideal journalist. He encourages Rebecca to ask hard-hitting questions and investigate the corruption in American businesses. Which she never really does. The only time she used any kind of critical thinking was when she told a bank owner that his window displays were boring, and could jazz it up with free donuts and colorful signs.

The ending was the worst. Her boss decides to start his own magazine and he hires Rebecca as the lead reporter. What's the moral of this story? Flirt with your boss and you can achieve anything!

This movie is reinforcing the stereotype that women who are beautiful and glamorous achieve success. Intelligence and talent are not important. But the power of the mind is far greater than the power of your clothes. I can only hope young girls are smart enough to see that.

The Beautiful Brunette drinks Beer!

Beer seems to have a reputation of being a man's drink. Some men are surprised when I order a beer. Why? It tastes good and its cheaper than a cocktail. I really hate women who choose not to drink beer just because it hurts their image. It's not served in a fancy glass with lots of lemons or cherries nobody even eats anyways cause it gets stuck between the ice.

If you genuinely don't like the taste of beer, then that's fine. But don't tell me you're not drinking beer because it makes your breath stink or because its fattening. How much sugar do you think is in that dacquiri, sweetheart?! Don't get me wrong. I love crazy mixed drinks. But if I really want to get drunk, it just makes sense to drink beer. I could never drink Blue Lagoons all night. I would puke from the sugar rather than the alcohol. Although the color of my puke would probably make me laugh, but I digress.

Speaking of laughing, check out this beer for women. It's made by the German beer company Karlsberg. Apparently, German women think beer is nasty and bad for your health. So they added vitamins and natural ingredients to the beer. But it's only 1% alcohol. So why are you even drinking beer if you can't get drunk. Are women this stupid?

It seems the only time I see women drink beer is at a hockey game, or whenever they are watching sports. Since they are already doing something masculine, they feel like it's okay to drink beer. But if they are at a chic club downtown, beer just doesn't fit the atmosphere. Who cares where you are or what you're doing. Just drink whatever you like.

Women and War

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***I'd like to preface this blog entry by saying I am against war. I am by no means encouraging women to join the army. I am just pointing out that the women who want to join the army are still not treated as equals.***

Protecting your country and standing up for your rights is a human urge. There is a universal desire in all of us to help your fellow man (or at least I like to think so). For some, signing up for military service allows them to fulfill this desire.

So why must women be prohibited from certain positions in the army? Only 88% of jobs in the American military are open to women, and 70% in the UK! What's up with that?

1. Women aren't strong enough
I'm not so sure about this. Women in the army during the World Wars held positions that were physically demanding. Women would have to haul huge bags of laundry, carry big metal cauldrons and pots full of food, and hauled injured bodies into the nursing stations. And women have proven their strength in numerous preliminary boot camp training.

2.Women are too sensitive to deal with death
The first time someone has to kill another person is always traumatizing. But in war, death becomes common and the shock wears off. Women in the Red Army during WWII were equipped with guns and were not afraid to kill. Reina Pennington interviewed several of these women, including Major Liubov Novik in her book Women in Combat in the Red Army. Novik tells her, "Whenever I recall the past now I am seized with terror, but at that time I could do anything- say, sleep next to a dead person, and I myself fired the rifle and saw blood. I remember only too well the especially strong smell of blood in the snow...but it wasn't that bad and I could go through anything."

3. Women should stay at home to take care of the family
This relates to a whole other debate about the traditional role of women as housewives. Men are equally capable of taking care of a family. Women don't have special powers that make them better at it than men. And I highly doubt that women would miss their kids more than men. I think a mother and a father love their kids equally.

Women Watch Porn

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The First Move

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If I see something I like, I go and get it! Men don't always have to make the first move. Women shouldn't feel like they have to hide their desires under discrete flirting and sexy looks. It's such a waste of time. I don't understand how women get excited when men try to win their affection:

Sexuality expert Paul Jackson writes in The Link:
“There is always a tension [in cultures like ours where romance and sexual relations are accepted as important and crucial to our identities] before you make known your interest in someone you’re sweet on. I had an old friend who said that the minute you asked someone out for coffee, the romance was over: it was the tension of not knowing whether you would be accepted that fuelled your passion. Accepted or rejected, the fun was over.”

This is a very bizarre concept for me to grasp. I don't call this romance or fun. If anything, it is frustrating trying to figure out someone feels about you. "Tension" is uncomfortable and awkward.

We need to stop playing these games and cut to the chase. Tell the person how you really feel and ask them out! But relationship correspondent for AskMen.com says being so straightforward with your feelings is dangerous and makes you look weak. She thinks an open heart makes women look vulnerable and weak. It will definitely put you at risk of getting hurt, but an open heart is absolutely essential if you wish to have an emotional connection with someone.

Videojug.com created a video tutorial on how to make the first move. Not surprisingly, the video depicts an awkward looking man trying to pick up a shy woman. Conversely, the site offers a video for shy woman that explains how to get men to approach them. This totally reaffirms the double standard.

But a good example of a woman breaking this double standard is on Sex and the City. Miranda and Steve love each other, but don't have the courage to tell one another. They are both seeing other people, but still go to dinner together and flirt with one another here and there. Finally, Miranda can't take it anymore and confesses her love to Steve. In just three words, Miranda and Steve stopped playing their little games and started dating again. It's so simple!

Miranda tells it like it is:

The Couric Catfight

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It was a historic moment when Katie Couric was hired to be the first woman to anchor the news solo in 2006. But, as per usual, the media took this opportunity to criticize her rather than praise her. This has caused future female journalists to shy away from following in her footsteps, causing a major backlash.

The editor of Accuracy in the Media Cliff Kincald wrote a nasty article explaining how Couric was just a ploy to boost ratings. "They still don't understand that it is liberal bias that is driving away viewers. Putting a pretty face and a sweet voice on liberal bias won't fool viewers for long."

Most critics felt she could not handle "hard news". She was used to doing the Today Show, which was mostly human interest stories. But not many people realized Couric's great journalism skills. Washington Post reporter Howard Kurtz writes in his book "Reality Show":

"The notion of a woman in a dress would be delivering the news challenged a cultural assumption deeply embedded in the country's psyche. What if there was another terrorist attack? Another killer hurricane? Would America really turn to Katie? ...Yes, Couric had some silly things before morning show audience. But she had also interviewed presidents, and business titans, had interviewed grieving families in times of tragedy, had been on the air at 9/11.Tom Brokaw had endured some of the same razzing when he jumped from Today to Nightly News, but nothing like this. Even in 2006, the country was conflicted over a woman taking a seat that had been long reserved for the other sex" (p.165)

Kurtz explains Couric's achievement turned out to be a detriment for some other female reporters. Diane Sawyer was offered the position as solo anchor for World News Tonight but refused. She knew the media would think she was trying to compete with Katie Couric. They would be viewed as "duelling divas". The media had already created a catfight between Sawyer and Barbara Walters. But in reality, the two had always shown respect and kindness for one another.

Just because two anchors are on competing networks does not mean they must hate one another. In fact, Brian Williams and Charlie Gibson are close friends. But the media never depicts them as a duelling duo!

This is one of the double standards I hate the most. There is nothing wrong with having women anchor the news by themselves. We need to get over this!

If you want to take a closer look at what other issues are effecting American television newsrooms, check out Reality Show by Howard Kurtz, It will show you what really goes on behind the camera.