So, a couple weeks ago there was a comic book convention held in California known as WonderCon. At said convention, a photo was taken which has since gone viral of a t-shirt a vendor was selling which said “I like my fangirls how I like my coffee. I hate coffee” accompanied by a drawing of a frowning mug spilling coffee. This may seem like a non-issue to some not aware of the harassment women in the nerd-centric industries face thanks to a small, albeit very vocal group of subconsciously insecure ne’er do wells, but to the more rationally minded members of this community, this is an issue that has far outstayed it’s welcome.
A “fangirl”, in case your wondering, is a pretty self-explanatory term meaning; a woman who partakes in hobbies that are generally considered geeky, like playing video games, reading comic books, or anything else in that same vein. The problem is, most of these hobbies are also generally considered masculine in nature, and that previously mentioned group of gentlemen consider girls liking the same stuff as them to be a proclamation of war on their “boy’s club”. This most recent example of this pathetic gender tug of war may not be the most aggressive, but it shows just how much of a problem it is that someone thought there was a big enough market and it was a good idea to pander to these people by printing t-shirts to sell to them.
Even from a pure logistical standpoint, it’s not exactly smart to force half the world’s population away from your community, especially if you want said community to thrive. The word ‘community’ is imperative here as well, because a lot fans treat it as if liking comics and other nerd-centric material is comparable to a secret, card-carrying society.
Guys, you’re reading Spider-Man. It’s not exactly the Free-Masons, or even the Stone-Cutters. Either way, your ownership of your favorite superhero begins and ends with the long boxes of comics in your room, not the fictional (let me emphasize that last word, FICTIONAL) character itself. Just because someone knows less about The Dark Phoenix Saga than you do does not make them less worthy of buying anX-Men comic, and someone’s appreciation of the medium isn’t less worthy than yours because they have two X chromosomes.
So, to anyone out there who actually spent money on the shirt in question and for some unfathomable reason decided it is a good idea to wear it in public; you’re not funny. In fact, you’re only hurting the fandom you claim to love so much. The only way your shirt could be any less funny is if it had a button that shouted Carlos Mencia jokes. Your posturing and “bold” statement would barely be acceptable on a kindergarten playground, and your attempts at forcing an entire gender out of your community is laughably similar to King Canute commanding the tide trying to hold the tide back. Just in case this seems like I’m being condescending, I’m a total nerd too. I own a Captain America shield, I almost cried the first time I saw The Dark Knight. I’m one of you, just’ y’know, minus all the childish sexism.