Over the course of these few months, I have documented a voyage through my home. I donned an invisibility cloak to quietly sneak through the dragon's cave, trying to find treasures in the world of gender and nerd culture. And as I stand on the brink of the ending of my long, unexpected journey, I find myself changed and my views shifted.
When I first started posting, I was biased. There is truly no other way to describe it. I was an angry nerd girl who wanted to blow the whistle on the "unforgivable crimes of inequality and misogyny" in the "still a boy's club" nerd culture. Anything that could've been taken the wrong way, I took it that way. And although I was willing to listen to the other side of the argument, I found myself nodding my head and rolling my eyes.
However, through these months, I find myself changed. Through my research, I have found that the changes that I brutally cried for have started to -- and, in some instances, have already -- come. Gender inequality has started to shift out of the dynamic and morals of nerd culture. Once an area filled with surprise boss fights now has leveled out. Sure, the changes are slow, but they have happened. And my shouts have now turned to calm conversation.
While donning this persona, I have grown in my views and voice. Yet, I believe that if I were to grow even more, I would have to create a new persona. It would be a metamorphosis. I would grown and change from this person of protest into the person that I have now become. And through that change I would have to take upon a new persona.
I do think that my perspectives of writing in general and writing online have definitely changed. Being an artist, I have always dreaded writing. I always had troubles articulating the ideas and themes that I had in my head onto the page through words. The only way I found myself liking writing was through creative writing. But now it's different. I now find enjoyment in writing. I enjoy looking up sources and writing everything out. I love connecting the dots and proving points. And the books I have read have helped me better articulate the thoughts that float around my head.
My opinions of online writing have also changed. Writing online was always viewed as a personal action. Blog posts or Tweets always seemed to be personal bits of my stream of consciousness. They weren't anything more or less than just someone's thoughts put directly onto the page. But now I see them for the valid piece of modern writing that they are. Blog posts don't have to be the rant about a new movie or the day you had. They can change minds and contribute to the conversation. Tweets aren't confined to the world of status updates and mindless conversation. They can be used to reach the world in so many words.
Moving forward, I definitely will find myself using what I have learned in my professional, personal, and academic futures. Writing online is a pinnacle aspect of my career. As someone who wants to work in communications, it's imperative to have a good grasp of online writing skills and a good online voice. Through what I have learned here, I will be applying the newly acquired voice and skills to my jobs. My academic work will also benefit. My new knowledge of social media writing will make my future academic work easier. It will help push forward the learning process in all aspects of the Communications field. And my personal future will benefit as well. In a way, it already has. My discussions with my friends have become more concise. I'm able to better understand the necessity behind social media platforms and how to use them to the fullest.
My journey has lead me through many worlds. Some of those worlds were foreign to me while some were familiar stomping grounds. I gone places and met people that I never thought I would meet. I have see all sides of the multi-faced polygon and listened to their stories. I know that my journey isn't truly over even as the semester comes to the end. There are more worlds to see and more people to meet. And I can't wait to start down the path....once I figure out how to read this damn map.
Until next time...Stay Nerdy My Friends.
The Undercover Hipster
Monday, May 4, 2015
Monday, April 20, 2015
#NerdsUnite Social Media Campaign
Nerd culture is one of many different branches and sub-sects. And even within those sub-communities, there are divides between all different flavor of nerd that you could imagine. We put ourselves into tinier and tinier boxes that the labels on these boxes end up being longer than the boxes themselves.
Well, I say no more. It's time for nerd culture to unite. For us to cast aside those stupid labels we've put on ourselves in order to fit into our nice, neat categories and to come together as one big, awesome culture.
The #NerdsUnite campaign is a Twitter and YouTube campaign that is meant to create a stronger bond as a subculture of nerdy individuals. The hopeful outcome of the campaign is to break down the dividing walls between the sub-sects and their segregated populations.
#NerdsUnite applies to anyone in any community in nerd culture. You can be a gamer, a cosplayer, a comic book nerd, or just your run of the mill average nerd. Your race, gender identity, sexuality, etc doesn't matter.
The campaign will start on Twitter, but will eventually have a dual presence on YouTube. Videos concerning stories, tweets, or anything else concerning the campaign will be welcomed on the site. Hopefully, spreading like wildfire across the internet.
Give us a tweet using #NerdsUnite. Tell us why you're a nerd, what it means for you to be a nerd, or just give us a shout out! Let's come together and show the world that our final form is truly nerdtastic.
Well, I say no more. It's time for nerd culture to unite. For us to cast aside those stupid labels we've put on ourselves in order to fit into our nice, neat categories and to come together as one big, awesome culture.
The #NerdsUnite campaign is a Twitter and YouTube campaign that is meant to create a stronger bond as a subculture of nerdy individuals. The hopeful outcome of the campaign is to break down the dividing walls between the sub-sects and their segregated populations.
#NerdsUnite applies to anyone in any community in nerd culture. You can be a gamer, a cosplayer, a comic book nerd, or just your run of the mill average nerd. Your race, gender identity, sexuality, etc doesn't matter.
The campaign will start on Twitter, but will eventually have a dual presence on YouTube. Videos concerning stories, tweets, or anything else concerning the campaign will be welcomed on the site. Hopefully, spreading like wildfire across the internet.
Give us a tweet using #NerdsUnite. Tell us why you're a nerd, what it means for you to be a nerd, or just give us a shout out! Let's come together and show the world that our final form is truly nerdtastic.
Social Media Campaign Critique: Always's #LikeAGirl Campaign
Feminine care product companies aren't historically known for being..."forward thinking" with their commercials. More often than not, the ads are riddled with stereotypical heteronormative feminine tropes. And to this day, I still cannot comprehend how having a tampon that isn't the size of a piece of gum will deter me from having fun at a party.
Yet, earlier this year, the company Always took one big step in the right direction with their #LikeAGirl Campaign. The campaign started with a YouTube video ad where girls and boys of different ages are asked what it means to do something and do an action "like a girl." And what comes next caused a shockwave throughout the world. The video and campaign gained so much attention that it made the top 5 of YouTube's Most Popular Ads list.
The campaign took to Twitter where people of all sexes and genders came together to support the campaign and its message. People shared memorable stories about strong women who inspired them. They posted tweets about how they "___ #LikeAGirl" and that was, not just okay, but badass. The tweets all showed the world that, not only do girls do it harder and stronger, but also with absolutely no care that we're doing it "like a girl".
What I loved so much about this campaign was the extreme amount of positivity that was put into it as well as came out of it. It was infectious. You would read a handful of tweets and feel this prideful glow about you either about yourself or the strong women in your life. You would read stories and feel inspired to work harder, to go stronger.
It was the first time in, at least my lifetime, that it was good to do things like a girl. And what was even better, was that this pride didn't even apply solely to females. I know plenty of males who were inspired by the campaign.
The negative critique that I would have about the campaign was the company's lack of continuing on the idea in their later adverts. After the #LikeAGirl campaign, Always went back to producing stereotypical heteronormative feminine care product commercials. Butterflies, bright colors, and "girly" designs still make their mark in all of their current commercials. And while that tactic sells the product, it is counterintuitive to all the hard work that they put into this feminine strength campaign.
You can watch the #LikeAGirl Campaign advert video here. And remember, nothing is wrong with doing something #LikeAGirl.
Yet, earlier this year, the company Always took one big step in the right direction with their #LikeAGirl Campaign. The campaign started with a YouTube video ad where girls and boys of different ages are asked what it means to do something and do an action "like a girl." And what comes next caused a shockwave throughout the world. The video and campaign gained so much attention that it made the top 5 of YouTube's Most Popular Ads list.
The campaign took to Twitter where people of all sexes and genders came together to support the campaign and its message. People shared memorable stories about strong women who inspired them. They posted tweets about how they "___ #LikeAGirl" and that was, not just okay, but badass. The tweets all showed the world that, not only do girls do it harder and stronger, but also with absolutely no care that we're doing it "like a girl".
What I loved so much about this campaign was the extreme amount of positivity that was put into it as well as came out of it. It was infectious. You would read a handful of tweets and feel this prideful glow about you either about yourself or the strong women in your life. You would read stories and feel inspired to work harder, to go stronger.
It was the first time in, at least my lifetime, that it was good to do things like a girl. And what was even better, was that this pride didn't even apply solely to females. I know plenty of males who were inspired by the campaign.
The negative critique that I would have about the campaign was the company's lack of continuing on the idea in their later adverts. After the #LikeAGirl campaign, Always went back to producing stereotypical heteronormative feminine care product commercials. Butterflies, bright colors, and "girly" designs still make their mark in all of their current commercials. And while that tactic sells the product, it is counterintuitive to all the hard work that they put into this feminine strength campaign.
You can watch the #LikeAGirl Campaign advert video here. And remember, nothing is wrong with doing something #LikeAGirl.
Monday, April 13, 2015
The Royalty in the Other Castles • Issue #2 • "Cosplay Conundrum"
Page 1 (16 Panels)
Panel 1 - LONG PANEL - INT. WIDE SHOT - The living room is more organized. The suitcases and clothing has been removed and the furniture is set up in a more homey fashion. Posters from well-known television shows, movies, and comic books cover the walls. Small blue lights are hung along the top of the walls along the molding. We can see three doors that line the walls. Each of the doors has a small sign on it, but we cannot see the writing on them.
Panel 1 - LONG PANEL - INT. WIDE SHOT - The living room is more organized. The suitcases and clothing has been removed and the furniture is set up in a more homey fashion. Posters from well-known television shows, movies, and comic books cover the walls. Small blue lights are hung along the top of the walls along the molding. We can see three doors that line the walls. Each of the doors has a small sign on it, but we cannot see the writing on them.
MORRIGAN CAREY (OFF)
(BURST)
Absolutely NOT!
Panel 2 - MED. PANEL - BUST SHOT - Morrigan looks irritated and angry. Her arms are crossed along her chest. She is glaring at someone off panel. She is dressed as though she is ready to go: her black leather jacket on top of her League of Legends team shirt. Her hair is up and her backpack on.
MORRIGAN CAREY
I absolutely refuse to allow my younger sister to go to a gaming tournament looking like that!
Panel 3 - SM. PANEL - CLOSE UP - Anne's head is tilted to the side and her hand is up. She looks confused as she matches her sister's gaze that is off panel. She is wearing a red, long curly wig and a large, pirate-style tricorn hat. It's apparent that she is in cosplay for something.
ANNE CAREY
Why? It's a damn accurate cosplay of your favorite character?! I mean --
Panel 4 - TALL PANEL - FULL BODY - Anne is dressed up as the character Miss Fortune from the game League of Legends (Source). One of her hands is on her hip, holding a prop gun, while the other is down. Her expression is one of confusion and irritation.
ANNE CAREY (CONT'D)
-- What's wrong with it?!
Panel 5 - SM. PANEL - BUST SHOT - Morrigan closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose. Her head is tilted down.
SFX: Sigh
Panel 6 - MED. PANEL - BUST SHOT - Morrigan brings down her arm back so it's crossed across her chest and looks up at Anne. Her face has shifted from irritated to concerned.
Panel 7 - MED. PANEL - MED. SHOT - Anne rolls her eyes in frustration. Her arms down at her side in fists, as though she were a child stamping to get attention.
SFX: Sighs
Panel 8 - SM. PANEL - CLOSE UP - Morrigan's hand is brought to her chin as though she is thinking. She is looking up and biting her lip. Her expression is pensive as she thinks of a way to fix the situation in the allotted time.
Panel 9 - SM. PANEL - CLOSE UP - Morrigan has a devilish look on her face. One of her eyebrows is cocked and her head is tilted to the side. A small lightbulb pops up next to her head. She's snapping her fingers.
SFX: Pop
SFX: Finger Snap
SFX: Sigh
Panel 6 - MED. PANEL - BUST SHOT - Morrigan brings down her arm back so it's crossed across her chest and looks up at Anne. Her face has shifted from irritated to concerned.
MORRIGAN CAREY
Nothing is wrong with it! It's just that...you can't go to a competition filled with horny, socially awkward people dressed like a pirate hooker! You're going to get yourself in trouble!
Panel 7 - MED. PANEL - MED. SHOT - Anne rolls her eyes in frustration. Her arms down at her side in fists, as though she were a child stamping to get attention.
SFX: Sighs
ANNE CAREY
Then what do you suppose I should do about it?! I'm not changing! I worked hard on this outfit and to not wear it would be stupid!
Panel 8 - SM. PANEL - CLOSE UP - Morrigan's hand is brought to her chin as though she is thinking. She is looking up and biting her lip. Her expression is pensive as she thinks of a way to fix the situation in the allotted time.
MORRIGAN CAREY
Hmmm...
Panel 9 - SM. PANEL - CLOSE UP - Morrigan has a devilish look on her face. One of her eyebrows is cocked and her head is tilted to the side. A small lightbulb pops up next to her head. She's snapping her fingers.
SFX: Pop
SFX: Finger Snap
MORRIGAN CAREY (CONT'D)
I have the perfect idea!
Panel 10 - LONG PANEL - BLACK OUT - The entire panel is black saved for the words "20 Minutes Later" that are white and in the center of the panel.
Panel 11 - LARGE PANEL - EXT. SEMI-WIDE SHOT - Murphy and Pat are waiting at the bottom of the stairs in front of the building. Pat is looking down at their watch while Murphy is playing on a portable video game console.
PAT FLYNN
I wonder what's taking them so long? They said that they would be ready soon and that was twenty minutes ago!
SFX: Boop, Crash, Beep.
Panel 12 - MED. PANEL - EXT. SEMI-WIDE SHOT - Pat looks up at his watch at Murphy who is still playing his game. He doesn't look phased by the wait at all while Pat looks even more worried at Murphy's answer. The two of them don't even notice Morrigan and Anne exit the building and stand in front of the front door.
SFX: Boop, Crash, Beep.
MURPHY QUINN
Don't worry about it! I'm sure that they'll be down soon! Maybe Anne got stuck in the doorway again!
PAT FLYNN
Yeah...maybe...
Panel 13 - MED. PANEL - EXT. MED. SHOT - Pat and Murphy's gazes are still down as Morrigan speaks to them from off panel.
MORRIGAN CAREY (OFF)
Sorry to keep y'all waiting! We had to make some slight last minute cosplay modifications to Anne's outfit.
Panel 14 - SM. PANEL - EXT. MED. SHOT - Pat and Murphy are looking up at Anne and Morrigan, their expressions the same as they were in the previous panel.
Panel 15 - SM. PANEL - EXT. MED. SHOT - The panel is the same as the previous, but instead the expressions of Pat and Murphy are now changed. Their eyes are wide as big smiles are on their faces.
Panel 16 - WIDE PANEL - EXT. SEMI-WIDE SHOT - Pat and Murphy are laughing off panel. Morrigan is smiling widely next to her sister who is slouching next to her, obviously irritated. Anne's outfit is now an amalgamation of the champions Teemo and Miss Fortune, only the outfit turned out horribly. She ended up looking like a fat pirate chipmunk.
SFX: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
MORRIGAN CAREY
See! I told you they would like it!
ANNE CAREY
I'm going to shed all over everything you love...
The Royalty in the Other Castles • Issue #1 • "Fandoms are Coming..."
Page 1 (10 Panels)
Panel 1 - LONG PANEL - EXT. - The sun shines down on an old, large apartment building. The brick façade looks worn down despite the modern windows that litter the front of it. The building is bookended by two other apartment buildings that differ in size and design. Bikes crowd around the entrance as small cars line the street in front of them. The area is calm.
Caption: Long ago...
Panel 2 - MED. PANEL - EXT. - We move in closer on the door to the apartment building. There is a black box next to the door with numbers and names on it. The numbers are clear while the names are still blurry. Plants grow in planters on the outside of the bottom floor windows.
Caption: ...in a city that wasn't that far away...
Panel 3 - MED. PANEL - EXT. CU - We are now close up on one of the names on the black box next to the front door. We can clearly see the name and number listed. They read "404" and the name "Carey." Out of the sides of the panels we can see some of a speaker and a button.
Caption: ...there was a great injustice...
Panel 4 - LONG PANEL - INT. - An interior shot of a hallway in the apartment building. There are two doors in front of us with numbers on them. The numbers are "404" and "406." The façade is still and sterile in appearances.
Caption: ...against the world of -- fandoms.
Panel 5 - LONG PANEL - INT. - Same shot as before.
MURPHY QUINN (OFF)
(Shouting Balloon)
I CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN HOW WRONG YOU ARE!
Panel 6 - SM./MED. PANEL - INT. - The apartment is filled with boxes and suitcases. Furniture is sparse and basic. There is a couch, small armchair, and coffee table that has been haphazardly put together in the center of the Living Room. Some clothes are strewn about on the floor.
MURPHY QUINN (OFF)
(BURST)
How dare you include Stephanie and Damian but exclude Jason?!
PAT FLYNN (OFF)
(BURST)
How dare I?! He was a snot nosed punk who didn't deserve to be by Batman's side AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT! You just can't admit it because you're a pretentious prick!
Panel 7 - DEBATE PANEL #1 - CLOSE UP - Murphy is glaring at Murphy. Tiny flames can be seen in his eyes as he yells at his friend.
MURPHY QUINN
(BURST)
Well I'm sorry that you and the rest of the comic book world just couldn't handle the true skill that Jason had as being a Robin!
Panel 8 - DEBATE PANEL #2 - CLOSE UP - Pat is snarling. His glare matches his friend's in intensity and fire.
PAT FLYNN
(BURST)
What skill? You mean the skill of making every single damn thing he said and did annoying?! I'm surprised Bruce handled it for as long as he did!!
Panel 9 - SM. PANEL - CLOSE UP - Morrigan has a fed-up look on her face as she holds up a finger, cutting off the two bickering friends.
MORRIGAN CAREY
Hey guys...not that I don't love your fervor about this topic --
MORRIGAN CAREY (CONT'D)
-- But... --
Panel 10 - LONG PANEL - INT. MED. SHOT - The four characters, ANNE, MORRIGAN, PAT, AND MURPHY, are sitting at a small round table. Small white cartons filled with take-out Chinese food fill the center. Each character has a small plate in front of them with some food on it. We are looking straight at Morrigan with Pat to her right and Murphy to her left. The only part of Anne that we see is her back.
MORRIGAN CAREY (CONT'D)
-- Can this wait until after dinner...when there are no sharp objects around?
Monday, April 6, 2015
Nerd Culture Infographic Series | #2 | Cosplay Culture
The cosplay subculture has promoted camaraderie, creativity, and openness since it's birth in the late 1990's. Cosplay has become a safe haven for most nerds, a place where they could show off their dedication and love for a character to a like-minded group. However, there is a lead lining to this cloud 9 subculture.
Cosplayers have reported many problems both from outsiders and fellow cosplayers. Here are the top five problems that cosplayers have come in contact with...and continue to plague the creative subculture.
Cosplayers have reported many problems both from outsiders and fellow cosplayers. Here are the top five problems that cosplayers have come in contact with...and continue to plague the creative subculture.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
Sources:
Nerd Culture Infographic Series | #1 | Video Game Culture
It has become old news that there is a gender problem in video game culture. Articles and studies have been written about the problems facing one of the biggest sects of nerd culture. In recent years, the exposure - both bad and good - has only grown with social media events and stories. And while many people will say that it's a problem that's fixed, it seems that all is not what it seems.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
Sources:
Nerd Culture Infographic Series
Nerd culture is a widely popular mainstream subculture. It has many sub-sects and communities that branch out, creating a twisted, 8-bit root system. However, the roots in this tree are knotted and rotted in some areas. And this rotting has poisoned the morals of some of these larger sub-sects and communities. Especially in the world of gender politics.
Most botanists would remove these roots and study them in order to try and cure the rest of the trees that are effected. And my dissection comes in the form of infographics.
In this short series, I will be looking at two prevalent sub-communities in contemporary Nerd Culture:
Through these infographics, I will be exploring:
This dissection will get messy. But what's research without a little mess in the name of all things nerdy?
Most botanists would remove these roots and study them in order to try and cure the rest of the trees that are effected. And my dissection comes in the form of infographics.
In this short series, I will be looking at two prevalent sub-communities in contemporary Nerd Culture:
• Video Game Culture
• Cosplay Culture
Through these infographics, I will be exploring:
• How gender plays into these communities
• What problems face the community and the industry
• How it has changed in the past years
• Etc
This dissection will get messy. But what's research without a little mess in the name of all things nerdy?
Monday, March 30, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
"The Royalty in the Other Castles" Online Comic | Executive Summary
Technology has influenced our ways of looking at the world both for the good and the bad. While it has given us the ability to experience other cultures, it has also created a barrier that we as a society have grown attached to. A barrier that has made it hard for some of us to connect with each other. And with its constant interaction with technology, nerd culture has started to suffer. Bigotry, harassment, threats, and verbal attacks are just some of the behaviors that have become sadly commonplace in the culture's world. These behaviors have found their targets on many sub-sects of the nerd culture population from female nerds to nerds of different sexualities. There are those who have tried to stand up against the injustice, but their cries have fallen on covered ears.
Yet, there could be light at the of the warp pipe. Where others have tried to change nerd culture's ideas with mainstream and traditional ideas, it seems there is a way they haven't tried. And that's through a language that all members of nerd culture seem to understand: comic books.
The Royalty in the Other Castles is an online comic that is updated twice a month. The storyline follows four roommates through their daily journeys in nerd culture. The four roommates span multiple spectrums of identity such as Nerd/Geek identity, sexuality, and gender. The overall tone of the comic will be humorous, but most the topics that they discuss and the situations they experience will be serious. The characters will have to deal with a variety of situations from fandom drama to harassment and threats. Through the comic, the audience will be able to see the current issues in nerd culture through a raw, honest lens.
The Royalty in the Other Castles is a small time project that would require that many people involved. There would be a couple of artists and writers to create the comic as well as a small staff of editors, web designers, and social media directors to help manage the website and overall production.
Funding for a project such as this will be rocky. Being an independently published web comic can eat into any earnings that you might make. Yet, I believe that going to the site Kickstarter would be an adequate way of getting the money needed while gaining exposure in the process. The money would be going towards equipment, software, and web hosting for the comic's production. With cushion funds for repairs and other mishaps that might happen along the way, the total funding for this project would come to about $9,500. It is a bit steep, but the money would be going towards a good cause.
The timeline for Royalty is not a standard timeline. The first order of business would be to raise the funds necessary to get the comic strip started. From past experience, such a popular form of nerd culture media with such a cause would take around a year and a half at most to raise the money. After the funds are reached, there would be a two month break in order to get the devices, set up a studio, and start work on the first piece. The final part of the timeline would be the creation and updating of the comic. The timeline for the final portion would be indefinite until the creators decide to end the comic. Yet, the comic will be updated on a bi-monthly schedule. This would give the creators, editors, and designers a chance to create the comic and then go over and tweak anything.
The goal of The Royalty in the Other Castles is a simple goal: raise awareness and change minds. Comic books have a long history of tackling troublesome and hot social topics. From drug abuse to mass death to historical first moments, the list of topics commented on by comic books goes on. Yet, I chose a medium that allows for some levity. Although the comic will be touching sensitive and serious topics, entertainment allows for the audience to want to read the comic further rather than get bored with the soap box it could become. Through this comic, I want to show the world a first hand look at what it's like to be the one with the target on their back. To be afraid to walk around a convention floor because of harassment. To need to lie about your sexuality so you don't get attacked while playing video games online. To see what it's like to be silenced in a conversation because of your sex or gender. And all while making clever nerd culture references in the process.
Yet, there could be light at the of the warp pipe. Where others have tried to change nerd culture's ideas with mainstream and traditional ideas, it seems there is a way they haven't tried. And that's through a language that all members of nerd culture seem to understand: comic books.
The Royalty in the Other Castles is an online comic that is updated twice a month. The storyline follows four roommates through their daily journeys in nerd culture. The four roommates span multiple spectrums of identity such as Nerd/Geek identity, sexuality, and gender. The overall tone of the comic will be humorous, but most the topics that they discuss and the situations they experience will be serious. The characters will have to deal with a variety of situations from fandom drama to harassment and threats. Through the comic, the audience will be able to see the current issues in nerd culture through a raw, honest lens.
The Royalty in the Other Castles is a small time project that would require that many people involved. There would be a couple of artists and writers to create the comic as well as a small staff of editors, web designers, and social media directors to help manage the website and overall production.
Funding for a project such as this will be rocky. Being an independently published web comic can eat into any earnings that you might make. Yet, I believe that going to the site Kickstarter would be an adequate way of getting the money needed while gaining exposure in the process. The money would be going towards equipment, software, and web hosting for the comic's production. With cushion funds for repairs and other mishaps that might happen along the way, the total funding for this project would come to about $9,500. It is a bit steep, but the money would be going towards a good cause.
The timeline for Royalty is not a standard timeline. The first order of business would be to raise the funds necessary to get the comic strip started. From past experience, such a popular form of nerd culture media with such a cause would take around a year and a half at most to raise the money. After the funds are reached, there would be a two month break in order to get the devices, set up a studio, and start work on the first piece. The final part of the timeline would be the creation and updating of the comic. The timeline for the final portion would be indefinite until the creators decide to end the comic. Yet, the comic will be updated on a bi-monthly schedule. This would give the creators, editors, and designers a chance to create the comic and then go over and tweak anything.
The goal of The Royalty in the Other Castles is a simple goal: raise awareness and change minds. Comic books have a long history of tackling troublesome and hot social topics. From drug abuse to mass death to historical first moments, the list of topics commented on by comic books goes on. Yet, I chose a medium that allows for some levity. Although the comic will be touching sensitive and serious topics, entertainment allows for the audience to want to read the comic further rather than get bored with the soap box it could become. Through this comic, I want to show the world a first hand look at what it's like to be the one with the target on their back. To be afraid to walk around a convention floor because of harassment. To need to lie about your sexuality so you don't get attacked while playing video games online. To see what it's like to be silenced in a conversation because of your sex or gender. And all while making clever nerd culture references in the process.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
"You're Pretty Good at Games for a Girl" | My Worst PAXEast Experience
Warning: The following is a personal account of harassment. If you are triggered by harassment in any way or form, please read with caution.
My PAXEast Experience
Before spring break, I made a post stating that I would be attending the major video gaming convention PAXEast in early March. Well, I've been there, done that, and got amazing SWAG. But, I also received quite an interesting experience along the way. An experience that highlights both the wonders and the downers of both nerd culture and video gaming culture.
So, buckle your seat belts and hold on tight to those controllers because this isn't your grandma's boss fight.
I arrived at the con in the mid-afternoon. The first panel that I managed to make was a panel concerning my favorite YouTuber Markiplier.
But, the experience that stands out most in my head would have to be the moment that I was the subject to uncomfortable harassment by an attendee. To read about that, check out the stand alone post I made about it.
So, buckle your seat belts and hold on tight to those controllers because this isn't your grandma's boss fight.
I arrived at the con in the mid-afternoon. The first panel that I managed to make was a panel concerning my favorite YouTuber Markiplier.
This panel was more for personal interest in the celebrity than for my project. Therefore the only information I have to report is that it was completely awesome to meet my favorite YouTuber. The other panel that I was interested in going to was later that day.
Unfortunately, I was unable to make the panel due to train scheduling problems. It was a sad situation, but I'm hoping to find a recording of the panel somewhere online. That way, I'm able to watch it and experience it despite having to leave the convention without seeing it.
After making my way out of the panel and down onto the convention floor, I was, well, floored by how large the convention was. Large booths were more small cities that were bordered by lines of people that wrapped around them. Below are some pictures I managed to take while on the convention floor, but I will be honest in that they don't do the sheer huge-ness of the show justice.
My overall experience at the convention was great. It was a convention that I have longed to go to since I was young. And everything that I got to try was amazing. Yet there were some parts of the day that tore away at the fun that I was having.
The first part was some attendees' reciprocation of cosplayers. Now, just as with every convention, I decided to go in cosplay. My costume choice was to do a cute, human version of the Pokémon Umbreon.
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To keep a long description short, my outfit consisted of: a skirt with attached tail, crop top, tights, boots, a beanie with ears, and an under bust corset. Because Umbreon is a Dark type Pokémon, I wanted to keep the design dark, Gothic, but cute, fun and recognizable. I got stopped for photographs quite a bit and my character was recognized. All in all I thought it was a good cosplay. However, there were some people on the convention floor who didn't enjoy, not just my cosplaying, but cosplaying in general quite as much.
Quite often, I would find myself overhearing comments about my cosplay. Whether it was my choice to wear a corset or how "short" -- apparently just above my knees is 'short' -- my skirt was, it seemed as though what I was wearing was of huge concern to the people around me. Being a cosplayer for three years, I know that I will be judged by everyone who sees me on the floor. Cosplay is a subculture where critiquing is commonplace. Yet, when my cosplay one of the more covering cosplays I saw that day, I started to get irritated that what I was wearing was causing concern.
The topic of cosplayers being at the convention was a subject that seemed to bring strife to some attendees. It seemed as though that every time I was stopped for a picture or had a compliment given to me, there was a time when someone made a comment about "how much cosplaying is ruining PAX" or "how these 'fake' gamers are only there to cosplay" or "how cosplayers shouldn't bother with coming." It was disheartening to say the least, but I could understand their points.
PAXEast is a widely recognized video gaming convention. It's a place for major video game companies to come forward and show off their newest toys and games to the masses. It's a place for Independent - "Indie" - developers to bring in media attention to their newer titles. It's a place for tabletop companies to give you exclusive releases to add to your decks. The core interest of the convention is gaming. So it's natural for long-time, dedicated PAX con-goers to be distressed to see cosplay growing in popularity at the convention. However, I personally think that completely discrediting someone just because they chose to come in costume to a gaming convention is ridiculous and elitist. Cosplay is a fantastic and creative way to show appreciation for all nerd media. Whether it's comic books, television shows, movies, or, yes, video games, to put the time and effort to make and wear a costume of a character shows a level of fan appreciation that I, again personally, think goes beyond just loving the medium their from. And while yes it can be annoying to try and move around someone in large, Worbla armor that lights up and takes up the space of two people, saying that cosplay is "ruining" the convention is simply untrue.
The second part was the concern of my sex. Throughout the day, I found myself stuck in a situation that, sadly, is all too common for me: the treatment of female gamers. Being a gamer and being a woman has always lead to some difficult situations. I have been pushed aside, laughed at, scoffed at. But, at the same time, I've been seen as some mythical being emerging from the mists of fantasy when my male counterparts realize that I wasn't a "fake gamer girl." And I wasn't able to escape this treatment at PAX.
At some booths, I would struggle to keep my place in line. One attendee cut in front of me and, after I politely explained that I was in line, he bluntly said "Oh...I just thought you were waiting in line with your boyfriend." At other booths, I found exhibitors explaining aspects of the game and answering questions to my partner or my male friends when I was the one who asked the question or made the inquiry. I had to stand in front of my partner at one booth because the exhibitor almost refused to answer me.
But, the experience that stands out most in my head would have to be the moment that I was the subject to uncomfortable harassment by an attendee. To read about that, check out the stand alone post I made about it.
PAXEast 2015 was an overall good experience. I had fun, I saw a lot of neat games and technologies, and I managed to meet a few of my idols. Yet, there were some lead linings to this cloud 9 experience. Despite the changes made in the recent years following the GamerGate controversy and other nerd culture icons speaking out, I still found myself in the position I've been in for most of my life: receiving different treatment because I was a woman who identified as a gamer. But instead of ripping my fun from me, it fueled my passion. It pushed me to keep on going forward with this blog and this area of study. There is so much more that needs to be done to bring about change and I'm not giving up.
I may have lost a life in this boss fight, but I have two more. And I'm not wasting either of them.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Pitch #2 | The Royalty in the Other Castles: Online Comic
Comics are a huge part of nerd culture. Since its beginning, it has grown to earn a place as one of the corner stones of the culture. And whether you are an avid collector and reader or a casual onlooker and fan, the world of comics is a familiar world to every nerd. In recent years, the Internet breathed new life into the world of comic books. It offered a place for everyone and anyone to create, publish, and promote their own comics that broke the mold from the traditional comic book style of the past.
The Royalty in the Other Castles online comic strip is a weekly comic that discusses the world of nerd culture through the lens of four roommates that span multiple spectrums including race, sexuality, and gender. The overall tone of the comic will be humorous, but the discussion topics will be serious. The four characters will deal with everything from favorite show drama to harassment. The reason for making the characters span different spectrums is to help bring to light, not only gender issues and nerd culture, but other issues as well.
The Royalty in the Other Castles online comic strip is a weekly comic that discusses the world of nerd culture through the lens of four roommates that span multiple spectrums including race, sexuality, and gender. The overall tone of the comic will be humorous, but the discussion topics will be serious. The four characters will deal with everything from favorite show drama to harassment. The reason for making the characters span different spectrums is to help bring to light, not only gender issues and nerd culture, but other issues as well.
Pitch #1 | In the Line of Fire: Gender, Nerd Culture, and the Women Who Play Hard
In recent years, with nerd culture assimilating more into popular culture, documentary films on the culture have been popping up left and right. Documentaries on video gaming culture, cosplaying culture, and all different sects of nerd culture that were previously hidden away are now in the spotlight. Yet, there is one documentary that has yet to break ground.
And that is the documentary film I want to create.
In the Line of Fire: Gender, Nerd Culture, and the Women Who Play Hard is a documentary film that follows a group of women who participate in nerd culture in different ways, but come together in solidarity over the behavior and reactions they have received. The film is a way to bring to light the prejudice and bigotry in nerd culture that has been thrown at its female members. And also to help incite change in society by showing how the group of women confront the prejudice and harassment.
In the Line of Fire's concept works because it is a way to depict the severe gender divide in nerd culture through a raw, uncut, uncensored fashion. Through the camera's eyes, the audience will be able to see just how horrible of an effect the gender divide has, not only the members of nerd culture, but the morals and ideals held by the culture. Instances of harassment, threats, discrimination, and prejudice are just some of the events that will be shown throughout the film. And while most film producers would tread carefully as to not tarnish the reputation of the culture, the film will remain true, raw, and uncensored. There will be no rose-tinted lens on the scenarios that these women go through.
While the content will be intriguing and shocking, the overall impact of the film is to incite change. Many people, both inside and outside of nerd culture, don't understand the severity of the issue of gender and nerd culture. They claim that it's just the way it's always been. Or that these women are being "too touchy" or "too sensitive." The film will open the public's eyes to what it actually means to be a female nerd and the repercussions that come with taking on that identity.
And that is the documentary film I want to create.
In the Line of Fire: Gender, Nerd Culture, and the Women Who Play Hard is a documentary film that follows a group of women who participate in nerd culture in different ways, but come together in solidarity over the behavior and reactions they have received. The film is a way to bring to light the prejudice and bigotry in nerd culture that has been thrown at its female members. And also to help incite change in society by showing how the group of women confront the prejudice and harassment.
In the Line of Fire's concept works because it is a way to depict the severe gender divide in nerd culture through a raw, uncut, uncensored fashion. Through the camera's eyes, the audience will be able to see just how horrible of an effect the gender divide has, not only the members of nerd culture, but the morals and ideals held by the culture. Instances of harassment, threats, discrimination, and prejudice are just some of the events that will be shown throughout the film. And while most film producers would tread carefully as to not tarnish the reputation of the culture, the film will remain true, raw, and uncensored. There will be no rose-tinted lens on the scenarios that these women go through.
While the content will be intriguing and shocking, the overall impact of the film is to incite change. Many people, both inside and outside of nerd culture, don't understand the severity of the issue of gender and nerd culture. They claim that it's just the way it's always been. Or that these women are being "too touchy" or "too sensitive." The film will open the public's eyes to what it actually means to be a female nerd and the repercussions that come with taking on that identity.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Alternate Publishing Plan
After looking around the Internet for sites, I've decided on an unconventional site to post my article on. The website that I would want to publish my article on is the news blogging site Kotaku. While most people would want their article published in a journal or newspaper, my beat is more directed at a younger audience. With that being said, the best place for me to put my article would be a popular news site that talks about general nerd culture news.
Kotaku isn't a standard news site. There isn't a set list of rules about what a certain post has to be on and how long it has to be. Sure, there was a post that taught you how to "use" the site. But, there wasn't a list of set rules about what a post was and wasn't supposed to have. So when I went in search of submission guidelines, I came back empty handed. The only stipulation that I seemed to find was that I had to be a registered member. Yet, that didn't sadden me. I was excited to learn that I had such a freedom to write about what I wanted. I'm not tied down to writing about only video games or other topics. I could write about anything, making my article welcome to the community.
While most readers know Kotaku as a video game news site, other topics are welcome. Especially when the topics revolve around nerd culture. My article is about gender and nerd culture. It's a general overview about the history and complicated relationship between the two. With my topic being centered on a common theme, I knew that my article would be at home on the site. It would create more of a conversation in the community on the topic.
At the Halfway Point
For the past couple of months, I've explored the world of nerd culture and gender. I allowed myself to see both the good and the bad. Yet, while my actions come from the right place, the journey hasn't been easy. And these difficulties have helped form and shape my stance and view on a culture that I grew up so closely to.
After looking back at the posts on my blog, I still feel as though the beat that I have chosen is the right one. The connection that I have with the topic has grown stronger through the research that I have done. Along with that, I learned more about the world of nerd culture and gender politics. Before, my passion was based on personal experiences and research from past projects. However, now my new knowledge has brought to light more information that strengthened my bond and passion.
At this halfway point, I still like my blog. The design is one that I enjoy. And the posts that I have made are ones that I think adequately represent my research. The only critiques that I would have on my current blog is to go back and do extensive re-edits of some of my posts. This would be in order to push them closer to fully realising my research. Along with that, I would want to add a few more researched posts. I have developed my voice on Twitter, but I still feel there is some development to had on my blog.
My experiment is one that's working well. By focusing on a particular sect of nerd culture for each week, it has enabled me to narrow down my efforts. I am able to research and find credible resources. I am also able to give all of my attention to the particular sub-sect of that week. However, I think that I might be changing my experiment for the remainder of this semester. Instead of working on a sub-sect a week, I might extend the time that I focus on the sub-sect for two weeks. This would allow me to research more on the topic and explore the sub-sect even more.
Just as with my reasons for choosing this beat, my reasons for sticking with this beat is because of how much it means to me. I have seen harassment and bigotry in nerd culture since my middle school years. I have experienced many injustices towards others based on gender and the backwards morals of nerd culture. And my personal experiences aren't the only ones that have happened. Through my research, I've read about other people -- of all genders and sexes -- and their experiences with bigotry in nerd culture. Through their stories, I have been inspired even more to research and bring to light the morals and ideals of nerd culture that perpetuate prejudice and intolerance.
I have struggled to keep my posts objective. Yet, with such a strong tie to this subject, the struggle came with the territory when I chose this beat. It's something that I'm going to continue to struggle with, but it's a struggle that I want to overcome. I want to overcome it because I want to learn as much about this beat as possible and relay the information and research that I have found in a reliable manner.
My Journey to PAXEast
Conventions are a hub of nerd culture activity. Members of all different sub-sects from all over nerd culture come together to celebrate anything from pop culture to video games. Celebrities come to shake the hands of fans. Independent artists host booths in order to get discovered. Panels bring the world of whatever media is on display to the world of their fans. And being a fangirl and a member of nerd culture, conventions are a way for me to experience and socialize with my fellow nerds in the best way possible.
Earlier this year, I managed to purchase a ticket for the annual PAXEast convention in Boston, MA. The convention is a celebration of video games and video gaming culture. Tournaments are held all day throughout the weekend. Video gaming companies and celebrities hold panels to discuss anything from development to general queries. Being a gamer, I'm excited to participate in this important annual event. But, I'm also excited to attend the event as a scholar studying nerd culture. The event will give me a hands on way of looking at, not only video gaming culture, but also nerd culture as a whole.
And I'm not the only one who is interested. While perusing the schedule site, I found myself honing in on a particular panel.
The panel captured my eye because of how it's focusing on the gaming identity and culture along with the bigger geek/nerd culture and identity. With this being such an interesting panel, I plan on, not only taking notes and recording the panel, but I plan on giving my opinions on the research and information presented at the panel.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
WeRNerdCulture: New Application!
Are you sick of being told your opinions don't matter because you're a girl?
Maybe you saw something at a local convention that you need to tell someone about?
Perhaps you want to share your experience to sympathetic ears?
Or perhaps you just need to talk to other nerds who don't care about your gender, sex, race, age, or anything in between?
Well, we can help. We are WeRNerdCulture.
WeRNerdCulture is a campaign that as started to eradicate the harassment, bigotry, and violence that has started to gain momentum in Nerd Culture. We promote equality and all around nerdy-ness through anonymous postings on our forums. We hold events at conventions and have spoken out at numerous panels about the rampant intolerance and harassment that has become a sad norm in this culture we love.
And, now, we are happy to announce that we are now launching our new application: WRNC2Go.
The application is set up similar to your normal social media application and has been designed with the user in mind. You can log in or register from the home page where you can check in on all of the campaign's recent news and updates. Through the user home page, you can check out all of your messages and thread updates. You can respond quickly and easily through the interface. Through the forum tab, you can browse through thread types and genres as well as boost, report, and respond to anything that catches your eye.
With WRNC2Go, we are offering two new options:
• Direct to forum photo posting: Now you can post photos directly to a new thread from your phone or mobile device. See someone harassing a cosplayer and need to document it? Want to warn someone about something you saw on the Internet? Now you can. You can even enable the thread to show where you took the picture, just in case you know other nerds are in the area and need to stay clear.
• Emergency Number Calling Feature: Do you know someone who's been pushed to a breaking point? Are you scared for them, but you aren't in the same state as them? Or perhaps you've been harassed or assaulted and need to make a call? The WeRNerdCulture app offers a special page with important emergency numbers such as the National Suicide Hotline and the local number for state troopers. You can even find the number of an out of state state trooper number if necessary. By tapping on the number, your phone application immediately opens up and dials the number.
Along with these new features, we are still offering the same judgement-free, tolerance filled, nerdy sphere of friends and fellow nerds who all agree that harassment and intolerance needs to stop. You can download the WRNC2Go app for free off the iTunes App Store, Android App Market, and the Google Play Store.
Maybe you saw something at a local convention that you need to tell someone about?
Perhaps you want to share your experience to sympathetic ears?
Or perhaps you just need to talk to other nerds who don't care about your gender, sex, race, age, or anything in between?
Well, we can help. We are WeRNerdCulture.
WeRNerdCulture is a campaign that as started to eradicate the harassment, bigotry, and violence that has started to gain momentum in Nerd Culture. We promote equality and all around nerdy-ness through anonymous postings on our forums. We hold events at conventions and have spoken out at numerous panels about the rampant intolerance and harassment that has become a sad norm in this culture we love.
And, now, we are happy to announce that we are now launching our new application: WRNC2Go.
The application is set up similar to your normal social media application and has been designed with the user in mind. You can log in or register from the home page where you can check in on all of the campaign's recent news and updates. Through the user home page, you can check out all of your messages and thread updates. You can respond quickly and easily through the interface. Through the forum tab, you can browse through thread types and genres as well as boost, report, and respond to anything that catches your eye.
With WRNC2Go, we are offering two new options:
• Direct to forum photo posting: Now you can post photos directly to a new thread from your phone or mobile device. See someone harassing a cosplayer and need to document it? Want to warn someone about something you saw on the Internet? Now you can. You can even enable the thread to show where you took the picture, just in case you know other nerds are in the area and need to stay clear.
• Emergency Number Calling Feature: Do you know someone who's been pushed to a breaking point? Are you scared for them, but you aren't in the same state as them? Or perhaps you've been harassed or assaulted and need to make a call? The WeRNerdCulture app offers a special page with important emergency numbers such as the National Suicide Hotline and the local number for state troopers. You can even find the number of an out of state state trooper number if necessary. By tapping on the number, your phone application immediately opens up and dials the number.
Along with these new features, we are still offering the same judgement-free, tolerance filled, nerdy sphere of friends and fellow nerds who all agree that harassment and intolerance needs to stop. You can download the WRNC2Go app for free off the iTunes App Store, Android App Market, and the Google Play Store.
Gender Issues and Nerd Culture
The topic of gender issues and nerd culture is a widespread topic that has to do with the misogynistic harassment, violence, and bigotry in nerd culture. The topic has seen an increase of social, cultural, journalistic, and academic attention in recent years because of events and pieces pertaining to the topic. The increased attention has given way to discussions on the many aspects of nerd culture that promote and proliferate these misogynistic ideals as well as how the culture has dealt with the recent changes in gender demographics and morals.
1. Social and Cultural Attitudes
The original stereotype for a "nerd" is that of an emasculated, white male who is socially and physically awkward [1][2]. With this stereotype in place for as long as it was, the ideas and morals of the culture grew skewed. This, in turn, created the basis for some of the attitudes that spawn aggression and bigotry had towards women[3][4][5].
1.1 Victimization
The concept of victimization is a popular belief held by the nerd culture population [7]. This idea goes along with the original stereotype of "nerd" as someone who was bullied and criticized for their appearance or interests [8]. However, because of how tightly this belief is held, it's often used to ignore the incidents of harassment and intolerance. The logic goes: "because we were bullied, we are wiser than the bullies that bullied us; therefore, there isn't [x,y,z] going on!" Yet, this victimization attitude does nothing but downplay the issues at hand.
1.2 Emasculation
Nerds are known for being physically and socially awkward [10]. They stereotypically lack the standard themes of masculinity: strength, honor, and action [11]. It is through this hypomasculinity that they are often ridiculed by men who are exhibits of alpha male personalities. Yet, when nerd culture was born, there existed in a culture where they were on top.
Male nerds now seemed frightened for this emasculation to happen inside the culture they built out of security. If they were to be cut down by anyone, lo and behold a "fake geek girl" [12], the safety they created would start to crumble. They would shift from the top of the pyramid back to the bottom [13].
1.3 Male Entitlement
The idea of male nerd entitlement (also known as "nerd male privilege") is the idea that "men - often straight, white men - as a whole, get certain privileges and status because of their gender" [15]. This attitude is the biggest contributor in the instances of misogyny in nerd culture. And the scariest thing is that it's spoon-fed to them through television shows (The Big Bang Theory) [16] and films (Revenge of the Nerds, Sixteen Candles) [17] [18].
Male nerds have been given this idea that if they "try hard enough and persist long enough, [they'll] get the girl in the end" [19]. That life is like "a video game and women, like money and status, are just part of the reward [they] get for doing well" [20]. These ideas are dangerous because they perpetuate this idea that "going for the girl" - through any means necessary - is acceptable. And if she denies you? Then she's shallow for not "giving them a chance" [21].
This entitlement has - for lack of a better saying - inflated the ego the male nerd drastically. If you were to combine this with the two other attitudes listed above, what you get is a dangerous combination. The combination, in turn, causes any bruising of a male nerd's ego to magnify and putting the bruiser in the crosshairs.
2. Community Actions
In recent years, the actions that have been taken against the misogynistic bigotry, harassment and threats have been minimal [22][23]. Male members of nerd culture have only increased the violence and intensity of relation towards women who are speaking out against the misogyny in nerd culture. The best example of how drastic these situations have gotten is the GamerGate Controversy that happened in early 2014 [24].
2.1 Avoidance and Dismissal of Issues
Due to nerd culture's history with bullying, members of nerd culture often dismiss the situations of harassment out of blissful ignorance. Bred from a counter-culture that preens itself on how much "better" they are from the others that excluded them, nerds will do anything to keep the idea that they treat everyone equally intact [26]. And this includes keeping these situations quiet.
By ignoring these situations, they are, not only enabling the perpetrators of these actions, but they are also giving them approval [27]. They are validating the idea that misogynistic actions are only the problems of the people who enact those actions and the women who are being acted upon when it's everyone's problem.
2.3 Hyper-Objectification
2.4 Harassment and Violence
In the past couple of years, the reactions to nerds, especially female nerds, speaking out against the misogyny in nerd culture has reached a terrifying peak. Instances of stalking, hacking, vandalizing, and threats of sexual and physical assault are just some of the occurrences that have taken place. A prime example of how ruthless some of the events have been is the harassment and attacking of feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian [33].
Sarkeesian gained recognition in the media for the onslaught of online attacks she received in response to her YouTube series "Tropes Vs. Women in Video Games" [34][35][36]. Not only was her Wikipedia page vandalized with images of pornographic content, but hackers attempted to dox - tracking down someone's personal information such as address, email, and SSN through sources on the Internet [37] - and distribute her personal information. The attacks subsided for a short while, but resurfaced when Sarkeesian was interviewed on ABC News Nightline about her scuffle with the gaming community [38].
While these horrible actions aren't carried out over minor situations, female nerds are still plagued by frightening experiences. Instances of stalking and being left unwanted gifts from male nerds whom 'she just won't give a chance because she's shallow.' Instances of groping and physical harassment at conventions that should've been "expected" because of how revealing their cosplay was [39]. And when they retaliate, they chastised for 'not taking it as a compliment.'
References
[1] "Nerd." Wikipedia.org. (last review) 18 Feb 2015. [Link]
[2] Eglash, Ron. "Race, Sex, and Nerds: From Black Geeks to Asian American Hipsters." Social Text vol. 71 (Summer 2002): 49-64. [Link]
[3] Chu, Arthur. "Your Princess Is in Another Castle: Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds." The Daily Beast Online. 27 May 2014. [Link]
[4] Hern, Alex. "Nerds: Stop hating women, please." NewStatesman Online. 13 November 2012. [Link]
[5] O'Malley, Harris. "Nerds and Male Privilege." Kotaku. 16 Dec. 2011. [Link]
[6] Dr. Nerdlove. "Ending Sexual Harassment In Geek Culture." Paging Dr. Nerdlove. 18 April 2014. [Link]
[7] Dr. Nerdlove. "Ending Sexual Harassment In Geek Culture." Paging Dr. Nerdlove. 18 April 2014. [Link]
[8] "Nerd." Wikipedia.org. (last review) 18 Feb 2015. [Link]
[9] Ravishly. "Nerd Masculinity: 'They Won't Give it Up Without a Fight'." Huffington Post Online. 06 Jan 2015. [Link]
[10] Eglash, Ron. "Race, Sex, and Nerds: From Black Geeks to Asian American Hipsters." Social Text vol. 71 (Summer 2002): 49-64. [Link]
[11] Meek, Will, PhD. "Male Gender Role." Psychology of Men. [Link]
[12] "Fake Geek Girls." Geek Feminism Wiki. (late review) 16 Feb 2015. [Link]
[13] Ravishly. "Nerd Masculinity: 'They Won't Give it Up Without a Fight'." Huffington Post Online. 06 Jan 2015. [Link]
[14] Chu, Arthur. "Your Princess Is in Another Castle: Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds." The Daily Beast Online. 27 May 2014. [Link]
[15] O'Malley, Harris. "Nerds and Male Privilege." Kotaku. 16 Dec. 2011. [Link]
[16] "The Big Bang Theory." IMDb.com. [Link]
[17] "Revenge of the Nerds." IMDb.com. [Link]
[18] "Sixteen Candles." IMDb.com. [Link]
[19] Chu, Arthur. "Your Princess Is in Another Castle: Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds." The Daily Beast Online. 27 May 2014. [Link]
[20] Chu, Arthur. "Your Princess Is in Another Castle: Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds." The Daily Beast Online. 27 May 2014. [Link]
[21] Dr. Nerdlove. "Socially Awkward Isn't An Excuse." Paging Dr. Nerdlove. 24 March 2014. [Link]
[22] Pinchefsky, Carol. "Does Felicia Day Matter At All? (Yes)" Forbes Online. 4 July 2012. [Link]
[23] Lewis, Helen. "This is what online harassment looks like." NewStatesman Online. 6 July 2012. [Link]
[24] "GamerGate Controversy." Wikipedia.org. (last review) 21 Feb 2015. [Link]
[25] O'Malley, Harris. "Nerds and Male Privilege." Kotaku. 16 Dec. 2011. [Link]
[26] O'Malley, Harris. "Nerds and Male Privilege." Kotaku. 16 Dec. 2011. [Link]
[27] Dr. Nerdlove. "Ending Sexual Harassment In Geek Culture." Paging Dr. Nerdlove. 18 April 2014. [Link]
[28] O'Malley, Harris. "Nerds and Male Privilege." Kotaku. 16 Dec. 2011. [Link]
[29] O'Malley, Harris. "Nerds and Male Privilege." Kotaku. 16 Dec. 2011. [Link]
[30] Dr. Nerdlove. "Ending Sexual Harassment In Geek Culture." Paging Dr. Nerdlove. 18 April 2014. [Link]
[31] Chu, Arthur. "Your Princess Is in Another Castle: Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds." The Daily Beast Online. 27 May 2014. [Link]
[32] Sarkeesian, Anita. "Image Based Harassment and Visual Misogyny." Feminist Frequency. 1 July 2012. [Link]
[33] Lewis, Helen. "This is what online harassment looks like." NewStatesman Online. 6 July 2012. [Link]
[34] Sarkeesian, Anita. "Image Based Harassment and Visual Misogyny." Feminist Frequency. 1 July 2012. [Link]
[35] Sarkeesian, Anita. "Harassment, Misogyny and Silencing on YouTube." Feminist Frequency. 7 June 2012. [Link]
[36] Sarkeesian, Anita. "Harassment Via Wikipedia Vandalism." Feminist Frequency. 10 June 2012. [Link]
[37] "Doxing." Urban Dictionary. 29 Dec 2011. [Link]
[38] ABC News. "What It Feels Like to Be a GamerGate Target." YouTube. 14 Jan 2015. [Link]
[39] Zara, Christopher. "San Diego Comic-Con: Cosplay Sexual Harassment Takes Center Stage At 2014 Fan Convention." International Business Times Online. 28 July 2014. [Link]
1. Social and Cultural Attitudes
The original stereotype for a "nerd" is that of an emasculated, white male who is socially and physically awkward [1][2]. With this stereotype in place for as long as it was, the ideas and morals of the culture grew skewed. This, in turn, created the basis for some of the attitudes that spawn aggression and bigotry had towards women[3][4][5].
1.1 Victimization
"Nerd and geeks aren't the bulliers, we're the bullied. We're the outsiders." [6]
The concept of victimization is a popular belief held by the nerd culture population [7]. This idea goes along with the original stereotype of "nerd" as someone who was bullied and criticized for their appearance or interests [8]. However, because of how tightly this belief is held, it's often used to ignore the incidents of harassment and intolerance. The logic goes: "because we were bullied, we are wiser than the bullies that bullied us; therefore, there isn't [x,y,z] going on!" Yet, this victimization attitude does nothing but downplay the issues at hand.
1.2 Emasculation
"He is, in other words, a man who fails at being a man." [9]
Nerds are known for being physically and socially awkward [10]. They stereotypically lack the standard themes of masculinity: strength, honor, and action [11]. It is through this hypomasculinity that they are often ridiculed by men who are exhibits of alpha male personalities. Yet, when nerd culture was born, there existed in a culture where they were on top.
Male nerds now seemed frightened for this emasculation to happen inside the culture they built out of security. If they were to be cut down by anyone, lo and behold a "fake geek girl" [12], the safety they created would start to crumble. They would shift from the top of the pyramid back to the bottom [13].
1.3 Male Entitlement
"But the overall problem is one of a culture where instead of seeing women as, you know, people, protagonists of their own stories just like we are of ours, men are taught that women are things to "earn," to "win."" [14]
The idea of male nerd entitlement (also known as "nerd male privilege") is the idea that "men - often straight, white men - as a whole, get certain privileges and status because of their gender" [15]. This attitude is the biggest contributor in the instances of misogyny in nerd culture. And the scariest thing is that it's spoon-fed to them through television shows (The Big Bang Theory) [16] and films (Revenge of the Nerds, Sixteen Candles) [17] [18].
Male nerds have been given this idea that if they "try hard enough and persist long enough, [they'll] get the girl in the end" [19]. That life is like "a video game and women, like money and status, are just part of the reward [they] get for doing well" [20]. These ideas are dangerous because they perpetuate this idea that "going for the girl" - through any means necessary - is acceptable. And if she denies you? Then she's shallow for not "giving them a chance" [21].
This entitlement has - for lack of a better saying - inflated the ego the male nerd drastically. If you were to combine this with the two other attitudes listed above, what you get is a dangerous combination. The combination, in turn, causes any bruising of a male nerd's ego to magnify and putting the bruiser in the crosshairs.
2. Community Actions
In recent years, the actions that have been taken against the misogynistic bigotry, harassment and threats have been minimal [22][23]. Male members of nerd culture have only increased the violence and intensity of relation towards women who are speaking out against the misogyny in nerd culture. The best example of how drastic these situations have gotten is the GamerGate Controversy that happened in early 2014 [24].
2.1 Avoidance and Dismissal of Issues
"They'll insist that they're more egalitarian; geeks hold tight to the belief that geek culture is a meritocracy, where concepts of agism, sexism and racism simply don't exist the way it does elsewhere. And yet, even a cursory examination will demonstrate that this isn't true." [25]
Due to nerd culture's history with bullying, members of nerd culture often dismiss the situations of harassment out of blissful ignorance. Bred from a counter-culture that preens itself on how much "better" they are from the others that excluded them, nerds will do anything to keep the idea that they treat everyone equally intact [26]. And this includes keeping these situations quiet.
By ignoring these situations, they are, not only enabling the perpetrators of these actions, but they are also giving them approval [27]. They are validating the idea that misogynistic actions are only the problems of the people who enact those actions and the women who are being acted upon when it's everyone's problem.
2.3 Hyper-Objectification
"Of course, the other sides of the coin isn't much better; being dismissed for the of being a woman is bad, but being placed on the traditional pillar is no less insulting." [28]
While there are some nerds who are ignoring the misogyny, there are those who are taking a complete opposing reaction to the claims of intolerance and assault. Their actions are to treat female gamers in a idealistic and objectifying manner. While most would consider this a good thing (with "treating a lady well" being "good manners"), the reaction doesn't aid in quelling the inequality. By putting these women on a proverbial pillar, they are doing the same thing they did before: they are treating them differently because they are women [29].
This treatment can go in a drastically horrible direction. The objectification can lead to fetishization and sexualization of the woman - especially female nerds [30]. And this, in turn, refreshes the Groundhog Day style clock that nerd culture seems to have when it comes to gender issues.
2.4 Harassment and Violence
"I've heard and seen the stories that those of you who followed that #YesAllWomen hashtag on Twitter have seen-women getting groped at cons, women getting vicious insults flung at them online, women getting stalked by creeps in college and told they should be "flattered."" [31]
"After struggling with whether or not to make the extent of the attacks public I've decided that it's ultimately important to shed light on this type of abuse because online harassment and bullying are at epidemic levels across the Internet." [32]
In the past couple of years, the reactions to nerds, especially female nerds, speaking out against the misogyny in nerd culture has reached a terrifying peak. Instances of stalking, hacking, vandalizing, and threats of sexual and physical assault are just some of the occurrences that have taken place. A prime example of how ruthless some of the events have been is the harassment and attacking of feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian [33].
Sarkeesian gained recognition in the media for the onslaught of online attacks she received in response to her YouTube series "Tropes Vs. Women in Video Games" [34][35][36]. Not only was her Wikipedia page vandalized with images of pornographic content, but hackers attempted to dox - tracking down someone's personal information such as address, email, and SSN through sources on the Internet [37] - and distribute her personal information. The attacks subsided for a short while, but resurfaced when Sarkeesian was interviewed on ABC News Nightline about her scuffle with the gaming community [38].
While these horrible actions aren't carried out over minor situations, female nerds are still plagued by frightening experiences. Instances of stalking and being left unwanted gifts from male nerds whom 'she just won't give a chance because she's shallow.' Instances of groping and physical harassment at conventions that should've been "expected" because of how revealing their cosplay was [39]. And when they retaliate, they chastised for 'not taking it as a compliment.'
References
[1] "Nerd." Wikipedia.org. (last review) 18 Feb 2015. [Link]
[2] Eglash, Ron. "Race, Sex, and Nerds: From Black Geeks to Asian American Hipsters." Social Text vol. 71 (Summer 2002): 49-64. [Link]
[3] Chu, Arthur. "Your Princess Is in Another Castle: Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds." The Daily Beast Online. 27 May 2014. [Link]
[4] Hern, Alex. "Nerds: Stop hating women, please." NewStatesman Online. 13 November 2012. [Link]
[5] O'Malley, Harris. "Nerds and Male Privilege." Kotaku. 16 Dec. 2011. [Link]
[6] Dr. Nerdlove. "Ending Sexual Harassment In Geek Culture." Paging Dr. Nerdlove. 18 April 2014. [Link]
[7] Dr. Nerdlove. "Ending Sexual Harassment In Geek Culture." Paging Dr. Nerdlove. 18 April 2014. [Link]
[8] "Nerd." Wikipedia.org. (last review) 18 Feb 2015. [Link]
[9] Ravishly. "Nerd Masculinity: 'They Won't Give it Up Without a Fight'." Huffington Post Online. 06 Jan 2015. [Link]
[10] Eglash, Ron. "Race, Sex, and Nerds: From Black Geeks to Asian American Hipsters." Social Text vol. 71 (Summer 2002): 49-64. [Link]
[11] Meek, Will, PhD. "Male Gender Role." Psychology of Men. [Link]
[12] "Fake Geek Girls." Geek Feminism Wiki. (late review) 16 Feb 2015. [Link]
[13] Ravishly. "Nerd Masculinity: 'They Won't Give it Up Without a Fight'." Huffington Post Online. 06 Jan 2015. [Link]
[14] Chu, Arthur. "Your Princess Is in Another Castle: Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds." The Daily Beast Online. 27 May 2014. [Link]
[15] O'Malley, Harris. "Nerds and Male Privilege." Kotaku. 16 Dec. 2011. [Link]
[16] "The Big Bang Theory." IMDb.com. [Link]
[17] "Revenge of the Nerds." IMDb.com. [Link]
[18] "Sixteen Candles." IMDb.com. [Link]
[19] Chu, Arthur. "Your Princess Is in Another Castle: Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds." The Daily Beast Online. 27 May 2014. [Link]
[20] Chu, Arthur. "Your Princess Is in Another Castle: Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds." The Daily Beast Online. 27 May 2014. [Link]
[21] Dr. Nerdlove. "Socially Awkward Isn't An Excuse." Paging Dr. Nerdlove. 24 March 2014. [Link]
[22] Pinchefsky, Carol. "Does Felicia Day Matter At All? (Yes)" Forbes Online. 4 July 2012. [Link]
[23] Lewis, Helen. "This is what online harassment looks like." NewStatesman Online. 6 July 2012. [Link]
[24] "GamerGate Controversy." Wikipedia.org. (last review) 21 Feb 2015. [Link]
[25] O'Malley, Harris. "Nerds and Male Privilege." Kotaku. 16 Dec. 2011. [Link]
[26] O'Malley, Harris. "Nerds and Male Privilege." Kotaku. 16 Dec. 2011. [Link]
[27] Dr. Nerdlove. "Ending Sexual Harassment In Geek Culture." Paging Dr. Nerdlove. 18 April 2014. [Link]
[28] O'Malley, Harris. "Nerds and Male Privilege." Kotaku. 16 Dec. 2011. [Link]
[29] O'Malley, Harris. "Nerds and Male Privilege." Kotaku. 16 Dec. 2011. [Link]
[30] Dr. Nerdlove. "Ending Sexual Harassment In Geek Culture." Paging Dr. Nerdlove. 18 April 2014. [Link]
[31] Chu, Arthur. "Your Princess Is in Another Castle: Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds." The Daily Beast Online. 27 May 2014. [Link]
[32] Sarkeesian, Anita. "Image Based Harassment and Visual Misogyny." Feminist Frequency. 1 July 2012. [Link]
[33] Lewis, Helen. "This is what online harassment looks like." NewStatesman Online. 6 July 2012. [Link]
[34] Sarkeesian, Anita. "Image Based Harassment and Visual Misogyny." Feminist Frequency. 1 July 2012. [Link]
[35] Sarkeesian, Anita. "Harassment, Misogyny and Silencing on YouTube." Feminist Frequency. 7 June 2012. [Link]
[36] Sarkeesian, Anita. "Harassment Via Wikipedia Vandalism." Feminist Frequency. 10 June 2012. [Link]
[37] "Doxing." Urban Dictionary. 29 Dec 2011. [Link]
[38] ABC News. "What It Feels Like to Be a GamerGate Target." YouTube. 14 Jan 2015. [Link]
[39] Zara, Christopher. "San Diego Comic-Con: Cosplay Sexual Harassment Takes Center Stage At 2014 Fan Convention." International Business Times Online. 28 July 2014. [Link]
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