BUTT-NUMB-A-THON... (hopefully) HOOOOOO!!!

[thehefner]

I've gone and applied for this year's BUTT-NUMB-A-THON, Ain't It Cool News' 24-hour film festival. You can only go if the Fat Geek (as I so imaginatively call Harry Knowles) approves your application. I've wanted to go for years, as it sounds bloody fantastic. 24 straight hours of new and vintage films, with all sorts of surprises along the way.

God, to have been there in 2003, when both Peter Jackson and Mel Gibson were on hand to premiere, months in advance, both RETURN OF THE KING and PASSION OF THE CHRIST. (Which reminds me of the best line in this week's SOUTH PARK: "Say what you want about Mel Gibson, the man knows plot structure!")

I have no idea what kind of films to expect, other than I'm 99% positive that Sylvester Stallone will be there to premiere the new RAMBO. (formerly JOHN RAMBO, formerly RAMBO IN THE SERPENT'S EYE, formerly RAMBO AND THE SEVEN CRYSTAL TIGERS. Okay, I made the last one up. But is that not one SWEET poster?

Maybe if I meet him, I could tell him about the egg whites.



In other movie news, apparently Ben Affleck has totally reinvented himself as a damn good filmmaker with GONE BABY GONE. Good for him!



Oh, and remember when I called Newsarama's message boards a wretched hive of scum and fucktardery? Never have I wanted to smack an entire message board as much as I do now.

Comments

[kali921.livejournal.com]

I read those posts yesterday and went six times to comment, and just couldn't bring myself to, because I knew it would get ugly. First of all, does anyone at Newsarama have above a fifth grader's comprehension of the common practices and customs of English grammar and spelling? See, I get contact embarrassment from people like this, because they make ALL of comics fandom look bad.

Those comments along the lines of "this scene works for me now" and "hell yeah, it was a good beating" and Bendis' utter fuckwittery in his "it's not sexist because I don't think I'm sexist" solipsism really disgusted me.

There is a particular variant of misogynist that isn't aware of their own misogyny, because it's an acculterated trait. You can love some individual women and celebrate their accomplishments and still be a fuckwit misogynist, and I think Brian falls into that latter category. He really, really doesn't see the sexualization of that scene as a problem, even when the dense and wimpy interviewer explicitly remarked about the cleavage shot when Tigra is down on the floor, unconscious.

And no one thought to point out that Greer would fight back like a mofo if attacked. Not a single man there.

I weep for comics fandom.

I wanted to join the discussion at Girl Wonder, which was more palatable, but I've tried to register there twice in the past eight months and never gotten my password confirmation e-mail, and when you e-mail the board administrator, they never reply. That's....rather discouraging, and poor behavior. If you want a thriving community of people discussing the portrayal of women in mainstream comics, then let new people register and respond to your e-mails.

I just wrote a long e-mail to Bendis, linking him to my blog entries about Tigra and the discussion on scans_daily. I also wrote Brevoort.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I read those posts yesterday and went six times to comment, and just couldn't bring myself to, because I knew it would get ugly. First of all, does anyone at Newsarama have above a fifth grader's comprehension of the common practices and customs of English grammar and spelling? See, I get contact embarrassment from people like this, because they make ALL of comics fandom look bad.

Those comments along the lines of "this scene works for me now" and "hell yeah, it was a good beating" and Bendis' utter fuckwittery in his "it's not sexist because I don't think I'm sexist" solipsism really disgusted me.

You put into words, right down to the letter, exactly how I felt but was frankly too frustrated and fed up with the whole asshattery to bother. They're not worth the trouble, but god, if anything is going to turn me away from mainstream comics, it's fans like that.

[kali921.livejournal.com]

And then there are enlightened and aware and articulate guys like you, which gives me HOPE.

It's just...she's a seasoned warrior. How can they not notice that her simpering and screaming is so not her?

Honestly? This bothers me more than the Heroes for Hentai cover and the MJ statuette.

[brownbetty]

Hey, as far as I know, I'm the board administrator, and I haven't gotten any email. Can you tell me which address you used?

[kali921.livejournal.com]

Which address I used for what?

To contact the GW admin? info@girl-wonder.org.

Or do you mean to register? Because, as I said, I've tried twice, registering with the same ID and e-mail address, and never got any final confirmation of registration, which means that I can't post on GW. I know three other people that this has happened to in the last year or so, who just finally gave up in disgust.

[brownbetty]

I'm really sorry to hear that. Some peoples' spam-blockers don't let the registration confirmation email through. If you'd like me to investigate your account, I can do that with either your username or email, although if I've missed the window in which you actually cared, I understand. Either way, I'm sorry the forum gave you trouble.

[kali921.livejournal.com]

By the way, I see you're not friended to cats_n_crying's journal - who exactly directed you here?

Yeah, as I said in my original e-mail to you early this morning, I check my spam settings and my spam folder all the time, and I'd tweaked my e-mail account to specifically allow e-mails from the GW domain. If you give me your e-mail address, I'll be happy to send you my user name, etc.

[brownbetty]

holli directed me here, as she knew I would be concerned. You can email me at sturdyandserviceable at gmail dot com.

[kali921.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay. Someone named "Hanah" is also e-mailing me from GW - is that you? I sent an e-mail this morning to the above mentioned address, and I got a (frankly) unhelpful two sentence e-mail a few minutes ago saying they weren't sure what the problem is, so I'm even more confused, because if it's you, you'd have my e-mail address, I suspect? If not, I shall send you my e-mail addy and user ID that I registered with forthwith.

[brownbetty]

Oh dear, yes, that's the address for the press contact, who is not at all proficient with the forum software. If you'd let me handle it, I'm fairly certain I can be of greater help.

[kali921.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I will e-mail you today with all details.

[strangemuses.livejournal.com]

I read that "I'm not a mysogynist because I say so" interview with Bendis yesterday, and all I could think was: o_0

I understand, and cautiously endorse, the need to portray violence realistically in media, as well as the need to portray villains as dispicable people who do vile things. In this instance though, the Tigra stomping was so wrong on so many levels that I hardly know where to start counting. My biggest objections: stripping her down to her bra, not allowing her to fight back, and not even allowing her to speak.

And the fan commentary to that I keeping seeing here and there on Newsarama and CBR that Tigra deserved it for being a tramp and a traitor make me want to never set foot in a comicbook store again. Tigra wasn't fridged as badly as poor Sentry's wife was, but she was fridged all right. She was beaten solely to elevate the status of Bendis's favorite new darling male villain.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Agreed on all fronts. Although I don't know if those are exactly my biggest objections, as I'm just so unformally disgusted by the entire thing.

And while I say "word" to everything else, I must give a special "word word oh my fucking god WORD" to your last paragraph.

[kali921.livejournal.com]

Not to mention, as I keep harping about on my LJ, that the lead up to the beating scene had the always confident and assertive Tigra stammering on the phone with some Initiative flunkie about having to move to Arkansas, and the fact that she somehow doesn't have the status to be able to call Tony directly on his private line. I noticed also that the lead up to the beating, when Greer is walking on the street, has her wearing a white shirt unbuttoned practically to her navel, and it's specious to claim that that isn't sexualizing her as a prelude to violence.

As well as the fact that it's so tragic that Greer got better writing in the seventies. Greer not kicking ass or dying trying against the Hood? Ludicrous.

[spacechild.livejournal.com]

I'm leaving my feelings about the Tigra thing aside right now.. because while I don't disagree with you, I need to go examine the fact that I'm probably a particular variant of misogynist that isn't aware of their own misogyny. It goes with being a white, male Christian.

As for Rambo.. I kind of liked it being called John Rambo. First off, because it seemed to focus in on his humanity.. his name, as a person. Not just the icon RAMBO, the killing machine! That just isn't what the character was ever meant to be. Secondly, that was sort of the title of the second film.

But that being said, I hereby order you to see all three of the first films, so that we can see the 4th together (if you don't see it with Stallone, that is).

[adaptor.livejournal.com]

You should swing up for the Boston sci-fi 24-hour marathon sometime. The year I went they had Brazil and Death Race 2000. :-)

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Ooh, Boston! That's somewhat closer! But is it presided over a big fat redhead nerd?

If They Say I Wrote Something Questionable They Must Be Questioning ME!

[zhinxy.livejournal.com]

Well, as I say over at my lj and in one of batcookies' tigra posts, as far as I'm concerned Tigra Doesn't Live In 616 Anymore...

Oh my dear sweet gods of comics. That interview with Bendis... No, of that we shall not speak, lest I take your journal into fandom-wank territory.

Let us speak of how I hope that you shall be able to attend the films, and failing that... I promise you that Jason Todd action you requested will be there for you next Two-Face Tuesday. :)

Re: If They Say I Wrote Something Questionable They Must Be Questioning ME!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

The interview was bad enough. Y'know, I expect bullshit self-serving pablum from comic creators in interviews. I understand they want to sell comics first and foremost, but they're far more interested in hyping their work than actually discussing and, oh my god, critiquing it. Anytime someone brings up a valid critique, the interviewee responds with a glib smartass retort that doesn't really answer anything. Whatever.

But the message boards... oh god, did you read those? I don't suggest reading more than a few pages, as they'll get the rage going. Asshats galore. Things like that almost turn me off comics altogether.

And yay for the Jason Todd Two-Face stuff! Thankya!