So, I’ve seen this happen since the first whisper of Marvel wanting to make a Captain Marvel movie and it continues today with She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. I know that this is a problem on the internet in general nowadays, but it seems to really be a big problem among the comic book/sci-fi/superhero fandom lately and I wanted to talk about it. This issue has continued throughout every movie or TV show that has been released with a female lead (and that’s including the Black Widow movie, which many in the fandom have wanted for years).
There is a part of the male comic book/sci-fi/superhero community that is automatically sitting ready with poisoned pens and frenzied fingers in anticipation to write the vilest, prejudiced blogs, tweets, reviews (oft times before they’ve even seen the show or movie) dripping with such disdain, anger and often fear masked as righteous indignation? It seems to me that even when news leaks about Marvel, DC, etc. thinking about bringing a female character to the screen for their own series, the “Beta” males come out in droves to start the demoralization train with no real reason as to why they don’t want to see a female-led show or movie other than, “We don’t want women to talk about any issues that they are actually having with some men. We just want them to look hot, kick-ass, and placate the males in their lives…oh and there is no way a woman can be more powerful or intelligent than a man and talk about why some men (not ALL just SOME) make it hard for the females on the show…oh hell no.” I sometimes think when I see comments, articles, and full-on video essays about these shows getting completely bombed by guys like this, I wonder if they think they are getting hit in the face with how they treat females on a daily basis, and they don’t like seeing it. I wonder what bothers them so much about a female talking about a situation where she was talked down to cause, I would think if they looked at it from the character’s point of view, I’m sure they wouldn’t want to be denigrated or talked down to, so why would you have a problem with a female talking about the same thing? Is it because this is how “Beta” males talk to females daily, and they don’t like seeing the results of the way they act?
Now, I can understand getting hit over the head with the heavy-handedness of some shows, and as a female, I tire of it as well when it is so apparent that the writers are going too far with it…but that’s after having actually watched the show. I don’t understand review bombing and berating a show or movie without even having seen said show or movie, especially when it hasn’t been released yet. The disrespect has gotten so bad that even when some of these guys watch the show and actually like it, they will still review bomb, or write insulting and misleading comments about said shows. I don’t get it. I just wonder…were these people writing the same dishonest, insulting, and poison-filled comments on old AOL chat rooms during the days of Star Trek: Voyager, Space: Above and Beyond, Hercules and Xena: Warrior Princess, or is this a new phenomenon where some males are so weak-minded or feel so inferior that they feel threatened by a strong-willed female that has no problem speaking their mind? I ask because the characters on Xena talked about some of the same issues as the Marvel and DC shows and movies of today, but it seemed not to bother most males of my younger years, and when I frequented those AOL (and other) chat rooms talking about Xena, Babylon 5, D&D, Pro Wrestling, Anime, Comic Books and the like.
I’m sure there may be some comments about my thoughts here. All I ask is that you respond according to the Golden Rule, and keep it civil.
