Female comic fan “Reb” at Adventures in Lame details an encounter with two male comic fans, where she was asked to establish her “comic book credibility” by naming three Robins:
But I am, as I said, conversant in Batman and passingly interested in comics. So I answered honestly that I don’t really read a lot of comics, and definitely know more about Batman than anything else, but thanks to friends who were really into them, I enjoy both Green Lantern and Green Arrow. And the guys in the staff room, well, freaked out.
The questions began. First I was asked to establish more credentials, and it wasn’t even innocently phrased anymore. One guy said, word for word, “If you really like Batman, name three Robins.” Because hey, I’m me, I busted out Stephanie Brown, in fact, and not Tim Drake. I was then told that I’d forgotten one. (“No, you asked for three and I named three. If you wanted Tim, you should have asked who the three male Robins were.”) I was asked who killed Jason Todd. I was asked to detail current storylines.
And again, keep in mind, these were questions to establish that, good god, I really was a living, breathing girl – an attractive one, no less! – who was into something nerdy. One of the guys responded with wonder. The other, who many women at the store have had other, far worse kinds of run ins with, was angry and condescending. (Needless to say, he was the one who hadn’t even realized Stephanie was a valid answer to the Robin question.) This all went on for a good twenty minutes (until our break ended, in fact) and through the whole thing I got more flustered and more angry, though I couldn’t quite put my finger on why until later.
I later pondered and realized that what pissed me off was the notion that, because I’m female, I need to prove to men that I can join their exclusive club. And once that proof is established, I’m still not really allowed into their clubhouse.
Via Mercury Studios.
January 12th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Its still a crying shame that male comic fans react this way to girls who actually read the same material.
Every female friend I have who have any interest in comics call me the minute they come out of a store after buying something and then I’m able to give them a play by play of what happened in the store without ever being there of course ending it with “The guy you dealt with looked like the guy from the Simpsons didn’t he?”
Its an ugly shame these guys are our representatives and they feel women should be looked at with contempt.
Personally if I ever met the girl of my dreams they way one of the leads did in the movie “Free Enterprise” I would thank my lucky stars that I found someone like that.
The real lousy part is I’ve come close, they just never worked out.
January 12th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
What Reb got in terms of treatment just stinks. She deserves better.
January 12th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
So this is the kind of stuff I’m missing by subscribing online? Let’s see… on the one side, less hassle. On the other, no human interaction or Sandman women from Free Enterprise.
Tough call.
January 12th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
I am just suprised that these comic geeks managed to talk with a girl and not break out in hives and flop-sweat.
January 12th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
a couple summers ago I was at midtown and this really attractive girl was on line waiting to pay and this freakin typical guido came up to her and says “yo, you like comics huh. whatchya got? You lika da X-men?” The look on her face was priceless. She rolled her eyes in disgust.
January 12th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
I have never seen a female in my LCS…For the most part, I just like to buy my books and get out…Most of the regulars who hang there bother me. My cousin’s wife, who bought me a gift certificate there this Christmas thought the store/people were a little ‘interesting’. Shame too. Store has a great pull service and could be real nice if they cleaned it up.
January 12th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Just remember Scott, Claire from Free Enterprise read much more than Sandman!
January 12th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Most of the ones who show up at my local shop are pigs, so I’m cool with not trying to pick them up.
And by pigs, I don’t mean “derogatory term for officers of the law”.
January 12th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Honestly the staff and customers (and smells) that hang out at most comic book stores make me pretty uncomfortable. I try to remember that their more afraid of me than I am of them. Fortuantely I found an alternative comic arts store that carries all the Marvel/DC stuff without the attitude.
January 12th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Honestly the staff and customers (and smells) that hang out at most comic book stores make me pretty uncomfortable. I try to remember that their more afraid of me than I am of them. Fortuantely I found an alternative comic arts store that carries all the Marvel/DC stuff without the attitude.
January 12th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Hmmm
Never had a problem like that at my LCS. The guy that manages it and me are good friends. Iv’e been in there helping him go through the orders that came in and seen all kinds of folks come in the store//male and female. Its a shame that some folks have to act that way to the fairer sex. No reason why they cant like the same things we do as well.
January 12th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
See, I would love to find a woman that shares an interest in comics….that would be awesome.
But, yeah, comicbook shops are notorious for the more narrow minded when dealing with females. Glad my shop has females on staff.
January 14th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
(Said in best Donald Gibb voice:) NERDS!!!
The idiots giving her crap about the three Robins, I mean.
January 15th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
I was very lucky that the first comic shop into which I ventured many years ago had guys who were HAPPY to see a woman come in. None of them were ever condescending. In fact, I had to make sure I went to the shop on my day off when I’d have time to chat, because I’d end up staying for at least 30 minutes of more, talking about comics with the manager, or one of the clerks, about all kinds of stuff, mostly comics. I learned a lot from them, I brought them more business (as a librarian, I started buying gns directly from them for the library), we schemed to get more girls and women into the shop, all that. I never had to deal with guys the way Reb had to. I guess I really have been lucky. Well, I’m also a lot older and not cute (very motherly, middle-aged).