24 Frames of Dreaming

Here's something a little different. I'm a huge fan of The Big Bang Theory, but sometimes as a feminist its story lines have bothered me - the stereotypical dumb blonde with the big boobs; Howard, whose romantic incompetence is hilarious but often crosses the line into sexual harassment; and the attitudes toward the obviously genderqueer Raj. At this point I feel the need to state that I'm not one of those feminists who always have our battle knickers in a bunch and can't take a joke; nevertheless, I think these issues need a good hard look. So I was very glad to read this article by Arthur Chu at The Daily Beast, which examines some of the underlying gender assumptions in nerd culture and how these seemingly harmless beliefs can be linked to the blatant misogyny and horrific violence of someone like Elliot Rodger.

And by the way, if you're already pretty sure you're going to disagree with the article, that's even more reason to read it with a open mind. Yes, you who don't think rape culture exists, I'm looking at you.

Your Princess is in Another Castle: Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds

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