Is It Wrong To Point & Laugh? Twice?

Quoted:

1. I ran a perl script that collected the user's posts, and other references.

2. I looked at the connection patterns, and the language, including generating a key words in context concordance.

3. I don't think you know what blog whoring is; it means deliberately posting in someone else's' online turf with the goal of driving traffic--and only driving traffic.

4. The user fits the pattern perfectly.

5. I can't judge her head or her heart except by her words--and they are misogynistic, abusive, malicious, and display some disturbing language around rape, gender, and power.

        -medievalist (comment on friends journal)

This post has more to do with the comicblogsphere or at least relates as much to that sphere as the Cultural Appropriation Discussion of Doom II.

Yes, this is one of the same people who accused me of orcing and performance etc. And who told me I had no right to critique Bear's work (particular novel) if I never finished reading it. But what this excerpt tells me is that a perl script is as good as reading. Therefore on a blog that discusses the representation of women and minorities in comics and science and fantasy fiction - I'm misogynistic with 'disturbing language around rape, gender, and power.

Well DUUUUUH!!!!!

And on a blog, hosted at blogger.com where linkbacks have been crazy for weeks, possibly months, a perl script would no doubt have me coming across looking like I've been linked or trying to get linked everywhere and sundry. Of course if you checked the links....

A keywords in context concordance is apparently the same as reading my blog and seeing HOW and WHAT my posts and thinking are related to. This is the kind of result one gets from a perl script.

Therefore, to the other women in comics blogging, I suggest that you inquire when (cause we all know it'll be when) you get a troll who tells you about how he or she has 'looked' at your blog and that you're full of X... Y... and Z. When you stare at them, wondering where the hell they got their facts - it just might be from a perl script because they couldn't be bothered to read. And they couldn't be bothered to find out if blogger's been weird lately - though you're likelier to be luckier and get someone who's been using blogger and is already aware about the streaming unrelated backlinks/linkbacks of hell.

This is a warning to you for 2009 about shallow observations and attempts at gotcha interpretations and comments. Because given the shite that's been happening in Marvel & DC comics to the heroines, from bloody beatings to implied rape and given the year (2008) women in the news had, and articles related to the Comics League Defense Fund and given all we discuss about how rape is NOT the easiest or best way to compel story, or women in refrigerators (a phrase and trope I'm betting medievalist never heard before) this kind of assumption may await you.

So I'm letting you know to be prepared. Beware those not savvy in popular culture, particularly comics culture and beware those who want to seem aware of who you are and what you do in your blogs as you fight for representations of social justice in superhero fiction, but who don't want to or can't be bothered to take the time to find out.

You just might get called disturbing.

Oh and you guys in comics and comics blogging we argue with? Or at least I've argued with? I read your damn essays (and maybe more than one if I found it thinky) before I commented. You better as ass appreciate that!

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Oh and Elizabeth Bear? When it comes to defending you and dealing with racism and conducting a dialogue with People of Colour?

YOUR FRIENDS SUCK!