The Teresa Jusino Experience

Why I Won’t Lose Hope

In a world where Chris Brown is allowed to beat his girlfriend, then continue to have a music career and be rewarded by the Grammys while receiving little to no criticism for his actions from his professional peers; in a world where women continue to not only be his fans, but tweet about how they would “totally let him beat them if he wanted to” because he’s soooo hot (Fact: actually, he’s not. Even before the violence, Rhianna could’ve done so much better.), I refuse to lose my faith in humanity and in our ability to figure out this gender balance business.

Why?

Because every time I see examples of why I shouldn’t have faith in the world, I see examples of why I should.

Take Paul Cornell, for instance. I’ve been a fan of his writing for a long time, in part, because he always writes his female characters with such respect. Because one of the characters he created was a female Muslim superhero. Because the girls he wrote for Young Avengers were way more interesting than the boys were. Because he’s currently writing a comic (due out next month) called Saucer Country, which has a Latina protagonist.

Now, he’s taking his respect for women and desire for gender parity in fandom one step further by putting his money where his mouth is with regard to convention panels. Check out his most recent blog post HERE.

As long as there are people, like Paul, who get it, how can I lose hope? As long as I know it isn’t just me, I know I can go on fighting. Until the world is a more balanced place.

Comics, Birth Control, and Sour Grapes

A couple of linky-links you might find interesting:

The fabulous Jill Pantozzi hit the nail on the head in her assessment of the DC Comics Neilsen survey about the New 52 over at The Mary Sue. Check it out, and marvel (no pun intended) at the willful mediocrity.

The Daily Beast reports about Obama’s intelligent compromise between accessible birth control for women and the religious employers who would deny coverage of birth control to their employees.

Employers should have no say in an employees decision to have children. Period.

Someone call the whaaaaaaaaambulance. Karen Handel, after (thankfully) resigning from the Susan G. Komen foundation called Planned Parenthood a “gigantic bully” for starting a “campaign” that got people all riled up against Komen. (also from The Daily Beast)

I hate to break it to you, Ms. Handel. PP didn’t have to start a campaign. It’s just that a lot of people DISAGREE WITH YOU. Hopefully, now that you’ve got a freer schedule, you’ll be able to reflect on exactly how you went wrong and maybe do something about keeping your personal beliefs out of how you handle an organization’s money.

Women and Sex in Comics (or anything, really)

Cunning Minx sent me a really wonderful piece written by Laura Hudson over at Comics Alliance on the problem with the sexualization of Catwoman and Starfire in the New DCU.

Like Hudson, I am a huge fan of women who are presented as sexual creatures. Female characters who show that a woman shouldn’t be ashamed of her desires, or be thought of as a slut because she sleeps with many people.

However, also like Hudson, it frustrates me that in the issues introducing these two female characters, their sexuality is the first thing we’re supposed to know about them. Would they introduce Superman by showing us who he sleeps with? Or Batman? Or Green Lantern?

Now, I haven’t read either of the comics in question, but why INTRODUCE them that way in a #1 issue? Why relate to these characters through their sexuality FIRST? Why is it that that’s the thing that is most important to see? Sexual empowerment is great, but it’s only one aspect of any woman. I’m waiting for the day when women will be related to OTHER than sexually. Because no matter where you turn, it always seems that the things that are important about a woman in fiction are the things that relate to sex. It’s ridiculous. There’s more to us than our vaginas.