Star Wars, Geek Culture, and Power Converters
Who likes antiquated gender stereotypes? Moviefone does! Staff writer Jessie Heyman thought it would be a good idea to post a horribly condescending article that reads like it’s from 1972.
As your boyfriend probably told you, “The Avengers” is hitting theaters this Friday. And you, dutiful girlfriend, are attending. But you hate action movies and you’ve never even read a comic book. (Of course, that’s not a slight against the girls who actually do read comic books — i.e. real fans, actual people with varied interests — but for this, let’s just go with the stock view of ladies, ladies!)
Still, there’s no need to fret. Beyond the fact that Joss Whedon’s action film is Awesome (note the capital A), we’ve created a streamlined girl’s guide to ward off any confusion or mid-movie what’s-going-on whisperings.
Including cocktail introductions a la “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and boyfriend impressing tidbits, below is everything you need to know about “The Avengers.”
They’re now hiding behind a hastily thrown up “satire” shield in a later edit, but we all know this was a terribly written, horribly executed article. This piece was so awful I’m not even going to link to it and inadvertently give them traffic. You can find it yourself if you want your eyes to bleed or if you want a trigger to Hulk out.
Now, I’m not a woman, but I imagine most women would object to sticking with the “stock view of ladies.” I imagine many would object to the contrived list of things to say to your manly action loving significant others while watching the movie. I imagine most women are going to object to this frakking awful article as a whole.
The truly hilarious thing is that this just perpetuates the tired and sexist stereotype that comics are for guys and that women should stay out of that domain. Hell to that. Most of my Marvel-savvy friends are women, one of which introduced me to the world of comics. She’s one of the most passionate, genre savvy fans you will ever find.
So shame on you Moviefone. You’ve got some apologies to dish out.
A few weeks back, Lucasfilm eighty-sixed plans to build a brand new movie studio in Lucas Valley in San Rafael, California. Citing too much pushback from estate homeowners in the region, Lucasfilm abruptly pulled up stakes and shifted their efforts towards finding a new home elsewhere in the state.
The victory for homeowners may ultimately prove to be tragically short-sighted, reports the North Bay Business Journal.
Several professional firms had been contracted to work on Lucas’s Grady Ranch project during its development, providing services such as environmental consulting and architectural planning. Including the indirect economic activity for restaurants and other local businesses, the two-year construction phase was expected to add nearly $134 million per year into the local and regional economy, according to an impact study released last month by the Marin Economic Forum.
That phase was also expected to generate 690 new jobs in Marin County during construction, and nearly $5 million in combined annual state and local tax revenue, according to the study.
Yet with the announcement on April 10 that George Lucas and his real estate company, Skywalker Properties, would no longer proceed with the project, the possibility of direct and indirect economic stimulus for the region’s economy has evaporated.
In efforts to keep a movie studio out of their estate communities, the residents of Lucas Valley may have cost the region countless potential jobs and a staggering influx of hard cash. According to the article, for every 100 employees Lucasfilm brought in, Marin County businesses could have generated as much as $82 million in revenue and $3.8 million in combined state and local taxes.
I have a theory. Everything in life is better when filmed at 1000+ frames per second. To prove this point, let’s start with something that’s already awesome: a shuttle launch.
There hasn’t been an X-Wing novel in thirteen years.
That’s an awful long time for fans of the Rogues and Wraiths who have been wondering what shenanigans they’ve been getting up to while the Jedi have been dealing with the weekly galactic apocalypse of certain doom and terror. While, thankfully, we’re finally getting a new book this August, there’s another way fans have managed to fill the void over the last decade and change: fanfiction.
Over at the Rogue and Wraith Livejournal comm, members have put together a starfighter jockey-themed fanfiction marathon. If you’d like to read some great stories about Wedge, Tycho, Wes, Hobbie, the Rogues, and the Wraiths, head on over and read the entries.
I hate May the 4th. While I don’t mind puns in general, basing “Star Wars Day” around a lispy pun is lame, IMO. In my personal canon, Star Wars Day will always be May 25, the day the original Star Wars premiered in 1977. (May 14, the Maker’s birthday, is also acceptable.)
However, I will tolerate May the 4th shenanigans for one reason: new products from Her Universe! Ashley Eckstein has been busy teasing several products on Twitter and Facebook, and my wallet is already crying.
Watch for that one slowly growing and then gradually fading light in the box.
If you are like me and are eager to read anything from Timothy Zahn’s upcoming Han Solo novel, you’ll be happy to read this brief excerpt from Scoundrels. Oh Han. You’re always in over your head, you scruffy looking nerf herder, you.
Yes, you read that right. Author Mike Stackpole will be on this week’s podcast! Because of that, we’re looking for your questions for him. Tweet them to us, leave them on our Facebook page, or leave a comment on this post.
We will be recording on Wednesday at 5PM Pacific, so get your questions in before then.
Well, Disneyland Paris might be getting a big Star Wars themed expansion. Of course, that’s got us wondering. What kind of rides and attractions would be neat in a Star Wars theme park? We asked on Twitter, and a few people chimed in with some rather fun answers.
If you’ve got an idea, reply to this tweet and we’ll add it to the list. Head to the jump to see what kinds of rides and attractions readers and listeners would love to see at a hypothetical park.
