It’s 2019, but we’re still getting trapped in the same old game of “fake nerd girl” questions that women have faced for centuries. Essentially, what happens is that women (or non-binary) folk are faced with criticism that they are being “fake” in their dedicated geek nature.
This is usually determined by a condescending trivia quiz, as though you’re here to impress the head nerdboy inquisitor, or in being advised away from consuming certain media as “not for you.”
It’s most often an attempt to gatekeep access to a fandom or field of work, employed as a test of authenticity. For example: oh, you like Marvel? Do you even read Marvel comics? Which runs exactly and which writers and artists do you claim to like? What was the name of Stan Lee’s dog? You can’t escape this sort of questioning even if you are a woman or non-binary person literally writing for Marvel comics. In that case, the attention and grilling can be even worse. Wash, rinse, and repeat, for innumerable other properties.
For years, we’ve had to defend our nerdery and for years, it’s been frustrating. As comic superstar Gail Simone found out on Twitter today, a lot of us have encountered this. A lot.
Okay, little experiment. If you identify as female (or non-binary), raise your hand if you have ever been accused of or questioned as being a ‘fake nerd girl.’#Fakenerdgirl
— GAIL SIMONE (@GailSimone) February 28, 2019
A small smattering of the replies:
Had a writer ask me on a phone call if I knew about the Hugo Awards. I had won two at that point.
— Lynne M. Thomas🏳️🌈🦄🚀 (@lynnemthomas) February 28, 2019
Haven’t literally all of us? Constantly?
— Kate Leth (@kateleth) February 28, 2019
— Bonnie Burton (@bonniegrrl) February 28, 2019
Yeah but see I was buying the wrong things. Tiny Titans & Archie & some figures so I must not be really into comics. There’s a weird gap in logic that means the purity goal posts are wandering from place to place in these conversations
— ❄Mikki Kendall❄ (@Karnythia) February 28, 2019
Last week when I posted that I liked the Star Wars movie SOLO. I’ve been a pro for my entire adult life, been in organized fandom since my teens when we were still doing things like mimeozines, and I worked on licensed Star Wars product as an artist.
— Colleen Doran (@ColleenDoran) February 28, 2019
Shocked the hell out of some dude when I dropped into a convo about gaming by referencing Gary Gygax. Yes, little man, girls play D&D, too.
— Jen (@Jen1701D) February 28, 2019
I’m a game designer with 20+ tabletop roleplaying game credits under my belt, comics I’m writing, sci-fi screenwriting, and academic articles on nerddom. I’ve had dudes try to explain everything to me, from comics to games I helped write on. #Fakenerdgirl issue is real.
— Shoshana Kessock (@ShoshanaKessock) February 28, 2019
And on and on and on. The over 1,000 responses to Simone’s tweet proves that quite a few of us have experienced the “are you even a real fan” inquiry, in a wide variety of fields. So the next time you want to accuse someone of being a “fake fan” of something … maybe don’t?
I honestly, genuinely had no idea this question would unleash a flood like this. Over 1100 replies in just a couple hours, from all kinds of women, from comics readers to sports fans to stem women to academics and more.
Yikes, everyone!
— GAIL SIMONE (@GailSimone) February 28, 2019
Here are some other stories we saw:
- The New York Times is asking if Captain Marvel can fix Marvel’s female problems and I laugh and I laugh. (via The New York Times)
- So Disney … wants us to be on our cellphones while we are in their new Star Wars attraction? (via Entertainment Weekly)
- The House passed a pretty big gun control bill while in the middle of the Michael Cohen testimony. (via Huffington Post)
- Selma Blair wants to make fashionable clothing for disabled people and we could not be more here for it. (via Jezebel)
See anything else worth talking about today?
(image: Marvel Entertainment)
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