The Mary Sue

Negative Criticism, Even When It’s Based on Politics, Is Not the Same as Censorship

by Vivian Kane Apr 3rd

There was once a time when critics didn't talk much about the words and actions of the creators of the art they consumed. (At least, not if those people were talented white men.) Those days are over.

We Cannot Wait for CherryPicks, the Woman-Centric Answer to Rotten Tomatoes

by Vivian Kane Mar 19th

CherryPicks is a Rotten Tomatoes-esque idea with an emphasis on putting women's voices at the center of discussions of art and entertainment.

On Sofia Coppola and The Beguiled: What “Supporting Female Filmmakers” Really Means

by Teresa Jusino Jun 26th

There's been a lot of discussion surrounding Sofia Coppola's star-studded novel adaptation, The Beguiled, which comes out Friday. One of the larger topics of discussion is how, despite slavery being addressed in the original source material—complete with a black female character named Hallie—Coppola's film addresses none of it, instead erasing that character and choosing instead to stick with what's familiar: white, Southern femininity.

All the Reasons I Loved Wonder Woman, According to the Internet

by Vivian Kane Jun 6th

When I left Wonder Woman last weekend, I was beside myself. I loved the movie so much, felt so elated, so empowered, so entertained. But then the confusion set it.

Brett Ratner Thinks It’s Rotten Tomatoes, Not His Movies, That’s Destroying the Film Industry

Agree to disagree.

by Vivian Kane Mar 24th

Brett Ratner has spent a lot of time over the years of his career as a producer and director publicly declaring his excuses for why his movies are get such bad reviews. You’d think it would be enough to just state the obvious: They’re bad movies. Boom. Case closed. But no, Ratner has gone on […]

Why Criticizing the Things We Love Is More Important Than Ever

by Chelsea Ennen Nov 22nd

If you’re able to admit that your favorite show has a serious problem with gratuitous and poorly executed rape scenes, you’ll be better able to admit that hey, maybe you need to do more than wear a safety pin to help those who are endangered by the incoming Trump administration.

Alison Bechdel Would Like You to Call It the “Bechdel-Wallace Test,” ThankYouVeryMuch

by Teresa Jusino Aug 25th

While it's no secret that the Bechdel Test has its roots in several places, its being featured in Alison Bechdel's 1985 comics classic, Dykes to Watch Out For, cemented it as being associated with Bechdel. Well now, she'd like to change that.

Damon Lindelof Needs to Slow His Roll: The Difference Between Complaints and Criticism

Though I will defend the Lost finale TO THE DEATH.

by Teresa Jusino Aug 19th

I love Damon Lindelof. I loved Lost (yes, even the ending), I will always love his giving Wolverine a panda spirit guide, and while I stopped watching The Leftovers after the third episode because WTF, I'm going to give it another whirl. That said, Lindelof recently said something about people who stop watching shows that doesn't sit well with me as a writer, a critic, or as a person who reserves the right to like or not like whatever the hell I want.

Steven Moffat Talks Doctor Who Showrunner Hate

The saying isn't "The pen's not as cool as the sword..."

by Teresa Jusino Jun 26th

Doctor Who showrunner, Steven Moffat gets a lot of criticism. Some of it even from me. In this month's Doctor Who Magazine (with Osgood on the cover!), Moffat talks about the showrunner hate he's received as well as some kind advice he received from Neil Gaiman.

Stop Asking “Is This Feminist?”

by Lindsay Ellis Jun 12th

I don’t recall exactly when “is this feminist?” became the question equivalent to a paper cut to me. I would get questions like, “Can you give examples of feminist characters?” or “Is this a feminist film?” and they always made my eyes cross because I didn’t even begin to know how to answer them -- which version of feminist theory are you even referring to, O hypothetical question-asker? You do realize that they are many, and they are varied, right?

Feminism Ain’t Easy: That Time Joss Whedon Used Our Tweet to Call a Jurassic World Clip Sexist

by Jill Pantozzi Apr 14th

Saying 'Joss Whedon' and 'feminist' in the same sentence will get you a variety of responses. There are those who think him one of the best examples of the term while others think he shouldn't be associated with it at all. However, I'm going to write about it today as recent events have made me realize there may be no harder thing one can choose to be than a feminist. Allow me to explain.

The Internet, Fan Culture, and Creators: A Blessing We Shouldn’t Turn Into a Curse

Essay

by Alanna Bennett Sep 19th

Steven Moffat enrages a lot of people. It’s simple fact. When you take over one of the most popular sci-fi franchises of all time and replace a beloved showrunner, the change is bound to stir up some feelings no matter what you do. This is made double true when among the changes to the show are issues that lend themselves easily to Internet ranting (read: most things, but most particularly those involving female companions and the like). This is made triple true when you are the type of showrunner who likes to interact—some would say tease, some would say torture—your fans on said Internets, metaphorically poking them with a long stick and frequently reminding them how often you are going to make them cry. Steven Moffat stirs up a lot of emotions in people, it’s true. Some people probably prickled at the first mention of his name in this article. It’s just his general presence. But Steven Moffat also deleted his Twitter account recently. And that has a lot more behind it than the man himself, a lot more that I'd like to explore.

Roger Ebert Says Games Will Never Be Art

by Susana Polo Apr 18th

Roger Ebert has mentioned his opinion on video games before, but, as he says "I have declined all opportunities to enlarge upon it or defend it." That has changed, now that the movie critic has published his response to Kellee Santiago's "Games Are Art" TED talk here, on the Chicago Sun-Times website. I found that Ebert spent most of his time refuting her arguments point by point, and did not build a compelling argument of his own. While I could go through his essay point by point refuting arguments, I was hoping to keep my blood pressure to a manageable level now that the Great Kick-Ass Hype Tsunami of 2010 has finally come to a close, and besides that, I've always found that refuting someone in great detail without presenting a better founded argument of your own to be a little bankrupt of purpose. My major objections after the jump.