History of Feminism

yuiyoshida

(43,106 posts) Thu Jul 31, 2014, 01:46 AM Jul 2014

Comic-Con's dark side: Harassment amid the fantasy

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Amid the costumes and fantasy of this weekend's Comic-Con convention, a group of young women drew widespread attention to a very real issue -- allegations of sexual harassment at the annual pop-culture festival.

Geeks for CONsent, founded by three women from Philadelphia, gathered nearly 2,600 signatures on an online petition supporting a formal anti-harassment policy at Comic-Con.

Conventioneers told Geeks for CONsent they had been groped, followed and unwillingly photographed during the four-day confab.

Meanwhile, what Geeks for CONsent and others regarded as blatant objectification continued on the convention floor. Scantily clad women were still used as decoration for some presentations, and costumed women were described as "vaguely slutty" by panel moderator Craig Ferguson. When Dwayne Johnson made a surprise appearance to promote "Hercules," 10 women in belly-baring outfits stood silently in front of the stage for no apparent reason.

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/features/news/20140728p2g00m0et016000c.html

13 replies

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Highlight:

Comic-Con's dark side: Harassment amid the fantasy (Original Post) yuiyoshida Jul 2014 OP

One morereason I can't bring myself to attend conventions Scootaloo Jul 2014 #1

goddamned neckbeards mwrguy Jul 2014 #2

had to look it up... yuiyoshida Jul 2014 #3

Awesome Hon Solo Deadpool and Joker Skywalker. TIMETOCHANGE Jul 2014 #4

Or better yet, if you're inclined to grope others and take obviously unwelcome photographs... LanternWaste Jul 2014 #5

Thank you for turning it around. Seems a lot of times that is the best way to make the point. Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #6

Don't you love it when they come back and and make a beeline for this group. JTFrog Jul 2014 #7

yes. Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #8

Exactly right. Hong Kong Cavalier Jul 2014 #9

Message auto-removed Name removed Aug 2014 #13

Those types won't stay away. TIMETOCHANGE Aug 2014 #10

Message auto-removed Name removed Aug 2014 #12

Message auto-removed Name removed Aug 2014 #11

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)

1. One morereason I can't bring myself to attend conventions

Reply to yuiyoshida (Original post)

Thu Jul 31, 2014, 01:52 AM

Jul 2014

Not because I'd be subject to this (well, aside from possible ewok fetishists... Yub Nub!) but because I'd be surrounded by it. And with that comes the inevitable question, what do? One can only enlighten the neckbeards so often before becoming exhausted, after all. Thumbs up to the folks of CONsent for doing what they can.

Totally unrelated, perfect and appropriate Deadpool placement, there.

mwrguy

(3,245 posts)

2. goddamned neckbeards

Reply to yuiyoshida (Original post)

Thu Jul 31, 2014, 03:51 AM

Jul 2014

yuiyoshida

(43,106 posts)

3. had to look it up...

Reply to mwrguy (Reply #2)

Thu Jul 31, 2014, 04:13 AM

Jul 2014

neckbeard
1. (n) Facial hair that does not exist on the face, but instead on the neck. Almost never well groomed.

2. (n) Derogatory term for slovenly nerdy people who have no sense of hygene or grooming. Often related to hobbies such as card gaming, video gaming, anime, et. al.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=neckbeard

TIMETOCHANGE

(86 posts)

4. Awesome Hon Solo Deadpool and Joker Skywalker.

Reply to yuiyoshida (Original post)

Thu Jul 31, 2014, 08:40 AM

Jul 2014

But seriously, I've gone to a few of these and it gets ridiculous what happens. Sex is sold and fantasy is sold, typically in the same cup. It's an oversexed environment at times for some folks. I've seen women in less clothing than some strippers at the beginning of their act.

Unwanted gropping is always wrong. Unwanted fondling is always wrong. Pictures are going to happen when you put it out there for all to see. Word of advice, stay the hell away from these conventions if you are a woman and these things bother you. Better yet, start your own conventions with clear guidelines for conduct and reporting of offensive conduct. I would never tell my daughter to go to one of these things.

LanternWaste

(37,748 posts)

5. Or better yet, if you're inclined to grope others and take obviously unwelcome photographs...

Reply to TIMETOCHANGE (Reply #4)

Thu Jul 31, 2014, 09:37 AM

Jul 2014

" stay the hell away from these conventions if you are a woman and these things bother you..."

Or better yet, if you're inclined to grope others and take obviously unwelcome and surreptitious photographs, then you stay the hell away and allow the convention do what it is intended to do...

Tuesday Afternoon

(56,912 posts)

6. Thank you for turning it around. Seems a lot of times that is the best way to make the point.

Reply to LanternWaste (Reply #5)

Thu Jul 31, 2014, 11:09 AM

Jul 2014

JTFrog

(14,274 posts)

7. Don't you love it when they come back and and make a beeline for this group.

Reply to Tuesday Afternoon (Reply #6)

Thu Jul 31, 2014, 11:16 AM

Jul 2014

At least it puts them back on the radar.

Tuesday Afternoon

(56,912 posts)

8. yes.

Reply to JTFrog (Reply #7)

Thu Jul 31, 2014, 11:18 AM

Jul 2014

Hong Kong Cavalier

(4,590 posts)

9. Exactly right.

Reply to LanternWaste (Reply #5)

Thu Jul 31, 2014, 12:41 PM

Jul 2014

One of our local (and our largest) sci-fi/fantasy conventions started this campaign several years ago and it's fantastic.

You'll notice that the posters put the onus on the harasser, not the cosplayers.

Response to Hong Kong Cavalier (Reply #9)

Name removed Message auto-removed

TIMETOCHANGE

(86 posts)

10. Those types won't stay away.

Reply to LanternWaste (Reply #5)

Fri Aug 1, 2014, 06:48 PM

Aug 2014

Thinking folks who are going to violate someone will stay away out of the goodness of their heart is one view/hope to have. But I don't ever see that happening. You can put the onus on the offenders, but I don't see what that will do to deter their repugnant behavour. Perhaps having more security onsite could help in dissuading these creeps, but I don't see the creeps completely staying away.