When it comes to life and the wild ride that it sometimes takes us on, it becomes incredibly easy to just put up our walls and go on about our day, focusing only on our own plight and our own problems and that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, if we don't deal with the issues in front of us, they'll never get resolved and that can and often does lead to some kind of trouble for us down the road.

But it is just as important from time to time to look up from whatever it is we are focused upon and remember that there are other people out there, who are less fortunate than we are. They have a greater struggle ahead of them, one that will take them far longer to overcome than some of the stuff we have to deal with on a daily basis, and being reminded of this fact is a good thing because it definitely humbles you and leaves you wondering if you do enough sometimes for others and for me...that reminder came my way in unexpected fashion...courtesy of actor Lou Ferrigno. 

Because yesterday, in the midst of the hustle and the bustle of preparing for Denver Comic Con, I swung by Children's Hospital out here in the Mile High City to cover a type of  event I've never covered before, a meet and greet with Lou at the hospital, where he gladly took the time to say hello to parents and children alike, sign a few autographs and snap off a few pictures, and while that seems pretty by the numbers and no different than any other celebrity event...let me tell you, what Lou did, went above and beyond a simple handshake and hello. 

Lou brought nothing but sheer joy to everyone that came to see him. Some of the kids that came down to say hello were clearly not at their best, and the parents that stood beside them showed signs of fatigue from watching over their children well into the night and with a simple grin and an extended hand from Lou, all those worries slipped away. All that mattered was that they were meeting a comic book television legend. The Incredible Hulk was spending time with them, taking a picture with them and flat out making them feel better, and the joy that I saw on the faces of these kids and their parents is something I will never forget. Nor will I forget the young man who clearly learned about Lou's role from someone in his family and he made it known as loudly as possible, that he was meeting the Hulk and it was simply amazing.  

This is that kind of moment that truly gave me pause, and when I learned over the course of the hour of this event, that Lou spent his morning also feeding the homeless and planned to visit a patient at the hospital who was unable to make it down for the event, I walked out of that hospital, thinking to myself...I should be doing more for others, I should be doing far more good deeds, just like Lou, and that ladies and gentlemen is what true heroes do. They inspire us and they motivate us, to be more and do more, all by way of their own actions which they certainly don't see as anything above and beyond. Either way, I'm so glad I had the opportunity to see a real hero in action by watching Lou take the time to spread joy and cheer to those that needed it and my thanks go out to him, for reminding myself, and hopefully everyone in attendance, that we can and should do more for our fellow man, and that kindness and goodwill...takes but a moment of our time. 

For the past week the internet has been swirling with articles and Op Eds about the (apparently) controversial Women Only screening of DC’s Wonder Woman. The screening, originally presented by the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, now has several sister screenings at Alamo Drafthouse locations around the country. They have billed the event as a way to celebrate the superheroine and her legacy, specifically stating,

'Apologies, gentlemen, but we’re embracing our girl power and saying 'No Guys Allowed' for one special night at the Alamo Ritz. And when we say 'Women (and People Who Identify As Women) Only', we mean it. Everyone working at this screening—venue staff, projectionist, and culinary team—will be female.'

Yet if the comments section of the Alamo Drafthouse Austin page shows us anything, it’s that not everyone is happy with the idea of a woman only screening.

The arguments against the event ranged from the seemingly logical…

​To the outright absurd…

Two things were made clear from this outpouring of concern. One, that whoever runs the Alamo Drafthouse Austin Facebook page is having none of it. And two, this is why geek women can’t have nice things!

I’m sure someone somewhere might read that sentence and crack their knuckles in preparation for typing some good ol’ fashioned internet trolling. Still others might be prepared with the standard 'Not all men…' or the 'I don’t need feminism because I don’t hate men' arguments. To these individuals I will simply say this and get the comment war out of the way:

1. Do your worst, internet trolls. I guarantee you I’ve heard worse shouted at me on street corners.
2. Of course not all men…but enough men.
3. Feminism doesn’t limit men. It empowers women.

Now that we have those fundamental understandings taken care of, let’s get back to the Wonder Woman screening and why it shouldn’t be a big deal. At least, not for the reason it apparently is.

Say what you like about geek culture being inclusive but we have our issues just like every other community. We could talk about all manner of stereotypes and prejudices that exist in geek culture, but for now let’s focus on how it is still very much a male dominated space. Firstly, thanks to those who participate in the policing of geek culture. Secondly, due to the businesses that directly advertise to and profit from geek culture. 

When I say 'policing' of geek culture, I mean the ways in which people in this community define being a 'true' geek or fan and how anyone who doesn’t measure up to this standard is mocked, excluded, or seen as somehow lesser. Any and all geeks can experience this but there are a few painfully prevalent examples when it comes to geek women. The 'Gamer Girl' stereotype, for instance. On the one hand, women who enjoy video games but are not die hard collectors or players are often mocked for their novice and harassed in virtual spaces. On the other hand, women who are die hard gamers and have proven themselves as such are told that they are better than and different from other women. The implication here is that to be a geek is to be male and to be accepted by male geeks is to be stripped of your solidarity with other women. And this is just one example of the way women are forced to meet certain standards to be included. Don’t even get me started on the double standards in cosplay and representation.
 
Then you have the companies that profit from geek culture. These are the companies that make the movies, the comics, the TV shows, the video games, the merchandise that we love and that draws us closer into the worlds we hold so dear. But these are also the companies that spend nearly half as much money on products that appeal to women and the comics/movies/TV shows that have greater female representation. And this has been proven time and time again with geek women proclaiming love and gratitude for steps towards inclusion only to be met with tone deaf products and condescending justifications for why more progress isn’t being made. The favorite excuse of nearly every studio is to say, 'there just isn’t a demand for that.' Never mind the fact that geek women have literally been demanding more representation for years, now it seems as though our demands were answered and we finally have a blockbuster directed by a woman and starring quite possibly the most iconic female superhero! And yet DC and Warner Bros. refuse to give it the pomp and circumstance it deserves.
​
Think back to the last few major super hero blockbusters and their advertising campaigns. Captain America: Civil War, Suicide Squad, Doctor Strange, even Batman v. Superman got plenty of air time. There were countdowns to trailer releases, TV spots, magazine spreads, billboards, and you couldn’t go shopping without seeing a toy, candy bar, or major restaurant chain advertising the latest male super hero. What has Wonder Woman gotten? Nearly half that exposure and a pairing with ThinkThin. That’s right, they are using the story of a literal goddess who saves the world…to sell diet products.

So in the face of this constant policing of our geekness and the blatant disregard from studios, geek women have decided to claim more space for themselves. The women only screening of Wonder Woman is just another link in a long chain of demand for more inclusion.

This is probably the point where someone will say, 'But Kate, how can you say that the end goal is inclusion when the 'women only' screening is, by definition, exclusionary?' To that I say, while you may be correct in the literal definition of those two words, you are speaking about a single instance in which women will have a geek space all to themselves to rejoice in the miracle that is a Wonder Woman movie. I am speaking about the way in which this single instance is just a baby step in the journey towards not feeling the need for a women only screening. Hopefully one day, geek culture and the companies that monopolize it will fully respect the women who make up such a large part of this community. Until then, women have spent enough time fighting for inclusion in male dominated spaces. I think we’ve earned a single night all to ourselves.