Thursday, June 14, 2007

Amy Reads the Week (of June 15th, 2007)

I’ve nothing for you this week, Gentle Reader, or rather, I should say I’ve nothing for you that you would enjoy reading. Four drafts of this column exist, about four vastly different topics, and the none of them I like.

So instead, I ask you for insight. Any particular topic you would like to see me cover, in glorious, Victorian prose and high-falutin’ Amy-Reads-Speak? That is, any feminist pop culture topic not touched upon? Any questions, snide comments, or pyramid schemes you’d like to share?

(Please, please, Friends: No Pyramid Schemes).

Until then, I’ll simply say that the BBC’s Robin Hood is Quite Glorious, Maid Marian Quite the Proto-Feminist, and Robin Hood Himself Rather Dreamy. On the docket this week: Ghost Rider, Freaks and Geeks Disc 4, and How I Met Your Mother, Disc 1.

Posted by Amy Reads at 5:13 PM

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2 comments:

Matthew E said...

How about 'retrodiversity'?

Which is a word I just came up with that means either a retcon (in the case of comic books) or a period piece (in the case of nearly everything else) that places women or people of other races in positions of much more prominence in a story than they would have had in a story that had been written contemporary to its setting.

Example: All-Star Squadron. There weren't many female Golden Age superheroes, but All-Star Squadron featured one, Liberty Belle, as its chairman, and invented another one, Firebrand, as a major character. All-Star Squadron made sure to give plenty of screen time to Phantom Lady and Hawkgirl, and also introduced Tsunami and Amazing-Man as new characters.

9:08 PM
Amy Reads said...

Hi Matthew,
How about 'retrodiversity'?
Which is a word I just came up with that means either a retcon (in the case of comic books) or a period piece (in the case of nearly everything else) that places women or people of other races in positions of much more prominence in a story than they would have had in a story that had been written contemporary to its setting.

Oohh. That sounds Quite Interesting Indeed! You *do* know my (not-so) Secret Desire to see Wonder Woman as a Sister Suffragette, yes? It's my Big Plan for an Elseworlds of My Own.
I will dig through my treasure trove of graphic novels and find something appropriate to use as examples.

Example: All-Star Squadron. There weren't many female Golden Age superheroes, but All-Star Squadron featured one, Liberty Belle, as its chairman, and invented another one, Firebrand, as a major character. All-Star Squadron made sure to give plenty of screen time to Phantom Lady and Hawkgirl, and also introduced Tsunami and Amazing-Man as new characters.

Excellent example, and one I haven't read. I'll track this down, if possible, and will endeavor to do this topic Justice!

Thanks! Truly, this is much more interesting than what I had. Lots of whining and complaining, a wee bit of screeching, and the none of it charming.
Ciao,
Amy

9:40 PM

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