THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES HITS GEEKDOM

by Vaneta Rogers at NBC

As female fans stake their claim as a growing part of the “geek” audience, the previously male-dominated world of fan culture is struggling to get used to the idea.

While the differences between the sexes have been argued for years in barrooms and kitchens the world over, now it’s fandom that is dealing with the issue. As women are becoming more interested in sci-fi and fantasy media, the idea that there might — or might not — be differences between how men and women approach fandom is a concept that everyone from Hollywood filmmakers to comic book fans are trying to understand.

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Joss Whedon, creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” has ushered in a surprisingly large female audience for “Buffy” and other sci-fi projects like “Firefly,” “Serenity” and “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.” Yet, despite his stories appealing to women, he sees no difference between his male and female fans.

“There’s not a difference. I do not think there’s a difference,” Whedon said. “What? Female fans are more nurturing? People are crazy, and fans are the best kind of crazy. And I speak as one of them. And I’ve never seen a difference in the way the men and women respond to things.”

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Great article. I think this has been happening for years, especially when movies are made out of comic books. Between that and affordable technology, being a geek has become almost cool. It isn’t just stereotypical guys hanging out in their basement anymore; the internet has allowed everyone access and people realize how much is out there.  And I would rather have producers not aim for girl audiences, I like the way the shows are now. When they try to attract girls everything gets very pink very quickly.

What do you think about all of this? What is it that attracts you to Sci Fi or Fantasy?