Explaining Science Fiction to women?
Writing by Jana on Thursday, 3 of July , 2008 at 9:52 am
Megan McArdle from The Atlantic wrote an article last week on explaining science fiction to women that managed to (rightfully so) piss a lot of women off.
One of the more offensive points she had was this little gem:
“Those of you who pitch science fiction to wives and girlfriends who do not enjoy it are probably saying something along the following lines: “Space ships! Alien monsters! Men in tights!” Instead, for women who find that sort of thing distasteful, talk about it as a fairy tale–only a fairy tale with science instead of magic. The basic emotional space it taps is the same.”
Yes, that’s right. Sell it as a magical fairy tale populated by melodrama and unicorns and TRUE LOVE CONQUERING ALL! We chicks just eat that shit up like crazy! That and nothing else! For realz.
Um no. Have we seriously not yet passed all this needless gender warring? Or, much like fitting science fiction and fantasy into neat genres and subgenres, do we still seriously maintain as a species that men and women are so fundamentally different that our tastes simply don’t and can’t overlap?
It’s like watching a bad comedien spin his outdated “women are like this, and men are like that” jokes to an audience where one half of it is rolling their eyes, and the other is too stupid to know any better.
It’s as offensive as marvelling over the idea that black people like reading and writing science fiction.
And ultimately it’s just a moot point; one that I’m tired of. I’m a woman. I do like romantic plots (and unicorns too, actually) but I also love hard science fiction, and I shouldn’t have to qualify that statement or explain myself.
This chick does a better job than I of explaining why this is so stupid, but I wanted to add my voice to the disconted masses of women wondering where this bullshit stems from.
Category: science fiction, stupid writers
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Comment by Megan McArdle
Made Thursday, 3 of July , 2008 at 5:16 pm
I never said that women didn’t like science fiction; I’ve been waiting for passage to Mars since I was eight years old. The article was about trying to get women who have been repeatedly exposed to science fiction and dislike it to give it another try.
And if you think that fairy tales are some sort of slightly more grown up version of My Little Pony, I suggest you get a copy of Joseph Campbell and the original Grimm’s Fairy Tales. The emotional space they occupy is the quest for archetypical transcendance, heroism, and the magic of a world where the rules are different from our own.
Comment by Soleil Noir
Made Friday, 4 of July , 2008 at 12:16 am
Megan- At what point did Jana accuse you of saying “women don’t like science fiction”? I read the post over again and I just don’t see it anywhere. Rather, I believe she pointed out how you implied women only go for the girly-girl stuff that comes with it. I know the internet is easy place to misinterpret things but please try to get the facts straight.
Jana- That essay sets my teeth on edge.
Sure, I like the emotional aspects of a plot. But…
I also like oddly honorable warriors adorned in fishnet bent on making human kind their perfect trophies (Predator). And aliens that spit acid, impregnate indiscriminately, hug faces and impale victims with their tails. (well…Alien, Aliens and Alien 3. Never saw the 4th so can’t vouch for that one. Aliens by far is the fave.) And occasionally I like when these two races come together to duke it out with unsuspecting humans caught in the middle. (AVP:R…Seeing as I didn’t take to the first one 
and i could go on and on but that might be considered hi-jacking your blog)
Not to mention I get totally geeky over *almost* anything that has a military aspect to it. And let me tell you something, BSG ain’t no frackin’ fairytale.
It maybe just me, but I think if a woman finds the words “Space ships! Alien monsters! Men in tights!” distasteful then you know what? Science fiction may just not be their cuppa! And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Sure, if they’ve never watched or read any Science Fiction then they should probably give it a shot before making any judgment calls but the genre doesn’t need to be and shouldn’t be dumbed down for anyone to appreciate it. And that is, I think, where the issue lies.
My two cents and then some.
Comment by Jana Lubina
Made Friday, 4 of July , 2008 at 7:52 am
Hello Megan, and thanks for stopping by and commenting.
I never said, or meant to imply, that you claimed all women dislike science fiction; but, as Soleil, pointed out, that a woman’s interest can only be garnered through any stereotypically “girly” aspects. It’s a viewpoint that bothers me because it generalizes both women and men. It also seems to imply that science fiction as a genre is some formulaic (okay fine, often it is, blame Star Trek) teenage boy wank-fest. You’re a fan yourself, so you obviously don’t believe this. And you can’t think that a woman would be disinterested in something simply because it takes place in outer space or in the future? That’s like saying men dislike any movie that features meaningful dialogue or emotions.
And I don’t think I was trying to reference the original forms of fairy tales and myths which are frequently gruesome and cautionary tales but rather the modern transformations into The Happily Ever After – something our gender is criticized with being obsessed with.
Regardless of your actual intention with the article, it came across as patronizing to me, as it did to others, which is why the response to your original article has been what it is. It would have struck a nerve with me if you’d taken on men and written a similar article on convincing them to watch “chick-flicks.”
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