Sam Maggs | How Fangirling & Feminism Go Hand-in-Hand | Guest Post

Ahh! I am so excited to have author Sam Maggs here at Good Books and Good Wine today to discuss her thoughts on How Feminism and Fangirling Go Hand-in-Hand. Her new book, The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy, is so awesome. Seriously. You all need to go check it out and be proud to embrace your inner geek. I know I’m proud to be a fangirl!

So without further ado, I leave the blog post to you, Sam:

How Fangirling & Feminism Go Hand-in-Hand

You can’t be a good fangirl without being a good feminist. This was one of many realizations I had while writing Fangirl’s Guide, and I ended up writing a whole chapter on it! So here are some tips for being a good fangirl and a good feminist, at the same time.

Examine Things Critically…

When you’re watching, reading, or playing something, it’s important to think critically about what you’re consuming – that way you’re less likely to get sucked into the systems that we don’t like so much (eg. patriarchy). Does it pass the Bechdel test? Does a female character get fridged or damseled? Is there a token lady or a Manic Pixie? Give it a once over and think it out!

…But Still Enjoy Them!

It’s important to remember that you can recognize problematic things while still enjoying them. As long as you know what makes the media problematic and engaging with it on a critical level (eg. “I know this relationship is abusive even if it’s making me all tingly right now”), then you’re good to go! If you didn’t like anything that was vaguely problematic you’d basically never be able to like anything.

Call It Out

If you notice something that you like is problematic, you can write about on the internet! But remember, there are good and bad ways to do this. Attacking a creator directly is not typically your best bet and won’t get you anywhere – writing a nice, thoughtful blog post is always a much better idea and is more likely to get you taken seriously by The Powers That Be.

Support The Good Stuff

Alternately, if you see something awesome out in the world that represents women or other marginalized groups super well, use your platform to speak out about it! The more people are talking about and purchasing media with great representation like Ms. Marvel (or at least things that are making an awesome effort, like Dragon Age: Inquisition), the more large corporations will provide us with it.

Stop The Girl Hate

Listen – just because something is created by a woman doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be feminist. There’s that whole pesky internalized misogyny thing that means sometimes women can create problematic fiction, too. And you can call that out, and that’s good! But always remember to not hate on other women just because they’re women – it’s much awesomer to support other gals instead of tearing them down. I know we’ve all done the “Oh, I’m not like other girls!” thing, but we can all move beyond that!

Make It Intersectional

Intersectional Feminism is the best feminism because feminism isn’t just for the type of person you are. It’s for everyone, and you can’t really look at oppression without considering race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, ability, and class. Make sure your feminism includes people of color, queer folks, those of different classes, the trans community, people who might not be able bodied, all of the everyone. We all matter!

Love Yourself

Never be ashamed of you or of what you love. You’re awesome. Own it.

Thank you so much for stopping by Good Books and Good Wine, Sam!

For more information on The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy, be sure to check out the awesome book trailer HERE. or take part in the kick-ass pre-order campaign courtesy of Quirk Books.

You can also add the book to your Goodreads shelf HERE.

Fanfic, cosplay, cons, books, memes, podcasts, vlogs, OTPs and RPGs and MMOs and more—it’s never been a better time to be a girl geek. The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy is the ultimate handbook for ladies living the nerdy life, a fun and feminist take on the often male-dominated world of geekdom. With delightful illustrations and an unabashed love for all the in(ternet)s and outs of geek culture, this book is packed with tips, playthroughs, and cheat codes for everything from starting an online fan community to planning a convention visit to supporting fellow female geeks in the wild.

Follow the blog tour!

Tuesday, May 5th: The Nerdy Girlie
How to Prep For Your First San Diego Comic Con
Wednesday, May 6th: Stay Bookish
The Nerdy Music I Listened to While Writing Fangirl’s Guide
Thursday, May 7th: Good Books & Good Wine
Why Fangirling & Feminism Go Hand-in-Hand
Friday, May 8th: Quality Fangirls
Lady-Led Video Games That Will Get a Girl Into Gaming
Monday, May 11th: Snuggly Oranges
What 10 Fictional Female Role Models Can Teach About Being a Good Fangirl
Tuesday, May 12th (ON-SALE DAY): The Mary Sue
It’s a surprise!
Wednesday, May 13th: Elizzie Books
My Favorite Heroines Found in Young Adult Books
Thursday, May 14th: PRationality
Fangirl Flashbacks: The Nerdy Media That Influenced Me the Most
Friday, May, 15th: On Wednesdays We Wear Pink  
Favorite Fangirl Fashions