“Well, I managed to clear a room of four women talking about this. Twice. Two DIFFERENT sets of women. So that’s a sign regarding how fanboyish I just might be and how much I enjoyed this one. I give this book eight women out (of the room) of eight, I guess.
Are we going here?
Why don’t women like comics?
This is being general, cutting a wide swath. I recognize that. I know there are many lady comic book fans, many of whom are a lot more rabid than I am.
What I’m saying here is based 100% on personal experience. So the weakness of what I’m saying is the lack of scientific, large-scale proof. The strength, though, is that what I’m talking about is ACTUALLY HAPPENING in my real life. So if you’d like to disagree with the assertion here, feel free, but understand that what we’ll be talking about is my personal experience. I’m a fan of comics, and I’ve never dated anyone who has been a fan of comics. I’ve never had a close female friend who brought up a comic book to me that I’d not read or heard about. I’ve never talked to a woman at a gathering and found that we both love comics.
In fact, let’s just put some emphasis right there. If you set up a male friend on a date with someone you knew, and when you asked how it went he said, “Well, I talked about Spider-Man for a while…” would you be cringing inside? I think that cringe reaction is what I’m getting at here.
Now, maybe I just don’t have interactions with the ladies who are huge comic fans. They don’t seem to be in my circles of friends and acquaintances. Not even my Google Plus circles of friends. Not even the one I titled Hot Babes Who Love Comics More Than Life Itself. I got really excited about categorizing my circles, you guys. May have gone overboard in terms of specificity.
It could be me. This wouldn’t be the first theory of why I’m less popular with women. This falls way down on the list, probably behind Buying Orange Juice With the Incorrect Level of Pulp or Not Owning Reusable Grocery Store Bags. Not to mention that making sweeping statements about the differences between men and women is traditionally not a shortcut to popularity with the opposite sex.
I guess what I’m getting at here is not really a statement about women not liking comics. It’s a question. Why don’t women like comics? But I can’t ask the question before saying that I think women don’t like comics. So I’ll say it, but mostly in service of asking the question.
If you DO like comics, let me know. I hope you don’t feel attacked. I don’t mean to sideline anybody here. It’s just an actual question I have.
If you don’t like comics, just tell me what it is about them that turns you off. I’m not going to argue with you. It’s not my goal to convince you to like something. I’m just genuinely curious.
And it’s okay to not like comics in a general way. You don’t have to be actively hating them or anything. If you’re a reader who just doesn’t really pick them up, well, I’m curious about that too.
If you disagree with the entire premise, that’s cool too.
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