Tonight I got asked out on a date because I watched The Winter Soldier.
The guy was polite, he had seen me enter the theater, but also watched me as I plugged in my phone to charge during the credits- because, like in any Marvel film, you must stay through the credits. I thought that was the end of it and that he was just being kind.
Around 20 minutes later, I exit the theater, after having stood in the lobby for an addition 15 minutes to give some more juice to the cellular device. (I am in a different city, and it was approaching midnight, and the thought of getting in an accident with no phone terrifies me)(I'll tell that story later). He was circling the lot... at first I didn't recognize that it was the same guy. He proceeded to ask me about Divergent, and then went on to to say that I "must be pretty cool because (I) could sit through an action movie." And then asked me out for dinner....
Two things. One- he was a kind and polite guy, I was not creeped out, and koodos for him for having the courage to approach a complete stranger to go out for dinner. Unfortunately, I was falling asleep in the movie from an exhausting haul this week from interning, and had to decline (can I say he also wasn't my type? is that okay?)
Secondly. What? Because I could sit through an action movie...?
I think I have the right to say that I was a fangirl before it was cool.
I got exposed to Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars before I hit 12, and was literally a walking database for both the books and movies. And I don't just mean the top layer stuff, I mean the mythological names and origins for every Harry Potter character, spell, and creature, what sound made the Ringwrath's wing flap (it was a cheesegrater on a string), and basically the whole Star Wars universe (no, like, really...). I could name other genres that I was obsessed with... but these were the main ones. (Mythbusters, Pirates, etc...)
There was also the great moment when I tried to explain what "CGI" was to my older cousins....
Unfortunately... this wasn't the "cool" thing to be back in 2004. In fact, it was probably the reason I had little to no friends, because they didn't want me opening my buck teethed mouth to refer to some obscure Star Wars world that absolutely no one cared about. And I was okay with that. But, of the few kids who did let me open my mouth, we could go off on tangents for days.
I would go an see "boy" movies with my dad and brother all the time. Transformers, Spiderman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I probably spoiled their "man" time... but I more or less cared more about drooling over the special effects and sound. Yes. This was half the reason I went to the movies. And still is.
But, there was no Tumblr, no Facebook (at least for me), twitter, etc. There was no outlet to find other people who were obsessed as much as you were, with just about anything.
Ten years later (whoah), it's extremely into the opposite. As a "fan" you have to almost multi-task in order to be obsessed or into all the latest things. Sometimes it's a competition, and other times its bonding with a great and excellent community of peers and friends.
I have observed a trend that makes me a little nauseous. And it's the "be a fangirl, get laid." It's the "look at me I am playing WoW" "look at me I like Marvel" and "look at me I am Princess Leia." In short... "I like things that are popular amongst guys, therefore guys will like me." *le sigh*
No, please don't think that ladies. (Men, keep doing what you are doing, because I need someone to legit debate about politics in the Galactic Empire).
If you like a fandom, great. If you want to flaunt it, flaunt your ass off with all the branded shit you want. But, do not flaunt it to be liked or to get a romance.
For example, I had a roommate, she had a Spock sticker with a joke on it. When she purchased it, I had to explain to her the joke to her because she had maybe only seen a couple of episodes, tops, of Star Trek. But, she kept the sticker, and used it to please guys she brought back to make her appear more "nerdy." She would then rattle off Star Trek facts.... that I had earlier explained to her. And then there was me on the other side of the room with Star Wars bedsheets doing homework.
This is what grinds my gears. If you like something, love it, obsess it, learn it. For yourself.
Making yourself marketable for a sexytime session is great. But... I feel like the "Nerd" has been exploited to get liked, laid, etc.
So. I didn't see Winter Soldier in order to get men. I saw it because I am a Marvel fan, and because it was a $2 ticket. And also Chris Evans' butt. I also heard it was excellent, and worth a theatre view- the movie...
As flattered as I was to have "sat through an action movie" and be asked on for a date. But, if "seeing an action movie" is what makes a girl marketable to the desirable sex... than we need to be rethinking our desires. Because, I don't know about you, but I want to be with someone who I can have a deep discussion or debate about anything fandom related, and you better bring your information, and I don't mean the stuff on the top, I mean the gritty stuff about anything that the general public wouldn't devote their time to researching.
But also if you have the butt of Chris Evans, or are Chris Evans, I'll probably just go on a date with you anyways.
