Overview
- Analyzes the perceived status of geek identity as marginalized and threatened at a moment when geek culture is increasingly mainstreamed and brought before mass audiences
- Critically assesses the nature of the hero in geek-marketed media, both in spaces marked for science fiction and fantasy and in narratives that seek to reflect geek culture back at itself
- Sheds light upon increased attention to hostilities towards women at comic and film conventions, and the continual harassment and threats towards women across geek media who become visible as producers or fans
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
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Table of contents (8 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Keywords
About this book
This book examines changing representations of masculinity in geek media, during a time of transition in which “geek” has not only gone mainstream but also become a more contested space than ever, with continual clashes such as Gamergate, the Rabid and Sad Puppies’ attacks on the Hugo Awards, and battles at conventions over “fake geek girls.” Anastasia Salter and Bridget Blodgett critique both gendered depictions of geeks, including shows like Chuck and The Big Bang Theory, and aspirational geek heroes, ranging from the Winchester brothers of Supernatural to BBC’s Sherlock and the varied superheroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Through this analysis, the authors argue that toxic masculinity is deeply embedded in geek culture, and that the identity of geek as victimized other must be redefined before geek culture and media can ever become an inclusive space.
Authors and Affiliations
About the authors
Anastasia Salter is Assistant Professor of Digital Media at the University of Central Florida, USA. She is author of Jane Jensen: Gabriel Knight, Adventure Games, Hidden Objects and What is Your Quest?: From Adventure Games to Interactive Books, and co-author of Flash: Building the Interactive Web.
Bridget Blodgett is Associate Professor of Information Arts and Technologies at the University of Baltimore, USA. Her research involves the use of technology within Internet culture and virtual worlds and the social impacts of virtual and internet culture on offline life.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Toxic Geek Masculinity in Media
Book Subtitle: Sexism, Trolling, and Identity Policing
Authors: Anastasia Salter, Bridget Blodgett
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66077-6
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-66076-9Published: 23 November 2017
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-66077-6Published: 08 November 2017
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 214
Number of Illustrations: 12 b/w illustrations
Topics: Popular Science in Cultural and Media Studies, Culture and Gender, Culture and Technology, Social Media, Digital/New Media, Popular Culture