Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel released its latest blockbuster last week as Guardians of the Galaxy hit the theatres in Australia. Follow me under the cut as I discuss the movie (hark! there are spoilers ahead).

Let's Represent!

Recently I took the kids I nanny to a local amusement park for the day because the Avengers were going to be making an appearance. My 5 year-old boy is super hero obsessed so of course this was a mandatory stop. When 2PM finally rolled around and we’d waited in line to see them you could see tiny little pieces of all the little girls around me die. Even my 9 year-old who couldn’t possibly care less about the Avengers shrank back. Three well costumed men walked up onto the stage. Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man were all properly represented and the crowd cheered, cameras flashed. I was tugged down to Tyler’s height. 
“Sarah, where’s Black Widow?” he asked frantically.

“She couldn't make it today. She and Hawkeye had important work to do. Its not easy to protect the whole world all the time. And Hulk doesn't like crowds and roller coasters.” I lied. 
I heard my words repeated by other parents around me at a greater loss for words than I was. One little girl broke down in tears and despite having already waited a hour to see the Avengers refused to go in and meet them. She wanted to meet Black Widow.  Tyler stepped up to her and patted her back telling the girl that their beloved Nat was off being a better hero. She’s one of his favourites, and despite some judging of adults we've spent many a day with him adamantly telling everyone he meets that today he’s Black Widow.

"Fake Geek Girls"

I’ve been in the Marvel fandom for over a decade now, and it wasn’t until joining Tumblr that I learned there was such thing as a “fake geek girl”. It's still a mind boggling situation to me. So let’s have a little chat about it. But first a little background information so you know where I’m coming from. Growing up there was one phrase I almost never heard said in real life that it seems everyone else heard too often. “That’s just for INSERT GENDER HERE.” I sit here now completely confused as to how this is possible. I had friends. I spent time with adults beyond my parents. I had a social life. Let’s be honest here, I grew up on a farm in a small town there should have been so much sexism there that you couldn’t take a breath without choking on it. But no, when the chicken barn needed shoveled the saying was, “I have a mask and shovel that’ll fit you,” and my parents did. When wood needed chopping: “I’ve got an axe that will fit your hand.” When laundry needed to be done: “You wore it you can learn to wash it.” When baby animals or the occasional baby human needed minding, it didn’t just get put off on my mom, sister, or myself. No, my dad and brother were tasked with just as many dirty diapers and bottles.