Okay, I’m re-posting this because it’s going to get buried in the actual massive thread of reblogs, which is up to 70k.
Here’s what happened. I mentioned that while I was in line to get tickets and popcorn at my local teeny town theater, the guy next to me started explaining who Deadpool was, because he just assumed I wouldn’t know.
I thought it was kind of funny, I didn’t think it was ‘mansplaining’ or the patriarchy or any of that stuff, it was a guy excited to see his favorite hero in a movie and he had no idea that I had written the character and actually have an on-camera shout-out.
I tweeted it because I thought it was kind of cute, I never thought the guy was an ass or a jerk or that he was being a douche, he was just excited. At the very WORST, he just made an assumption. I posted many times that I didn’t think it was sexist, and I didn’t think it was even REMOTELY a big deal, AND I posted a story where I had made a very similar mistake myself with an artist I really respected.
This was NOT a big deal. I thought it was cute and if I’d had some Deadpool comics with me, I would have happily given them to the dude.
Anyway, now it’s up here with this huge thread of tens of thousands of reblogs under a headline about sexism, and I have to say, I just never had that feeling for a moment, nor did this seem even remotely like a serious issue.
Here’s what I wrote on the thread.
“I just want to say, I think people are making a bigger deal of this than they should, to be honest.It’s not that he didn’t recognize me (why would he?) and it’s not that I thought he was ‘sexist.’ It was just a guy excited about Deadpool and he started telling the closest person in line.
I said a bunch of times after posting this tweet that I didn’t think he was being sexist, it just seemed kind of funny. I live in a tiny small town, there’s no reason for him to think someone who wrote Deadpool was in line with him. AND the few times I’ve told a guy who talked about the movie that I used to write the character, they were universally very positive and excited about it. Not one bad experience.
So, while it would be nice if people didn’t just ASSUME that a woman wouldn’t know who Deadpool was, I didn’t ever think it was this big deal, I just thought it was kind of funny that the ONE person he chose to explain Deadpool that day is actually given a shout-out in the movie. That struck me as kind of amusing.
He wasn’t being a dick, he just was excited about Deadpool, and assumed I wouldn’t know who Wade Wilson was. Not a big deal at all. “
Anyway, this was so inoffensive, I actually forgot it happened until something jogged my memory and I thought people might find it amusing. It was such an incredible non-issue! Deadpool fans have ALWAYS been incredibly nice to me, regardless of gender, I have always felt they were some of the kindest and most generous readers out there.
Also, dude, if you’re out there, I promise, I was NOT OFFENDED and I thought it was kind of adorable to see your excitement at your favorite hero getting a movie. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!