Lou and The Mysterious Subject of Boys

I have been on two dates in my life.  Both of them were with the same guy.  The scenario went along these lines:

Interfering busibodies: Elizabeth and Boy chat a lot!  They both are loners!  They both read!  Let's not leave them alone until they agree to date each other!  We'll make them so happy!   WE R SMRT!

Me: *bangs head against wall*

Beginnings of a beautiful friendship: *is ruined*

That being said, I have crushes on guys quite a bit.  Mostly of the completely hopeless variety.  During the Dark Times, during the High School, that pretty much went kaplooie as my hormones focused on other things such as joining the rest of my brain in going completely insane, but nowadays they appear to be active with a vengeance.

The two major objects of my affection shall be referred to as Cute Comic Book Store Guy and Awesome Guy At School.  And it looks like Embarassing Situations is gearing up to make up for the lost years.  I made an actually Freudian slip in front of Guy At School.  I didn't realize people really made those.  I swear I actually blushed. 

And, of course, in December I will have to walk up to Cute Comic Guy and purchase this (http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/files/2009/09/boog-cv27450_cmyk.jpg ) lovely cover from him.  (Yes, I must.  I NEED this issue, badly.  It features three of my very favorite characters, and one of them is a zombie).

So, yeah.  Love life is at a high it has not approached in years!

...Yay?

Lou Feels Feminist RAGE

Two posts in a day?  Why in heaven's name is this?

Well, I shall tell you.  This is the culmination of a rant that's been freaking building up in me for QUITE SOME TIME, and that is quite simply the fact that a lot of the time in comics I feel a little bit on the outside looking in.

Not in the fandom.  The fandom has been nothing less than welcoming, and funfunFUN, and hilarious.  And I haven't experienced any of the horror stories, where everyone in the comic store reacts in shock when a GIRL walks in.  Generally I'm one of several girls in there, in fact, often including one behind the cash register.

It's just... the books.  It's the fact that nine times out of ten, it seems, female characters are slotted into "love interest."  It's that I can count on one hand the number of prominent, female Green Lanterns in normal costumes like the boys wear as opposed to bikinis and tiny leotards.  It's going to the library, picking up a book, and seeing that on the back cover, freaking Birds of Prey is advertised as containing the "sexiest superheroines in the DCU."  Not "badass," which is true.  Not "well written," which was even truer.  Looking at the back of that book, I didn't get the feeling I was supposed to think "Woah, Black Canary is an awesome person," I got the feeling that I was expected to think "Look, fishnets!"

It's not the big things, really, not nowadays.  There are a lot of seriously awesome, kickass women in comics.  Lois Lane has gone from falling out of windows and plotting to get Superman to marry her by any means possible to a severely awesome reporter who is, by the way, currently married to Clark Kent/Supes, andgoshdangitI'mthisclosetohavinganotherOTP.  Wonder Woman is badass even if she does fight evil in a bathing suit.  Soranik Natu is probably my favorite character in GLC, eclipsing even Guy Gardner.

But, still.  Look!  Boob window!  Look, fishnets!  It's not the costumes themselves (okay, fine, a lot of it is), it's the attitude.  It's wanting to read a freaking STORY, not be presented with butt shots every two panels.

I love comics.  I'm just beginning to be concerned that they don't love me.