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Marvel comics writer discusses misogyny in the industry

Seanan McGuire says she was accused of sleeping her way to success.

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Siobhan Ball

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Marvel comics writer Seanan McGuire recently set up an Instagram account and, in the process of figuring out how to limit who can send her messages, she received a DM accusing her of sleeping with “every editor I have ever spoken to at Marvel.”

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She then created a tweet thread opening up a conversation about the misogyny women in the industry–and other industries like it–face.

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“Almost every woman I know, regardless of perceived attractiveness, has been accused of sleeping our way into success at least once. Because it’s not about sexual desirability. It’s about power,” McGuire wrote.

Even though comics can be known for its legions of women-hating fans, this is not a unique problem female comics creators face.

“Maybe, if it’s not about sex, if women have always been talented enough to do this work, maybe, just maybe, some of the people making hiring decisions–people who are personal heroes to some of us–were MISOGYNISTS,” McGuire continued.

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McGuire pointed out that many believe women sleep their way to the top rather than believe they are purely talented. She reiterated that she worked her ass off to get to where she is.

“Sexual predators exist. Casting couches exist. I’m not denying that at all. But that isn’t the universal way the world works, and some of us are just out here busting our tails, WITHOUT fucking anybody,” she wrote.

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She then addressed the “Instagram asshole” directly.

“You put way more thought into what sexual positions my Marvel editors favor than anyone who isn’t dating one of them should. Maybe get a better hobby,” McGuire wrote.

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McGuire’s thread resonated with many, with them applauding her and doubling down on the points she made.

“It applies in all arenas of power, too—art, politics, business, higher ed… Like you said, it’s much more convenient to believe we’re a bunch of fakes with unfair advantages (sex, affirmative action, etc) than that we’ve been capable of excelling all along,” one wrote.

 

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https://twitter.com/kyrielle/status/1204512889886822400

https://twitter.com/NettleGoose/status/1204675041994137600

And then there were others who made jokes at the unnamed Instagram user’s expense.

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“Can you imagine being an editor, getting a DM from a random person saying “I’ll fuck you if you let me write Batman” and not going ‘hey, do you know companies run on profits which come from sales of professional-grade products’ plus deleting it immediately?” Twitter user @AntDanceParty wrote.

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The Daily Dot