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New Ms Marvel Writer Seeks Mistakes Men Make When Writing About Teenage Girls
Saladin Ahmed is the new writer of The Magnificent Ms Marvel, starting in March from Marvel Comics, taking over from the character's co-creator G Willow Wilson. But he has some research to do first. He posted to Twitter…
Women (or anyone who was a teenage girl, however you identify now) what single thing do you most hate that male writers get wrong about being a teenage girl?
— Saladin Ahmed (@saladinahmed) December 14, 2018
And has, to date, had well over two thousand replies, many from professional writers. As he says,
damn clearly dudes haven't asked this enough because y'all are (understandably!) ready to go OFF
I can already tell I won't be able to reply to everyone but thank you all for taking the time to share it's deeply appreciated
— Saladin Ahmed (@saladinahmed) December 14, 2018
This seemed to be one of the more common responses.
— Tyler King (@TylerAKing) December 15, 2018
But many coalesced around young women's relationship with other young women. Here are a few prominent and pertinent responses.
We are perfectly capable of being friends with boys and not letting raging hormones take the wheel. We can make judgment calls and know our limits when it comes to sexual attraction. It's awkward at the start, sure, but not impossible.
— Andrea Burgess (@echtburge) December 15, 2018
You probably have all the answers you need but I'll add my thoughts too since I really appreciate you asking. I hate how shallow and one dimensional we're portrayed as. And also that girls in fiction are often pitted against each other. My girls and I were TIGHT. (c)
— J. Williams 🎃 (@JenWilliams13) December 15, 2018
The feeling of simultaneously wanting attention but also of wanting to be invisible. Mean girl friends that you know you have to put up with until you graduate.
— Hope Nicholson (@HopeLNicholson) December 15, 2018
Everyone else is being really serious and saying really important things, but I gotta add: Teenage girls want to be witches. So. Much. KK needs a Witch Friend who does Tarot readings and drinks her own herbal teas and picks the color of her clothes for theort magickal properties.
— Ladies Making Comics (@LadiesMaknComix) December 15, 2018
In my family there are 7 boys and 4 girls. The girls had far more responsibilities than the boys. There was a shit ton more pressure on our shoulders. The girls had consequences for our actions and the boys had none.
— Hannah Christenson (@Hannah_illo) December 15, 2018
Not everyone is eager for sex. For so many teen girls sex and sexuality are confusing and strange concepts that are attached onto them without them ever being actively excited about it. Books are always about girls who hate sex or love it, no shaky confused middle ground
— the princess switch (@umangkalra__) December 15, 2018
Has anyone mentioned this delectable example yet? 'Mariye passed her time in the storage shed thinking about her budding breasts.' No she didn't, Murakami. Via @wirewalking pic.twitter.com/p3ryWyO1gs
— Anna Mazzola (@Anna_Mazz) December 15, 2018
Everything. The over-sexualisation of young girls through the lens of the ludicrous, omnipresent male gaze is rampant. Teens are still kids but any childlike behaviour by teen girl protagonists is either sexualised or used to disempower them.
— Lili Saintcrow (@lilithsaintcrow) December 15, 2018
They always write female bullies to be really outwardly physical and mean. In reality, drama between girls can be much more quiet, drawn out, and passive. More about the little jabs than a big encounter.
— Cathleen McAllister ✨ (@cafween) December 15, 2018
Teenage girls are funny and weird. We don't just think about our bodies all the time. One time my friend and I performed surgery on a ripped stuffed animal of hers and then bought frozen yogurt and named our spoons.
— HaleyMancini (@HaleyMancini) December 15, 2018
That teenage girls are sexually manipulative, and/or capable of having adult level sexual experiences. I honestly just want male authors to stay away from teenage girls at this point
— Lucia (@offic_annboleyn) December 15, 2018
That there is no equivalent "boys will be boys" pass for girls, that expectations are generally higher and accomplishments more overlooked, that they are expected to start catering to boys & men at a young age, that they are expected to mature faster but also ridiculed for it–
— Jen Bartel (@heyjenbartel) December 14, 2018
They always write female bullies to be really outwardly physical and mean. In reality, drama between girls can be much more quiet, drawn out, and passive. More about the little jabs than a big encounter.
— Cathleen McAllister ✨ (@cafween) December 15, 2018
girls are funny, and can say funny things without some kind of flirty/self-deprecating agenda, or to prove some kind of character trait. girls are just witty. some of the teenage girls I knew were the funniest people I've ever met.
— i'm dreaming of a Knight christmas (@worldsbestda) December 15, 2018
The way that female emotions are always made palatable or attractive to men. Sadness as fragile beauty, anger as passion, awkwardness as charming. NO. Sometimes my sadness can be my own messy sadness, not the reason a boy finds me attractive so he can feel better about himself.
— Madison Bateman (@madisonbateman) December 15, 2018
The things girls discuss–the gravity of the conversations about sex and bodies and politics. The presentation of teen girls as vapid when so many could school people twice their age on gender, racial, and sexuality discourse.
— Hillary Monahan (@HillaryMonahan) December 15, 2018
Teenage girls are funny and weird. We don't just think about our bodies all the time. One time my friend and I performed surgery on a ripped stuffed animal of hers and then bought frozen yogurt and named our spoons.
— HaleyMancini (@HaleyMancini) December 15, 2018
The idea that girls spend their times backstabbing or taking each other down (for sure there's a lot of insecurity but it's also beautiful friendship).
— Aliette de Bodard (@aliettedb) December 15, 2018
We weren't all angsty, moody, stubborn beyond belief teenage a-holes. I was a good kid, got along well with my parents, didn't think I knew everything in the world.
Also, so, so, so over the high school mean girls trope.
— Alisha Grauso (@AlishaGrauso) December 15, 2018
That they bite their lower lips
— Laurie Kilmartin (@anylaurie16) December 15, 2018
How much meaningful labor young women put into running almost every organization and event that made high school feel anything like a community.
Many of them were busy getting so much shit done. Not for their own benefit/vanity (or only partially). But bc no 1 else would do it.
— Lia Wolock (@liapold) December 15, 2018
How girls interact with other girls. Too many enemies and rivals compared to friends and relationships that mix both. Also, conflict between girls focuses too much on competition for boys, rather than girl friends being inattentive or disloyal to each other.
— Sarah (@sosomanysarahs) December 15, 2018
Old men are ALWAYS trying to hit up teenage girls. It was my experience. Developed, yes. But BABY FACE all the way. Old ass Rufus in the leisure suit should not be hitting up 14 year old teenage girls. There's no excuse. There's no, i didn't know.
— Khaalidah (@khaalidah) December 15, 2018
Different "types" of girls can get along!! I was the nerdy theater kid, but I had female friends who were athletes, student council members, etc. Some were preppy, others emo/goth, others super artsy. We could still be friends…
— Sarah Jane Singer ✡️🏳️🌈 (@TheNewSarahJane) December 15, 2018
teenage girls are HILARIOUS. my friends and i were always laughing about something and you never see girls laughing in groups on tv shows or in movies unless it's sinister/mean
— stone cold steve austin (@aimiekins) December 15, 2018
Not enough teen female characters have female friends, and I've never understood that. They're usually the lone female with one or two male friends instead. In reality, female friendships are EVERYTHING to you. Powerful, deep, emotional bonds.
— Erica Hayes (@EricaHayes87) December 14, 2018
That teen girls aren't moody just because of hormones or because they somehow thrive on drama. They often deal with enormous family and social pressures with little to no support and struggle under the weight of it, causing them to act out or be harsh/moody.
— Albertine Watson (@littlebluerobot) December 15, 2018
Which should all prove very valuable for Saladin…
prob the #1 thing is when they write comics about teen girls & then crowdsource empathy instead of giving the job to a person who could actually write this experience lmao
— meggnog ☕🎄🎅 (@megsauce) December 15, 2018
Ah, yes, well, there is that…
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