CALL FOR PAPERS: "SHE'S A SHE"

[dreamer_easy]

Now that the entire new series of Doctor Who has screened in the UK, I'm sending out a call for papers for "SHE'S A SHE": THE FEMALE RESPONSE, a fanzine of female fans' reactions to the new show. Articles for the zine should be 500 to 2000 words in length, should not be reviews, and must be written by a girl or woman. Please leave a comment / email me to suggest your topic first so I can coordinate everyone's stuff. Artwork also needed! I'll need all content by the end of September 2005, with the aim of making the thing available by the end of October. The zine will be distributed in PDF format, with a nominal donation to Amnesty International asked in return for the download.

ETA much later: Alas, the zine isn't going ahead.

Comments

[alawston.livejournal.com]

Are you putting a limit on the number of papers with the title: 'OMG! Teh nippl3z!'?

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

Are you volunteering to write it? >:-)

[alawston.livejournal.com]

Let's just say that in terms of genital requirements, I am somewhat over-equipped to be particpating in a femzine :)

[pbristow.livejournal.com]

Sexist! =8oO

You mean you are *wrongly* equipped to be participating in a femzine. There's nothing "lesser" about a vagina.

[BRISTOW SMILES SMUGLY AND HOPES THIS BLATANT SUCKING-UP TO THE FEMINIST EDITOR WILL QUALIFY HIM TO BE THE ONLY PLONKER-EQUIPPED-PERSON ALLOWED TO CONTRIBUTE.]

=;o>

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

[SAID EDITOR IS TOO HORRIFIED BY THE WORD "PLONKER" TO RESPOND]

Excuse me for snark, but:

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

I would really like it, someday, if men could be seen as lacking what women have, instead of women lacking what men have.

Not a comment to you, personally, just saying...

Over-equipped? :-)

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

I figured he was boasting about the size of his clitoris. >:-)

Re: Excuse me for snark, but:

[pbristow.livejournal.com]

Snap! =:o}

Re: Excuse me for snark, but:

[alawston.livejournal.com]

Well, pardon me my un-PC moment. I briefly thought about pretending to be a hermaphrodite for a laugh, but never mind.

When I said 'over-equipped' I wasn't think in terms of 'who's best' but more in the physical 'more stuff flapping around' sense.

I do apologise to anyone reading this while they're eating...

Re: Excuse me for snark, but:

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

more stuff flapping around

You've been looking at those screen grabs from The Rainbow.

Re: Excuse me for snark, but:

[gdwessel.livejournal.com]

Personally I'd like it, someday, if neither are really seen as "lacking" anything.

...

[kiri-l.livejournal.com]

I'd like to contribute.. but I am waiting to see it yet. =) I think a september deadline (considering they'll be releasing the dvd's) is distinctly do-able. =)

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... I haven't seen the entire series yet, so I'm not sure what my reaction will be when it's over (It'll be before the September). I am up for the challenge, though...

Maybe something on either: a) the Earth-centric quality of this run, or b) how I, as a fan of the classic series (Shes were shes back then, too), was totally surprised by my level of squee when I'd heard DW was coming back.

[magslhalliday.livejournal.com]

I'm totally surprised by the state of squee PotW left me in...I even resorted to fangirl spelling...

[antikythera.livejournal.com]

Oooh.

Is anyone writing anything about the 'fangirl' phenomenon in general, as it applies (and always has applied!) to Doctor Who? The fangirls are coming out of the closet for the new series, but they've always been around.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

That'd be terrific! (Something similar happened with the TVM too.)

[antikythera.livejournal.com]

Nine, Eight, and Five have large fangirl contingencies. Four and Seven have modest shares as well. Three and Six have a smattering of loyal followers.

Okay, so: here we are talking about fangirls who have crushes on Doctors. I'm thinking about something broader, encompassing some of the stuff we talked about in that other thread... the attention to relationships, sexuality, social statements, etc., because those aren't things that fanboys are known for. And fanboys have made up most of DW fandom until now.

It could be 'So You Want to Be a Fangirl': discussion of the ways that girl geeks differ from boy geeks (with disclaimers that none of it is exclusive, of course), and what the female influx means for DW.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

This sounds good! You could also compare the fangirlish elements of the new show to the original series.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

I could try, but I dunno if I have any interesting thoughts.

*ponders* Umm, would it be okay to do something on how the Doctor's gendered in the new series and how that affects me as A Lady?

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

That would be perfect!

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

My thinking, which may be wrong thinking, is that the Doctor (at least pre-McGann) isn't really all that traditionally "male" when compared to his telly contemporaries and thus is more identify-withable for Girls. And Nine is compassionate, emotionally-instable and flighty. I think Nine's stories are less dependant on the rational. Oh, and there's Jack and Rose as comparison gendered individuals. And the thing of how Nine gets a sexuality that seems to lean toward girls but seemingly not exclusively. And it could be called "Sexing The Doctor" for cheap amusement value, if you like.

Umm, I dunno how much I can make that make any sense, but I shall try for you and Amnesty.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

All of that sounds terrif, especially the title. :-)

[magslhalliday.livejournal.com]

Oooh, OK. although it could be a male fan writing it, it is a fem lit. topic:

Into The Woods: Rose and the Big Bad Wolf
The Red Riding Hood folk tale once warned girls against stepping off the path. Rose, in her red hoodie, not only steps off the path of her mundane life but [...]. This article looks at the symbolism of the RRH myth and how it is used in season 1 of new Who.

(you can see how I so nearly typed 'paper' there, can't you? I was waffling about this last night on JadePagodaTV and worked out an idea of what happens - give me a bit of time rereading my Mariana Warner, Angela Carter etc and it's good to go...)

edited to hide spoiler for TPotW.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

Perfect!

[gdwessel.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm disqualified from this projekt, it seems, but good luck to all of you in producing it. :-)

[drox.livejournal.com]

Artwork also needed!

Could you tell me more or less what you want in the way of art? As in, size, DPI, format, subject matter, etc.? Thanks!

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

The art should be related to the new show. 150 dpi or more is fine, in any format I can get Photoshop to recognise. Size is more difficult to answer until I'm actually doing the layout, but if past experience is any guide, lots of little pictures will be more useful than one big one!

[purplepooka.livejournal.com]

Not sure if I'll get the time, but I think some kind of Rose/Ace comparison, possibly with a few more female companions in the mix, looking at how they've styled (in dress, accent, background) these companions to appeal to a young female audience and whether they've done it right, whether they act as positive or negative role-models etc. I think of those two in particular because they're the only two I can think of off-hand who have had their own pasts, prejudices and angst become the main theme of the stories, who have been as much or more the main character as the Doctor. They are also of a similar age and Earth-based, to be more identifiable for the female audience. Perhaps Susan counts in there, too, even though she's not from Earth originally.
Companion Like Me?

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

Sounds spot on!

[grapefruitzzz.livejournal.com]

I'd love to contribute, but I can't think of a topic as yet. My head has turned into potato after a day of dadrock.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

dadrock! *adds this to her interests at once*