| Revision as of 17:32, 27 December 2023 editPrimium (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users3,169 editsm →In popular culture: primary source← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 07:38, 5 January 2024 edit undoRobertsky (talk | contribs)Edit filter managers, Autopatrolled, Administrators74,423 edits merged to Women in refrigerators. per outcome of Talk:Women_in_Refrigerators#Requested_move_14_December_2023Tags: New redirect 2017 wikitext editor | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| #REDIRECT ] | |||
| {{short description|Website analyzing comic book trope of female injury or death}} | |||
| {{about|the website|the literary trope|Women in Refrigerators syndrome}} | |||
| <noinclude>{{User:RMCD bot/subject notice|1=Women in Refrigerators (website)|2=Talk:Women in Refrigerators#Requested move 14 December 2023}} | |||
| </noinclude>{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2018}} | |||
| {{Infobox website | |||
| | name = Women in Refrigerators | |||
| | logo = | |||
| | screenshot = | |||
| | caption = Screenshot of Women in Refrigerators, May 21, 2008 | |||
| | url = | |||
| | commercial = | |||
| | type = ] | |||
| | language = English | |||
| | registration = No | |||
| | owner = ] | |||
| | author = Daniel Merlin Goodbrey <br />Rob Harris <br />Gail Simone <br />Beau Yarbrough <br />John Bartol | |||
| | launch_date = March 1999 | |||
| | current_status = Online | |||
| | revenue = | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Women in Refrigerators''' ('''WiR''') is a website created in 1999<ref>] (March 1999). . LBY3. Retrieved August 24, 2013.</ref> by a group of ] comic-book fans that lists examples of ], a ] in which female characters are injured, raped, killed, or depowered (an event colloquially known as fridging), sometimes to stimulate "protective" traits, and often as a ] intended to move a male character's story arc forward, and seeks to analyze why these plot devices are used disproportionately on female characters. | |||
| ==History== | |||
| ]'' vol. 3 #54, the origin of the phrase]] | |||
| The term "Women in Refrigerators" was coined by writer ] as a name for the website in early 1999 during online discussions about comic books with friends. It refers to an incident in '']'' vol. 3 #54 (1994), written by ], in which ], the title hero, comes home to his apartment to find that the villain ] had killed his girlfriend, ], and stuffed her in a refrigerator.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Condon |first1=Michael |title=The Fanzing Challenge |url=http://www.fanzing.com/mag/fanzing49/condonquiz.shtml |website=Fanzing |access-date=September 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531105941/http://www.fanzing.com/mag/fanzing49/condonquiz.shtml |archive-date=2012-05-31 |date=October 2002 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Yahoo>Prowse-Gany, Brian (August 12, 2015). . ].</ref> Simone and her colleagues then developed a list of fictional female characters who had been "killed, maimed or depowered", in particular in ways that treated the female characters as mere devices to move forward a male character's story arc, rather than as fully developed characters in their own right.<ref name=Yahoo/><ref name=WiRWomen>Simone, Gail (March 1999). . lb3.com. Retrieved August 24, 2013.</ref> The list was then circulated via the Internet over ], ]s, email and electronic mailing lists. Simone also e-mailed many comic book creators directly for their responses to the list. | |||
| The list is infamous in certain comic book fan circles. Respondents often found different meanings to the list itself, though Simone maintained that her simple point had always been: "If you demolish most of the characters girls like, then girls won't read comics. That's it!"<ref>Simone, Gail (March 28, 1999). . LBY3. Retrieved January 11, 2006.</ref> | |||
| Journalist Beau Yarbrough created the initial design and coding on the original site. Technology consultant John Bartol edited the content. Robert Harris,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gayleague.com/members/profiles/displayProfile.php?id=181 |title=Who's Who: The Scarlet Rob |publisher=Gay League |access-date=November 8, 2010}}</ref> a librarian and comic-book fan, contributed to site maintenance and updates along with fan John Norris. The idea for placing the list online originated with software developer Jason Yu, who also served as the original site host.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lby3.com/wir/index.html |title=Women in Refrigerators |publisher=lby3.com |access-date=December 21, 2012}}</ref> | |||
| == Response == | |||
| In 2000, several national newspapers ran articles that referenced the site, generating discussion on the topic of ] in pop culture and the comic-book industry.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/letters-6400564 |title=Letters: Wonder women |date=May 25, 2000 |work=Dallas Observer |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000903133408/http://www.dallasobserver.com/issues/2000-05-25/letters.html |archive-date=September 3, 2000 |url-status=live}}</ref> Some universities also list the content of Women in Refrigerators as related to analysis and critique of pop culture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wsu.edu/~amerstu/pop/comix.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318214633/http://www.wsu.edu/~amerstu/pop/comix.html |archive-date=2009-03-18 |url-status=dead |title=Popular Culture|website=WSU.edu |publisher=] |access-date=September 9, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://perrymoorestories.com/content/hero.asp?id=superheroes |last=Moore |first=Perry |title=Who cares about the death of a gay superhero anyway? |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012225358/http://perrymoorestories.com/content/hero.asp?id=superheroes |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 31, 2017}}</ref> | |||
| ===Creator response=== | |||
| Simone received numerous e-mail responses from comic book fans and professionals. Some responses were neutral and others were positive.<ref name="reacts">Simone, Gail; Bartol, John (Editors). . "Women in Refigerators". Retrieved August 24, 2013.</ref> Additionally, arguments on the merits of the list were published on comic-book fan sites in early 1999. | |||
| Simone published many of the responses she received on the website.<ref name="reacts"/> | |||
| Several comic book creators indicated that the list caused them to pause and think about the stories they were creating. Often these responses contained arguments for or against the use of death or injury of female characters as a plot device. A list of some responses from comic book professionals is included on the site.<ref>Simone, Gail; Harris Rob (Editors). . Women in Refrigerators. LBY3. Retrieved August 24, 2013.</ref> Marz's reply stated (in part): "To me the real difference is less male–female than main character – supporting character. In most cases, main characters, 'title' characters who support their own books, are male. ... the supporting characters are the ones who suffer the more permanent and shattering tragedies. And a lot of supporting characters are female."<ref>. Women in Refrigerators. LBY3. Retrieved August 24, 2013.</ref> | |||
| ==In popular culture== | |||
| Within the comics medium, during the 2009 DC storyline "]", Alexandra DeWitt was one of many deceased characters temporarily brought back to life as part of the ]. While she appeared briefly, she was seen inside a refrigerator construct at all times.<ref>''Green Lantern Corps'' vol. 2 #46 (May 2010).</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=December 2023}} | |||
| ==Notable contributors== | |||
| Several contributors to the site and the original list later became comic book creators and entertainment industry professionals: | |||
| * Brian Joines – Writer of the independent comic ''The 7 Guys of Justice'' and as of 2006 publishing new comics through ].<ref>. Women in Refrigerators. Retrieved September 9, 2013.</ref> | |||
| * ] – Creator of ''UpcomingMovies.com'', AKA ''Greg's Previews'', and columnist for ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unheardtaunts.com/wir/r-book.html|author=Schmitz, Greg Dean|title=Fan GREG DEAN SCHMITZ responds|publisher=Women in Refrigerators|date=|accessdate=November 1, 2021|archivedate=July 17, 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717163506/http://www.unheardtaunts.com/wir/r-book.html}}</ref> | |||
| * ] – Author of several comic books including '']'' for DC Comics and Marvel's '']''.<ref name=WiRWomen/> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{Wikiquote}} | |||
| * {{Official website|https://www.lby3.com/wir/}} | |||
| * {{Official website|https://www.lby3.com/wir/women.html|The original 1999 ''Women in Refrigerators'' list}} | |||
| {{Portal bar|Comics|Feminism|Speculative fiction}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Women In Refrigerators}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 07:38, 5 January 2024
Redirect to: