On Wednesday night, I was a guest on ANNCast to talk about sexism in anime and fandom. It’s the most popular podcast I’ve ever been on, and certainly the most structured.

We talked until midnight for me (since I’m on the East Coast, they’re three hours behind), and I’m usually in bed by eleven. I prepared some notes before we started talking, but I don’t think I had enough of a filter. Simply put, as soon as I signed off of Skype, my fiancé said to me, “You’re gonna get hate mail for that.”

He’s probably right. I’m definitely going to get shit for accusing lolicon fans of being childish, for saying that geek culture rewards women who act like sluts, and other equally unfiltered remarks. The former high school debater in me cringes, but these raw musings probably made the podcast more interesting than if I had been my most thoughtful, polished self. At least that’s what I’m telling myself!

Give it a listen here.

Here’s a few of the criteria I use when I’m deciding who to interview next:

Be an expert

When I was drafting my article about how cosplayers use social networks to get jobs, I knew there would be no higher authority on the subject than my friend and mentor, Steven Savage. Steven literally wrote the book on cosplay careers, making him the perfect source for the topic. It’s unlikely that I could find somebody more knowledgable, no matter where I looked.

Generally, it’s not a good idea for journalists to interview their friends. In my experience, however, I’ve learned to break that rule. Not all the time, but there are instances in which a familiar source is my best bet. Those instances are almost always when that connection is an expert on the particular subject I need to cover.

That’s the difference between a journalist and a press liaison: a source’s relationship with a reporter needs to be symbiotic. I don’t go out of my way to promote friends or acquaintances for no reason, but I always need experts for my stories. That’s why Help A Reporter Out is such a great program. If you want to be in the news, make your expertise known.

Be inspirational

At first, I wasn’t sure if Misa on Wheels was a story. I stumbled on her Facebook page through a link from a Tumblr blog, and was immediately fascinated by her story and her position as a motivational figure in the cosplay community.

However, I’ve gotten almost too good at second guessing my instincts for a fandom story. I’ve got a soft spot for fandom, so I figure just because I find something interesting doesn’t mean it’ll entice a general audience. Doubtful, I showed it to my editor, and he told me to run with it. I wrote the story and it became the most popular item published today.

What makes Misa’s story such a popular profile piece when other people’s wouldn’t be? She’s already had a following of thousands. I already had proof that she could motivate people in her own community, so it was a safe bet that she’d be able to inspire people outside of it, too.

Reporters don’t make news, they share it. I’d like to flatter myself that a profile piece by me would turn a person with zero audience into an overnight sensation, but that simply isn’t true. That’s why it’s helpful to have proof of a subject’s power to inspire.

Be really, really weird

When I do find something that both I and the mainstream media find interesting, I often don’t like it for the same reasons. For example, bronies fascinate me because of their enthusiasm, leading to a prolific fanart and fanfiction output like no fandom before. But I realize other people might look at the group as a whole and see a freak show. That’s what guarantees them a media spotlight.

Generally, everyone likes a good freak show to gawk at. It’s like I wrote about in a previous blog post, How a civil war reenactment is like an anime convention. The TV reporters were looking for the most beautiful and weirdest people to interview. People love to hear about religious fanatics, two faced kittens, even your waifu; anything that has the power to shock and outrage. If you’re weird enough, you can pretty much guarantee an interview.

There’s a downside to being selected as the media’s latest freak, though. It’s press, but it won’t necessarily make you look good. And regardless of the subject at hand, people are going to want to hear all about your sex life. But these profiles almost always turn out to be much bigger hits than profiles on experts or inspirational figures. It depends on whether you think the risk is worth it.

If you’ve got a story that sounds like the sort of thing I’d write for the Daily Dot, send me an email.

A really good interviewer can be like a brainstorming partner; when she asks questions about your beliefs, it can help you to affirm and solidify them. Aine’s question about my use of the word “weeaboo” did that for me.

I know that with a word with a history as contentious of that of “weeaboo” will always be problematic, but I think my answer here is the one I most believe in:

Aine: Another quick terminology question: weeaboo. Are we taking it back? Or do we need to wait a bit before it loses its racist connotations?

Lauren: I was taken aback by your word “racist,” but it’s true. When I reviewed the etymology of the word, I remembered that “weeaboo” was the Perry Bible Fellowship nonsense word that 4chan used as a replacement for any instance of the word “wapanese.”

However, I don’t believe weeaboos are intentionally racist. I recently wrote about Saturday Night Live’s sketch about weeaboos (and a lively discussion is still going on in the comments), and I particularly liked what the professor said about the overenthusiastic students:

“If there’s such a thing as a loving version of racism, I think you’ve found it.”

I’ve used the word “weeaboo” to describe myself a few times: when I cooked Japanese food, when I bought a kotatsu, and when I wore a kimono to celebrate my 24th birthday at a sushi restaurant. I’ve even written an apologetic letter to Asian people about my embarrassment over being so enthusiastic about a culture that is not my own, nor do I have any idea about. (I have never even been to Japan.)

I realize that my interest in Japanese culture could be misconstrued as racism, and so I feel guilty about it. But I think my enthusiasm, as is the case with all weeaboos, comes from a very well intentioned place.

Does anyone else ever feel guilty about a fandom-inspired interest in Japan?

Let’s quickly skip over the fact that I’m watching fansubs again—right now, that’s the only way to watch Bakuman 2. We can talk about it later.

I want to talk about Aoki Ko, the most problematic character in Bakuman 2.

Ko has undergone a huge personality shift since the original Bakuman. Originally portrayed as an ice queen, she’s now blushing, flustered and boy crazy. For some inexplicable reason, she’s writing a new manga that consists of copious amounts of panty shots.

I don’t get it because from everything we’re told about Aoki Ko’s life tells me that she’s intelligent and independent. She’s a graduate student and a teacher (two things I can totally relate to), and on top of that a (sometimes) syndicated manga author. When her new editor suggested she turn her romantic storyline into a raunchy comic, I thought it was a joke. The moment Ko quietly assigned herself to doing it was the moment I stopped believing in her character. Why would a woman as accomplished as Ko debase herself like that?

I probably shouldn’t be surprised. There’s always been weird gender politics going on in that show, but they’ve never been this distracting. Before, I could ignore Mashiro and Azuki’s creepy marriage pact and write it off as an old-fashioned concept of romance. But now, more than ever, it’s unavoidable to see the women in this show as nothing but sex objects, solely there to motivate—and be motivated by—the men.

A few weeks ago, before everything started going all soap opera, I used to describe Bakuman 2 as “an anime by two authors based on a manga about two authors creating a manga in hopes that it will become an anime.” I would also tell people that watching Mashiro and Shujin’s enviable productivity always made me feel lazy. But now, the manga has taken a backseat to the characters’ drama, during which I cannot relate to the motives of a single woman on this show.

I’m not ready to say this show is sexist, however. It’s more confusing than that. It portrays women in a way that makes me uncomfortable, but I can’t put my finger on it yet. It’s totally lacking in a woman’s perspective.

I’m getting that feeling that I’m only watching this show now because of momentum. I’m suddenly recalling that I have no idea what the word “bakuman” even means. On screen, we see Mashiro and Shujin cranking out manga chapters at remarkable speed. Maybe when artists are working this quickly, the thing that gets lost in the shuffle is remembering to have at least one believable female character.

Are you watching Bakuman 2?

If I could give all students, not only mine, just one piece of advice, it’d be this: start a blog right now. Don’t wait until you’re out of school. Don’t wait until somebody pays you to do it. Don’t wait for the “right time.” Don’t wait until (you think) you’re done learning. That day will never come.

I power my blog with WordPress, a free blogging tool, and host it on Bluehost. You may have noticed that I’ve recently put up an ad for Bluehost on my sidebar. This isn’t something I do lightly. Next to WordPress, Bluehost is my favorite blogging tool. That’s why I want you to use it, too.

I’ve used other hosting services before. I remember their labyrinthian user experiences, confusing terms of agreement, and the long hold on the phone when I finally called to cancel my account. With stuff like that, I’m surprised more people don’t switch over. My guess is they don’t know there’s anything better.

At $70 a year, Bluehost isn’t for everyone. If you’ve never blogged before, it might be best to start with a free account on WordPress.com while you find your blogging voice.

But if you are interested, let me help you. As an HTML/CSS teacher who has also been building websites for ten years, I believe there is nothing more empowering than getting your own space online. I also have the credentials to make it a cinch.

If you want my help, all you need to do is click the Bluehost icon on the sidebar of this blog, and sign up. I’m an affiliate of the site, so that kind of thing earns me money. Enough money, in fact, that I don’t want yours. I’ll spend half an hour with you setting up your site, absolutely free of charge. Simply email me after you sign up (with your new domain name as the title) to let me know you’re interested.

So think about it. It’s the beginning of a new year, the perfect time to begin something. Are you ready for a blog, a side project, a new career? Is a lack of Web knowledge the only thing holding you back? Blogging changed my life. Maybe it’ll change yours, too.

1. Patches hits the nail on the head with an astute feminist reading of Ouran High School Host Club, on why reverse harems don’t make the objectification of female characters okay.

2. Out of the 10 articles I’ve written in the past two days, half of them were about SOPA, PIPA and OPEN. Needless to say, I’ve been reading a lot on the bills, too. Here’s three I highly recommend checking out:

• What I wish Wikipedia and others were saying about SOPA/PIPA, which reminds us that the entertainment industry will never stop fighting.
• Why people are still failing to accept the true horror of SOPA/PIPA, a video games journalism slant on the bills.
• SOPA, Skyrim and My Little Pony— Infringement is Magic? Surprisingly, this is a Forbes article. Try to imagine living in a world where a dragon mod of Fluttershy couldn’t terrorize Whiterun.

3. Con or Bust is a project that helps send fans of color to science fiction and fantasy conventions which they otherwise couldn’t afford to attend. (via Team Valkyrie.)

4. I stay pretty up to date on memes, but I’d never heard of the “I know that feel bro” image macro until this week. I’m not sure if it’s the poor translation or the surreal spinoffs that make it so funny to me, but I’ve been quoting it ever since.

5. As an otaku, I understand wanting to live your passion. That’s why graphic designer Nubby Twiglet’s article on making lists, setting goals and doing what you love was the most inspiring thing I read all week.

Since I’m both a fan and a fandom journalist, my biggest challenge is making sure that my passion for my topic is helping, not hurting my ability to report the truth.

At least, that’s the theory I discussed last fall in my Otaku Journalist Manifesto. Today, I tested that hypothesis when I profiled @Bronys4RonPaul.

Last night, I reached out to this Twitter user after one of my co-workers tipped me off. I sent him a tweet with my email (it’s a bad habit, but one I have to keep at until Twitter lets me DM strangers.) And then, I sent him a picture of my My Little Pony alter ego, illustrated by Kevin Bolk.

“Here’s a picture of my cutie mark just so you know I’m a real reporter!” I tweeted. It’s a joke only fans would get; in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, a young pony acquires a design on her flank once she figures out what her true calling is.

I was only half joking when I commissioned this drawing. On the one hand, I’m a grown woman, and this is a kids’ show. On the other hand, I’d be hard pressed to say that I’m faking being this happy.

In the end, it paid off. Here’s what @Bronys4RonPaul, who asked me not to reveal his real name, wrote to me:

“I’m very surprised that someone would want to interview me and I normally would not grant one to anyone but you showed me your pic with a pony drawing and I figured no harm should come from this.”

He was right to be wary. As it turns out, he has his fair share of trolls. Plus, mainstream brony coverage can be pretty snarky.

For the record, I don’t think fandom reporting has to be snarky to get hits. Fandom is already so wacky that an objective take is more engaging than belittling ever would be. I don’t get, for example, why Gawker had to be so snarky here. A week later, they had some equally fascinating brony coverage just by letting the fandom speak for itself— and got quadruple the traffic.

That’s exactly how I wrote about @Bronys4RonPaul. I let him speak for himself. Was it successful? Hitwise, it didn’t crack our top ten stories for the day. But it did get a mention from Gawker reporter Adrian Chen.

I know I got this story because I’m not just a reporter, but a reporter AND a fan. At the same time, I don’t want to become known for writing fluff pieces that make fans look good no matter what. I’m happy with this story because I didn’t give myself a voice, snarky, apologetic or otherwise. I just let the subject speak.

1. DC Geeks just published their photos from Magfest 2012. This Pikachu car was in the dealer’s room. I wish I knew the story behind it.

2. My best friend, @TheHoffgod, just started a new blog, The 2012 Gaming Project. He’ll be playing 200 games this year for at least an hour each, and then writing up his impressions. His review of Ben There, Dan That, is delightfully surreal.

3. One of the commenters on my last post, matty, shared a link to Comic Book Resources’ take on Bandai and anime piracy:

This is exactly how people consume media nowadays. They sample, then buy. They don’t buy everything they sample, but if the samples are cut off, they won’t buy any more—and they might buy less. This is the new reality, and all the scoldings in the world won’t bring back the good old days.

4. The BBC’s report on booth babes at the Consumer Electronics Show transported me back to a simpler time, when men dealt with technology and women stood around looking sexy. It would’ve been quaint, if it hadn’t happened last weekend. I wish there was a way to comment on the video, because I certainly have a lot to say.

5. Listening to 2DTeleidoscope‘s latest podcast, “The Holy Land (Mini-Podcast 1 of 2: Akihabara and Comiket),” was like listening to a professionally produced episode of This American Life. Twelve minutes very well spent.

Last week, Bandai Entertainment announced they would no longer be releasing new titles. This week, Media Blasters announced they are laying off 60 percent of their staff. It’s a sad time for the anime industry. And, as a person who just blogged about watching fansubs last week, I am feeling deservedly guilty.

I’ll give myself a little credit where it’s due. I’ve been dutifully paying my Crunchyroll subscription for over a year. I watch Toriko on my Hulu Plus account. I never watch fansubs for shows I can get on DVD or Blu-Ray. And let’s not forget all the money I spend on conventions, figures and Gundams.

However, many are arguing that it’s fans like me that are killing the industry. Just the fact that we watch— and therefore support— fansubs is enough. Voice actress Stephanie Sheh explained the problem on her Facebook page:

“To those #animefans who say #fansubs “create” demand for anime. Ask yourself something, if a fansub wasn’t available for a certain show, but you saw ads and commercials for the show, maybe you even saw untranslated clips of the show, are you seriously telling me you would have no interest in the anime? Come on people, be honest with yourself.”

Over at Kotaku, Charlie Maib argued against fansubs for a different reason:

What digital distribution did do was create a beast that demanded that content be available on demand, without cost. It created a situation where fans no longer supported the actual companies and the people who worked to secure rights, translate, redesign packaging, and get it to market. Why pay for something when you could get the same product with pristine quality for free on your computer?

In other words, the rise of high speed Internet and the instant-gratification availability of fansubs have changed our expectations about how we should receive anime. And to that I say, what’s wrong with that? 

As a journalist, I completely understand this. As somebody who works in an industry that is also often labeled dead or dying, I realize how changing consumer behavior can significantly alter the product. People believe information online should be free, so nobody pays for paywalls. In journalism, this means that we’re swapping newspapers for news sites.

In anime, it might mean more digital streaming— like Crunchyroll, Hulu and Nico Nico— and fewer DVD releases. It might mean fewer tangible products and fewer dubs. Maybe consumers will miss those things, and their dollars will bring them back. Or, more realistically, people will begin to see instant streaming as the norm. I think many already have.

Things aren’t perfect in journalism. It’s significantly less profitable than it used to be, and it’s a lot harder to get work as a reporter. And if they ever teach computers to write perfectly fact-checked, objective stories, surely I’ll be out of a job. Maybe this means I should be more sympathetic to the anime industry. But from my standpoint, I don’t see a dying industry; I see a changing one.

But despite my bravado, I’ve felt too guilty to watch any more Mawaru PenguinDrum since this all went down. I’m thinking I’ll just wait for the release, if there is one. If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

You know how you can tell that I’m not a good gamer? I name all my protagonists ‘Lauren.’ In Skyrim, my character even looks like me. (You know, if I were a wood elf with facial tattoos.) So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’m not exactly in my element at Magfest. Music And Gaming? I’m more of a Gunpla And Anime (GAAfest?) kind of girl.

But the DC area already has plenty of conventions like that, and nothing like Magfest. Perhaps that’s why Magfest is one of the fastest growing events in the area. According to press liaison Nick Marinelli, more than 6,100 people registered by the end of the convention. That’s not an official count; that could mean anywhere between 5,500 and 6,500. But just compare that to last year’s (capped) turnout of 3,000. Since Magfest moved to the elaborate, expansive Gaylord National, they’ve got plenty of room to grow. I was there on the busiest day of the con, but I never would have known from those open hallways. At least they gave me room to take photos of the Gaylord’s still lit holiday decor.

And that’s why I went: to experience the fandom itself. You don’t need to be the world’s most hardcore gamer to appreciate a geek-out on that level.

The Earthbound Papas, Magfest’s headlining guest, certainly did. Nick, who served as their personal attendant, following them around and bringing them their new American favorite food—Five Guys— told me they loved the fans. Good thing, too: there were 2,400 of those fans at their Saturday night concert.

“They said it was the best sounding EBP concert to date, and loved the energy from the crowd, the enthusiasm of the fans,” Nick told me.

I attended Magfest for most of Saturday, so I missed this convention highlight. For me, the highlight was finally meeting Colette Bennett, the most talented anime and games writer I know, in person. We met at the panel for Destructoid, a games journalism site where she used to work.

Patrick, Colette’s close friend (and a previous Otaku Journalist giveaway winner,) was there too.

Shortly after we took these photos, I won two games for correctly guessing the video game soundtrack a poll of Destructoid readers voted as their favorite to have sex to. It was a lucky guess; since I’m playing through Skyrim right now, it was the first game on my mind.

It was the only panel I went to. I also spent time outdoors, where my fiance and I took turns taking photos of Rich in his Samurai Champloo cosplay. (There wasn’t a lot of cosplay at Magfest, and I didn’t see another anime character aside from Rich, but that worked out for him. You should have seen this little kid’s face when Rich offered to pose with  him for a photo.)

And then Rich took a photo of us. If you haven’t been to the Gaylord, you should check it out just for this massive atrium, which contains actual houses.

John also played in a Magic draft, which made sense because even before they saw him the organizers knew I was somebody’s girl. One guy even asked me if I was familiar with the five different colors of mana in the game. It’s stuff like that which keeps me from playing drafts with people other than my friends. (I did, however, end up buying those lavender card sleeves I’ve been wanting.)

This is a far different convention review than I had planned to write. I used to try to make every convention experience a journalistic project: documenting everything I did, conducting interviews along the way. But post Anime USA, I’m a little burnt out. Now, I’m trying to recapture why I began attending these things in the first place and trying to experience the convention for the convention’s sake. I spent time with several of the people I’ve befriended through covering conventions: Patches, Viga, Tyler and Kevin and Sarah.

And no, I didn’t buy the fleece Skyrim helmet in the first picture. But if you want to, it’s handmade by The Prancing Unicorn, a pair of the craftiest bronies I’ve ever met. Here’s Rainbow Dash putting on the finishing touches.