In Male-dominated Field, Women at New York Comic Con Persist

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Exercise 1

Vocabulary

reminder

Noun

riːˈmaɪndər

something that makes you remind yourself about something that you should do

She wrote herself a reminder about the meeting.

She left me a note as a reminder to turn off the lights when I left the office.

I wrote a reminder in my daily planner.

This is just a reminder that those who are attending the meeting in Oslo must keep all receipts.

acceptance

Noun

ækˈsɛptəns

the fact of being accepted and embraced

Personal computers have gained widespread acceptance in business.

I had trouble gaining acceptance from my colleagues at my new job.

Please call us back to confirm your acceptance of this offer.

The acceptance of different people and religions is normal in our culture.

She was happy to receive a letter of acceptance from the university.

A good marriage is full of love and acceptance.

attendee

Noun

ˌætɛnˈdiː

a person who attends or is present at an event

Attendees at the conference are taking a morning coffee break.

There were only three attendees at my presentation.

The biologist will show conference attendees some of the data collected for the research she's been working on.

All the meeting attendees were asked to sign in at the door.

villain

Noun

ˈvɪlən

the main antagonist or bad character in a film, book, etc.

Lex Luthor is one of the villains in the Superman universe.

Exercise 2

Article

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

In Male-dominated Field, Women at New York Comic Con Persist

Many women were present at the recent New York Comic Con, a giant gathering of fans and creators of comics where people bring superheroes to life both on and off the page.

Among the throngs of people in Batman and Spiderman costumes, the number of women dressed as female characters was a reminder that not all superhero names end with “man.”

“Cat Woman, Poison Ivy, Power Girl, there are all these independent strong women,” said Kitty Brooker, who traveled from Britain and was dressed in a Sylvanas Windrunner costume, a female character from the video game series “World of Warcraft.”

Women in the comic book and video game industries are fighting their own real-life battles for acceptance in the male-dominated field, said some attendees.

Sophie Moskop came dressed as one of her favorite video game characters, Aldrich, from the video game “Dark Souls 3.”

“'Dark Souls" as a series has gotten me through some dark times,” said Moskop, a law student and a self-described “geek.”

Costumed friends Kristin Petrella and Colleen Wendt decided at the last minute to travel to ComicCon from upstate New York.

Petrella was dressed as Harley Quinn from the DC Comics-inspired movie “Suicide Squad.” Wendt was dressed as the Joker, a male character, from another DC Comics series, “Batman.”

“I didn’t really start dressing up until I saw 'Suicide Squad,’” said Petrella. “I got really excited about Harley Quinn because she’s a villain I can really get behind.”

"You get in costume and you feel so much more confident,” she said. “You feel more yourself than you are when you're being yourself."

Exercise 3

Questions

What is the New York Comic Con described as?

What are women in the comic book and video game industries fighting against?

Why does Kristin Petrella like to dress up in costumes?

Exercise 4

Discussion

Would you like to attend Comic Con one day? Why? Why not?

How would you explain the fact that the comic book and video game industries are male-dominated?

Do you think this is likely to change over the next few years? Why? Why not?

Do you believe that it's important for comic books and video games to feature strong female characters? Why? Why not?

Why do you think Kristin Petrella feels more confident when she's in costume?

Exercise 5

Further Discussion

Have you ever dressed up as one of your favorite characters? If so, who have you dressed up as? If not, do you imagine it would be an enjoyable experience? Why? Why not?

Are you of the opinion that comic books should be appreciated as a form of art? Why? Why not?

Do you believe that video games have a positive or a negative effect on young people? Why?

Would you say that 'geek' culture has become a part of mainstream culture? Why? Why not?

What other industries would you say are male-dominated? Why do you think this is the case?

Strong women, when respected, make the whole society stronger. - Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Do you agree with this statement? Why? Why not?

Women are more than 50 percent of the population and more than 50 percent of voters. We must demand that we receive 100 percent of the opportunities. - Beyonce. Are women denied any opportunities in your country? Why do you think this is the case?

Exercises for Further Self-Study

These self-study exercises are optional and should be carried out after the lesson has finished.

Exercise 6

Sentence Building

Write at least one sentence for each of the words in Exercise 1: Vocabulary. Begin by making sure you understand the definition of each word. Use the example sentences as a guide if you are unable to think of a sentence. Practice reading your sentences out loud.

Exercise 7

Summary

Make a brief summary of the article. Focus on the main topic and consider which pieces of information are most important. Make sure you include details such as what the article is about, who is mentioned in it, where and when the events took place, and also how and why they happened.

Parts of this lesson are based on:

An article by Voice of America.