Honestly, I am very strongly opinionated about men in subcultures that were made for a women demographic. There are tons of cases of women being oppressed by men, and being abused in horrific ways. That's why it's insanely thoughtful and world changing for a franchise such as American Girl to exist, because it can really change a girl's life, especially how she perceives herself and so on.
I admit that I cannot be this entirely accepting person when it comes to one's interest. I can't help but subconsciously label male doll collectors as "creepy" if I don't understand why they are doing it.
It feels disappointing to watch male collectors who seem to invade safe spaces by women to force their own inclusion inside of the fandom. They have the audacity to complain about how people are trying their best in their gatekeeping efforts onto certain things in the fandom as well, and I don't like it when people complain that they're receiving too many things with their doll. It makes me uncomfortable because there's tons of women and girls that would appreciate owning these dolls and toys, and it's all going to this nitpicky guy who may have too much money on his hands.
It's okay for me to not be overly accepting. I feel like people are so overly insecure in their life that they force theirselves to be included in safe spaces for vulnerable minorities and they fucking miss the point of why something like this even exists in the first place. For instance, I felt deeply uncomfortable reading this article about a little boy who wanted inclusion in the Precure series because the magical girl franchise is honestly a novelty. It's difficult to come by. Young girls are empowered and femininity is not misrepresented, it's shown in a normal ray of light in all of it's beauty. How can that serve a little boy? Not to mention there are countless media made specifically for boys. I hated how the author sympathized with this kid, especially because they are a woman and they completely ignored or sidestepped the wonders that magical girl franchises are doing for women who are already suffering. I hate it so much because it makes me feel like if I even have a place in the fandom if it's full of fake idiots like this, who don't even understand the power of representation in the franchises they are "totally big obsessed fans of!". I think anyone, especially the target demographic of something, can be a fan of anything they please, ranging from liking it a little bit, to a whole lot.
I'm upset at how people are making excuses to force theirselves into others' safe worlds. It's easier for me to notice because it's difficult for me to have a stable and consistent safe world that is not threatened or destroyed by malicious people consistently. I'm trying my best to be happy. I hate people sometimes.
- Cassandra Zuo
