Love Letter

I might have actually squealed in delight when I saw that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are going to host SNL together. One of my favorite shows and two of my favorite women means a happy Sarah.

I really didn’t have many friends until high school. It wasn’t really that much bullying, just the fact I had very little in common with other kids my age. I loved different kinds of music, watched different shows and looked up to different people. Other little girls wanted the new Hilary Duff album and I was going through my Paula Abdul phase.

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey were two of my idols growing up. I’ve loved SNL for as long as found the reruns on tv. My favorite part has always been Weekend Update, with the first anchors I can remember were Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon. I can’t remember if I want to be Tina Fey or if I wanted to an anchor as well. I was pretty much in love with Jimmy Fallon, but I also looked up to Tina Fey. When I picked out new glasses, I wanted them to look like hers. I loved how funny Tina was but also how smart she clearly was too.

I remember when Amy Poehler became the co anchor with Tina Fey, but I know that as a child, I did not really understand how important their partnership was to a young girl watching it. I think one of the most important parts of watching these two as I grew up was seeing two have what I saw as a young child as a position of power. As great as it was to watch Tina with Jimmy, since it probably showed me that it was possible for women to be equal to men, seeing two women be anchors was also significant. It was important for me to see two women doing a job and not needing a man to be there as well.

I’ve always loved these two women because they’re funny and smart. I think it was really great for a young me to see two women being celebrated and praised for being who they were. In a world where women are often forced to dumb themselves down, these women have been allowed to be the intelligent women they are. I love their comedy because it never feels like they are trying too hard but also that they are never apologizing for who they are. In a world where intersting, smart parts for women are not exactly plentiful, these two women have taken this problem into their own hands. They write their own shows and movies, not allowing others to dictate their careers.

I also think it was great for me to see two women competing against each other while they were still able to be friends. While there has always been competition with the two at awards shows since they are often in the same category, there has always been friendly competition between the two. They have never been pitted against each other. I think it’s important for young girls to see women competing against each other in a healthy manner. You can be friends with someone and still be aiming to succeed.

These two have already kicked serious ass at hosting the Golden Globes and now I’ll see them host one of my favorite shows.

Seeing Myself in Supergirl

First off, I’m not even going to go into why her name Supergirl isn’t an issue. It just isn’t to me. I still call myself a girl.

There’s not that much to write about the show since it first started, but since my activism requirement will end soon, I wanted to get an entry about the show in soon.

I decided to give the show a chance when I saw my musical theater goddess, Laura Benanti, was cast in it. I can’t pass up an opportunity to see her on tv and then combine that with the fact she plays the villain, Astra? Thank you to the casting director who made her part of my comic book nerd world! My Astra cosplay is already in the works.

The show is a lot more complex than the original comics were from what I've read. It's not just the female version of Superman. It's about a young woman who is trying to figure out her life and so desperately wants to get everything right.

There is just so much to love from this show with just the few episodes we have seen. First, I love that our superhero is so young and in the same place in her life that I basically am. She’s trying to figure out who she wants to be in life and I can certainly identify with that problem. Even though I know I want to be a cop, it’s still scary and I’m not always so sure I can do it. Just like Kara, I am always having to face my own self doubt that I’m not ready to do what I’m meant to do. I’m meant to be a cop, I believe that so deeply, but I’m still so scared I’m going to mess up this opportunity. Like Kara, I know the frustration of never feeling like you’re quite good enough for everyone around you. She’s a superhero but try as she might, she’s still getting plenty of criticism. But she has so many amazing people that remind her she’s not alone and I love that.

I also love Kara’s relationship with her sister, Alex. Sister relationships are incredibly tricky. Alex is trying to deal with some jealousy issues she’s clearly having about her sister being the superhero. What sister hasn’t dealt with insecurities their sister is going to be the one that outshines them? But Kara clearly can’t be a superhero on her own and she needs her sister’s support. Even if Alex isn’t the one with the super powers, she’s part of the reason why her sister can be National City’s savior.

It’s also pretty cool to see a woman, Cat Grant, as the person running the National City Tribune. And maybe you could argue it’s a little cliche to have the typical scary woman boss, but what’s the alternative? The sweet, demure female boss? No, I like that Cat is so self assured and knows how to run her newspaper. To quote Tina Fey “Bitches get stuff done”. Not to mention she gets drunk at brunches with Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Overall, I think this show is really promising. I think there are a lot of young women out there who can identify with a character like Kara. Plus, Laura Benanti.

Mixed Me

In a memory that feels a million years ago, I am sitting at a crafts table at some summer daycare program. I am very young, no older than six. We are drawing pictures of our fathers, and I am happily coloring away. The blonde, white girl next to me looks at the picture of my dark complexioned dad and says something along the lines of “your dad is an indian”, proceeding to draw two red lines across both of his cheeks.

For as long as I can remember, I knew there was something different about my family. If you grow up mixed, you know how it is. Non mixed kids don’t get asked things like if one of the parents is their step parent. Non mixed kids see families on tv that look like their family. Non mixed families get constant societal reassurance their families are normal.

Being mixed was not something my parents talked about to me or my sister. I don’t think they really saw why it should be talked about. My dad, although proud of his family heritage, is not really one to talk about racism he has faced or how it was to grow up Mexican in the United States. I’m not sure if it’s just not something he thinks about or just doesn’t know how to talk about.

But I want to talk about being mixed. One day, I hope I have children. I want them to be able to talk to me about how coming from a mixed background is impacting their lives, and any struggles or joys that come from it. I don’t want them to feel as lost as I have for so long.

My mother’s European genes were certainly more dominant and though I could be described as racially ambiguous, for most people I look white. Looking white and not being all white is nothing short of strange. I have people say racist things around me because I guess they assume another white person is just as racist as they are. The most hurtful thing is when I am told or made to feel like I am not Mexican just because I look or “talk” white. What the hell does that even mean? Who gets to be the gatekeeper to Mexican identity? You get to decide what I am and feel inside?

If you have ever told someone something along these lines, you should feel embarrassed. I will not base my cultural identity on standards you set. I get to decide who I am.

When people like Gina Rodriguez speak out against bullies who tell her she isn’t Latina enough, she’s speaking up for anyone who was made to feel as if they somehow were not culturally good enough. When Taye Diggs writes a book for his mixed son, he is writing a book for all kids who need to be reminded they are fine just they way they are.

I am me. I am mixed. I am not embarrassed or ashamed of my family. My family is not weird. My family is not wrong.

You Can't Cancel Strong Women

Cancellation Gods, you can’t take Galavant from me just yet. In honor of its second season, here’s a post celebrating two of the main characters. I’m also using this as an excuse to rewatch the show to get some more inspiration.

Madalena is probably my favorite character. Sure, she’s a tad evil, but what does that really mean? I just love evil characters because they’re really never all that evil. There’s always something about them you can identify with. Okay, she assinated one king, but In a lot of ways Madalena is a woman who had few choices in life and did what she needed to do to make herself happy. She knows no one was going to hand her life on a silver platter and sings “who has the brains to break the chains and seize the reigns” like herself. When Galavant comes to “rescue” her from King Richard, she had a choice. She could continue to live in poverty with Galavant or live comfortably as Queen. King Richard is essentially terrified of her, so she probably figured out she could be the real ruler very quickly. So she’s bad for not picking Galavant just because his gesture was outlandish and quite frankly, corny? She didn’t love him and never claims to from what I can find. She sings him a song saying “I love you as much as someone like me can love anyone”. That’s being pretty upfront. If I had to pick living in a hut with a man I didn’t love or a castle with a king who did anything I wanted, what should I choose?

I also love one of the things she’s most passionate about is food. I don’t know about you, but I love food. It’s delicious. I think about food about 99% of my day. I can seriously identify with her about getting hangry. My favorite line of hers is when she yells at a guest at a feast “If you eat that last Danish, I will reach down your throat, pull it out, and beat you to death with it!”... right when Galavant is about to tell her he sees good in her.

Isabella is also one of my favorite characters. As someone who can easily be described as racially ambiguous, I enjoyed her being described as “ethnically hard to pin down”. I also loved she looked nothing like her parents. First, this made the show feel more like a real musical. In stage work, you’re not supposed to notice an actor’s race unless it’s brought up. It just isn’t relevant. But if I was supposed to notice and we weren’t going to by stage rules, I liked it all the same. I look nothing like my parents, and it’s nice to see a tv character live the same life.

The show broke down some gender stereotypes, and that’s always fun to see. Madalena is stunning but she’s also the bad guy. When she show first starts off, she’s seems like the pretty damsel in distress but we soon find out she’s got a lot figured out. She doesn’t want or need to be rescued by Galavant. And it’s Isabella who actually saves Galavant a few times, helping him win a jousting contest and having to constantly remind Galavant he doesn’t always know the right answer. I like the fact the women are allowed to be just normal people. Women are shown to be just annoying as men and aren’t always “cute”. Madalena has gross feet and Isabella snores. Madalena is also allowed to have a realistic sex drive. And while her indiscretions make her a poor wife, she’s never called a whore or slut. As much as King Richard wants to be with her, he never forces her.

I’m excited to see more of this show with its season two. I’m sure we’ll see more hangry Madalena and racially ambiguous Isabella.

How to Survive San Diego Comic Con

            This will be my sixth San Diego Comic Con and I consider myself  a battle-hardened veteran. My first time going was made considerably easier thanks to a friends advice (twitter was very new then and it would have been nice to get all that advice people can now get!) so I figured I should do the same for other people. I had never even been to a convention at all so this was pretty overwhelming. Go big or go home I guess!

Now, there are some things I cannot give advice on and I’ll state those up front. But there are plenty of things I think I can give advice on that can make your Comic Con the best one it can be. If you are reading this post for attending this year, it is assuming you already have your badges and hotels (because if you don’t have them by now, you’re pretty screwed), but it can also be for people who are looking to go in the near future.

            The closer to SDCC we get, I may think of more things, so keep an eye out for any updates. And if anything is unclear, please let me know so I can provide more details!

First off, the things I cannot give advice on.

            1) Hotels- If I did not have family living so close to the convention center, I would not be able to attend this event so often.  I honestly tune out this Comic Con chatter on social media because it does not impact me even in the slightest. But there are plenty of people who can, such as Tony Kim, or a lot of other message boards/blog post. From what I understand, there is some sort of lottery system to get downtown hotels that is not running smoothly just yet.

            The one thing I can give advice on regarding hotels is the location you need. If you are not planning on driving to the convention center and want to be able to line up really, really early (like 5  or 4 am), then yes, you need to have a hotel walking distance. But if you are looking to get to the convention center more around 8/9 am or driving, then you do not need to be directly downtown. San Diego has a great trolley system that is heavily used during Comic Con. They even have a special route that runs from the convention center to the football stadium that is just for the event. When you are trying to book a hotel, call and ask if they are close to a trolley station. These are areas near mission valley and grossmont center. However, the trolley does start around 7 am if I remember correctly and the first trolley doesn’t get into the convention center until about 8 am. So it does not really work for people who need to get there at 4 am.

            2)Driving/Parking-Again, I tend to tune this conversation out.  My grandpa is the best and drives me to the convention center in the morning. They sell a limited amount of parking passes for the event but I’m not sure if there is a time the garage opens or if it is open 24/7. I would not recommend driving in from a further away hotel and trying to find parking. First, the private parking lots jack up the prices like no ones business. And when I pass by them, they look pretty crowded even early in the morning. But if you want to get more details about when they usually fill up, check around with someone who uses the lots during Comic Con.

            3) Hall H- I have yet to brave this wild and untamed beast. The biggest reason is you have to sleep outside overnight to get in and I need a good nights sleep or I’m very unpleasant.

What I can help on-

1)   Picking up your badges

Overall, it’s not that difficult of a process but may be a little overwhelming your first time. You pick up your badges at the Town and Country hotel, about a ten-minute drive from the convention center. The first year I went, it took about three hours to get the badges. They were actually selling food to us in line. After that year though, it has taken about twenty minutes to half an hour. What might actually take longer than picking up your badges is driving to the hotel. It’s located right off the free way so traffic tends to build up. Just be patient. In order to pick up your badge, you need your id and to physically be there. Comic Con tries to avoid ticket scalpers so they need you to be present. Once you get your badge you’ll start to exit the hotel where you are given a program and the signature giant bag. You can try to get the one you want right there (there are four to five different designs but they try to just get you out the door. You can try to trade outside. I usually don’t care about the designs and have traded my bag most years.

You can only pick up your badge on Wednesday if you have a four-day badge or a Thursday. Any other badges have to be picked up from the convention center.

2) Getting in line for panels

            This is probably the part I least understood when I first started coming to Comic Con. I naively told my veteran friend I was planning on getting in line an hour and a half early when she told me how wrong I was!

·      Where do I get in line?

You cannot actually get in line for a specific room until the convention center opens.  This excludes Hall H of course, which has a line that begins the previous day outside.  Until the convention center opens, you get in a big, general line to get inside. It will look insanely long but don’t get worried. Remember this is everyone who wants to get in at all, including people who are trying to get into the exhibition floor early to buy things. Just follow the crowd walking back towards the marina and try to find the end of the line. There will be plenty of employees directing you!

Starting a few years ago, Comic Con began using the Hilton next door for some panels. It has a large ballroom, the Indigo Ballroom, which is pretty helpful to use for popular panels. Keep an eye out of the description of your panel to see if it is in the Hilton, because you do not get in the regular convention center line for these rooms.

·      How early should I get in line?

I am someone who gets places very early naturally and get pretty anxious if I’m not, so I tend to get in line as early as I can. Usually my first panel of the day is in Ballroom 20 (this is one of the biggest rooms and holds popular panels such as OUAT, Grimm and Agents of Shield). If you want to get in this room at all and are not all that worried about getting a good seat, I would say plan for getting into line at 9 the latest. Usually the first panel in this room starts at 11:30 or noon. However, I like to get in line as early as I can and usually aim to be in line by 6:30 or 7am. I got there extra early last year for the Once Upon a Time panel last year because I really needed a close seat to the mic. I thought my best friend was actually going to kill me when I told her I wanted to leave the house at 5:45! Typically, this leads me to getting a pretty good seat, maybe 12 or 14 rows in.  If you want a front row seat, then aim for probably 5 or 5:30 am. However, if you are getting in line for a smaller panel (So not Ballroom 20, Hall H, or the Indigo Ballroom) you do not need to get there so early. If you really want to see a panel, I would recommend getting in the room one or two panels before your desired panel.

            However, keep an eye out for an exclusive panel.  An exclusive panel would be a panel for a show that is ending and this panel will be its last or a reunion panel. This will make the room a lot more popular. I got in line at 8am and barely got in the room for the Firefly reunion panel.

·      Saving spots

Saving spots is a little tricky. Flat out cutting to join a friend or family member is not allowed by Comic Con. For at least Ballroom 20, when you enter the line in the morning you will be given a card with a letter that tells you roughly which panel you should be able to get into. But this is never collected by anyone and you won’t get turned away at the panel door if you don’t have a card. (Again, Hall H is a whole different animal, so look up Hall H wristbands to understand this process). Once you’re in line, you can try to join someone ahead of you. Mostly it will be up to your fellow attendees if they call you out. I’ve never seen this happen before, but in theory they could tell an employee you cut. I seriously doubt anyone will if it’s just one person, but if you start bringing a dozen people in line, you’re pressing your luck.

·      Making friends

            Building up good karma never hurts. If you get out of line to get a snack or drink, ask anyone around you if they need anything. Even if no one needs anything they’ll appreciate you asked.

            Also, don’t be shy! Strike up conversations or bring a game for everyone to play. You’re going to be in line for a long time so games help to pass the time. I’ve played quite a few Cards Against Humanity games with complete strangers and it was awesome.

·      When to get out of line

Deciding to cut your losses and get out of a line is a tough one. If you’ve never been before, it’s very hard to look at a line and judge if you think you’ll get in. I would ask anyone else in line if they have been before and if they think you’ll get in. They’ll probably give you their best guess but you never know. I was certain I wasn’t going to get into the Firefly reunion panel but the panel before was Big Bang. After that panel, a lot of people left and I got in, so you never know. It’s especially hard to decide when the panel you want to go to is one of the last ones of the day. But making decisions and living with the consequences is a huge part of Comic Con. Personally, I have never missed a panel I wanted but it’s because I made decisions. Decisions like getting there insanely early and not jumping around room to room. I tend to like to stay in one room all day because then I know I’m probably going to see everything I want. You are risking something by getting in line for one panel, seeing the panel, and then trying to get into another room. And that’s fine if you want to try, but you can’t blame the Con if you don’t get into something.

3) How to pick what panels you’re going to each day

            I wanted to put this a little earlier, but I felt like you should understand how early you needed to line up for a room to understand this part.

            Along with the program you are provided with when you get your badges, there is now an online tool you can use to try to plan your days. This online tool is usually available about a week before the con.  Keep an eye out on the SDCC website because they do not release the entire cons schedule in one sitting. The daily schedules are released once a day. The online tool allows you to click on the panels you want to attend and then a personal schedule is made for you based off what you clicked. The schedule will tell you everything about the panel, from what time it starts to what room it is in. It also tells you how many others are planning on attending the panel. Once you have clicked everything you want to see, you can then decide what you can actually go to and what will have to be missed. This is always hard but ultimately it’s up to you. The online tool also allows you to post your schedule so you can see what other attendees have the same schedule and you can create a buddy system.

4) Asking questions at a panel- I need attention. I’m not really going to hid that fact and I like to ask questions at the panels. I’ve nearly gotten this down to an art.

·      Lining Up-Your first step is to get in line early so you get in the room at all (but of course you were already going to do that) and you can get a good seat. Now, what do I mean by good seat? First, you’re going to want an aisle seat. In Ballroom 20, the mic is always in the center (aka the aisle you will be walking through if you just enter straight through the doors) in the big gap between the first about ten rows and then the rest of the rows. You’re going to want a seat on the left or right of the mic. This gives you easy access to be able to line up once the panel moderator says you can line up for questions. (Some rooms still let you line up early, but the fire marshals don’t like having people partially blocking the path so this is getting less common). I often trade up a seat that is closer up but in the middle of a row for an aisle seat a little farther back so I can ask a question. If you’re in the middle of a fifty-row aisle, there will be fifty people in line before you get in line yourself. Once the moderator announces people can line up, powerwalk like an Olympian. Do not run or you will be yelled at. A lot. Typically, the panels start taking questions half an hour to forty-five minutes in but it all depends on the moderator.

·      Asking your question- It is very exciting to talk to people you greatly admire. It is even more fun when you are cosplaying a character from the show or movie and a panelist compliments it. When Lana Parilla told me well done on my young Regina cosplay, I died and went to heaven.  Here are some do’s and don’ts for asking a question.

Do’s-

1.     Do write your question down ahead of time. It’s a really good idea to plan your questions in advance. If you try to think of a question when you’re in line, you’re mind will either go blank or you’ll think of something really lame. You don’t want that, do you? I’ve found writing down my question helps me not completely blank when I get to the microphone or I end up rambling so my question does not come out as well as I would have wanted it to.

2.     Do come up with a back up question. There is an employee in most of the rooms that will screen your question before hand to make sure it’s appropriate or not just “how does it feel to be awesome” kind of thing. If you can’t some up with a back up question fast, they might ask you to get out of line.

3.     Do make friends with the employees screening questions. There is one in particular in Ballroom 20 that I think actually recognizes me at this point. Two years ago I told her she was my favorite Comic Con employee, so I think I left a lasting impression. The employees working in bigger rooms tend to be pretty experienced and do not take any crap. And I’ve seen a lot of them in the same room every year. Don’t piss them off.

Don’ts-

1.     Don’t start your question off with “I love you” or “I’m a big fan”. The panelist is very well aware what everyone goes through to get to Comic Con and get into a panel. They know you’ve slept on concrete or been there since 4am. They are excited to be there and know you are too. Saying a quick “I’m ___” is acceptable but anything else is just annoying and a waste of time. Speaking of time…

2.     Don’t just ramble for two minutes. This is one of the reasons I recommended writing down your question before hand. If you write it down, it should take twenty seconds to ask your question.  There are a lot of people in line and they all want to ask their questions. I know you just want to go on and on about how much you love an actor or show, but you’re being selfish. Typically, about ten questions get to be asked, depending on when the moderator starts the process. I would say 70% of these question’s times could have been cut down in half.  That is enough time for two or three people to ask a question. Don’t you want as many people to ask a question? It particularly made me mad when a few people did this at the Once Upon a Time panel last year. It was supposed to be a secret until the end, but a few minutes into the panel we realized everyone who asked a question got to the show’s autograph session. The employee who was screening the questions was pleading with people before hand to keep questions short so as many people could meet them as possible. Two more people could have probably been able to meet them if people would have been more considerate. Also, I’ve actually seen the moderator turn off a mic on someone when they just started going on and on and wouldn’t listen to my favorite employee. Again, they aren’t to be messed with.

3.     Don’t try to give something to the panel or ask for something. Please, it’s just awkward and frankly rude. You’re going to get whatever you offered ripped from your hands and confiscated (ugh, like the woman who asked Collin at the Once panel to sign her stuffed Captain Hook). The panelist will laugh it off but they know the rules and aren’t’ going to take anything from you. And then you’re on that moderators shit list.

5) Food

            Once again, I luck out here because of my grandparents who so graciously allow me to raid their fridge. I would recommend packing as many meals as you can. Not surprisingly, the Con food is expensive and not all that great. I also like to pack my meals because then I don’t have to worry about getting in and out of line or missing panels because I’m hungry. Some of my friends who park at the convention center leave a cooler of food in their cars and then send someone to the car periodically. Even if you don’t want to pack meals, at least pack snacks for being in line. You’ll probably be in line for four to five hours and you’ll get hungry.

            I wouldn’t recommend trying to eat at a nearby restaurant if you are still trying to see panels, but this is an okay idea if you’re done for the day. There are some really great downtown restaurants and some really get into it. There’s one restaurant that must have a contract with Comic Con or NBC because every year the restaurant is themed from a NBC show. One year it was Grimm and there were a ton of fake trees on the outside patio. The restaurants be busy do don’t expect instant service.

            But be respectful while eating during a panel. Try to only eat in-between panels because no one wants to hear you chomp on a carrot while their favorite actor speaks.

6) Bathroom passes

            I’m pretty sure it works this way for smaller rooms, but I know for certain in Ballroom 20, you are given a bathroom pass if you want to leave during a panel. It tells you that you have to be back by the time the current panel ends or you will not be let back in. Hall H has a bathroom so you can’t leave as far as I know. Feel free to use this time to stretch your legs, get food or avoid a panel you really don’t want to see. I used it once when the panel before the Ray Bradbury memorial was the Glee panel.

7) Phones

            Unless you’re a doctor on call or have a pregnant spouse, turn them off during panels. Don’t waste your battery on trying to upload pictures using the Cons Wi-Fi because a million other people are too. Batteries drain so quickly and you do not want to get stuck not being able to reach someone you need to. My battery died once and I hadn’t made a plan with my friend of which panel we are going to meet at and I basically had a panic attack.

            I would recommend buying a phone case that chargers your phone or one of those external battery chargers.  It is very hard to find a spot to charge your phone. The fire Marshalls don’t like people being lined to the walls in case of an evacuation so many of the places you could once could. If you are pretty done for the day or are only planning on going to smaller panel you don’t need to get in line for very early, I would recommend going over to the Hilton and seeing if there is a good place to charge your phone there. Since it’s not jam packed with people, no one is worried about you sitting against the wall to charge a phone. And if you do find a spot to charge your phone, whether it’s at the Hilton or at the convention center, try and charge only phones and not Ipads or Ipods. Another attendee probably is at 4% and really needs to charge their phone.

 I would also recommend writing down your friends phone numbers so you can call them from a pay phone or a strangers phone to let them know your phone is dead.

            Don’t try leaving your phone charged in a room and then watching the panel. They’ll grab your phone and make an announcement in between panels.

8) Exhibition Floor

            I get a little stressed out on the Exhibition floor, which means I can stay there for about half an hour at a time. It’s about three football lengths and is jammed packed with people for the entire Con.

·      Spending money-This is merchandise central, which means you should make a budget before you go. The first year I went, Square wasn’t around and vendors were only taking cash. Now you can use that card anywhere and that’s dangerous. Honestly think about how much money you can spend, take that cash out, and leave your credit card at home.

·      Autographs-There will we be autographs there often. Most of the time they are autographs you have to be selected for through a raffle earlier in the day. If you try to get into the raffle and get into a panel, you need to have someone hold your space in the panel line. The raffle is usually first thing when the exhibition floor opens and then the autographs are during the day. So even if you get into the signing you may have to miss a panel to get the autographs. Even if you get a bathroom pass, you can’t guarantee you’ll get back in time. Personally, I don’t have a lot of experience doing these exclusive autographs except for the time I got to do it because I had asked a question at the OUAT panel. You can also sometimes get autographs without going through a raffle. Keep a watch online and through twitter accounts to see who will be at booths giving autographs. I got to meet the writers of Haven at the Syfy booth last year after seeing a notice on their

twitter account.

9)Sails Pavilion

            This is a large space on the second level of the convention center used for various things, such as autographs and displaying art. Some autographs will be free and others will be charged for. Legally, they have to sign your program for free. Anything else, including a photo, can be charged for.

10) Don’t be a jerk

            Don’t ruin a panel for someone. What I love about Comic Con is that there is so many different things for different people. It’s a place for all kinds of different fans. Just because you don’t like a show or actor doesn’t mean someone else there feels the same way. They’ve waited a long time to see that panel and they don’t want you sitting there talking on your phone the entire time.

            Honestly, sometimes a panel crashes and burns. The White Collar panel was the most painful thing I have ever had to watch.  Panels can tank for lots of reasons such as the fact in Ballroom 20 and the Indigo Ballroom, the panelist have a really hard time hearing each other, a moderator can really suck or no one panelist takes charge of the panel and it’s just a bunch of awkward rambling. Even if a panel is sinking faster than the Titanic, shut your mouth. The fans of the show don’t care and you’re just making the whole thing worse.

            When people are filing into a room for the first panel of the day, it takes almost an hour. If it takes later, this cuts into the first panel, so try to be helpful! If you have open seats, try holding up fingers to show how many so people can fill in. They might assume the seat is taken or not notice it at all if you are in the middle of a row. Again, the faster the room is filled, the faster the panel starts.

            Try to be as considerate to the person next to you. Try not to have your legs spread out a mile apart and keep all your stuff from encroaching into their space.  It’s about being a decent person but also building up good karma. You may need them to watch your stuff while you go to the bathroom or get in line for a question. Or, in one kind souls case a few years ago, allow you to fall asleep on their shoulder while a pilot episode is being played.  I’m not kidding; I woke up with my face on the shoulder of a middle-aged man while the pilot of that robo copish show played once. You go Glenn Coco.

11) Taking pictures

            This kind of goes along with the common sense idea of not being a jerk. People who cosplay absolutely want you to take their picture! It’s especially fun to take pictures if you find a bunch of people cosplaying from the same show or universe. I also had one woman ask to take my picture while I was in my Peggy Carter cosplay charging my phone because she said she was taking pictures of people doing things the character wouldn’t have possibly been able to do. I though that was a really clever idea. But as always, please ask first! I’ve had people just take pictures of me before. I asked a question at the Bones panel in a Jeffersonian jacket and Emily Deschanel pointed it out. A few people jumped out of their seats to take my picture. That’s just weird. You wouldn’t just do that in everyway life.

12) Make an emergency plan

I recommend having a plan for if someone’s phone dies and you can’t reach him or her. I have gone with a friend for the last couple of years and we often split up and meet back together throughout the day. We have agreed that if we can’t reach each other throughout the day, to just attend the con as usual and meet at the trolley stop once we are done. There is no PA system for paging and walking around the convention center to find each other will be hell. Have a plan.

13) What to do outside of the convention center

            More and more things are happening outside of the convention center. A lot of people end up having badges for multiple days but not consecutive days, making them wonder that they can do on those off days. There will be plenty of information online (not on the SDCC website since none of these events are officially part of the con) about events happening downtown. Geek and Sundry (the YouTube channel partially created by Felicia Day) rents out a bar where you can meet Felicia and play tabletop games. I also met Aisha Tyler at a fan event she posted on her website.

14) Kids

            I can’t wait to take my children to Comic Con once I have them. I think it’s a great way to show kids that people have varying taste and they shouldn’t be ashamed of what they are fans of. My problem is when parents are selfish. You know your kids. Can they really sit through an entire panel? Are they having fun or do you constantly have to bark at them to sit down? Don’t be shocked when your kid gets crabby after you woke them up at five in the morning to go sit on concrete. Some kids, even little ones, love panels but others do no. Even if they like a show, they might not be interested in hearing a bunch of people talk for an hour. I have witnessed many parents yelling at their kids for just being kids. If you have younger children, try taking them to the panels that are meant for kids. These usually have less talking and more videos that keep kids interested.

            And if your baby starts crying, please get a bathroom pass and calm the baby down outside. You wouldn’t let the baby cry through a movie, would you?

15) You make your Comic Con what it is

            My final piece of advice is just to try to have fun. Some things are not going to go right and that’s just life. If you let every little thing that goes wrong become a disaster, then you are not going to have a good time. Go with the flow.

Feminist Makeup

I usually get one post in during finals or midterms. Shocking.

I’m a feminist and I like makeup. I’m simply tired of having to defend my choice to wear makeup on an almost daily basis. It doesn’t make me a bad person, feminist, woman or anything else. It means I like glitter and pops of color.

Argument #1: Makeup is bad because it means you aren’t confident with yourself.

To me, makeup is empowering. Before I started birth control and a daily gel, I suffered from acne as many teens do. It has left a few scars and I still have the occasional blemish come up. When I use some concealer to cover up these blemishes or scars, it does not mean I’m not confident with myself, it means I’m tired of having acne control over me any longer. When I put concealer over a scar, it reminds me that I’m no longer that eleven year old girl embarrassed by a pimple. I remind myself I’m a happy, successful young woman who likes the way she looks. That pimple no longer has power over me.

Argument #2: Makeup is trying to change who you are on the outside.

Makeup is not about changing who you are but embracing and enhancing who you are on the outside. I love using blush to highlight my cheekbones with pretty shades that fit the season. One of my favorite features of myself is my eyes. I get the shape and color from my dads family and I have fun finding ways to show them off. I’ve found using brown eyeliner really brings out the richness of my eye color. It’s not about hiding who I am but loving who I am.

Argument #3: Makeup is a waste of time and money.

Wow, that’s a bold statement. Can’t I say this about any hobby? It’s okay to blow money on sports events, clothes or night clubs, but suddenly my hobby is worse than others? It’s a hobby. If it takes over your entire life, then yes, makeup is probably an unhealthy aspect of your life. But this goes for any hobby. I save up for more expensive makeup and ask for it for my birthday or other holidays. Believe me, I could spend ridculous amounts on makeup but I could also spend ridiculous amounts of money at the book store. And really, it does not take that much time. My hair and makeup usually take about twenty minutes in the morning. I don’t do this everyday, mostly on school days, but I enjoy looking nicer for class. I think it sets a good tone for the day.

The gist of this all is that makeup is fun. I like watching tv shows and noticing how an actress’s makeup is done and trying to follow that. I noticed on Forever how well Alana De La Garza’s cheek bones were highlighted through her blush so I tried to focus on how the blush had been applied and the shade of it. I love cosplaying and part of it is makeup. When I put on that red lipstick for my Peggy Carter cosplay, I feel powerful and beautiful. When I put on more subdued makeup with darker shades, I feel Jordan McKee’s brooding persona she tries to put on. Makeup helps me embody these characters.

I like the way makeup makes me feel. It gives me control of myself and lets me decide who I want to be that day. Telling women wearing makeup makes you a bad feminist is one of the most unfeminist things I  can think of. Feminism is not about shaming others in how they want to express themselves. I’m having fun and putting some glitter on my face. Sue me.

My Name, My Choice

For someone who has never had a boyfriend, I think about what it would like to be married a lot. If anyone is wondering, I’ve decided to get married in Balboa park and have a cosplay wedding reception or rehearsal. One of the things I think of often is the decision to change my name. Yes, fellow feminist, I am most likely going to take my husband’s name when I marry. I’ve decided to write this post because there is mainly one reason I’ve thought to keep my name and the recent realization that reason is an awful one.

One reason I’ve heard I should keep my name is that by taking my husband’s name, I’m symbolically becoming my husband’s property. Yeah, I’m just not buying that idea. If you’re marrying someone who you think could ever see you as their property, then you should rethink that relationship. His property? No, I see it as becoming his family.

Another reason I’ve heard I should keep my name is that I could hyphenate my name with my husband’s. Look, my name is already five letters long. If I marry someone with another five letter name, my name is not going to fit on my uniform. Also, many people I knew growing up with a hyphenated last name hated it because it made their name so long. They could never fit it in the spaces on standardized tests.

I’ve also heard I could just keep my last name and my husband could have his, which would be fine if I was not planning on having children. Like I said before, having the same last name of my husband is about being a family to me. I want to have the same last name as my children and husband. Sue me.

Okay, now I’m sure you’ve been thinking, “your husband could take your name.” And yes, that is certainly a possibility I will discuss with my potential husband. There’s two reasons I do not see this happening. The first is that my potential husband has probably always imagined his wife taking his name and is probably important to him. Since keeping my name is not really all that important to me, I don’t see why I don’t just take his name.

The only reason I have ever seen myself not taking my husband’s name or having my husband taking my name is about my culture. When I look in the mirror, I see a hispanic young woman. To many, I just look like a white young woman. My name is one of the few ways I can signify to the outside world I am Mexican.

And that is the reason that can not be the deciding factor for keeping my name. I can not make life decisions based off what others think of me. I can not take my cultural self worth from others. I know I’m Mexican. I know that is part of my life and will always be Mexican. My name has nothing to do with any of that.

Breakfast tacos are a more common breakfast in my house than pancakes. I have been told to get my chanclas more than I can count. I grew up singing along to Selena. I have more family on my dad’s side than I could ever comprehend.

I’m sorry I’m tired of getting my Pandora ads in Spanish just because of my last name. I’m sorry I’m tired of getting junk mail in Spanish just because of my last name. I’m sorry I have to have the “I don’t speak Spanish” conversation with someone every time they see my last name and make assumptions about my language abilities. Because as much as losing my last name means I will be losing an indicator I am hispanic disappoints me, it also kind of excites me. I feel as if I get this blank slate everyone else gets to start off on.

Ultimately, I do not know what will happen to my last name. It will be a conversation that will be between my husband and I, and no one else gets any input. It doesn't make me a bad feminist or a bad Mexican. It means I’m tired of those stupid Pandora ads in a language I don’t understand.