Marvel writer harassed for having a milkshake with coworkers? It's as silly as it sounds.
Her milkshake brought all the trolls to the yard.
A woman got a milkshake with some coworkers, and the internet lost its collective mind.
Seriously.
It's the Marvel milkshake crew! #FabulousFlo https://t.co/ogn8KEYuPM— Heather Antos (@Heather Antos) 1501266940
Heather Antos is an editor at Marvel, where she's worked on titles like "The Unbelievable Gwenpool" and "Star Wars." It was Friday afternoon, and she and a few coworkers decided to get a milkshake. She snapped a quick picture of the group and posted it to Twitter with the caption, "It's the Marvel milkshake crew! #FabulousFlo" (a reference to Flo Steinberg, a key to Marvel's success, who passed away in July).
This totally innocent and normal photo of seven coworkers hanging out and having a good time was enough to enrage a certain section of the internet. Over the course of the coming days, Antos was flooded with tweets and direct messages accusing her of being a "fake geek girl" or calling the group a bunch of "SJWs" (SJW is short for "social justice warrior," an epithet often used by anti-feminist types to attack people they see as trying to push a social agenda in some way or another). In other words, the response to the photo was completely bonkers and just disproportionate.
Screencaps via Twitter.
Antos, who was only trying to share a joyful moment with some colleagues, felt pretty down about the whole thing — understandably so.
The internet is an awful, horrible, and disgusting place.— Heather Antos (@Heather Antos) 1501387443
Woke up today to a slew of more garbage tweets and DMs. For being a woman. In comics. Who posted a selfie of her friends getting milkshakes.— Heather Antos (@Heather Antos) 1501427028
In response, Twitter users rallied around the hashtag #MakeMineMilkshake, showing solidarity with Antos and all women working in comics.
Plus, it was a pretty good excuse to step out and grab a delicious milkshake, and honestly, who doesn't like that? (OK, aside from people who are lactose intolerant?)
Comics are for everybody. We proudly support @HeatherAntos! #MakeMineMilkshake https://t.co/tTyS8IVSRl— ⚡ RAYGUN ⚡ (@⚡ RAYGUN ⚡) 1501504132
Hi @HeatherAntos. Thanks for all your hard work bringing my favorite Star Wars character to life each month!… https://t.co/8z72oQJdLT— Danny (Taylor's Version) (@Danny (Taylor's Version)) 1501460571
Drink a milkshake to support @HeatherAntos? HELL YES. #MakeMineMilkshake #stoponlineharassment #womenincomics https://t.co/QXZkuDnaUa— Taryn O'Neill (@Taryn O'Neill) 1501463247
@HeatherAntos #MakeMineMilkshake https://t.co/4Eda9A9E3F— Abe Peña III (@Abe Peña III) 1501465136
The official Marvel Twitter account even got in on the action, sharing a frame from "Young Avengers, Volume 2."
#MakeMineMilkshake https://t.co/s6o7ejVRWj— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel Entertainment) 1501460303
A number of artists shared some original work in support too.
The Force is strong with @HeatherAntos #MakeMineMilkshake https://t.co/EVl8dw5kYU— Lee Garbett (@Lee Garbett) 1501505286
.@HeatherAntos did a Gwenpool doodle for #MakeMineMilkshake https://t.co/LGZ16yAIVs— Levi Hammerle (@Levi Hammerle) 1501465289
Anyway, I couldn't get a milkshake today, so the heroines of Treasure in the Core took my place with GALAXY MILKSHA… https://t.co/4LTxnnGJdW— Catrina ⚔️ (@Catrina ⚔️) 1501461269
Fans, colleagues, and others chimed in with words of encouragement as well.
#MakeMineMilkShake With huge thanks to every woman of @marvel, superpowered or merely awesome. @HeatherAntos https://t.co/21p6ToEqao— Jodie Martin (@Jodie Martin) 1501506203
It's thanks to people like @HeatherAntos that my 7yo daughter wants to read and create comics, so definitely, 100% #MakeMineMilkshake— Barry Hutchison (@Barry Hutchison) 1501487990
Every person in that milkshake photo is a key part of what makes Marvel great. Anyone who thinks otherwise is simply wrong. And an idiot.— Wil Moss (@Wil Moss) 1501455323
The fact that there are people who see a picture of a few coworkers hanging out and think, "This is what's wrong with comics today!" is really toxic.
"Captain Marvel" writer and best-selling author Margaret Stohl let out an exasperated sigh of a tweet about some of the negative attention women in comics get simply for existing.
would be great to be hated for something other than being a girl in comics— MARGARET STOHL (AWAY UNTIL 2022) (@MARGARET STOHL (AWAY UNTIL 2022)) 1501442473
Alanna Smith, a Marvel assistant editor who was in the original milkshake photo, summed the whole ordeal up in a tweet of her own.
The #MakeMineMilkshake support is rad, but I can't describe how weird it is to stumble into an ideological minefield by GETTING MILKSHAKES.— Alanna Smith 🖤🤍💜 (@Alanna Smith 🖤🤍💜) 1501461713
People of all ages and genders can enjoy and create comic books.
In April, a Marvel executive made news when he said that "people didn't want any more diversity" in comics to account for a drop in sales. But as others have pointed out, that argument doesn't actually hold up to scrutiny.
No, "SJWs" aren't trying to "ruin" anyone's childhood. And even if they were, let's just let people drink their milkshakes in peace, OK?