Oh, Marvel. First you don’t care about insulting and alienating readers by offering up “hot sexy fun”, but now you want to help us look stylish!

The article starts out innocently enough by plugging the costumes for sale in their online store. Since they only stick to four of their big named heroes that are tied into movies lately, it’s understandable that there aren’t any female costumes featured. But fear not ladies! They have some products just for us!

The consumer products team at Marvel is thinking big when it comes to females.

The entertainment company, best known for its library of comic book superheroes ranging from Spider-Man to Iron Man, is starting 2009 with a major push into the women’s apparel, cosmetics and accessories markets.

Thanks, Marvel. You really just see us as either entertainment for men or as a dollar sign, don’t you? In case you’re curious, like I was, what the hell were they thinking:

[W]hat is the messaging behind a Marvel branded line of make-up and how does it relate to the Marvel characters and stories?

“With a branded line of make-up from Marvel, girls will be able to feel as if they are going from ordinary to extraordinary just like the super hero characters in the stories, ” he explained. “There is also such a nostalgic undertone that either young or older girls are drawn towards because of the long history and brand behind the name Marvel.”

The lip glosses come in an assortment of yummy flavors and give the lips a shiny tint; just the right amount of color for summer. For less sheen, the lip balms are a great way to keep your lips perfectly pouty.

Can someone please tell me what super heroine used lip gloss to gain superpowers?

Between the condescending Girl’s Guide to Comic-Con and this latest fiasco out of Marvel, it’s no wonder females aren’t flocking to read comics. And those of us who are geeks are becoming more pissed off and vocal about the sexism and misogyny everywhere in geek culture.

To top it all off, I took a look at the online store plugged in the article. One could find costumes for plenty of male Marvel characters, but only one lone costume representing female characters. Spider-Girl. And she’s “Sassy”, with a short skirt and everything. Come on, they couldn’t even include Invisible Woman for fuck sake? They have the other three of the Fantastic Four costumes, but not her! Guess she wouldn’t be sexy enough.

Some days it sucks being a female geek.

Technorati tags: marvel, comics, sexism