“I ain’t no damsel in distress”
After our discussions about Gitleman's take on women and technology, I wrote this blog.
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As I was draining my thoughts in the shower, I found myself immersed in ideas of girls and gaming. Grading a paper about the recent World of Warcraft expansion trailerand playing the Wii with my family and friends last night until 1am, prompted critical discussions about gender and race in games. My brain led me through a twisting pathway of frustration as I questioned whether or not game companies are trying to target women. I thought about the historical uses of characters like “Princess Peach,” with her wee, beady eyes, pink dresses, and parasols. Even though much of my childhood was played on Nintendo consoles, I recalled never, ever choosing to play her. Never wanting to choose her. She seemed so weak, so frail; so in need of rescuing.
“I ain’t no damsel in distress.”
I wondered if character revelations like “Samus Aran” really changed things. I wondered if the typical boy playing the game, identifying with the character, playing through Samus, actually thought, “Wow, I’m a chick” rather than “it’s only a game.” When the curtain was pulled, I wondered if players felt duped or looked for the next “trick” or “slight of hand” to be played by Gunpei Yokoi, the creator of Metroid. Then I wondered why she is so low on the “top ten women in video games” list. Why don’t gamers identify with her as much as skin-tight gear clad Lara Croft? I played Lara Croft once and hated the game, not to mention her underwareless advertisement. But was it really the game I hated?
All questions/frustrations lead back to interface. I reminisced on game night and the many, many women playing, and last night watching my 60 year old mother beat a boss and labyrinth games on Rayman Raving Rabbits on the Wii system. I found myself irritated by the game’s use of/reliance on messages of “you are even better than my little sister,” male-centric thinking spot, the toilet, and “gangsta” clothing that also changed the characters face by making it slightly darker in color. That said, I was also amazed by the potential agency I witnessed as a group of adults, both men and women, black and white, from Minnesota, California, and Pennsylvania, enjoyed playing a "social" game. Some people who play games may look for interfaces, which are not only easy to use, but also build on/value sociality.
All my ranting about games brings me to a conclusion that games for girls need not only be games with or about girls. Games that target girls need to be games that do not use boobalicious female characters that are the stereotypes/fantasies of boys (Beasley and Standley, 2002; Scharrer, 2004). Girl characters do not need to be pink and frilly or use their emotions to set things on fire to be characters girls identify with. What about the ordinary woman, who plays sports/does athletic stuff with a ponytail and no make-up?
Further girls who play games are not always “casual” gamers-maybe if the technology was created for them, they may be considered to even be avid gamers. That said, we must also address the mean of being socialized for gaming. I am unsure if women are taught to “play” as much as they are taught to “be responsible.” Girls may not want to admit they are “wasting” their time since they "should" be being more responsible.
I end this post with lots of questions, but not many answers. All I can say is that I’m sick of being told who I should play and how I should play, rather than having technologies created for me…for my benefit. I am not one that identifies myself with objects of the male gaze. In addition, women gamers are not all the same. How can a company target diverse users in non-stereotypical ways?
references
Beasley, B. & Standley, T. C. (2002). Shirts vs. skins: Clothing as an indicator of gender role stereotyping in video games. Mass Communication and Society, 5, 279-293.
Scharrer, E. (2004). Virtual violence: Gender and aggression in video game advertisements. Mass Communication and Society, 7, 393-412.