Apparently the Internet just can’t go for more than a month with someone getting harassed via social media making the news. The victim this time is comedian, SNL cast member, and star of the new Ghostbusters film Leslie Jones.
No, seriously. I don’t think I could care less if Florida just floated free from the United States right now with all the fuckery that’s been going on down there.
…but just haven’t quite gotten around to it. That topic? The dearth of female main characters in video games.
We’ve all heard this excuse, I’m sure: games with female main characters simply do not sell well. I would like to posit that this is bullshit. Silent Hill 3’s main character is a young woman, and it’s considered to be one of the best games in the franchise. The latest Tomb Raider game was released in March to critical acclaim. Even if Parasite Eve isn’t one of Square Enix’s most lucrative properties it still did well enough to warrant a couple of sequels.
I think that the main reason is that game companies are afraid of alienating men, who they still see as their core audience. Even though an increasingly large number of women are getting into gaming. They think that men aren’t going to be able to relate to a female character.
Well, here’s the answer I have to that: why should I, as a woman who happens to game, be expected to relate to male characters? Because there are male characters (not just in video games, but across all media) that I do relate to, and I’m sure that there are many men out there who are capable of relating to female characters as well. Why can’t our media landscape reflect the gender diversity of the real world?
I don’t think that’s too much to ask for.
Seriously? This is what you’re going with here, Marvel? You do know that female superheroes exist, right? Y’know, considering the fact that you publish stories with them and all. Maybe try putting some of them on a t-shirts that you want to target to women or girls. Just a suggestion. Also, “I Need A Hero?” Bullshit.
I know I post a lot of stuff like this ranting about sexism and all that, but that’s only because it keeps fucking happening.
No, seriously, this has to be a joke.
Basically, to elaborate on the above link, a company called the Eurostar group has created a tablet that they are marketing to women called the ePad Femme. It’s for girls because it’s pink! And it comes with things like cooking and yoga apps! Because all women eat that shit up, right?
There is this horrible trend that I’ve been noticing (and I’m sure that a lot of folks notice as well) where marketing firms hold on to the belief that if they want to have something appeal to women, it has to be pink. Remember the whole Bic for Her thing? Where a bunch of people left incredibly sarcastic reviews on the Amazon page? (By the way, I recommend reading the reviews as many of them are hilarious.) This is the same fucking thing. It’s the assumption that women won’t use technology unless it appeals to stereotypes.
Not to mention that the idea of having gender-specific technology is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of in my entire life. Hey, I have a PC, smart phone, PlayStation 2, Wii, and XBox 360. But I obviously shouldn’t have them because they’re not pink, and therefore not for girls!
Here’s the thing: most of the women that I know couldn’t really care less about the color of the computers that they use. Like anybody else, they mostly just care if it works and does what they need for it to do. And I really think that’s true of most people regardless of gender.
Also, I just really don’t like the color pink.
So, yeah. Remind me why I buy your products again, Sony?
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple of months, you may have noticed the concept of “fake geek” or “fake nerd” girls has kind of become a thing. The basic idea: a somewhat attractive girl who’s into geeky things? Man the guns! She wants your blood!
Katethulu's Cave Of Mysteries 