It's bothering me that my post was so rambly. I will sum it up in the following paragraph:
1) Although video games were marketed at boys when I was introduced to them as a child, the concept of
excluding girls was not prevalent (in my experience at least). 2) As companies later began cornering a "girls' market" to draw in more female gamers, they established the theory that girls simply were not interested in electronics, period, unless they were catered specifically to them [by being pink, by being about fashion design, by being simple, etc.]. 3) Many of today's games, and aspects of geek culture, have bought into this theory and internalized the message "this is Not for Girls" (as opposed to "this was kinda aimed at boys, but whatever floats your boat") and can be actively hostile toward female involvement. The mistaken belief that girls and women will not be intrinsically interested in electronics has come to support behavior and content that alienates them, thus fueling a self-fulfilling prophecy. 4) If I were a kid today I don't know if I would have followed my gamer instincts or would have been discouraged by this more prominent gender binary. I was lucky to put my roots down before being influenced by it. 5) The Racketboy community is fabulous and I love it. It's not all bad out there. 6) I thought the original article nailed it. 7) I really liked Irixith's posts too.
pepharytheworm wrote:To me porpusefully making a game for women is just as sexist as doing the opposed.
Yes. That's why the author was arguing for more variety in gaming.
I suggest that anybody interested in this topic read the book
From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games by Cassell, Justine and Henry Jenkins, ed., or portions of it. It's a collection of essays addressing many angles of femininity as manifested in, and applied to, gaming culture. It was compiled in 1998, but it's still fascinating. There's also the blog
Fat, Ugly or Slutty, to which players (mostly women) submit the harrasment messages they encounter online. The blog showcases them for the lolz, if anyone's interested.
Curlypaul wrote:You mention that you did because of the role model that you found in your mom and you were allowed to be interested in whatever took your fancy. Me and my wife have tried to do this as much as we can for our children as much as we can, but it seems like society gets in the way too much.
It's wonderful that you have these issues in mind as a parent. You're right that you're not the only influence working on your kids -- the buck does not completely stop with you because there's still a whole world out there -- but you open the door. By being aware of the biases and being open about your kids' interests, you're giving them the opportunity to explore, and you're also establishing a level of comfort and trust with them. They'll be much more likely to be true to themselves since you've established your family as a "safe space" for them to be honest. They'll try new things they're intrigued by but unsure about (in a social context), and they'll also be more likely to withstand peer pressure to conform to something they
don't like, since they know you value them regardless.
