As a gamer and a woman, I consider myself fairly accommodating: I don’t fret over the sight of a bare thigh, protesting against the commodification of the female body, and I also don’t cry over people commenting “go back to the kitchen!”. As far as video games are concerned, it is difficult to make me feel ill at ease or to shock me, but from a feminist perspective I have a TOP 3 chart of those “critical situations” that really baffle me:
THE DAMSEL IN DISTRESS SYNDROME
As a child I never had a console of my own. As calm as a Tibetan monk, I used to wait for the permission to go play with my friends. Utterly thirsty for video games, I wanted to try all of the titles available (with a curious penchant for the “brawlers”). When someone proposed Super Mario I felt irritated and I decided to do my homework instead. It wasn’t because I did not like the game, but because I could not give a logical sense to the role of Princess Peach. In my head princesses had to have charisma, courage, had to be independent and devoted to their people. I dreamed of a princess more like Lady Oscar, than Marie Antoinette. But you Peach, wrapped up in candy pink, you let a monster (such a cliché) kidnap you and then wait for a plumber to save you?!?!
To my eyes, this damsel in distress business was a joke; you have the rights and duties of a princess, you have a kingdom to think about! Don’t you have any laws to make? Don’t you have a ministry of defense? Aren’t there any institutions responsible for yours and your people’s safety? OF COURSE NOT!
What kind of a role model is Peach to little girls? Given her status she should have the power to enforce laws and let justice triumph, and yet she only shows to have the backbone of a clam.
And what is the message conveyed to little boys here? Only that females must be protected and saved since they are the weaker sex.
PRO-TITS BUT NOT PROTECTED
I like RPGs, the more I can customise my character, the happier I am! I tend to prefer the male characters, but just for the fun of making them as boorish as possible. Or maybe not. Maybe subconsciously I choose the man with a grim look and scars, equipped with nuclear proof weapons / armor, because it seems ridiculous to impersonate a “hot chick” who hangs around half-naked in situations of danger. It’s pathetic, but also very unlikely. The female body is beautiful, its forms are harmonious and I’m the first to defend the right of every woman to wear (or not wear) what makes her feel at ease. Nonetheless, would you care to explain me how anyone could possibly survive a mission in a hostile environment, with an unfavorable climate and armed conflicts ahead, when they are dressed as a showgirl?! I wouldn’t send my high school chemistry teacher to war dressed in veils and high heels, and I can assure you she’d deserve it. Until the exterior features of my character won’t be as badass as her skills, I’m afraid I will continue to choose the male character: he’ll look boorish but protected.
STEREOTYPE PASSION GIULIA
In the fantasy world in which I live, I am an enlightened dictator who rules the planet, but the reality is quite different and a bit depressing too. Note: I like being feminine, I like to take care of my appearance and look nice, but that does not mean that since I was born with XX chromosomes, the most I can aspire to in life is a pink vacuum cleaner. Let me explain: why video games “for girls” (and here you should open a separate chapter on why a game should be more suitable to females rather than to males) revolve around certain stereotypes? The girls learn that they can work in the beauty industry (make-up artist, hairdresser …), in the show business (fashion designer, dancer, singer …), in catering (cook, maid …) or with children and animals (babysitter, teacher, veterinary …). It goes without saying that I think everyone can do everything, however there are men successfully working in fields considered to be “a woman’s domain” probably only in the Middle Ages and who are still discriminated against. If I was ever to be a mom, my children would be free to tell me who they want to become when they are older. Builder, stripper, Indiana Jones, astronaut… and regardless of their sex, I would reply, “as long as you are happy and do your job with passion and dignity, I will always be proud of you!”.
But this is all in my head. It’s just me being bothered by it. After all, we are just talking about games; simple and innocent video animations, with sounds, lights and colors. What influence will they ever have on future generations?!
Video games are for everyone, so it is useless to feel discriminated against. They’re just just video games. The more I say it, the less convincing it sounds.
