This blog entry is not about The Survivor Diaries Series, at least not directly, but there are just some things that need to be said, and I am taking this opportunity to say it here. I am not sure how many fans are gamers, if any, but I do believe that they probably appreciate strong female characters in their entertainment. I didn’t set out to write the series from that point of view, but that is what happened.
Now, to the crux of it; there is a feminist named Anita Sarkeesian of Feminist Frequency, who you may or may not be familiar with. One day last year she turned up on my FB newsfeed, and I watched her vlogs (video blog) concerning tropes in video games. I don’t play video games, but I was aware of at least one game, Grand Theft Auto, where women characters were prostitutes that the players were expected to brutally beat (at least that was my understanding of their use in the game). Why?
Long story short— Anita Sarkeensian, the on-screen narrator of a vlog that most intelligently reveals how these characters are horribly abused and even mutilated by male characters in the games. At best, many of these games have scantily clad women in the background, perhaps to pander to some people’s sexual drive in relation to their need for violence. Well, this is obviously a hot-button issue for some gamers who feel that this type of violence is entertaining and fun. I have even heard some say that it allows males the opportunity to deal with those needs in a safe way. Sarkeensian does not agree.
As I am not an expert on this subject, and any conjecture by me would be based on the vlog and my own subjective opinions, I will not argue my beliefs. What I will argue is for is the constitutional rights of this woman to report on the female trope phenomenon portrayed in the games themselves. This woman has been horribly victimized by people who are terrified about losing their “rights” to play these games.
I have followed Sarkeensian’s struggle with death threats over the past months in complete shock. I ask how those who are fighting for their “rights” to play the games (a right, I would add, that is not spelled out in the Constitution) while attempting to take away a right that is backed by our constitution? Next, how does making terroristic threats on this woman argue the point of these people? It does just the opposite, proving negative effects on their psychological state as players in the games. It is completely illogical.
If you would like to read more on this, here is one of the trending stories on the most recent death threats against Sarkeensian: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mbvd/anita-sarkeesian-cancels-speech#1qwpem9.
Now, to the crux of it; there is a feminist named Anita Sarkeesian of Feminist Frequency, who you may or may not be familiar with. One day last year she turned up on my FB newsfeed, and I watched her vlogs (video blog) concerning tropes in video games. I don’t play video games, but I was aware of at least one game, Grand Theft Auto, where women characters were prostitutes that the players were expected to brutally beat (at least that was my understanding of their use in the game). Why?
Long story short— Anita Sarkeensian, the on-screen narrator of a vlog that most intelligently reveals how these characters are horribly abused and even mutilated by male characters in the games. At best, many of these games have scantily clad women in the background, perhaps to pander to some people’s sexual drive in relation to their need for violence. Well, this is obviously a hot-button issue for some gamers who feel that this type of violence is entertaining and fun. I have even heard some say that it allows males the opportunity to deal with those needs in a safe way. Sarkeensian does not agree.
As I am not an expert on this subject, and any conjecture by me would be based on the vlog and my own subjective opinions, I will not argue my beliefs. What I will argue is for is the constitutional rights of this woman to report on the female trope phenomenon portrayed in the games themselves. This woman has been horribly victimized by people who are terrified about losing their “rights” to play these games.
I have followed Sarkeensian’s struggle with death threats over the past months in complete shock. I ask how those who are fighting for their “rights” to play the games (a right, I would add, that is not spelled out in the Constitution) while attempting to take away a right that is backed by our constitution? Next, how does making terroristic threats on this woman argue the point of these people? It does just the opposite, proving negative effects on their psychological state as players in the games. It is completely illogical.
If you would like to read more on this, here is one of the trending stories on the most recent death threats against Sarkeensian: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mbvd/anita-sarkeesian-cancels-speech#1qwpem9.
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