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This topic has moved here: Subject: The commodification of the female gamer online
  • Subject: The commodification of the female gamer online
Subject: The commodification of the female gamer online

Posted by: Kurosaki_Kun

I know, right?
Jay acts like she's better than everyone else simply because she's a chick.
I hope she chokes to death.

I think this is within the rules. If it isn't, I guess I'll find out. But it's not about politics or religion, so here goes.

Female gamers are not actually rare - I believe estimates run as high as 50% of gamers being women, which makes sense when you consider that women also make up slightly more than 50% of the planet's population. But online, they're treated as a rarity or a novelty (at best), or as a kind of freakshow (at worst). Why?

Plenty of Floodians have made threads in the past bemoaning the lack of women online; however, this is not, in fact, the case. There isn't even a dearth of "geeky" women online - they just congregate in different kinds of fan spaces, where the discussion is less polarised, more intellectual, and perhaps, dare I say it, less blatantly sexist than what you might find on forums like this. Which is not to say that female geeks don't love talking about games - they do! But by and large, they do it in spaces where they don't have to deal with their gender becoming more of a talking point than, well, their actual talking points. And there's a good reason for that.

Now, I like this community, and I like plenty of other communities, both online and offline, that are predominantly male. But every girl who chooses to participate in such a community knows there's a trade-off - an increase in discussions that might be more exciting, more polarising, in nature for the instant surrender of one's personhood as a new point of discussion and debate. There are ways to avoid this - not declaring one's gender, for example, or not posting photos or video online. But both of those only go so far (for example, it's hard to hide who you are come PAX time) - and besides, why should any girl have to hide?

This is a question I've been asked many times - if I don't like the heat that comes with revealing my identity online, why do it? The thing is, why should that have to be a consideration? Shouldn't girls be able to reveal just as much of themselves as boys do - which, yes, sometimes includes posting photos or videos! - without having to face scrutiny that, let's face it, male gamers just don't have to undergo? Some guy can post a picture of his wicked awesome Chief cosplay and nobody will comment on whether or not he's big and muscular enough to properly play the part, but if a girl posts a picture of her Cortana cosplay, that suddenly opens her up to commentary about everything from her appearance to whether or not she's really a hardcore fan or just some girl tagging along with the boys for attention.

Stop for a second and ask yourself - even if that is her intention, who cares? Plenty of guys post online for attention. People do that all the time. People like attention - that's how people are. If a girl chooses to dress up because her costume will get attention, why is that even a talking point? Do you think guys cosplay with the hope that nobody will notice the care and effort they put into their outfits? Attention is nice no matter what gender you are. So if a girl posts for attention - and sure, plenty of us do, guilty as charged, whatever - does that automatically make any of her contributions invalid, or mean she should be fair game for the kinds of commentary we'd deem socially unacceptable in real life?

Girls in male spaces online are a kind of commodity - their identities are considered fair game for discussion, speculation, analysis and straight-out dragging through the mud. It doesn't seem to matter what they look like or what they post, whether they're after attention or just want to play some [insert game here] - for some reason, their girlhood (or womanhood, either way) is seen as something with intrinsic value, either good or bad, that somehow supersedes a lot of their contributions. I'm trying to think of a female gamer I know who hasn't at some point had to weather some kind of criticism based solely on her gender, and I can't. Maybe some of them get it more than others, but they all get it. And whatever you think about those girls as people - and I'll admit, there are some I like more or less than others, that's just how people are - do they really deserve a huge part of their identities to be used as a kind of online barter chip, just because they happen to be girls who like games, instead of guys who do?

I guess someone's going to tell me I'm taking this too seriously, or that I'm not allowed to have this kind of opinion because I post for attention. You're entitled to that opinion (though you're wrong, sorry!). I do think gender politics are something worth examining and discussing, especially when they skew so heavily in one direction. A thread about the attractiveness of male posters just wouldn't get that kind of traction - except maybe for its novelty value. I'm not saying that I condone the objectification of men to match that of women - actually, I'm heavily opposed to that, nobody deserves to be treated like an object. I'm asking why we so readily objectify some people over something that is an intrinsic part of them that makes them no more or less valuable than anyone else, when doing so actively detracts from the contributions those people might have to make - and from the quality of the communities in which they choose to engage.

Just a thought.

  • 01.01.2013 6:11 PM PDT

My view on the matter is that people online will always insult you for something. If you're a girl, you get insulted for being a girl. If you're from France you get called a coward. If you're from various Arabian places you're a terrorist.



[Edited on 01.01.2013 6:14 PM PST]

  • 01.01.2013 6:12 PM PDT
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  • Honorable Heroic Member

Real account.

Join me as we make new friends from different communities!

If you assign every letter of the alphabet a number, a is 1, b is 2, etc., and you take all of the values of the word "MATH", and add them, you get 42. So math is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.

I once met a girl on UNO with my friends. She smack talked one of them throughout the night. It was glorious.

  • 01.01.2013 6:12 PM PDT
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Oh Lord have mercy, security, security, we got a code BLACK. Code BLACK at the main gate.

You're so sexy jay. I just wanna


OT:Your smart.

  • 01.01.2013 6:13 PM PDT

Posted by: FatherlyNick
Im the flood's underground member.

...

Ah, who am i kidding, we are all basement dwellers...

- random Floodian truest words ever


Posted by: jaythenerdkid
Now, I like this community


Stopped reading here

  • 01.01.2013 6:13 PM PDT

I r guy who gun to teach u lesson

Normally I love reading long posts but uhhhh....can I get a TL;DR....

  • 01.01.2013 6:13 PM PDT

Cooking games are all that is acceptable.

  • 01.01.2013 6:13 PM PDT
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Well, here we are. I guess that it was destined to come to this.

Posted by: jaythenerdkid
.... Just a thought.

*wipes soda off of monitor*

  • 01.01.2013 6:13 PM PDT

I don't think females were made for gaming. They seem more beneficial in other areas such as the kitchen.

  • 01.01.2013 6:13 PM PDT


Posted by: WhaleFair
I don't think females were made for gaming. They seem more beneficial in other areas such as the kitchen.



Here we go...

  • 01.01.2013 6:14 PM PDT
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I do not want to stop asking. I do not ask to stop wanting.

My girlfriend is female.

She plays video games all the time.

So the stereotype was broken for me about 3 years ago.

  • 01.01.2013 6:14 PM PDT

Arbitor they outnumber us three to one!
Then it is an even fight.

Arbitor > Arbiter.
Arbitor = Rank above Arbiter.

A big thanks to kids that did this to 343 after they heard they get an infection game mode in halo 4 with no thought of normal playlists.


Posted by: Binman59

Posted by: WhaleFair
I don't think females were made for gaming. They seem more beneficial in other areas such as the kitchen.



Here we go...


[Edited on 01.01.2013 6:15 PM PST]

  • 01.01.2013 6:14 PM PDT
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Attention whores are annoying.

  • 01.01.2013 6:15 PM PDT

"Banhammer" - Post anything on the Waypoint forums -50g
Never forget:
Porch Day
lolReach
Gen Petitt Day
Night of the Living Alts

I think it's because people expect women to be in the kitchen instead of playing vid's.

  • 01.01.2013 6:15 PM PDT

Posted by: Kurosaki_Kun

I know, right?
Jay acts like she's better than everyone else simply because she's a chick.
I hope she chokes to death.


Posted by: Binman59
My view on the matter is that people online will always insult you for something. If you're a girl, you get insulted for being a girl. If you're from France you get called a coward. If you're from various Arabian places you're a terrorist.

I get called a terrorist sometimes. My response is always the same: "Now now, if you keep talking like that, I'm not going to tell you where I hid the bomb."

Perpetuating a cycle of racism against myself? Perhaps. But seeing them laugh nervously is usually worth it.

Posted by: Statefarm98
Normally I love reading long posts but uhhhh....can I get a TL;DR....
Last paragraph is a summary.

  • 01.01.2013 6:15 PM PDT
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Posted by: Recon Number 54
Posted by: jaythenerdkid
.... Just a thought.

*wipes soda off of monitor*

  • 01.01.2013 6:16 PM PDT
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> geeky gamer girl
> normal girl

pick one

  • 01.01.2013 6:16 PM PDT

Sometimes I am tempted to quit gaming. I can no longer play without seeing ponyphags, horrendously bad teammates and mexicans.

Gaming community, I want you to know that you suck.

See now this is why girls are made fun of online. Because they react to it and lulz ensue.

  • 01.01.2013 6:17 PM PDT

Don't LOL if you aren't L'inOL.

Halo: Reach
Halo 3
Halo ODST

I've thought about this before, and I actually agree with you. I've mentioned my gender before on the Flood and got called an attention whore for it, more than once even.

  • 01.01.2013 6:17 PM PDT


Posted by: WhaleFair
I don't think females were made for gaming. They seem more beneficial in other areas such as the kitchen.


I laughed but now I'm ashamed.

  • 01.01.2013 6:18 PM PDT
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Posted by: Connor CMC
See now this is why girls are made fun of online. Because they react to it and lulz ensue.


Yup. Congrats OP. If you really are expecting people to learn something from your post, you're dead wrong. Expect more people to harass girls on this forum because they know you'll get butthurt about it.

  • 01.01.2013 6:18 PM PDT

If we disagree, it's nothing personal, opinions are opinions.
Antagonizing me to build a false sense of worth is so damn cute.

Brighten your day with science.

'Bout 45% of the gaming community are females.

[Edited on 01.01.2013 6:18 PM PST]

  • 01.01.2013 6:18 PM PDT

When I play games I treat girls same way I treat guys. They are all just gamers and we are there to kick butt and have fun.

  • 01.01.2013 6:19 PM PDT

The world is not beautiful: And that, in a way, lends it a sort of beauty.

~Kino's Journey

The way males treat females online kind of makes you wonder if we're really the same species >.>

In their defense, society still hasn't worked out how to properly treat women, despite how painful obvious it is, so expecting men who haven't really interacted with women to act better than all of society is asking a bit too much.

  • 01.01.2013 6:19 PM PDT

Posted by: Kurosaki_Kun

I know, right?
Jay acts like she's better than everyone else simply because she's a chick.
I hope she chokes to death.


Posted by: Aang the Avatar

Posted by: Connor CMC
See now this is why girls are made fun of online. Because they react to it and lulz ensue.


Yup. Congrats OP. If you really are expecting people to learn something from your post, you're dead wrong. Expect more people to harass girls on this forum because they know you'll get butthurt about it.
What about my post indicated that I was even slightly butthurt?

It was a short essay about an internet phenomenon. I'm sorry you react badly when people put thought into their posts, but that's your problem, not mine.

  • 01.01.2013 6:19 PM PDT