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Women are people too.
May. 22nd, 2009 12:55 pm I do things that people do.
I woke up late this morning, and didn't bother to make my bed. I had toast and coffee for breakfast, and left the dishes on the bench. I showered and brushed my teeth. I got dressed in jeans and a sweater because it was cool. I sat at my desk to check my email, blogs and web comics. I played World of Warcraft.
And then I did something that girl gamers do.
I explained the difference between a male treating a female like a sexual object and a female having a sexual identity to several males who just seen another male kicked out of their guild for repeatedly making sexual comments to a 16-year-old female guild member, even after she asked him to stop. We had a discussion about power and stereotypes and human rights.
Why is this something that girl gamers do? Because prior to my intervention, the guys had been joking around about the incident, including making sexual comments about the girl involved (things like "I'd like a piece of that young ass too"). You know, because when you joke about something, you obviously don't mean it, and therefore it's okay to keep saying it. That way nobody will be offended. As long as you put a smiley face at the end. :)
This attitude is something gamers are especially prone to, as they're already in the mental zone to "relax, have fun" - and so everything becomes a source of amusement. What they don't realise is that their fun can infringe on another's, and that's when it stops being okay. When a 16-year-old girl doesn't want to raid with her guild because she doesn't want to play with a guy who can't take no for an answer, she isn't having fun. When the females in guild have to type instead of being able to speak on Vent because they don't want to have to deal with the sexual comments that would ensue, they aren't having fun (trust me, there's a big difference in fun level when ya can't talk to your fellow gamers).
"But," Dave tells me, "There are lots of girl gamers who act like sex objects!"
"How do you mean?" I ask, "What do they do exactly?"
"Well... they make sexual innuendos and jokes! They talk on Vent in low, bedroom voices! They post their pics on the guild forums, usually with cleavage shots!"
So, in other words, they act like men with boobs. Therefore it's okay to treat them as a non-person there for your gratification only?
"Well... no?"
Slut: a woman who acts like men do.
I woke up late this morning, and didn't bother to make my bed. I had toast and coffee for breakfast, and left the dishes on the bench. I showered and brushed my teeth. I got dressed in jeans and a sweater because it was cool. I sat at my desk to check my email, blogs and web comics. I played World of Warcraft.
And then I did something that girl gamers do.
I explained the difference between a male treating a female like a sexual object and a female having a sexual identity to several males who just seen another male kicked out of their guild for repeatedly making sexual comments to a 16-year-old female guild member, even after she asked him to stop. We had a discussion about power and stereotypes and human rights.
Why is this something that girl gamers do? Because prior to my intervention, the guys had been joking around about the incident, including making sexual comments about the girl involved (things like "I'd like a piece of that young ass too"). You know, because when you joke about something, you obviously don't mean it, and therefore it's okay to keep saying it. That way nobody will be offended. As long as you put a smiley face at the end. :)
This attitude is something gamers are especially prone to, as they're already in the mental zone to "relax, have fun" - and so everything becomes a source of amusement. What they don't realise is that their fun can infringe on another's, and that's when it stops being okay. When a 16-year-old girl doesn't want to raid with her guild because she doesn't want to play with a guy who can't take no for an answer, she isn't having fun. When the females in guild have to type instead of being able to speak on Vent because they don't want to have to deal with the sexual comments that would ensue, they aren't having fun (trust me, there's a big difference in fun level when ya can't talk to your fellow gamers).
"But," Dave tells me, "There are lots of girl gamers who act like sex objects!"
"How do you mean?" I ask, "What do they do exactly?"
"Well... they make sexual innuendos and jokes! They talk on Vent in low, bedroom voices! They post their pics on the guild forums, usually with cleavage shots!"
So, in other words, they act like men with boobs. Therefore it's okay to treat them as a non-person there for your gratification only?
"Well... no?"
Slut: a woman who acts like men do.
