[GIRL]s in Gaming

I'm not entirely sure how much this topic has been covered overall, but judging by the lack of tolerance and the utter disbelief of the gentlemen that discover they have been playing video games with one of the female gender, I am guessing that the topic hasn't been touched on nearly enough.

A few days ago I walked to the train station with a friend from one of my history courses (in which the topic has nothing to do with this piece unfortunately) and we began discussing the lack of female representation in “Call of Duty: Black Ops”, a currently popular game (especially in the “teenage boy” demographic). She asked me if the game was worth buying, and more importantly if “girl avatars”, signs or other representation was present in the game. I said that after playing a great deal with my brother and exploring some aspects of the game, that there was not any overt examples of what she was looking for. Of course the option to customize avatars and call signs is a plus in the game, that is not enough for her. She wants blatant female representation in the forms of female characters, gender markers and avatars, which tell the multiplayer community exactly which gender they are playing with.

Now while the gaming community is a lot more accepting of female gamers, as I stated before, some are still shocked when they encounter them. When that gender is exposed, the person is treated differently, in either a more positive or negative manner. This is where the issue in and of itself lies. I believe that people shouldn't have to state their gender in order to assert the fact that both people play video games. Nine-five percent of the women I know play video games, even on a casual level. By casual I mean internet mini games, some games such as those on the Wii including “Wii Sports” or “Mario Party”, games on Facebook and the iPhone, and other similar sources. In other words, these games are the ones played waiting for a bus, or at a party or to waste time when one should be writing academic essays. Even my mother plays video games extensively and these games aren't limited to casual games. While she plays games such as “The Sims”, “Mario Party” and “Mario Kart”, she has also tried her hand at are “Oblivion”, the “Myst” series and all of the “Call of Duty” games we own. She is actually quite good at the games and actively asks our family if we would like to play a few rounds. She once asked me to play once saying something along the lines of “Why don't you take a break from you paper and come play some Call of Duty with us?”.

My point being, of course, that many women play video games and take up a significant portion of the gaming populace. They, however, do not get the representation that they deserve. Stereotypically, especially because of the norms constructed when video games were first created, men are the ones who play video games, have parties, talk strategy and compete. This stereotype bothers my aforementioned friend to the very depths of her being. As dramatic and over-the-top that sounds, I'm trying to discover whether that notion is worthy of such distaste. I agree that the stereotype should be broken down and overcome, but to what point and purpose?

I ask this because of the notion of being treated differently. Men and women will always be treated differently. No matter how one tries to promote “equality” between the genders, a fundamental, cultural belief in their differences will always exist. In terms of playing video games, this will most certainly always exist as well. One example that immediately comes to mind is one taken from the leviathan of a game, “World of Warcraft”, known in the gaming community as “World of Warcrack” (and let me just say I tried this game and got bored really fast...I don't experience its addictive powers I guess). In this game (if you haven't yet heard), you are given the choice of creating a character, which acts as a personal avatar designed to perform quests and other such tasks. In the creation, the player is given a choice of race, physical features, classes and, oh yes, gender. From stories that I have heard, and experience, the female avatars are often treated differently from the male (especially when the game first arrived on the market). I have heard they are given money, items, special status and experience different conversation than the male avatars receive. Is this because they believe that females are on the other end? Do they really think they're going to receive anything...special, because they treated them differently? Because they felt they had to? Many people in this game do not even chose the gender that they were born with. A lot of males chose female avatars just to get these benefits. In this way, the game portrays a sense of gender equality, but its players do not practice the concept.

One may argue that these issues are due to ignorance and inexperience of youth, but why would youth have these ideas in the first place? It's because the system of beliefs, values, and ideas they grew up relay this information. People are told that differences exist between the genders. People are told that females should be treated differently. Why should it be any different in the gaming community? Again turning back to a Call of Duty example, people are given the option to edit their own clan-tags, a four-letter combination of letters placed before the user name that associates the player with a specific place, group or individual trait. Often I see the tag [GIRL] in the pre-game lobby and I ask why that act is necessary. Do these “GIRL”s expect to be treated differently? Do they expect to enact a form of ridicule upon the other players because they were “beaten by a girl”? I find the notion completely ridiculous. If true gender equality and acceptance is what's desired, why do “GIRL”s work so hard to distinguish themselves as different. Sure this may anger the per-pubescent teenage boy because his world views have been shattered by a single round fired from the AA12 Shotgun of a “GIRL”, but in the long run, all that is being done is creating a class that separates the females from the males. No progress is being made.

Therefore, what I aim for is androgyny. A world where no one cares if the player is a female or male player, but instead focuses on the game itself and individual skill. I want a world where even if the players knew they had been bested by a female, they don't care because the issue derives from skill and expertise. Androgyny where the player is not thought of as “boy” or “girl” is an ideal the gaming community will probably not see. At least not in this lifetime. I myself try to practice this ideal, by acting androgynous in nature on the internet and within the gaming community. I am a female biologically. I participate and enjoy a lot of activities and endeavours that are “male” by tradition, stereotype and value. Because I even think of such activities and ideas as “male”, I am trapped by the same convictions that everyone else is. I will never be completely androgynous, because my base core, my sign and signifier, the way I associate with the objects and ideas around me have been set. The male and female established. Boundaries and barriers have been broken, but never completely torn down.

I have used this example before in other works (or rants I suppose) of mine. I post many videos on YouTube, such as walkthroughs, amusing incidents in games, and pieces of music. I have not identified with any gender in any of my videos and use text to relay my thoughts and opinions in the videos. I did, at one point, have videos voice-commentated, but have since removed the videos (I don't like the sound of my voice in recording). Those videos were the only aspect of my YouTube existence that identified me as female. Viewers of my other videos, however, perceive me as a male. In many times I get comments such as “dude nice videos”, “I like your videos sir” and “hey man, how do I fix this issue?”. The viewers automatically assume I am a man, but I am unsure of is whether this idea comes from the content of my videos (mostly walkthroughs of a video game called “Dungeon Keeper 2”), or if my existence on the internet is by default attributed to “male”. In other words, am I considered “male” because of what I do, or because cultural assumptions dictate that “male” is more common to find on the internet in such contexts?

Many would say that my failure to identify myself as female online is to blame (especially those who enjoy using “GIRL” in COD). In this mind-set, if females don't identify themselves as “girl” or “woman”, then nothing would exist to prove said existence of females online and in games (aside from a personal account...which can be denied and refuted). The players would assume that the person on the other side is a male (and I won't lie, I have often, by default, assumed this as well). As said before, this is because of the norms and stereotypes established throughout gaming history. So in order to break with these “traditions” (I'm using a lot of quotation marks aren't I?) wouldn't females have to establish themselves within the gaming community with blatant proof?

I answer with a “maybe sometimes in certain contexts”. Naturally, I would say no, because that's what I want to believe, but in some cases, especially those dominated by males, females have yet to make their mark. The gaming industry has come a long way over the years and whether that's for better or for worse...well let's just say that's another story completely. In terms of gender identification, females have for the most part made their mark and appearance, mostly in the last decade. Just today I was asked if I have played and finished “Assassin's Creed Brotherhood” and got an invite from a young man in which I don't know too well to play multiplayer with him. I have also recently been invited to “Halo” parties and “Mario” nights by some of my male friends to play. As an equal. I am, however, the exception. My friends are the exception. Please correct me if I'm wrong (please please time ten to the power of infinity...I want to be wrong here), but I don't believe a lot of females have the same experiences in gaming. So many are still underground. I grew up playing video games. From “Space Taxi” and “Spelunker” on the Commodore 64, “Mr. Do” and “Mouse Trap” on Colecovision, to my old PC games of “Warcraft 2”, “Diablo 1”, “Age of Empires 2” and my wonderful kid-friendly dinosaur and animal games, all the way to the games I play today, I have enjoyed and been influenced by these virtual adventures. I have always assumed that I had every right to play and talk about these games just as much as everyone else and for the most part, have gotten a positive response. I have never been bothered by those who think video games are best left for only 50% of the population.

In the end, my ideal world in gaming is one based on intellect, cunning, skill and practice, not one based on gender stereotypes. So please, my fellow female gamers, assert yourself by continuing to play, ignoring the insults made by intolerant minds, but don't feel the need to sell yourself as a GIRL. As for the men, tone down your insecurities and scorn concerning female gamers; they have every right to be there and participate. As much of a right as you. Let's be tolerant about this people. Gender means nothing. It does not quantify ability, capability or what is allowed or disallowed...it's just silly.

Yours truly,
Dr. Schwa

* This essay was for fun mostly and I did only a light, scanning edit. If something sounds weird or clunky, it's because I was lazy. I'm planning on going over it in the future in more detail.

** If anyone has questions or comments, please let me know by posting them here, on my YouTube account (either on my page or through PM), or though instant messengers, which I'm sure I have posted somewhere around here...

*** I am always open to discuss, debate, explain and listen to stories about experience or points that I have missed. I am also planning on writing more on similar topics in the future, so if you read this, feedback is much appreciated!

**** HAH I only used one exclamation point in this document and it wasn't even for the core document. TAKE THAT FICTION WRITING! Oh sheeeeet I used two. What you guys ganna do about it? Just kidding, I love you all.

Why I Have a Problem with Religious Debates

I'm going to perform one of the most dangerous feats that exists on the internet. I'm going to talk about religion.

So, why do I have a problem with religious debates? Because they hardly ever end well. The other day I had a wonderful conversation with a friend of mine concerning various forms of Christianity, Indigenous beliefs and ancient mythologies. It was fantastic. We didn't agree on all points, but both of us became a little more educated about humanity and how it functions. We both left happy and interested in the topic. This has only happened about three or four times in my entire life.

I am afraid to talk about religion, because I feel if I ever bring it up, I will be attacked no matter how peaceful and philosophical I wish to be on the topic. I am defined, by upbringing and action, as a protestant baptist. I am not exactly...devout, but I have my own set of beliefs and values that I have taken from this faction of religion and many others as well. I love to learn about religion as long as it's the facts and not a heated debate about who is right. Because I already know that the answer is NO ONE. I don't believe any one person is right about anything. I think elements of truth exist in all belief systems, which is why we, as a curious and reasonable (hah) species should take the time to be open-minded and learn what other cultures and religions have to offer. The older I get, the more I see the similarities rather than the differences between the majority of religions in the world. So why can't we sit down together and have a chat about it without the world imploding?

My answer is that humans simply have too many opinions. Due to experience, upbringing and education influencing us, we all just have too many perspectives. There will always be fanatics. There will always be moderates. To think that this is any different, that one faction is evil and the others are good, or that one day all of us will be united under the same banner is unreasonable. What we can work towards is understanding and open-mindedness. Tolerance is the key to peace in the future...of course that is an opinion that many would refute. Hence my conclusion that humans will never change in this aspect. My biggest issue is all the people who try to impose or force their beliefs or religion onto others.

What I find amazing is where all the hatred and unease comes from. So many people think of epic battles and oppression between countries and cultures...across hundreds of ethnic groups with thousands of morals and values. I see it on the internet, in random chat rooms, on the street, in the malls, on the train and even in a friend's home. I can't tell you the number of times I've looked at the comments on a video, only to find an argument about the existence of God, when the video itself has nothing to do with religion (and similar topics). What scares me the most is the level some people can't be reasoned with. There's no room for consideration, debate or critical thought. These people see what they believe as Truth (yes with a capital T) and won't give a little to the possibility that they are wrong. I know I'm wrong in many ways about a lot of subjects, but I try to listen and learn. It also makes me vulnerable.

An example would be a time when I was visiting a friend to watch Lord of the Rings (ironically, LOTR has a lot of religious under-tones...which too can be debated, but I digress), and somehow the topic of religion came up. Namely my belief in God and my attendance at church on Sunday mornings. Now, before I get into this, I would like to make my position CLEAR. I am extremely moderate and believe in peaceful co-existence (in case you haven't gathered that yet). I believe in a God (or at least a higher deity of sorts), I think that the morals and values that are the fundamental basis of many religions all over the world (like love, peace, moderation, charity etc.) are aspects to aspire to, I know that religions and other factions can bring people together and unite them as a community (also between religions and factions) and I think everyone should be allowed to believe what they want to as long as they don't force those beliefs on others (for instance, I am writing this post in order to convey my position, but I don't expect anyone to agree...I leave that up to the person to decide). My philosophy is a lot more complicated of course, and I have struggled with it immensely, but that's the gist of it. At this said movie night, my beliefs were attacked without much chance to defend myself, and this was frightening.

I remember saying something about being at church on Sunday morning, which was a mistake in my friend's presence. Normally I don't like church that much. I feel like an outsider a lot of the time (for reasons other than the religion itself), but I attend to make my family happy, which in turn makes me happy. I respect my family and the life they have brought me up in, and I intend to honour that respect despite what I may believe deep down. At any rate, he asked me why I was going to church if I didn't like it. As I explained a moment ago, I said that it made my family happy. He said that I should do what made ME happy rather than my family, and to do otherwise was idiocy. While I agree that freedom, choice and the right to be happy is something we should all be able to have, part of my happiness relies on my family being happy. My friend did not find this explanation acceptable. Instead we entered a rather one-sided debate about how Christianity has been inherently evil and misleading since the dawn of its creation. I countered that it was mostly the fanatics that ruined it for everyone else. He had the all-powerful "but look at the renaissance and the indoctrination there. Hundreds of people have died in the name of religion. People still do. People have been oppressed, forced to believe things they don't want to and driven to commit horrible deeds." I don't disagree at all with these statements, but it's not the religion itself that's the problem. The problem lies in the system, in the individuals that become corrupted for various reasons and a general lack of education (or the desire to be educated). The religion-bashing carried on for some time, but to make a long story short, my friend would not let us carry on with the evening until I said, at the very least, that I was agnostic. The denial of many of my beliefs wasn't what upset me the most that day. What upset me the most was that a person I considered a friend, drove me to the verge of tears, because they thought they were trying to "save me".

Which is what I don't understand. He is an atheist, and yet he used the same tactics and arguments that fanatics in religious factions use in order to force others to think the same way as them. In that way, he was contradicting himself by using the same principles he hates in order to prove that he was right.

So people, please leave me alone, please leave others alone. If you are willing to learn, to educate, to be reasonable and have an open-mind, then I wholly encourage thought and debate concerning religion. If not, keep your beliefs to yourself. I don't want to be preached to. I don't want to be told that I'm being saved from falsehood, misleading information, fanatic cults, stupid organizations, heaven, hell, or the Great Effing Pumpkin. I don't want to be yelled at, I don't want to be attacked, I don't want the hatred. I am prepared to accept the consequences of my beliefs, whatever the future holds for them. Please people, for the love of all that is good and holy (what ever you may think that is), let me be. Stop trying to rescue me. I don't want to be saved.