Poll: Are "Gamer Girls" shooting themselves in the foot?

[DividedUnity]

Now firstly I am not talking about girls who play games. A girl who plays games is a Gamer, which some people don't seem to get. "A Gamer Girl" or "Girl Gamer" as I'm sure a few of you know is a female gamer who seperates themselves from the gender-neutrallity that the anonymity of the internet and online gaming offers by advertising their gender. Despite the fact that no men seem to do this (well some do but it is a dig at girl gamers [footnote]http://steamcommunity.com/groups/menwhoplaygames[/footnote]) it continues to become more common. Now The real point of this post is to ask you this question. Have female gamers not been complaining and demanding change for years ever since they realised that gaming is full of sex craved males who will hit on them once they become aware of their gender? Yet this problem can be and often is solved by just resulting to the gender neutrallity which the internet offers. If you make a gamertag or profile called "Gravyandbiscuits" as an example no one will know or care what gender you are. Yet "Gamer gurls" do this instead [footnote]http://steamcommunity.com/groups/gorgeousgirlgamers[/footnote] and make a bigger deal out of their gender with common statements like "Don't hit on us you silly boys".I'm sure thats going to solve a problem. The second footnote I posted there was a link to an example of a group I'm talking about. It's not the only one and it's not the worst, just an example.

It's so stupid it hurts. Females campaign for equality in gaming because many of them want to be treated equally but instead alot of them go and create a "Girl's clubhouse" situation. When was the last time male gamers did that? (and not in a joking way. If you have any examples I'll take that statement back but I couldnt find any)

So I ask you this. Are "Gamer gurls" shooting themselves in the foot? By that I mean they want equality but are going about it the wrong way.

(Just my opinions. May not be factual so don't throw a strop if you don't agree)

 

[Gigaguy64]

I think some are.
Iv met so many who say they want to be treated equal and yet call me a Pig when i don't acknowledge that they're Female and deserve some respect.

But i have also met plenty who call themselves Girl Gamers and just....play games.
You know they are a girl but they don't advertise, they just play the games with everyone else and have fun.

I don't think its fair to tell someone to hide their Gender just because of the Idiots in the world but, be prepared to deal with the Idiots if you do.

 

[DividedUnity]

I don't think its fair to tell someone to hide their Gender just because of the Idiots in the world but, be prepared to deal with the Idiots if you do.

Thats the stupidity of it though. The won't hide their gender so they have to deal with the idiots then they complain about the idiots and saying they are being mistreated. If you aren't willing to put up with it then why start it in the first place

 

[MisterShine]

"A Gamer Girl" or "Girl Gamer" as I'm sure a few of you know is a female gamer who seperates themselves from the gender-neutrallity that the anonymity of the internet and online gaming offers by advertising their gender. Despite the fact that no men seem to do this (well some do but it is a dig at girl gamers [footnote]http://steamcommunity.com/groups/menwhoplaygames[/footnote])

I didn't pick my name because I was poking fun at females who advertise their genders. It's just my name.

Yet this problem can be and often is solved by just resulting to the gender neutrallity which the internet offers.

Yeah, I shouldn't mention I'm black either. I tend to hear ****** a lot more that way. This is how we should solve racism! Just don't tell anyone I'm black -.-

It's so stupid it hurts. Females campaign for equality in gaming because many of them want to be treated equally but instead alot of them go and create a "Girl's clubhouse" situation. When was the last time male gamers did that? (and not in a joking way. If you have any examples I'll take that statement back but I couldnt find any)

So I ask you this. Are "Gamer gurls" shooting themselves in the foot? By that I mean they want equality but are going about it the wrong way.

Abso-friggin-lutely not. There is no excuse for acting like a total buffoon, even if the girl is cute or you have the anonymity of the internet to protect your creepy ass. YES girls who tease guys like the above example are kinda assholes, but this should in no way be used to say , as I believe you are here, that that kind of behavior is asking for all female gamers to be treated like shit. There's teasing back to girls who act like that, but guys go wayyyy too far, wayyy too often, just because they can, even if they're not "provoked".

So no. Just no.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

yeah there is alot of lines to be drawn on this issue..

it also depends on what kind of girl she is in person

i know a super feminazi *cough* feminist* cough * who plays and she'll turn into a complete noob to get any kind of item/help from some horny dumbass when she can, but then when its time to be any kind of equal or anything she flips shit and says how sexist guys are, and i end up facepalming about it

but hey most girls who just want to game know this..so they stay the anonymous while the "gamer girls" just make themselves look bad and it'll eventually blow over i think

 

[Gigaguy64]

I don't think its fair to tell someone to hide their Gender just because of the Idiots in the world but, be prepared to deal with the Idiots if you do.

That's the stupidity of it though. They won't hide their gender so they have to deal with the idiots then they complain about the idiots and saying they are being mistreated. If you aren't willing to put up with it then why start it in the first place

Exactly.
I personally think its a grab for attention, good and bad attention.
So i just ignore it.

 

[Dr. wonderful]

I think so.

It like this: They want to be one of tthe guys but they actually force their gender upon us.

it's actually confusing.

 

[Lyri]

It's honestly a double edged sword.

There is nothing wrong with them making a "Girls only" clan to play in & promoting the fact they're females that can play is great.
It gets them like minded people to play with, who doesn't want that?

However, it does open them up to all sorts of crap too but that's just how the online gaming culture is really.

One of the best clans I played in had both male and females in it, there was even a rule about how "Having a Vagina doesn't give you the right to get stuff 24/7" which worked really well.
You came and you acted like everyone else, none of the numerous girls that played cared a damn when someone made a "Get in the kitchen and get me a sammich" joke because they gave as good as they got too.

It mostly depends on how they act to be honest.

 

[BlindMessiah94]

Interesting points, I can't say wether I agree or disagree with you though, as I don't play online very much.

As far as real girls I know in real life who are gamers, most of them are just as annoying as non-gamer girls. They use the fact that they play games to get attention from boys, advertising it blatantly everywhere and thinking they are cooler for it. In reality there is no difference between the cheerleaders getting attention from jocks than there is with the girl gamers getting attention from nerds. It's just another damn popularity contest.

I only know one girl who doesn't advertise she is a girl online. It took her 2 years of playing online with me (back when I used to do it more regularly) before she revealed her gender. I was surprised but it hardly changed the fact that I enjoyed playing with her. Now we are actually really good friends. I think I was able to have more fun with her and forge a lasting relationship with her because she wasn't seeking attention. She just wanted to play games like everyone else. I think more girls should embrace that concept. If any girls think they won't be treated differently after revealing their gender they are sorely mistaken. That's just the way it is. They should pick and choose who they share that info with more carefully.

Revealing you are a girl to a bunch of horny pubescent nerds online and not expecting sexism is a little naive.

 

[SimuLord]

Girl who plays games: Sexy, cool, fun.

Girl who uses her gender to get attention from gamers: No cooler than when any other girl does it. Not sexy.

 

[edthehyena]

You have a good point, but there are many situations where players don't have the option to remain gender-neutral. Any game that uses voice chat (WoW, TF2, etc.) is going to immediately ruin gender-neutrality. Also, groups like the one you linked to aren't necessarily full of girls looking to avoid the male-dominated gaming world. I can see most female gamers I know enjoying a group like that for the occasional counterstrike tournament with the gals. Girls are different when in strictly their own company. Guys are kinda the same way, but the gaming world (some games more than others) is so male-dominated, we tend to take it for granted that we're in our own company. I know I tend to view gamer girls as the type that prefer the company of men and do guy things all the time, so I count them as "one of the guys" mostly when it comes to my behavior. Guys don't need their own club, because we own all the ones not set aside for others.

Besides, girls are right. There are enough guys out there who are jerks and don't know when to quit. Sexual harassment does happen in games, and it makes sense girls would want to be somewhere they know they won't have to deal with it.

 

[Raziel_Likes_Souls]

If they act like retards, yes.
If they act like civilised people like the rest of their gender, no.

 

[Siuki]

Most of the times girls bring unwanted attention to themselves when they separate from being just gamers and apparently become "gamer girls" and discover a whole, maybe not new side of the male gamers she targets with the message. It will give you a certain kind of respect if you've been top on the scoreboard and admit your gender. On the flip side, males admitting gender in places that are dominated by girls will be considered gay(at least in America), so at least girls aren't getting the worst of it. They will get some verbal abuse though.

 

[DividedUnity]

I don't know why people even keep discussing the issue.
Just shut up and let them play games.

Only reason girl gamers is an issue is because people keep talking about it.

Hahaha what!

I have nothing against them people playing games. If you'd bothered to read it you would've seen the issue is girls advertising their gender then complaining when it has negative effects. Take the time to read something before you tell someone to shut up

 

[RUINER ACTUAL]

Some are yes. They are calling too much attention to themselves from people who really don't care. I would say 75% of gamers don't care about gender. The other 25% are retards who abuse internet anonymity. Anyway, it all comes down to the feminist movement, and the fact that some women think that some men think that women can't play video games because they have a vagina, and those women have to make a huge deal about it. People hurt themsevles- they can't just be GAMERS, they have to let people know that they are GIRL gamers, and there's no reason.

Can we all get over ourselves yet? I think these groups are really hurting female gamers, and its bad for the community.

 

[herpaderphurr]

So... may I direct your attention to this comic?

http://imageups.com/files/6/Girl_Gamers_by_FizTheAncient.png

That... pretty much sums up my thoughts. They're annoying as hell.

 

[Marmooset]

So no. Just no.

Well said. (the whole thing, not just the snip.)

OT: I've discovered from this site that the most whiny, sensitive, thin skinned ethnic group is that of white guys. Every perceived inequality or unfair act garners threads with hundreds of irate responses. I thank God we haven't encountered any true injustices - say, loss of land, citizenship, or freedom, or we'd have drowned in our own tears by now.

 

[Blemontea]

im not going to say to much because i don't have a complete understanding to go into detail but for now ill say that any step is some step forward, 70% of the people getting into games nowadays are female, a smaller percent of those women are the ones who play hardcore online games. I personally have seen more women stay in the gender neutral zone than the flip-side so i don't think its a big problem, if more of the gender neutral gamers stand higher than the rest will sort itself out.