This one's for the girls.

[ryuutchi]

Now...my question to you is, why is it okay for guys to be into games, but when we get into them, or publicly show our love/interest/what have you of video games, other girls avoid us like we are carrying some kind of contagious disease? Is there any good reason why we should be ashamed or hide the fact we play games?

Because being smart means that ~boy won't like us~. And as we all know, women aren't allowed to have any interests that don't revolve around how much the menfolk want to tap that.

Lots of women sadly buy into that stupid patriarchal construction because it means that socially they're rewarded by not having THEIR interests ostracized. (minor benefits for the oppressed class that rely on them buying into letting themselves get oppressed. Hooray.)

 

[Ladette]

Because a lot of people are stuck in an archaic view of society where everyone plays their "traditional" roles. Guys play video games and drink beer, girls gossip and sip white wine while talking about Oprah's book of the month.
(no offense to woman who gossip or sip white wine, although Oprah book clubs are evil )

Personally I tell those people to get bent while continuing to play Fire Emblem on my GameBoy SP. Don't let other people push you into being something you're not, be the person you want to be.

 

[Bohemian Waltz]

Now...my question to you is, why is it okay for guys to be into games, but when we get into them, or publicly show our love/interest/what have you of video games, other girls avoid us like we are carrying some kind of contagious disease?

Sociology. Gender roles can be a *****. It's the same reason that men who behave in a manner or enjoy things that would be considered effeminate and thus ostracized for not fulfilling their expected gender role. (i.e. ballet, figure skating, musical theater).

Is there any good reason why we should be ashamed or hide the fact we play games?

The decent reason hide it would be to feign conformity in an attempt to avoid ostracization if you find it necessary, but there's not legitimate reason to be ashamed.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

At the end of the day its always going to seem weird to other people when they see a female gamer

NO.

NO, NO, NO.

The only reason female gamers get even the slightest bit of slack, is because they rise themselves up on rediculously high pedastools and say LOOK AT ME I'M A FEMALE PLAYING GAMES, HOW ODD IS THAT??!

It is not weird. Everyone watches movies, everyone reads books - everyone plays games. There is little to no public wiplash from "a woman playing a game - oh the horror!" - it is all a self-induced fabrication, somehow trying to "stand out," or maybe just because it's genuinely believed that... what, people are judging them funny cos they're girl gamers? But no-one does that. No-one sane anyway. It's the same problems of homosexuals, saying WE HAVE TO BE EQUAL LOOK AT US WE'RE GAYS!! - yeah? I'm gay too. But I ain't demeaning the equality you strive for by waving the flag quite so proudly. There are no straight pride parades...

In conclusion. This is the 21st century. No-one cares a girl happens to be a gamer - and so, the girl gamers should care least of all.

 

[ryuutchi]

It's the same problems of homosexuals, saying WE HAVE TO BE EQUAL LOOK AT US WE'RE GAYS!! - yeah? I'm gay too. But I ain't demeaning the equality you strive for by waving the flag quite so proudly. There are no straight pride parades...

In conclusion. This is the 21st century. No-one cares a girl happens to be a gamer - and so, the girl gamers should care least of all.

Except that as evidenced by this thread and about five thousand others-- people clearly do still care, and women who play games are still treated differently than men who play games. And not just "when they put themselves out there".

Also, did you seriously just make a point about gay pride? You realize Gay Pride Parades come out of a history that involves people getting beaten up for being out, right? There can be Straight Pride Parades when heterosexuals get regularly beaten, killed, denied housing or work because they like to touch the bits of the opposite gender, dude.

Much like that, the "phenomenon" of women making it clear that they are women and they are playing games comes out of a history of being told that we don't exist, or if we do we should go back into the kitchen and make sandwiches. The best way to desensitize the mainstream to something is to discuss it. Put it out there. Prove that, yes, this does exist, no, it's not going away, and there is a community that refuses to be shamed for liking something they're being told not to enjoy because they have the wrong bits.

Because a lot of people are stuck in an archaic view of society where everyone plays their "traditional" roles. Guys play video games and drink beer, girls gossip and sip white wine while talking about Oprah's book of the month.
(no offense to woman who gossip or sip white wine, although Oprah book clubs are evil )

My dad loves Oprah and The View. He hasn't joined a book club yet, but he just retired and I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time.

 

[ShogunGino]

Anything that I have to say is OT is basically going to re-iterate what many have already said, I do wish it was a mindset that I learned a while ago.(I'm a guy.)

I got my copy of Pokemon Blue right after my cousin gave his old original Game Boy. I played the crap out of it. I started watching the dub of the anime, collected every single card of the first series trading card game release, and I was really getting into the whole thing. Sadly, I never progressed past playing Gold and Silver because of all the torment I went through at school once many others found out that I liked it. I just gave up because I was a pretty sensitive kid and, other than my close friends, pretty much everyone else enjoyed being jackasses to us because of our enjoyment of it. Even in high school, the people I hung out with enjoyed playing Magic the Gathering(something I never got into) and still some people enjoyed coming up to us and taunting us saying we were playing Pokemon, calling it baby's toys.

Fast forward to my senior year when Diamond and Pearl came out near the end of the year. Since it was a more relaxed time, our English teacher(who was awesome) allowed us to play our DS's during down time, and here I see some guys start playing Diamond and Pearl with some of the "popular" girls having a good time watching over their shoulders. They guys in question were the exact opposite of who I would have expected to play pokemon, given their personalities were akin to those who were popular and would love to mock me and my friends. Ditto the girls who were generally of the type that used to reprimand if not taunt me. I fought the urge to give them the finger while I kept working.

I regret now that I let myself be swayed from something I quite enjoyed because others thought that I was being childish, and made efforts to make me feel bad over it. I know its different that being seen as unfeminine, but I think the parallels are obvious. So yeah, disregard what they say when treat you as deviant because of what you like to play. They're people who really need to learn to get over it.

 

[Ladette]

Because a lot of people are stuck in an archaic view of society where everyone plays their "traditional" roles. Guys play video games and drink beer, girls gossip and sip white wine while talking about Oprah's book of the month.
(no offense to woman who gossip or sip white wine, although Oprah book clubs are evil )

My dad loves Oprah and The View. He hasn't joined a book club yet, but he just retired and I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time.

I only think they're evil because Oprah reminds me of the Anti Christ, and because she could use her legion of followers to stage an uprising and overthrow America.

Spoiler

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

It's the same problems of homosexuals, saying WE HAVE TO BE EQUAL LOOK AT US WE'RE GAYS!! - yeah? I'm gay too. But I ain't demeaning the equality you strive for by waving the flag quite so proudly. There are no straight pride parades...

In conclusion. This is the 21st century. No-one cares a girl happens to be a gamer - and so, the girl gamers should care least of all.

Except that as evidenced by this thread and about five thousand others-- people clearly do still care, and women who play games are still treated differently than men who play games. And not just "when they put themselves out there".

Also, did you seriously just make a point about gay pride? You realize Gay Pride Parades come out of a history that involves people getting beaten up for being out, right? There can be Straight Pride Parades when heterosexuals get regularly beaten, killed, denied housing or work because they like to touch the bits of the opposite gender, dude.

Much like that, the "phenomenon" of women making it clear that they are women and they are playing games comes out of a history of being told that we don't exist, or if we do we should go back into the kitchen and make sandwiches. The best way to desensitize the mainstream to something is to discuss it. Put it out there. Prove that, yes, this does exist, no, it's not going away, and there is a community that refuses to be shamed for liking something they're being told not to enjoy because they have the wrong bits.

My point is, "equality" is all but diminished once the ones who wish for equality start standing on their pedastools. I'm not saying let people continue being rude and unfair, of course not - but taking the moral high ground involves brushing it off every once in a while, instead of outright throwing it to the ground and stomping all over it.

And yes, I did make that point about gay pride parades. GAYS EXIST, that's great, but sometimes I think the people making the point need to get over it before anyone on the opposing end can.

I meant no hostility, I just think when propped up too high it damages causes, not the other way around. Inflated egos are bad things to be carrying around, s'all.

 

[Colour Scientist]

I don't think I've ever been avoided because of it, granted there're some girls where I know not to bring it up but that works the same for some boys.

Most girls I know wouldn't get weirded out by it, they probably wouldn't want to listen to me talk about it for hours but that can apply to any topic.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Except that as evidenced by this thread and about five thousand others-- people clearly do still care, and women who play games are still treated differently than men who play games. And not just "when they put themselves out there".

Also, did you seriously just make a point about gay pride? You realize Gay Pride Parades come out of a history that involves people getting beaten up for being out, right? There can be Straight Pride Parades when heterosexuals get regularly beaten, killed, denied housing or work because they like to touch the bits of the opposite gender, dude.

Much like that, the "phenomenon" of women making it clear that they are women and they are playing games comes out of a history of being told that we don't exist, or if we do we should go back into the kitchen and make sandwiches. The best way to desensitize the mainstream to something is to discuss it. Put it out there. Prove that, yes, this does exist, no, it's not going away, and there is a community that refuses to be shamed for liking something they're being told not to enjoy because they have the wrong bits.

Exactly. People don't call for equality and remind people they exist for the sole purpose of annoying others, it's because they're not treated equally by people who want to deny their existence.

 

[SarcasminBloom]

It's all stereotypes I think. Guys freak out when they think of girls killing Covenant or innocent civilians in GTA. It's just something they need to get over.

That, and also assuming every girl gamer is fat. God knows how many times I've heard that one, *rolls eyes*

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

Is there any good reason why we should be ashamed or hide the fact we play games?

I'll sum up everything in one word: "No."


You don't have to feel ashamed because there is nothing to be ashamed of for playing a video game. That Call of Duty box around the video game does not say, "For manly men only", nor does it say, "Men only, women need not apply." Video games are for whoever wants to pick up the game and play it. So pick up that game or handheld and play it until it breaks, then buy another one and use the broken one responsibly - by cramming it down the throat of whoever says otherwise. Enjoy!

 

[Stasisesque]

I direct this question at my fellow female gamers out there. While at work I was playing my PSP, now I struggle already with social situations but I like to think I try. Anyways, one of my co-workers commented that girls really don't play games much (she was also female if it matters) which made me really embarrassed and actually ashamed of my title as a girl gamer. I also spoke briefly with a few of the boys there about other games, mostly shooters.

Now...my question to you is, why is it okay for guys to be into games, but when we get into them, or publicly show our love/interest/what have you of video games, other girls avoid us like we are carrying some kind of contagious disease? Is there any good reason why we should be ashamed or hide the fact we play games?

Do you panic and start crying when you eat a Yorkie too?

 

[The Man With the Soap]

I direct this question at my fellow female gamers out there. While at work I was playing my PSP, now I struggle already with social situations but I like to think I try. Anyways, one of my co-workers commented that girls really don't play games much (she was also female if it matters) which made me really embarrassed and actually ashamed of my title as a girl gamer. I also spoke briefly with a few of the boys there about other games, mostly shooters.

Now...my question to you is, why is it okay for guys to be into games, but when we get into them, or publicly show our love/interest/what have you of video games, other girls avoid us like we are carrying some kind of contagious disease? Is there any good reason why we should be ashamed or hide the fact we play games?

There is never any reason to be ashamed of anything you do that you enjoy. The best way to gain acceptance from non-gamers is to have other interests besides gaming. I love my games, but I love many other things equally.

 

[DSK-]

Your own reaction is part of the problem. Why should you have felt ashamed? You were doing something you enjoyed, and let some random comment make you feel bad about it. If you don't think gaming is worthwhile enough to feel ok about doing it, why should anyone else think it's acceptable?

Definitely this. You shouldn't feel ashamed of doing something you enjoy. Just ignore what other people think of what you do. What really matters is what you think and feel

I will admit in the past I was surprised to find out that some girls I knew were gamers, but getting to know the fine people on the #escapist I'm past that, and I happily enjoy talking about games with everyone regardless of sex

I think it's just because of a lack of exposure to such things that surprises people. Don't worry about it.

 

[Souplex]

Haters gonna hate.
Play your games and don't bother with people who resent you for it.
CAPTCHA: Press. eloart

 

[kortin]

Maybe I'm just not understanding, but why does it matter to be called 'girl gamers'? You are a girl and you are a gamer. It just seems like a specification to me. I've heard many girls refer to guys as 'guy gamers' (albeit not at often as guys use girl gamer). I'm just curious is all, if someone could explain the problem with the 'girl gamer' title I would be grateful.

 

[Illesdan]

I direct this question at my fellow female gamers out there. While at work I was playing my PSP, now I struggle already with social situations but I like to think I try. Anyways, one of my co-workers commented that girls really don't play games much (she was also female if it matters) which made me really embarrassed and actually ashamed of my title as a girl gamer. I also spoke briefly with a few of the boys there about other games, mostly shooters.

Honestly, I rarely ever have anything to say to my female co-workers. Its not because I think I'm better than them; it just because I know they don't play MMOs or console games, they don't draw, write, or read comic books, they don't surf the internet for fun, stupid stuff, they don't have even close to the same tastes in music I do. So, for all intents and purposes, I might as well be a guy as far as their concerned.

Sounds to me like your co-worker just doesn't know how to have fun.

 

[Shoqiyqa]

Now...my question to you is, why is it okay for guys to be into games, but when we get into them, or publicly show our love/interest/what have you of video games, other girls avoid us like we are carrying some kind of contagious disease? Is there any good reason why we should be ashamed or hide the fact we play games?

It isn't, and no.

Also:

Note the anger cloud: