Given the community, I thought this might be of interest

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An interesting article about male privilege in nerd-dom on Kotaku.com

I want to tell you a story.

A few years ago, I was dating a girl who was decidedly not nerd curious. She tolerated my geeky interests with a certain bemused air but definitely didn't participate in ‘em… not even setting foot inside a comic store on new comic day. She'd wait outside until I was done… which could be a while, since I was friends with several of the staff.

She came in the store exactly once, after I'd explained that no, it's a pretty friendly place… well lit, spacious, organized and with helpful – and clearly identified – staff members who were willing to bend over backwards to make sure their customers were satisfied.

She was in there for less than 4 minutes before one mouth-breathing troglodyte began alternately staring at her boobs – evidently hoping that x-ray vision could develop spontaneously – and berating her for daring to comment on the skimpy nature of the costumes – in this case, Lady Death and Witchblade. She fled the premises, never to return.

When both the manager and I explained to him in no uncertain terms as to what he did wrong he shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, I was just trying to help you guys! She couldn't understand that chicks can be tough and sexy! Not my fault she's a chauvinist," he said.

And that was when I shot him, your honor.

There's a deal of analysis after that, but I suspect the above might well ring a few bells of experiential recognition.

And for legality, a little objectifying of the sort I enjoy

Comments

[aeka]

Word. Shinta's essay-sized comment *especially* sealed the deal on every point that was brought up in the article by exactly reiterating them. Particularly the parts about derailing and dismissing the bigger problem at hand.

[stubbleupdate]

I like his notion that sexified women in games (like the Arkham examples) are "walking prostitutes") becase a) Are prostitutes not normally known for putting one foot in front of the other? and b) sexualised = available for sex?

I've only read through the first three paragraphs and I've felt compelled to comment already.

What is the rest of the article like?


... chicks already have final fantasy and phone games... "What you're asking for is an end to things that you find offensive. This is ridiculous" ...social gaming will end gaming as we know it...don't like it don't buy it.

Oh dear

[aeka]

Ugh, don't even get me started on his "walking prostitutes" comment which wreaked of misogyny and hate towards sex workers in particular.

For a guy who claims to have "two degrees in liberal arts" and "has researched the topic more than anyone," he's blatantly lacking in self-awareness and he especially missed the point of the article. The article was *specifically* addressing the pervasive nature of white straight male privilege in media such as video games and comics, and how it is particularly damaging to female geeks. He's arguing something completely different by ranting about being excluded as a reader because he didn't fit the "white male" mould, and especially took the whole cake with the "if you don't like it don't buy it" comment.

Yeah...I it suffices to say the article went completely over his head.