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I So Want To See This

Simon Pegg is one of my favorite actors, and Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are two of my favorite movies. So of course I’m excited about another film from the same creative team.

Something That I’ve Wanted To Write About For A While…

…but just haven’t quite gotten around to it. That topic? The dearth of female main characters in video games.

We’ve all heard this excuse, I’m sure: games with female main characters simply do not sell well. I would like to posit that this is bullshit. Silent Hill 3’s main character is a young woman, and it’s considered to be one of the best games in the franchise. The latest Tomb Raider game was released in March to critical acclaim. Even if Parasite Eve isn’t one of Square Enix’s most lucrative properties it still did well enough to warrant a couple of sequels.

I think that the main reason is that game companies are afraid of alienating men, who they still see as their core audience. Even though an increasingly large number of women are getting into gaming. They think that men aren’t going to be able to relate to a female character.

Well, here’s the answer I have to that: why should I, as a woman who happens to game, be expected to relate to male characters?  Because there are male characters (not just in video games, but across all media) that I do relate to, and I’m sure that there are many men out there who are capable of relating to female characters as well. Why can’t our media landscape reflect the gender diversity of the real world?

I don’t think that’s too much to ask for.

Oh, For Fuck’s Sake

Seriously? This is what you’re going with here, Marvel? You do know that female superheroes exist, right? Y’know, considering the fact that you publish stories with them and all. Maybe try putting some of them on a t-shirts that you want to target to women or girls. Just a suggestion. Also, “I Need A Hero?” Bullshit.

I know I post a lot of stuff like this ranting about sexism and all that, but that’s only because it keeps fucking happening.

Is This A Fucking Joke?

No, seriously, this has to be a joke. 

Basically, to elaborate on the above link, a company called the Eurostar group has created a tablet that they are marketing to women called the ePad Femme. It’s for girls because it’s pink! And it comes with things like cooking and yoga apps! Because all women eat that shit up, right?

There is this horrible trend that I’ve been noticing (and I’m sure that a lot of folks notice as well) where marketing firms hold on to the belief that if they want to have something appeal to women, it has to be pink. Remember the whole Bic for Her thing? Where a bunch of people left incredibly sarcastic reviews on the Amazon page? (By the way, I recommend reading the reviews as many of them are hilarious.) This is the same fucking thing. It’s the assumption that women won’t use technology unless it appeals to stereotypes.

Not to mention that the idea of having gender-specific technology is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of in my entire life. Hey, I have a PC, smart phone, PlayStation 2, Wii, and XBox 360. But I obviously shouldn’t have them because they’re not pink, and therefore not for girls!

Here’s the thing: most of the women that I know couldn’t really care less about the color of the computers that they use. Like anybody else, they mostly just care if it works and does what they need for it to do. And I really think that’s true of most people regardless of gender.

Also, I just really don’t like the color pink.

And Now, One Of The Greatest Things You’ll Ever See

Yup. That’s Nichelle Nichols slapping DeForest Kelley and William Shatner on the ass. You’re welcome.

What The Fuck Is This?

So, yeah. Remind me why I buy your products again, Sony?