There are several things I'd like to clear up about girl gamers today. First off, girl gamers are either thought to not exist, or are all ugly, fat, and geeky-looking. Let me set the record straight on both.
If girl gamers didn't exist then why do they make controllers like the one above? It's pink with skulls. Do boys want a pink skull controller? I'm not about to say no boys would want that, but most of them are not about to buy this. And then there are the stereotypes that really piss me off. How come all girl gamers have to be, without a doubt, ugly, fat, or geeky?
Now I won't deny the fact that I am a fully-fledged geek. But just by looking at me, one would never know. Of course once you get me talking you'll see how much of a geek I am. As for the fat and ugly statement, I highly resent that. Even if I was a bigger girl, how dare you say that I'm fat or ugly. If a girl feels beautiful, then screw off. And I have met PLENTY of girls who are skinny and pretty, at least in my book. Who are you boys to judge? Just because I'm a girl and I'm pretty I can't actually play a video game?
Furthermore I'd like to address some comments that came up after my
Video Games in Lingerie post. I had many people essentially accuse me of being a poser - that I was one of those girls who simply say I'm a gamer to impress the guys.
*Ahem.* Though I don't deny the fact that there are girls who actually do this, I am NOT one of them. Gaming has been something that I grew up with. I grew up with two older brothers so video games were not something I could escape. I grew up watching my brothers play sports games, Mario, Zelda, etc. My first video games were Rabbit Rampage and The Lion King. I, too, played each and every Super Mario. And this was all before and during my Kindergarten - 2nd grade years.
Ask any girl gamers and many will most likely have a similar story. We simply followed our brothers, slowly learning about the games we actually liked. I eventually moved on to Pokemon, the Final Fantasy series, and other RPGs. I spend tons of money on video games per year. I own a PS3, a Wii, a Nintendo DS, and soon will own a PSP. I've borrowed my boyfriend's Xbox360 for months at a time so I could play specific games. Hell, I forced him to buy Banjo Kazooie just so I could play at his apartment.
When it comes to me looking for attention, believe me, I do not say I am a gamer. I actually keep it very hush hush, that is until my boyfriend usually opens his big mouth. I'm not looking for attention by playing video games. Us girl gamers are playing video games for the love of the game. But because of this thought that we are seeking attention we can't even tell people we game because we get shitted on, or boys will instantly follow us around like lost puppies. Girls: don't hate us because we game and that makes guys think we are cool! Boys: don't like us just because we game!
It's a vicious cycle for girl gamers and it has to stop. As I said in my
Miss Xanga America Round 1 post: I'm here to diffuse these stereotypes and the bad rep. And I'm starting it now with a pic of me.
So if you're a girl gamer shout it out, post a pic, do whatever. Let's turns all these thoughts upside down. Boys, please support us, and remember, don't like just because we are girl gamers. Look to us as simply gamers.
What is your impression of female gamers?
Gamers in general - not just female gamers - have a public image that is completely unflattering. Ask anybody. I don't know why you have to further victimize yourself by constantly talking about how you hate how female gamers are thought of as ugly and fat. Is it some newfangled neo-feminist trend that I haven't picked up on? I, for one, never really thought of female gamers as fat and ugly, so I guess I'm just an outlier in your worldview.
And I never understood why so-called empowered female gamers such as yourself get so bent out of shape that guys like the fact that they're gamers as well. God forbid you have common interests!
Comments (65)
Dear Mancouch: "You say you aren't a poser but then talk about how you just followed your brothers and became a gamer out of environment. Seriously. I don't get it."
Can someone explain to me how being affected by the environment you were in as a kid makes you a poser? My younger sister is now a musician, like me, and she started band because she was influenced by going to my concerts, so does that make her a poser?
Stupid argument.
I am so tired of the girl gamer argument. Both from the men and from the women. Yes, there are girl gamers. Guys, we exist. Girls, why are you still flaunting the fact? It's like guys going around saying "I'm a gamer, guys," enjoying the praise and attention it gets them while simultaneously bitching about it.
Basically, thank you, Mancouch.I don't even care...take your skills online and let it do the talking. If you don't want guys to think girl gamers are ugly then make yourself an exception. Just let everything fall into place. You don't have to flaunt that your one of them sexy gamers missy.! =P One person can make all the difference in the world..
@needmoreink@xanga - I wholeheartedly agree. My older brother had a great influence on me growing up; like him, I also became a musician and got into certain video games, and I genuinely enjoy doing those things.
To Mancouch: The poster EXPLICITLY said about the controller, "I'm not about to say no boys would want that, but most of them are not
about to buy this." That means she recognizes that SOME boys may want this, but certainly not a lot of them. So your comment about males and females wanting to buy the controller is not discrediting anything she said.
"And I never understood why so-called empowered female gamers
such as yourself get so bent out of shape that guys like the fact that
they're gamers as well. God forbid you have common interests!"
This makes no sense either. She said "Don't like us just because we game" which means don't automatically assume girl gamers are 100% awesome and automatically better than girls that don't game. She never condemned anyone for having similar interests. Seems to me that this post was heavily misinterpreted, or you just didn't bother reading carefully enough.
Jeesus, the Xanga -ishs are just becoming rehashed and retold entries from different -ishs.
You do realize that ALL gamers are seen as fat, ugly, and having no life. It's the stereotype; albeit, not a very accurate one. Congratulations on being welcomed into our world.
@KasumiCelesta@xanga - Thank you!
@Wait_by_Moonlight@xanga - God, yes.
Some girls just love the attention they receive when men find out they're into video games. Especially those girls who find themselves attractive. Conceited and self-centered post is conceited and self-centered. I find posts like this one annoying. It screams "look at me" and as Mancouch said the poster victimizes herself.
@KasumiCelesta@xanga - The point is the poster executed this entire idea poorly. Very poorly. And to me it appears like she is striving to get people to agree with her, not to just get a point across.
I agree that she doesn't need to flaunt her stuff. I've gone to her page before and saw that besides having a username that identifies her as a "sexy gamer girl" she joined several gaming groups and frequently posts about gaming. Is this self-validation? I hope not. I'm not saying she has to be more modest, although that would make things less annoying [my opinion, of course].
Games are a big part of my life as well. I dismiss the female gamer stereotypes and if anything show others that gaming is expanding into the world of the double-X chromosome naturally, by chance. Other girls are doing this without knowing. The world is changing in that games are not just perceived as 90% for men [so to speak].
Simply put, constantly exploiting yourself to others to make a point isn't the way to do it.
Some people are way too prideful.
@AdiOpERsOcoM@xanga - For the record my blog is a video game blog. Hence the name. I don't blog about anything else because its supposed to be about gaming.
Now let me clear something up. Guys really don't give a shit. You play video games? Fuckin' sweet. You don't? Oh well, you're like most of the girls we know; no harm, no foul.
Then why do we talk so much shit on forums or on the mic about and to female gamers? Because we can. Because you have a vagina and they're fun things to talk about. Because when all you hear are male voices in your ear for 99% of your online gaming experience, it's new to hear a chick.
Now on a serious note, anyone above the age of 16 is mature enough to realize that ragging on a gamer just because she has lady bits is dumb and not to mention incredibly uncreative. Frankly, I never got why guys would fuck with girls on Live, I dig hearing a chicks voice come into my earpiece, I dig it even more when her K/D ratio is better than mine. I've teamed up with girls before, I really don't give a shit and most guys, in general, don't. However, as with most things like this, it is the ignorant minority who always happens to be the loudest.
Seriously though, congratu-fucking-lations, you're not ass-ugly and you participate in one of the largest entertainment industries in the world. Good for you. Let's group you in with the rest of the majority and move on, ok? Also, I'm a gigantic science nerd. It too, is a large part of my life. As in, microbiology is going to be my life's work if all goes well. Yet, I don't feel the need to go around telling everyone "OMG, SEE! Not all science nerds are ugly, socially awkward, acne trauma cases!" because that would be fucking obnoxious. I find it's better to just let people find out normally, in a casual way, instead of this soapbox rhetoric.
@mcmeister89 - Agreed
Wait... so there are girls who like video games? First you're allowed to vote, and now this? Good joke, guys.
....ah, sexist humor, it shall be my downfall.
@mcmeister89 - Lol
@needmoreink@xanga - i agree.
Shit...I'm ugly and fat?(Maybe one...but both!?)
And my boy friend is ugly and fat?
Noooooo damn these apparently evident stereo types of gaming.
Actually, who really cares. When I gots my mike on (yes...on mute <.<;), the only thing that makes me think the person I'm playing with is a total "typical house confined fat loser who has no life" is when a player start trash talking and putting other players down and thinks they're all that. When that's done, then you, guy or girl...become the fat,ugly and pathetic piece of poop in mai hed /:O
I have played video games, but I have such a short attention span, and I suck so bad at every single game, so I usually play by myself, because I'm embarrassed. :/ I'm pretty good at scrabble though. I try to get by on good looks and sarcasm alone. :P Anyway, good for you.
@mcmeister89 - Right on.
@SexyGamerGirl@xanga - Point taken. The latter point of my comment still stands.
Sorry for posting a lot, but relevant: http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/2881/girlgamers.jpg Source: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9008695&publicUserId=5723262
OKAY THATS ENOUGH WHINEY BULLSHIT, MY XANGANS.
I have some things to say about all of the bullshit comments left on this entry. First of all, if you dont like what is being said then move the fuck on and stop reading. There is NO need to basically bash SexyGamerGirl for expressing her feelings. Dont we all do that on here?
I have read these comments, especially the Editor's note and am appalled. Editor, if you felt the need to tear down someone who submitted a post, then why not message them instead of having their blog accepted and berating on a public forum?
I can tell you, because I happen to be friends with SexyGamerGirl, that she set up this blog on xanga as a GAMING BLOG. She said to herself, "I want to start blogging, why not blog about something I love?" The entire process of starting her blogs and continuing them, not to mention in daily life conversations with people off-line, has been a struggle to be taken seriously as a gamer. I cant tell you how many times I, myself, have heard people say to her, "You're a gamer? But you have a life." or "But you're pretty," or "But you're not fat." She is trying to establish herself as a serious gamer and much of the responses she has gotten have been geared towards the stereotype featured in this blog. Enough is enough. Isnt blogging supposed to be about freedom of expression? Isnt it an outlet for what has been bothering us? Dont you think that this issue she is talking about with this much passion comes from emmense frustration over messages and comments she receives?
AS A SEXY GAMER GIRL, WHICH SHE IS, IF SHE WANTED ATTENTION WOULDN'T SHE JUST POST NAKED OR HALF-NAKED PICTURES OF HERSELF HOLDING A CONTROLLER?
I'd also like to see ANY of you go toe-to-toe with her in any game. I think it's despicable and deplorable that so many of you have not sympathized with her plight but have in fact come down on her. Shame on you.
You can all fight with me if you'd like because of this comment if it doesnt open your eyes, but you will be disappointed. I have said what needed to be said in defense of a great gamer, a terrific friend and the biggest sweetheart I know. If you all dont like what I've said then you can all suck my nonexistant nongamer dick.
Have a nice day. =)
How does being infulenced by her older brothers make her a poser? I guess all rock bands influenced by their prior generation must be posers too because they weren't born with the idea to play music (that is not to say that some people aren't born with a natural ability towards music).
In response to those who feel this subject matter has been dicussed and rehashed over an over again.....WHY COMMENT? You are no better than those who want to censor content in the media because you can't just "change the channel." So its been done before...what hasnt? I can sit here and argue the same point about you....you are the stereotypical - pompous "blogger" who is Sooooo annoyed that you just have to comment LIKE EVERY OTHER PERSON ABOUT THE REDUNDANCY OF WHAT YOU ARE COMMENTING ON. If something annoys me, i walk away from it. You act as though the sight of this blog has ruined your day....I mean come on...do you really have so much time in the day that you can go around and bash other people's ideas and opinions instead of focusing on your own?
I've never been a gamer. My older and younger brothers loved them...esp the older. Two of my best friends are gammers....the "stereotypical" kind too...but I love them and don't look down upon them. Gaming is something they do because the love it and I know they jump on any chance they get to talk about it and their feelings on it. Wouldn't you want to express your feelings about something you love? I know I do. I also know that I have enough security in my own feelings and life to not really care if someone else's beliefs are not that of my own. Live an let live - in so far as long as you don't do harm to others.
TO THE EDITOR: Since when did your upaid job go from correcting mundane technical issues like spelling and grammer....as well as checking for overall conhesiveness, to expressing your own opinion and judging what's good or bad; right or wrong?
Soulwound2066
Lololol at the drama on hurrrrr.
This is stupid. We're on MANcouch. What about mancouch screams "we should get really deep in an argument about the fine details and stereotypes of female gamers?" Why do we even care? No self respecting man would ever get in this argument with another man, so let's get this crap out of here.
Respectfully,
Josh D.
It's actually online multi-players like Counter Strike where I get shit for being a girl. However, I don't really feel empowered by posting a picture and saying "ooh look at me, I'm not ugly fat and nerdy" Who cares? Fat ugly guys play, so do fat ugly girls.. It doesn't matter. That's like posting a youtube video of me driving saying "all women.. record yourself driving and shooow everyone that you're not a shitty driver!"
Btw, why is "gaming" such a loosely used word these days? People use it like it's a status or it's something cool. "I'm a gamer" WOWOWOW? Okay. Just fucking play hard and have fun. Isn't that what it's about?
i just wanna say something random..roar sauce...dont matter what ur gender is..just stfu and play.
95% of gamers are ALL guys...
The other 5%... also guys. The end.
J/K!