I was just tagged in a post on Facebook, where I was basically asked about my opinion on the [Nintendo Girls Club], because apparently it created some issues with girls (and guys) from allover the world and how it is “sexist”.
Here’s what I have to say about it:
You know how they’d ACTUALLY catch chicks that play games?
By NOT calling it “Girl’s Club” and instead just treating us like all the others. You know, like one of the bros! We don’t need anything secluded.
Other’n that…I don’t care about the club (since I won’t use it), because I am like “whatevs”. Companies don’t need to do anything for me personally to enjoy gaming more. Simple and short. o_ob
# In More Depth #
Okay, okay. I do have more thoughts if you’re interested.
For example, I don’t think they should use “mascots” like Peach. I don’t even LIKE Peach, mostly because she is the stereotypical “Damsel In Distress” that always needs saving. Not a good role-model and thus not a good character to represent their idea.
If they want to go badass, they should take chicks like *Bayonetta* (Yes, yes. I know she is overly sexualized…I still love her a lot, because she doesn’t take shit from anybody DESPITE being hot!) or maybe even *Lara Croft*. Don’t give us “role models” that can’t even defend themselves and always just get into troubles!
If you would like to keep it more neutral, you can also always go with girls from games such as *Ittle Dew* or *Beyond Good And Evil*. Girl’s stuff doesn’t HAVE to be pink and purple all the time, you know (as much as those are two of my favorite colors)!
# Nintendo Girls Club Contents #
I checked [their videos] and I honestly am not sure what age-range they’re going for here, but I feel as if they’re almost over-explaining things (e.g. the “Unboxing Video”), which makes me wonder if they somehow think that chicks need more explanation or if it’s just kinda the personality of the hosts they picked. I can’t say either way, but in case they really ARE going for “more explanation”…it’s not needed. I don’t know about any other gals, but I never had any issues figuring out things by myself even without manuals and stuff. It just gives a feel of “We’re trying to get girls into gaming that had no interest in it before”, but if they didn’t, I’d assume they had a good reason to not be into it and then not even over-explaining things will make them like it. You know what I mean?
Also…what are they doing with the trailers, anyway?
Will they literally upload any new trailer on that channel? I somehow doubt that (especially from the looks so far), which means they already PRE-SELECT trailers for “us”. I personally never like that, because I WANT to see games like for example Battlefield (I know, nothing to do with Nintendo, but just go with me here for a sec) or something that would be considered more “guy-ish” like a racing title of some sort. And in my opinion THAT is where they become – not necessarily sexist – but at least TOO STEREOTYPICAL.
# The True Sexism In The Gaming World #
Being a female myself, I have definitely experienced times where I WAS treated like *Peach* and some of her fellow gals get treated in every other videogame title. Boys who apparently thought it was okay to be that way coming up and asking for intimate pictures or just treating you like they did with women in early centuries (“Go make me a sandwich. What are you even doing outside of the kitchen?”). Isn’t that pretty much how these “Damsel In Distress” characters are treated? Hell, *Bowser* seems to randomly go kidnap *Peach* all the time and it’s not just limited to the *Super Mario* series either. There are tons of games like that.
I really don’t wanna make this about extremes and be farfetched here or anything, but I feel like by making this distinction between genders in gaming (or also movies and everywhere) you kinda also make stuff like THIS happen easier. If girls were instead included in the “boys’ titles” and would learn to kick their asses too (which is definitely possible!), no chick would even take any of those sexist slurs against them. Hell, they’d dish back and if you have a sister, female friend or even daughter I have a feeling you’d want her to be able to defend herself and not just have her sitting there, waiting for the “male hero” to restore her honor.
# Equality #
Girls should be able to get access to the same resources as guys and they should be encouraged to not just build bakeries or shopping malls with their legos, but also mechanical shops or other things. Because what are you actually teaching a girl by excluding all that “guy stuff”?
She’s most-likely gonna grow up to be like *Peach*, where she almost expects to be saved by some dude as opposed to kicking ass herself.
I was personally raised more a boy than a girl, mostly because I had 2 younger brothers and also 3 younger cousins around me at all times (all of them being boys) and I feel like it just gave me so much more opportunity to build up skills outside of my “gender role”, which was good in the end because I can literally compete and keep up with guys and girls alike. It’s just more fun like that and I don’t have to sit here and feel excluded or different, just based on something random such as “gender”.
I think we should take that route with our siblings, kids, friends or whatever more often and give everybody equal setups. It would be such a wonderful opportunity to grow and learn as a species and then you wouldn’t need anything silly like a “Girl’s Club” for games or anything else anymore either. After all, I don’t think anybody wants girls to be(come) this:
There go my 2 cents. Feel free to leave any thoughts you might have. I am curious. =3
See also [Slim’s Article] for some good points on this topic.
