Gamerisms

Nerds and Male Privilege

This great article from Kotaku, (that’s right, Kotaku) functions as a kind of introductory lesson to its mostly male readers about male privilege in the gaming world, breaking it down piece-by-piece for the men who have ever refused or ignored talks of male privilege in gaming culture. Now, many of us gamers who already understand the ramifications of a cis-straight-male-dominated gaming and geek culture will not be surprised at all by the writer’s words. However, this 101 on male privilege features important and vital information for those gamers who have lived their lives as geeks blissfully unaware, or defiantly ignorant, of the privilege that they hold within gaming, and how that privilege manifests in all areas of their lives.

Now with this in mind, consider why being a girl first may be a hindrance to geek girls. A guy who plays a first person shooter – Call of Duty, Halo, Battlefield, what-have-you – online may expect a certain amount of trash talking, but he’s not going to be inundated with offers for sex, threats of rape, sounds of simulated masturbation or demands that he blow the other players – but not before going to the kitchen and getting them a beer/sandwich/pizza first. Men will also not be told that they’re being “too sensitive” or that “they need to toughen up” when they complain about said sexual threats.

Men also won’t have their opinions weighed or dismissed solely on the basis of how sexy or attractive they are. The most common responses a woman can expect in an argument – especially online – is that she’s fat, ugly, single, jealous, a whore, or a lesbian – or any combination thereof – and therefore her opinion is irrelevant, regardless of it’s actual merits. This is especially true if she’s commenting on the portrayal of female characters, whether in comics, video games or movies.

It seems rare when an influential and popular site as Kotaku features an article like this as their top story, and hopefully, more will come.

As usual on Kotaku, whenever there is an article directly relating to critiquing the cis straight male culture, be careful when reading the comments, as although some are indeed supportive of the article, and some feel enlightened, many comments are men defending the culture and upholding the status quo of the straight male gaze.