Friday, July 5, 2013

Drawing A Line In the Sand

Feminist Frequency's Anita Sarkeesian, had a successful Kickstarter campaign for something called Tropes Vs Women in Video Games. The point of this was to create teaching aid/educational videos about common tropes that are... less than progressive, regarding women. Gamer culture being what it is, of course there was a huge outcry of MRA-style pants shitting.
Then the video actually came out. I finally got around to watching it. Well, watching them, because there are two videos, now. And other than a few lame attempts at humor, I really couldn't find anything to consider objectionable. The first two videos are exploring the Damsel In Distress trope. The first video is mostly dedicated to golden age games that use the trope. Bob Chipman AKA MovieBob, AKA Game Overthinker, put it rather well: "That was it? That's what all the controversy was about?"
Enter YouTube skeptic (and apparently gamer) ThunderF00t and his Feminists Vs Facts response. Three videos, so far and I couldn't make it beyond the three minute mark of the first video for all the strawman mouth-shitting, pouring out of someone who portrays himself as a critical thinker.
I think it's time we had a conversation that "feminist" does NOT mean "bull-busting bitch who wants to oppress men." It just doesn't. There may be some radical feminists out there that are crazy she-beasts, in need of putting down, along with all the other extremists, like any other fundamentalist, but feminism ain't what they sold you, on TV.
For years, I've avoided calling myself a feminist, for fear of all the baggage that comes with that word, but after this, we who want to see equality, need to own the word. Being a feminist isn't about what's between your legs - about sex. It isn't about gender. It's about equal rights. And that's a fight we should all be engaged in.
Also, fuck these dickless, MRA pansies.