When I read, and re-read this Second Life article not only was I disturbed I was so disturbed I almost didn’t respond this week to the article. I am so angry with the position women take and need to take in a virtual world like this one, according to the creator. As a woman I just think, what woman would even play this game? It’s obvious it’s made by a man- well dog, and for a dog. Even when Daria wanted to find a rabbit, her rabbit had sexual connotations. How disgusting is this? So gross. Just as the introduction of this article points out John Lesters invention is a creative world with no real point. The title should be changed to reality not just knee high boots and six pack abs, but sell sex buy sex it’s that easy. In this paper, we understand gender as being performed through our actions, behaviors, and choices; we do gender.
“But it is a situated doing, carried out in the virtual or real presence of others who are presumed to be oriented in its production... [gender is conceived of] both as an outcome of and a rationale for various social arrangements and as a means of legitimating the one of the most fundamental divisions of society” (West & Zimmerman, 1987, p. 126). Thus, gender is 'achieved, not given' (Eller, 2003, p. 90) within specific social circumstances and power arrangements. Judith Butler (1990) points out that the signs of gender are performed in response to our acceptance of shared discursive constructions. Gendered actions are, according to Butler, not the expression of an “internal core or substance” (p. 85). We might take them as such (which might contribute to their power), but in our understanding they are rather ways of positioning the self within a specific social environment. I see it day to day women struggling with their beauty and what society is beginning to define, and accept as okay. Plastic surgery and new face transplants, I am just scared with games like this, will it become the norm?
This article was disturbing, because it represents a world I do not want to see or hear about in my lifetime.
First of all I don’t want to offend you or anyone for that matter-I am a woman and when I read this article I thought the same thing. The way that women are portrayed is downright offending. On the other hand, I like to see things from a different view also. Of course I don’t agree with how women are degraded in avatar games, but honestly it is a game you can turn off. Or as I posted earlier, turn the tables! The reason why I say this is because I think we as women concentrate too much on how things can be offensive for us. But what if we were the same towards men? Or how about beating the crap out of a guy online for acting in such a way towards females-now that would be nice wouldn’t it? It would be for me. It’s just a question to think about especially when it comes to alternative life games.
ReplyDeleteI was also disturbed and annoyed by how women are portrayed in Second Life. What really got me was the snapshot that was included in the article that showed a very sexualized and demeaning advertisement of a female body. But I do agree with mall7 in that we can turn the tables on the men. We don’t have to let them treat us this way whether it be in real life or through an online game. I do have to say though… that even though it’s a game.. it does not make it alright to demean and portray woman in such a way.
ReplyDeleteHello Coffee Shop girl,
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said. Whenever I hear about these types of games coming out, I get angry and sad at the same time. Society portrays females as something that most women will never be like and many females fall into that and struggle with finding an identity of their own.It is sad that many females fall for that without realizing how much they are enabling these types of things. Can you imagine if a group of women came out with a game where men were degraded and dehumanized? It's not even a possibility. For years and years women have been somehow marginalized and although we see more women advancing and becoming independent, they continue to be portrayed in a particualar way to pleasure and benefit others, not for the woman herself. We need to educate women all over to not fall into that category and to build a strong, aware and confident identity.