oooh halo 3...if i got together, in one gigantic rhetorical room, all of the people who are excited about halo 3 coming out on tuesday, it would be millions of gamers.
mi-lli-ons.
the gender composition of that room, however, would be overwhelmingly male.
how intriguing.
i play halo online with my brother, and accordingly, i rarely get matched up with other women. when i do, it's this little victory for us! we acknowledge each other, we virtually wink at each other: like it's a party we've adeptly crashed with skills other than sex appeal and we're crafty for doing this.
additionally, the men are usually angry when a female beats them at a game, as though a woman winning somehow violates something sacred, something uniquely male.
is gaming uniquely male? obviously not, since women do play. but it is mostly a male past-time. why is this?
boys, why is this? what is it about gaming that you like? why don't you like it, ladies? or, why do you?
another interesting thing is the overuse of the fa-word: that obscene, unnecessary slur for homosexuality. i won't waste your time by saying it because you hear it enough, even if it's one time. this is meant as a subversion of another's masculinity, as an attempt to dominate another, to break down another, and i think it's really crude. but i hear it all the time.
what is going on with that?
in my opinion, this is an example of how closely males are expected to police each other's masculinity. it's like: don't you dare let each other slip into something other than your very stiff gender constructs!
as marginalized as women still are, (lack of equal pay, for example), we can get away with a wider range of emotions. though, we're usually called 'hysterical' or 'weak' for it, we can get away with it and from woman to woman, we see it as normal, and actually, as an advantage. being socially aware and adept is VERY useful. but i digress.
so, is gaming just another place to reify and police and define and redefine masculinity?
hmm, is that the sound of most boys *shushing* me as their eyes glaze over as they stare at the screen and tap their codes that make them win...? am i just interrupting their games or could i be on to something?
what i'm saying is this: it's okay, guys. it's okay. you can totally cry when i beat you at a game.* ;)
but i could do without the fa- word.
unless you're talking about this:
or you're british, and you're talking about these:
*seriously, lots of gender constructs are oppressing and you have my permission to make up your own!
Beautiful Son by Cave-In
