Can Duke Nukem Become a Feminist Hero?

[Andy Chalk]

Can Duke Nukem Become a Feminist Hero?

Gearbox President Randy Pitchford says feminist organizations offended by Duke Nukem Forever [http://www.amazon.com/Duke-Nukem-Forever-Balls-Steel-Pc/dp/B002I0HL98/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298411324&sr=8-1] are welcome to use the game and the man to forward the cause of women's rights.

Duke Nukem as feminist icon? Well, no; the Duke's attitudes toward women, after all, are pretty appalling on just about every level. But if women's rights organizations offended by the game can somehow turn Mr. Nukem's bad behavior to their advantage, the big boss at Gearbox [http://www.gearboxsoftware.com/] won't mind in the least.

"I'll tell you what, if some feminist organization that is doing a great job advocating women's rights worldwide, which I think is really important, can get some advantage by using Duke... go for it," Pitchford told Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-02-22-duke-nukem-forever-pitchford-welcomes-feminist-anger]. "How is there a downside for humanity? Go for it. Take it. Use Duke. That would be awesome."

"If anyone can better our world through the use of anything, and if Duke is a tool to help them do that, that's fine," he said. "The people that are entertained... The choices people make are their choices."

Pitchford claimed that Duke isn't actually a bad guy, he's just misunderstood. "His behavior is not misogynistic, he's just hedonistic," he said. He also pointed out that men don't get treated much better in Duke Nukem Forever than the chicks do.

"The downside for the men in Duke's universe is that the aliens have the ability to convert men into pigs. So that's where you get the pig cops and the pigs in the game. That's what happens to the males of the species. The males get converted into pigs and the women just get used as breeding factories to make alien babies," he said. "Are men pigs or not? I don't know. I don't really care. I think people are people. But that's a joke in culture - men are pigs, haha - so you play with that joke."

Duke Nukem Forever comes out on May 3 for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.


Permalink

 

[mad825]

Nobody plays Duke Nukem for moral crap like this, it's all about pure fun.

 

[MasterChief892039]

I don't think anyone can take Duke Nukem seriously enough to use the game in any sort of intellectual discussion about gender roles.

I actually think Duke Nukem games are probably the only healthy way for society to vent it's overwhelming need to objectify women in media - a game so over the top and ridiculous that no one could possibly take it to heart.

 

[Celtic_Kerr]

Duke will do double good. One by killing the bad guys, and 2 by spreading awareness by being himself?

I think Duke Nukem deserves more of my respect now. Needs more bubblegum!

As long as he's being used towards the cause of feminine equality and not feminine superiority if they sit there and say "This is why women should be on top" then I'm kinda against that. The genders should be equal, not one superior to the other

 

[Celtic_Kerr]

Duke will do double good. One by killing the bad guys, and 2 by spreading awareness by being himself?

I think Duke Nukem deserves more of my respect now. Needs more bubblegum!

As long as he's being used towards the cause of feminine equality and not feminine superiority if they sit there and say "This is why women should be on top" then I'm kinda against that. The genders should be equal, not one superior to the other

I agree. I see both genders as equal, and even certain physical differences can be matched I think. :3

Indeed. I do agree

 

[sdafdfhrye3245]

Duke will do double good. One by killing the bad guys, and 2 by spreading awareness by being himself?

I think Duke Nukem deserves more of my respect now. Needs more bubblegum!

nono he needs LESS bubblegum

 

[similar.squirrel]

The character is a work of satire, isn't he? If the game is promoting the message that his behaviour is laughable, outdated and crass, it's promoting feminism.

Sadly, there will always be the kind of moron who takes it as a template for how he should act. But that risk exists in most situations.

 

[Adzma]

Well at least no one (yet anyway) is trying to convince people that playing Duke will turn you into him. I played Duke3D back in the day when I was a little tyke and I turned out completely fine.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm out of bubblegame AND VIDYA GAMEZ TAUGHT ME TO GO KICK ASS IN SUCH A SCENARIO.

 

[Low Key]

People act as if all of these games are ingrained deeply in our everyday lives or something. I really like video games, A LOT, but c'mon. The only people who take it to the next step are LARP'ers, and they typically stick to their own group the same way a person who likes to ski hangs out with other skiers.

So try not to take this shit so seriously. Please.

 

[Catalyst6]

I saw this article linked on Twitter and glanced at the title as I usually do. Then I stopped, thought for a second in disbelief, and scrolled to read it again. H-uh.

It does make sense, in a wopsy kind of way. After all, you have to have something BAD to show what's GOOD, and good old Duke is the best of the bad in that aspect.

 

[Limettycat]

Did Randy Pitchford just persuade a bunch of femmenists to buy the game, or am I missing the point over here?

 

[Sam Doctorman]

so i see that feminist our going to use this game to bad mouth videogames

 

[Booze Zombie]

I always thought Duke was pro-women's rights; he's killing things to save women from alien enslavement almost every ten minutes.

He's just also really into having sex and he loves himself.

 

[Ekonk]

I hate feminists, always trying to "right wrongs" when they honestly have no real idea what the fuck their doing.

I think you have no idea what they're doing.

I mean, okay, you have the extreme feminists who are sexist the other way around, but seriously, normal feminists just want equal rights and chances for women. I don't know about you, but I support that.

 

[srpilha]

really, am I the only one getting the feeling, based on the statements quoted in the article, that Pitchford is an asshole?

'cause he seriously sounds so.

also, please, everyone: basic feminism - http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/

I mean, srsly, reading the comments one wouldn't think this is the same site that had this (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/features/issue/17) as an early issue of its newsletter. Go read it too, btw.