Oskuro said:
I find it highly suspect when people criticise Miss Sarkeesian based on her methodology (because hey, there are no popular video series out there based solely on the author's opinion, or using flawed methodology), or the perception that the Kickstarter campaign was a "cash grab" (because no frivolous kickstarter campaigns had existed prior or since).
It feels as much of an evasion as the very typical "I don't like her but..." phrase preceding many comments on this very thread.
In my opinion, Miss Sarkeesian has hit the nail on the head, and made a lot of people feel threatened. It's like someone having their secret porn stash discovered: Suddenly they are faced with the moral implications of that thing they used to enjoy shamelessly, and that leads to shame and guilt, something no one likes to feel.
But why did the message have to feel threatening? Especially when the dredge rise, it blows up into (a somewhat male typical) anger and violent reactions.
They have no box to stand on, of course. The scum who threatened her are still scum, and have no validation in a proper society. But the way she presented her argument led to what we have; a ton of stupidity that obscures real issues or proper solutions.
This is a reality, and many of our cherised memories (like Princess Peach) are very very flawed, they always were, we just keep trying to convince ourselves they aren't to avoid admitting to ourselves that we've liked morally questionable content for so long. Perhaps this reaction was entirely inevitable, but I think she could have had more tact in her approach. However, even I'll admit that's optimistic thinking for such a topic, but it's still a view I hold true.
Princess Peach is flawed, but she also isn't contemporary. Hell, the only reason 'rescuing the princess' even makes sense today is that old tales told to children commonly featured that aspect as conflict, and it's carried over from more misogynic times to our less misogynic times. Absolutely prudent to question cultural trends of the past (and identify it right; this is a trend originating in times past and unacceptable today, not the fault of gaming), but bring solutions to the table, not just issues.
And I think it's about time people start talking about what she's trying to talk about, instead of focusing on how she's talking about it.
But hey, I'm a little person who doesn't scream loudly enough to ever be listened. Maybe I should do a kickstarter.
See above. People ARE talking about what she's talking about, but it's masked by the stupidity of all the anger included with each topic. Not surprised you miss it, though.
Sarkeesian presents this problem in a somewhat combative method; she has problems with established tropes in games, and has presented them as such. That's it. No solutions, no alternatives. I'm likened to think she'd prefer to see the industry torn down, and
nothing to replace it (or more accurately, see them changed to be equal in gender but broken or bland in story). Judgment withheld until she addresses this (or doesn't), but I really want to see her start bringing up not even just what a proper female-centric game should be, but
what does a proper, potentially profitable game with gender equality look like?
It's topics like these that make me miss Extra Credits' presence here. Generally positive, and people actually contributed their own thoughts and opinions related to the forward thinking of the topic. I find internet discourse among general populace to be
painfully lacking in finding solutions; it seems we'd rather just argue/bicker/insult each other to get some other person or like-minded people's jimmies rustled. My problem with Sarkeesian lurks around the fact that she also doesn't help herself by avoiding this aspect of internet discussion.