Since the appearance of my “Women Monsters and Monstrous Women” article, there’s been some hubbub on the site - and, let’s admit it, some name calling - but mostly just come clashing of ideas. Of course, everyone’s free to express their own views, but I (and therefore my articles and my posts) have a very particular approach in mind, and I thought this might be a good opportunity to explain that approach, so we can all understand each other better in the future.
I’m a gamer and a journalist, but my background and my primary interests are in the realm of literature. Therefore, you’ll often find me investigating games as if they were texts. That’s not to say I think that games are books. But I do think that games are works of narrative art, which can (and should) be analyzed on the level of critical theory - that they deserve to be explored intellectually, academically, and not just appreciated as an entertaining medium or a social mirror (Although, of course, you’ll often see me comment on the social side of things as well).
This attitude is relatively uncommon in the video game world. People are only slowly coming around to the idea of video games as art: not just in the “We should appreciate games more” way, but in the way that books and paintings and movies are considered “high” art, art worthy of continuous reevaluation, art that should be explored and dissected in the most respected venues, and in the most open-minded ways, our society has to offer.
I don’t mean to sound self-important. Certainly, this form of analysis is no better or worse than the analysis that’s done, let’s say, by a reviewer. But it’s different; it’s theoretical. It’s meant to provide a novel way of looking at things. And, though gaming is very much about a player’s individual feelings, critical theory isn’t necessarily negated by individual response. It’s one way of reading - and attempting to understand - a game. It can exist side by side with lots of other reactions and opinions.
Also, it might be helpful to know my own stance on what’s commonly called “feminism”, i.e. female empowerment. Personally, as a sub and a trouble-maker, I’m very interested in the reinvention of female power - in finding strength in things that don’t fit into the “constructive” values of society, like otherness, monsters, and (above all) masochism. So, if my suggestion don’t always seem to account for “positive” female role models, it’s because, for me, part of fun is being suspicious of that very thing.
All of which isn’t to tell you how to think, it’s to explain to you how I’m thinking, so we can be on the same page when talking about the thing we all love most: games.
In other, unrelated news, I’ve acquired Nintendogs and Sims 2 within 24 hours of each other. If you don’t hear from me for a while, it’s because I’ve become a vegetable. Cheers!
November 5th, 2005 at 3:14 pm
I just wanted to say that, indeed, the article on Monsters is what brought me here, but it was because I was so utterly surprised to read an article discussing video games in such a academic manner, for lack of a better term. I’m just starting to verse myself in critical theory, but I have a very strong draw towards the “French” feminism, especially Helene Cixous. Thanks for showing me that I may be able to bridge two worlds I saw as disparate in the future. I hope I can someday contribute to the dialogue of video games as art in the way I feel you already are. Many thanks.
P.S. I’m a guy by the way, not really important, but I feel it deserves mentioning.
November 5th, 2005 at 5:11 pm
“But I do think that games are works of narrative art, which can (and should) be analyzed on the level of critical theory - that they deserve to be explored intellectually, academically, and not just appreciated as an entertaining medium or a social mirror (Although, of course, you'll often see me comment on the social side of things as well).”
As someone who’s been fighting for months to find a teacher who’d accept to direct a thesis on video games as litterary devices, I have only one thing to say: if you ever come to Paris, I owe you a coffee. Just for the joy of knowing I’m not alone. ^_^
November 5th, 2005 at 5:59 pm
“Also, it might be helpful to know my own stance on what's commonly called "feminism", i.e. female empowerment. Personally, as a sub and a trouble-maker, I'm very interested in the reinvention of female power - in finding strength in things that don't fit into the "constructive" values of society, like otherness, monsters, and (above all) masochism. So, if my suggestion don't always seem to account for "positive" female role models, it's because, for me, part of fun is being suspicious of that very thing.”
I’m not quite sure what kind of empowerment you expect to gain with that. It’s not really going to help you over-empower a rapist in the bushes. I recommend weight lifting and martial arts instead.
November 5th, 2005 at 6:06 pm
Devon and MD^2, so you glad to hear we’re on the same page. I can only hope more people will share their ideas on the subject in the future. And I most likely will be in Paris sometime in the future MD^2, if you’d like to chat :-).
November 6th, 2005 at 11:08 am
Hi Bonnnie!
Just wanted to drop you a note and let you know I enjoyed your article in the Escapist. “Female sexuality as monster” has been a favorite topic of mine for a long while and it was fun to see someone bring it up in conjunction with games! Have you also considered doing something on the engendering of the cyborg?
I look forward to seeing more from you in the future!
:)
Sheri Graner Ray
November 6th, 2005 at 7:49 pm
I really enjoyed your article. I’m getting my PhD in English, on video games and digital media as literature. My dissertation is actually on survival horror games and I have a chapter on the Gothic and gender in relation to survival horror games and another chapter on the figure of the monster. I think most of your analysis is great and if you’re looking for more academic articles on femininity and monstrosity, Nina Auerbach has written a number of articles and books that apply, Julia Kristeva, and Helene Cixous (particularly her work on Medusa) have a lot to say on women and monsters.
If you do anything on women and cyborgs, Donna Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto is a great article and Samus Aran is a great cyborg example.
Great article–and I hope to read more from you in game journalism and/or academic game studies in the future!
November 6th, 2005 at 9:05 pm
Sheri, thanks for stopping by! The female cyborg is indeed another topic that interests me - though it doesn’t relate as much to the video game world. As a general social identity though it reaches back more than a hundred years, starting, to my knowledge, with the German fairy tale “The Sandman”, up through surrealist artists like Hans Bellmer, through recent works like “Ghost in the Shell”, and even more so “Ghost in the Shell 2″ - which I would particularly recommend.
Laurie, I’m glad you enjoyed the article. And wow, what a wonderful PhD topic! Helene Cixous I know about, but I’ll certainly look into Auerbach and Kristeva. Thanks also for the women and cyborgs recommendations. Best of luck on what sounds like an amazing dissertation!
November 7th, 2005 at 12:34 pm
I was also drawn here by your recent article in the Escapist… it was a wonderful piece, especially in conjunction with the other works of the issue. I love the suspicion of ‘positive’ female characters-as-role models, in that for the most part, games are made and marketed to men, so to think that developers aren’t considering how the game works from the point of view of the guy with the controller is obsurd. I fet your article was very upbeat and just scratching the surface of a wonderfully deep discussion, rather than the depressing/offending downer that some commenters have evidenced. It’s exhilarating to explore how a woman can fit into the gaming world without being held to typically imposed roles, and to think about female monsters as a possible route is fantastic.
Thanks for what you’ve written!
November 7th, 2005 at 1:02 pm
Julie, so glad you liked the piece. It’s my hope that everyone will take it that way, as that’s certainly how I intended it.
November 7th, 2005 at 7:16 pm
I’d hate to bring this up again, especially when I said I wouldn’t, but don’t you think saying “I hope everyone will like my article” and suppressing and/or ignoring criticism kind of makes you and your article look bad?
November 8th, 2005 at 3:44 pm
Coffee, viennoiserie, time and excruciatingly bad english reserved for a undetermined number of guests on a future date. -_^
“Sheri, thanks for stopping by! The female cyborg is indeed another topic that interests me - though it doesn't relate as much to the video game world. As a general social identity though it reaches back more than a hundred years, starting, to my knowledge, with the German fairy tale "The Sandman", up through surrealist artists like Hans Bellmer, through recent works like "Ghost in the Shell", and even more so "Ghost in the Shell 2"³ - which I would particularly recommend.”
So, where exactly would you put Galatea ? Monster or cyborg ? :)
Plus I think the linkage existing between Motoko and Amaterasu makes her something of a strange hybrid at times (much less true in the animation, obviously, now that I think of it), not the perfect exemple of a female cyborg. But maybe better than that.
All that survival horror and gender talks reminded me of Memento. I was so irrate they choose to scrap the original kid design for the big breasted pseudo-loli… i mean, it was still a little girl, but at least it was a child. (I’m sure our hostess (would) have loved Daniella… and the “not-even-trying-to-hide-sexual-metaphor-reading-grid”. Sometimes so bad is art, I keep hearing.)
To “Someone Says”: I like to think of blogs as 19th century japanese houses: the outer shoji opened, they become a public place, but inherently, they’re homes, private in the strongest sense I can think of the word. Civility imposes one to abide to the unspoken rules of the mistress of the house. Argue on her terms, and only as long as she wishes to.
Not an attack, just a thought. I’m not home myself.
November 9th, 2005 at 9:07 am
MD^2, Bad english? Really now. Je peut parler français, mais je ne connais pas comment dire des choses que vous avez dit en anglais, comme “linkage”, “hybrid”, et “impose”. Je suis impressionée. Si vous pensez que vous parlez mal, je ne veux pas savoir comment je parle. Par ailleurs, merci pour votre mot à notre entrée impolie :-).
Memento I’m not familiar with. I assume it’s also an anime…
November 9th, 2005 at 1:44 pm
Well, I can still write a good conversation, but I haven’t spoken english for so long it’s going to sound rusted rasping as hell after the rain.
Sorry, seems like I wasn’t fully awake when I typed. The game is Capcom’s “Demento”, not “Memento”.