Game Theory Vs. Feminist Frequency: Why is Feminist Frequency hated?

A little over a week ago, I had the pleasure to watch the new Feminist Frequency video in over two years(!). What she did was take the trope of the damsel in distress and talked about it’s role in video games.  She didn’t dismiss the fact that there were other strong, female characters or that women can’t be “good” protagonists. She talked about how the over use of this archetype influences games and, subtly so, gamers as well.

What has bothered me is that there has been a massive backlash against her because of this video. Yes, the games she references in the video are products of their times (many were published during the 80s to early 90s). Some of the issues she presents were solved at the turn of the millennium. Other issues are still being worked on, such as LBGT narratives (something Anna Annathropy seeks to correct; http://indiegames.com/2013/03/road_to_the_igf_anna_anthropys.html), individuals of ethnic minorities, and, interestingly enough, finding the “right” female lead in video games.

This got me thinking: if Feminist Frequency is receiving hate for publishing a video about a woman’s perspective about video games, which is rare enough as it is (I miss your articles Zoe Flower!) in a hobby that is considered a straight man’s world, then why isn’t MattPat receiving any hate for his Game Theory videos?

The video I linked above touches upon some of the same issues that Feminist Frequency discussed in hers. Sure, there’s some troll comments there but no major problems. So why isn’t this video (or any others in his series) “violently” attacked as hers? Could it be due to gender, SES, perceived sexual oriention (“if she’s a feminist she must be gay!” someone might think), speech style…the list goes on. So I’m going to assume that none of that matters save for the presentation.

Let’s look at MattPat’s style real quick. He talks in a rather fast conversational style. He doesn’t sit in front of the camera talking.  Instead, he relies on wallpapers, screenshots/character artwork,  trailers, and moving text to provide a witty show. The intro music is upbeat with the world’s most favorite plumber running across the screen and ends with a fan created song that was about the episode’s topic. Finally, he doesn’t take “ownership” of being the expert of the topic–it’s just an idea, a game idea!

How about Feminist Frequency’s approach? She sits in front of the camera, talking to the viewer in a rather calm voice that is even toned. Though she does speak in everyday English in a formal voice (think professor), she adds in the jargon of feminism while explaining what the term means. This helps the viewer get caught up and be able to speak intelligently about the subject matter. In turn, this gives the overall video series a feeling of academia. Furthermore, she also shows short clips of television shows, movies, and, in this case, video games.

In all honesty, I think it’s the academic feel that turns many viewers off. Of course, why do shows like SciShow and 1veritasium are even more popular and do not see the same degree of controversy as Feminist Frequency? Yes, I’m comparing oranges to apples so to speak.

Are we that threatened by a woman analyzing a game? Feminist theory and queer theory demand that its followers (which should be all of us) examine how society influences the individual. Feminist theory looks at the reason why men and women do what they do and why they are pigeonholed into specific roles. By examining these roles and the choices for portraying them are we free to chose what we best like about masculinity and femininity. Queer theory does a similar job: it asks the question why are queer narratives being silenced, the all appearing power of heterosexism, and why society disapproves of individuals who identify as L, B,G, and/or T. Heterosexism and the patriarchy harm us all. What Feminist Frequency is trying to prove is that it harms some of us more so than others.

How many times did you purposefully finish a game that “tasted” horrible to you? Think about that statement for awhile. That’s what gay individuals go through everyday on some level: playing a game that doesn’t fit them.