Honey Badger Radio: Anita and the Scourge of the Girl Gamer

A Voice for Men

We've all had experience with this particular girl. You know the one, she has a passing interest in games and when she strides into a scene that's sprung up around men who have turned a love of games into a vibrant subculture… she says "now I get to make the rules. Because vagina." It doesn't matter if there are already women in the subculture, enjoying it for its own sake, she's the self-appointed queen bee and all must bow to her pronouncements. "Because vagina. And also rape." Anita is just the latest in a long line of girl interlopers who've decided they define the rules of gamer culture. Her bugbear? Damsels in Games. Her solution? Play the damsel to bring attention to how games promote the social role of damsel for women. One would think Anita scoring 150 thou for playing the damsel would do more to encourage damseling in women and in games since it obviously pushes men's buttons) then seeing a bunch of pixels arranged in the shape of a helpless princess… but, you know, "Vagina. Rape. Misogyny." The real kicker? Anita doesn't even have a passing interest in games. So she's demanding game makers remove damsels in distress to cater to the tastes of someone who will never give them any of the 150 thou she scored playing the damsel. Apparently the only one who can cash in on damseling is Anita. Maybe she's less a crusader against damseling and more a damseling monopolist.