Girl Gamer Article Drives Me to Drink

Any regular readers know that I don't rant in this blog. Yeah, there are things that annoy me, but I usually keep them to myself. So I sincerely apologize for this post. But there's been a slew of really insulting articles lately about women and games--with the worst comments coming from women--that make me feel like the world is rotating backwards or something and we're in the Victorian era again. The article, called "How to Get Your Girlfriend Into Gaming," is a great example. It talks about a panel held at the recent PAX show. Here are some gems for lulz:

"His girlfriend played “Halo” for five minutes and got dizzy."

Really? I mean, seriously? I find it incredible that any person who drives a car or rides a subway on a regular basis would get motion sickness from a game. Maybe she never leaves the house? Maybe she goes everywhere on foot because she's Amish? If she's Amish, why would she be playing a video game? Yes, I'm being lowbrow and picking on the Amish. They'll never read this blog. Trust me.

“Chicks like flattery. If she feels like she’s helping, then you’re making it a positive experience.”

The fact that this was said by a woman makes me want to throw up. Anyone who plays a game & helps their team is "helping." Here's a secret: This is why most men play team games. To help their team and feel like they're helping.

“When I do have free time, I don’t want to be blowing things up,” she said.

Are you sure? Because blowing things up is awesome.

The thing that bothers me about these articles is not that they talk about people who are bad at games. I'm certainly not super awesome at every game, not even most games--heck, not even one game. I don't personally know anyone who is super awesome in any game. But what bothers me is that the women are treated as if they're not even human; as if their outlook on life is twisted into some lollipop land where dirt is icky and thinking is dumb. Every time I read these articles I feel like they're talking about little girls--like 5 year old girls--not adult women. I mean, I like cute things, too. I love kittens and sunshine. I also like to blow things up. Is that wrong?

How do you feel about it?