Mar
28thGirls in Gaming: Finding a Role that Doesn’t Require a Costume
Cosplayers Left & Right, Geek girls have an awkward place in the nerd society. We’re the minority in a primarily male-driven pasttime, and, as our numbers have grown, there have been some conflicts brought to light that are not new, but are newly publicized. In my mind, the idea of the Fake Geek Girl and the Cosplay Consent issues go hand in hand. For years, gaming companies have used the idea of “HEY BOYS, BOOBS!” to lure gamers over to their booths or to buy their games. Girls, how many cons have you been to where companies hire models and put them in Slave Leia costumes and send them out into the aisles with the sole purpose of bringing <s>men</s> customers back to the stall? “Booth Babes” are a common tactic and it’s only recently that certain cons have forbidden their use. Are guys probably inappropriate with Booth Babes? Lewd and awkward? You bet. But those girls were paid, essentially, to be leered at, so, like women in other ogle-intending-industries, they probably just grin and bear it. It’s these girls that I think of when I think of “Fake Geek Girls” — they’re not at the con because they love Saga or love Bioshock or love Neil Gaiman (though they might anyway). They’re there because they’re being paid. For female gamers and nerds, having paid models in costume is frustrating because it feels like a gender-based double standard. Sure, male nerds found a niche where they are allegedly valued for […]