Goals of feminist cultural criticism of games
Basic Assumptions
Constructive feedback welcome!
- To appreciate games as a form of art deserving of deep analysis. Games can be a vehicle for messages and expression, and so we owe it to the art form to try and understand all of those messages, including unintentional ones. Deep understanding helps us appreciate and understand games better, which leads to greater enjoyment.
- To use games to better understand our own internal biases. As an art form, games can provide a window into our culture. Games, unlike other art, also involve direct audience engagement. Critically discussing games, and playing games with awareness, can help us achieve greater personal self-awareness.
- To provide input into how games can better reflect feminist values of equality. Game developers can look to feminist cultural criticism if they would like to remove unintended messages or accidental biases. However, this is ALWAYS on a voluntary basis; feminist critics provide feedback, and are not a regulatory agency.
Basic Assumptions
- Nothing and no one is perfect. Nothing and no one is free from biases. Improvement is the goal, not perfection.
- Respectful discussion is always valuable. Anything written here is open to free discussion and disagreement.
- Game tropes are complicated. An element of a game can have both positive and negative aspects, from a feminist perspective.
- There are no black-and-white “rules” for what should be in games. Games can and should deal with negative things. The issue should not be just the existence of the negative thing in the game, but how it’s treated, and whether there are messages or implications behind it.
- No one should feel ashamed for enjoying something that I consider negative from a feminist perspective. The goal is awareness and understanding, not shame. Enjoying something while being aware of its problematic elements is perfectly acceptable.
- Games can and should be appreciated for other qualities they have, such as gameplay, story, and art, even if they have some elements that are negative from a feminist perspective.
- Games, as a part of culture, can affect our cultural values. However, gamers do not blindly emulate whatever behavior they see in games.
- Criticism should always be respectful, understanding, and constructive. It should also acknowledge the good as well as the bad. It should never be bullying, coercive, or destructive.
- I don’t speak for all feminists, but I base my opinions on mainstream feminist theories. Other feminists may disagree with me.
- I will do my best to follow these principles, but please keep in mind that I’m a human being and I may sometimes mess up.
Constructive feedback welcome!