Articles
Why We Need Anita Sarkeesian
recognized voice of feminism
within videogames. She’s not
perfect, but I will say this: we
need her now more than ever.
Anita is the eye of the storm
in the debate over the place
of women in videogames.
Her position is unique in that
it attracts and concentrates
the ire of gamers who
want to keep feminism and
diversity out of videogames.
Before her meteoric rise to
internet stardom, the gaming
community’s sexism was
spread out. There was criticism
and there were people in the
Issue 64 • February 2015
community who wanted to
improve their virtual spaces,
but they never attracted the
sheer volume of attention and
vitriol that is the new norm.
Tropes vs Women in
Videogames presented a
pointed threat to the frothing
psychosis of future Quinspiracy
theorists and men’s rights
activists. They struck out
wildly at the woman who they
thought was the architect and
extension of a digital gynarchist
conspiracy that sought to take
their videogames away. Like
rabidly sexist Fox Mulders they
seek to expose the “truth” of
Anita’s supposedly zionist,
misandrist, and/or fascist
agenda. In a fashion unique to
the information age, a culture
war was started with Feminist
Frequency at its center. While I
can’t say I enjoy reading about
the latest Twitter death threat
against a female developer
or journalist, I believe that
though gaming has become
regressive in some ways, I am
glad that it is now a battlefield.
Sexism is a tumor that leeches
vibrancy and joy out of gaming.
I’m not happy that it exists,
9 • GameOn Magazine