Gamers In Search Of A Name: Feedback

12/04/00

Not even 24 hours after posting Gamers In Search Of A Name, I already have two comments! Cool! Thanks a lot, readers!

Hey there! I've never been refered to as a "gamer chick" -- probably because a) all of my friends are gamers of some sort; and b) not too many

people know that *I* am a gamer (though not as active as some, due to time constraints ^_^) -- but it wouldn't offend me if someone did call me that. I can't understand why it would be offensive, honestly. "Chick" seems to be a rather acceptable term for females, so what's the problem? I can't think it's intended to be a derogatory term -- and even if it is, people should follow your example and wear the title as a badge of honor. Don't stop using it just because some people find it offensive. If they see your page and get stuck on that one thing, they're probably not going to be a fan just because you take it off. Chances are that they have other problems.

By the way -- I love your site. ^_^ Ja!

--Kristin B (aka feather)

Thanks so much for being the first to comment on my column, Kristin! You and I may have no problem with the term "chick," but there are people out there who do...and while I realize that my page can't please all of the people all of the time, I do feel as though I have a certain responsibility to not get in my reader's faces with stuff most of them are going to hate. And naturally, if a majority of people find a significant part of my language to be offensive, to the point where it gets in the way of the message I'm trying to convey, I will want to avoid that in the interest of getting the message out. (Also, I've noticed the term beginning to spread to other gamer pages, and if people really hate it I don't want to be remembered as the inventor of the semantic equivalent of Dutch elm disease!) But naturally, if it's only a vocal minority that objects, I won't change. They'll have to learn to deal with it or quit visiting my page. Thanks again for praising my page, and raising some good points; you've helped allay my worries!

* * * * *

I've been meaning to drop you a note about your page (fantastic), essays (enlightening), and stories (hilarious) some time soon, and since you asked for feedback in your last article I figured this was as good a time to do it as ever. So, without further ado:

'Gamer Chicks' is, rather like 'Gamer Girls', a term that can be postive or perjorative entirely depending on how it's used. Rather like that one

particularly controversial word that rappers may use about themselves but no one else can touch, 'girls' and 'chicks' are words whose connotations depend mostly on who chooses to use it. When a woman (to use the most accepted term) refers to herself as a 'chick' or a 'girl', it's simply a comfortable and slightly self-deprecating title. Nothing more. This is a good thing, because it means we've managed to co-opt it from its previous diminutive sense that men had used it for.

However, since it was previously a condescending sort of word (rather like 'boy' to a grown man), some people still retain a sense of the word as a negative term employed by others to belittle them. To wrap up this whole answer thing (which is getting a little too academic as an answer to a

simple question) I, personally, have no problem with being referred to as a gamer chick by myself or other women. But I'm not sure I would want some guy calling me a 'chick' even now.

To put this ever so slightly in context, I'm a complete newbie to RPGs who has been attempting to find a game to join, while aussidously studying what sources I can find on the net. My GURPS books are still in the mail. The guy who introduced me to gaming plays in a group that's 50% female with one of the games regularly being GMed by a woman, so at least as far as he's concerned there isn't any difference between the guys and girls in the whole gaming thing at all. Which strikes me as a rather good thing. In the meantime (while looking for game) I've been drawing up entirely impractical characters and contemplating buying the Furries games just because they're so fuzzy. Thanks very much for providing a site that addresses my own concerns so very very well.

--Fade the Cat

p.s. And, in discussions with said gamer guy, I've discovered that it's really hard to role play a cat as an active villain, even if he is a psion

with lycanthrope bodyguards and a vast underground fortress. The dangling bits of string get him every time. Not that this is relevant in any way,

just passing on the information in case you should ever find it useful...

Right on, Fade! Great analogy to "the n-word." I have always seen the term "chick" in much the same way you do--as a non-politically-correct term which, while somewhat belittling in the wrong context, can be just as acceptable and empowering as any other word. I can't remember the last time I was referred to as a "chick" by someone other than myself or a person within my circle of friends who had picked up on my usage of the word and imitated me. In fact, when my male friends called me a chick I always got a little kick out of it, since it meant they were remembering I was female for once in their lives! G Context is everything with words such as this, and I feel as though my context is relatively harmless--a catchy, good-natured term going from one woman to another, with no insult meant. Who knows, maybe if we keep using it in this friendly context we can get rid of all that baggage and make it as socially acceptable as referring to a man as a "guy." Thanks so much for an intelligent commentary! (PS--I appreciated the cat-as-villain thing...and you never know, it might actually be useful. The Vampire campaign I'm in just keeps getting weirder, after all...G)

Thanks to all who've responded already! Keep those comments coming, everyone!

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