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FEMICOM.org - "NES Rom Hacks and Discourses on Gender Anxieties" by Rachel Weil →
#NES
#nesdev
#hack
#gender
#videogames
#feminism
Really good article about gender-focused NES rom hacking, and how the recent coverage of it is pretty myopic:
The discourse centering on Mike Mika’s Donkey Kong hack aims to present men as positive forces for gender equality in gaming while distancing them from feminism. These strategies help to relieve anxieties that might implicate men in the shaming and rejection of girls from gaming cultures. Additionally, the suggestion that this kind of ROM hacking is new and limited to loving fathers obscures a long and rich history of ROM hacking that includes women hacking games for their own ends.
"… the socialization of boys regarding masculinity is often at the expense of women. I came to realize that we don’t raise boys to be men, we raise them not to be women (or gay men). We teach boys that girls and women are “less than” and that leads to violence by some and silence by many. It’s important for men to stand up to not only stop men’s violence against women but, to teach young men a broader definition of masculinity that includes being empathetic, loving and non-violent."
Don McPherson, former NFL quarterback, feminist and educator (via albinwonderland)
(Source: spikyhairjon, via laineydiamond)
