Any feminists out there?
http://www.dollwar.com/
It could be that I'm missing the point. All in good fun, right? I've been accused of a lack of sense of humor before. And of being too rigid. After all, reading (much less writing) isn't everyone's idea of fun. Not to mention that I, unlike many other American women, refuse to watch what a friend called "Angry Housewives" (heeheehee), engage in shopping (beyond necessary) and hair salon gossip sessions, or read chick lit. (Yes, I do subscribe to blogs maintained by chick lit writers, but only to learn about publishing and marketing. The genre itself is just not interesting to me.)
Anyway, I just can't help wondering whether women couldn't have found a better activity. I've read that modern feminism only means we have more and better choices. We don't have to be or do anything we don't want.
So I guess this means we're confident that men will be able to judge us on our merits alone, that our sons will respect our authority no matter what we choose for fun. Or could it be that the estrogenized version of BattleBots means women no longer care what men (or anyone else) think?
It could be that I'm missing the point. All in good fun, right? I've been accused of a lack of sense of humor before. And of being too rigid. After all, reading (much less writing) isn't everyone's idea of fun. Not to mention that I, unlike many other American women, refuse to watch what a friend called "Angry Housewives" (heeheehee), engage in shopping (beyond necessary) and hair salon gossip sessions, or read chick lit. (Yes, I do subscribe to blogs maintained by chick lit writers, but only to learn about publishing and marketing. The genre itself is just not interesting to me.)
Anyway, I just can't help wondering whether women couldn't have found a better activity. I've read that modern feminism only means we have more and better choices. We don't have to be or do anything we don't want.
So I guess this means we're confident that men will be able to judge us on our merits alone, that our sons will respect our authority no matter what we choose for fun. Or could it be that the estrogenized version of BattleBots means women no longer care what men (or anyone else) think?
posted by Christa M. Miller at 6:09 PM
3 Comments:
Present and accounted for, ma'am.
Dollwars, huh? I tried to find out about it at the site but I have to sign up and shit. It's like playing digital Barbies, I guess? Perhaps such a pasttime is not as gender-specific as all that; don't guys compare their tricked-out rides in the Walmart parking lot at 10:00pm where you live?
Since I don't know what's involved in the game, I couldn't comment on the type of person who would play it or how this sort of mother would affect her kids' perceptions of what a woman is. But, chances are, the game itself wouldn't lower her kids' opinion of women, it'd be the total mom package.
I think the latter part of your concluding proposition is closer to what is happening now. Grrrrrl culture has opened the door for women to be as childlike as men in their pursuit of happiness. And I don't think that's such a bad thing (she types with her left elbow touching the DVD case of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle). We had to prove ourselves in the 70s and 80s by exhibiting more machismo than men ever did, and damn that was tiring. I think girlfriends know that now's the time to take a break. Maybe the pendulum has swung back a little further than is comfortable for us over 30, though.
Apologies for the dissertation. I was the head of women's studies at my college in NC and would happily write several pages on this. No one would happily read it, alas.
Christa -- I apologize. I have obviously brought you up to be so completely counter-cultural, you (shudder) resemble me even worse than anyone thought you would. Everything you write about in your first paragraph, is anathema to me, too. (Though I must admit to a certain sympathy for Laura Bush, complaining about "Mr. Excitement" going to bed at 9:00. On the other hand, I'm usually not too far behind.) As for Dollwars, BattleBots et al. -- I guess I could see *a* point if people feel they learn strategy and improve hand-eye coordination through such games. But you can get the same result playing pool.
I know about it from an online community where it has become a HUGE THING. I mean, you have to spend all this time online... how can your family not see what you're doing?
OK, I've been obsessed/addicted to silly things before, like online word games. (I'm such a geek.) And I did play with Barbies as a kid. And ML, great points about guys comparing tricked-out rides. Ten years from now they'll be competing over who has the bigger lawnmower and the better lawn.
I'm glad that I can comfortably choose to stay/work at home without anyone taking me less seriously... I guess I just want my boy to see me actively contributing to society, especially when I'm on the computer. Does that make me a snob? :)
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