Feminism in News and Popular Media

[Femmadian]

Originally Posted by Allison W

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Second is something I didn't actually want to post here at all, particularly given recent topics in this thread, due to the controversial political content involved. But if I don't, there's a chance that someone else here might hear about it from entirely the wrong source first and bring a lot of misinformation here, which I definitely don't want. So the only reason I'm posting about this is because if you hear of it at all, it should probably be from me first. Forgive me.


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For those who are still freaked out about this (I wouldn't blame you; those were some pretty scary words and hot political tomatoes), the developer finally felt the need to make a rather lengthy post, containing some plot spoilers, about the nature of what is actually happening in this game and the nature of the violence in it and whom that violence can be done against (short version: not civilians).

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I just felt a need to get all of that out there before someone here heard about this from the wrong source.

I've seen this floating around online for the past few days. While the information available about the game is still somewhat limited, there are a few things one could touch on with this...

• Yes, it's true the game developer is not a trans woman. Only the game's protagonist is. The game developer is a man and is writing a game about a fascist woman-only dystopian society.
• The society is described by the developer ("dev") as "post-feminist."
• The protagonist, a hired assassin, uses female bodies as human shields:
  
  Link
  
  Link
  
• There's this gif from the game found on the dev's Tumblr:
  
  with the caption: "she doesn’t like having her butt slapped"
  Link
  
  ---> Note: another game developer [username: sokuzah] then jokingly comments on the original developer's page: "she should stop dressing so provocatively then"; zero response or reaction from the game developer or other supporters of the game
• And then there's this:
  
  Link
  - are these meant to be civilians... the overweight, ugly, and perpetually dour feminists?
• Oh, wait, yep, our thin, perky protagonist is going to use the large, mohawk-sporting, cigarette-holding lady in blue as a human shield now:
  
  Link
• And then there's this lovely gif from the game:
  
  Link
  

In case you didn't catch it at the end, the vaguely dive bar-looking grey building in this feminist dystopia is called Dworkin's. Here's a still for those who may have missed it:



From the Kickstarter page:
"While carrying out some routine assassinations, Ceyda becomes aware of something: these assassinations are anything but routine. All of these missions involve an organized revolt against the government and foundations of society. As she becomes aware of the force behind it, an ancient organization of otherworldly beings who've guided humanity's advances (and downfalls) since the dawn of time, there's one question lingering in the back of her mind: in a society where being a woman is a prerequisite for being human, does someone who's often not considered a 'whole woman' have any duty to save those who hate her? And would they even believe her if she told them?"

Also from the same source under "Gameplay" offerings:

MEAT SHIELDS: Sometimes running in guns ablaze isn't a good idea. In these situations you can grab civilians or unaware enemies and use them as a human shield. Note that this doesn't work on enemies that lack human empathy! Hostages are also beneficial for gaining access to restricted areas. Just find the right person and make them open the door.

Charming.

The game pits the protagonist against cis/AFAB/bio women and asks "in a society where being a woman is a prerequisite for being human, does someone who's often not considered a 'whole woman' have any duty to save those who hate her?"

Notice, no distinction or implication that any of the women in this "post-feminist" society acknowledge her humanity. Nope, apparently the women in this society are all trans-hating bigots (by virtue of their being born female? By living in a woman-only society?) and it follows that their own humanity is perhaps not a thing worth saving... or is at least a concept needing some armchair philosophizing first.

Spoiler: this dystopian feminist society is actually controlled by "demons," a sort of "illuminati" who have controlled "every major society and empire", even, according to the developer's page, Nazis. I'm assuming the developer is referring specifically to Nazi Germany circa roughly WWII but he never quite makes that clear...

"The fate of Plovdiv [the fictional society the game is set in] hangs in the balance as Ceyda [the protagonist] navigates the layers of a conspiracy: Every major society and empire–from the Akkadians to the Shang, from the Romans to the Nazis–has been guided by one immortal force. Plovdiv is now another link in the chain. But how?"

Alrighty then...

I think people can have deep, valid objections to and concerns about this game and they should not be dismissively glossed over as illegitimate or misplaced fears as a result of reading some "scary words" or getting their information from what someone else proclaims to be the "wrong source." I have some pretty serious reservations about what this game purports to be and represent and it has nothing to do with my delicate sensibilities being exposed to scary words or being too stupid or unaware to be able to discern the difference between the credible commentary and the inflammatory (and to be able to decide for myself which is which).