Some Thoughts from a Female Gamer

by Morboriel Parthenos

I would like to begin this by stating that I was incredibly, unfathomably incensed by Mr. Gohan's editorial. At first, I thought it was some sort of satire on the media and the Religious Reich's scapegoating of certain segments of society. How unfortunate that I was wrong.

Regarding Mr. Gohan's comment that repeatedly viewing violent FMVs or other highly detailed graphic sequences induces people to commit murder...this is pure, unadulterated nonsense. I am eighteen years old, I am an avid player of Mortal Kombat and other fighting games, and I am an avid player of RPGs and first-person shooters (Doom, Quake, Marathon, etc.), and I hate to say this, but I've never had the inclination to shoot anyone. Why? Because, for one thing, my parents instilled in me a sense of right and wrong. For another, I am a member of the Wiccan religion, which teaches respect for life in all its myriad forms. In other words, I have a sense of morality which developed as I grew up, and continues to develop. Millions of people play games that have realistic depictions of violence (if you can call slicing off a person's head with a paper fan realistic), and they haven't gone out and shot people. Blaming "violence in the media" (whatever that means), is the easy, "safe" thing to do, and conveniently keeps people from looking for the *real* villain--the one in the mirror. It seems unfathomable that Mr. Gohan would be such a simpleton. For only a simpleton could come to the conclusion that a mere video game is responsible for the tragic deaths of the people who die in our society.

As for his second point that character development is too much; this is purely a matter of taste, in my opinion. I can only offer my point of view--that of a fantasy/science-fiction writer. I am currently working on a sword-and-sorcery epic, and I have written numerous short-stories, mainly gothic vampire fiction. I adore richly developed characters--indeed, I found the character development in FF7 to be a tad disappointing in comparison to FF6. That is what hooks me in a video game RPG, and that's why I keep coming back again and again to the Final Fantasy games. I am an avid reader, and as a writer I understand the importance of imagination. However, I find that playing the FF games *stimulates* my imagination rather than stifling it--indeed, I often shut off my SNES or PSX and work on my books for hours at a time after playing an FF game. It could just be a matter of opinion. I have to ask though--if you have such a problem with the way Square makes games, why buy them? If you hate pre-fabricated characters so much, why not play one of the countless games for the Mac or PC, such as Realmz or the Exile series? You could also go play AD&D, Shadowrun, Vampire, etc. Or learn how to program and create your own. :)

Also, I was incredibly taken aback by the ignorance of the statement that these games are made by "selfish atheists". I thought I was reading an online commentary by Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell for a minute there. Firstly, realize that not all RPG players are Christians. In fact, I'd be willing to wager that most aren't. Even if they weren't, what is the relevance of this statement? I'm assuming that by making a statement like this, Mr. Gohan professes to be Christian. This particular tirade betrays an astonishing lack of knowledge when it comes to mythology. Angels are not a construct solely confined to Judeo-Christian tradition--in fact, angels and demons can be found in various forms in every world mythology. In Celtic folklore, there are the Sidhe, the fairy folk, who can be benign or evil; in Norse tradition, there are elves and dwarves. Middle Eastern mythology has the djinn and various other kinds of spirits who aid and/or hinder humanity, and so do the various mythos of Japan, China, and India. If I really wanted to be technical, I could point out that the very dualistic concept of heaven/hell and angels/demons was taken from the Zoroastrians of Persia. But I digress--you may want to read some of Joseph Campbell's works for more on archetypes and how universal they are.

No, the Final Fantasy games are anything but an atheist joke; in fact, I would be so bold to say that they are highly *Wiccan* in nature. Wiccans are pantheists; we believe in a universal life force, from which we all come and to which we all one day return; all is energy, all is connected. This is the energy we manipulate in our spells and prayers. Gee, sounds kinda like the Lifestream in FF7, doesn't it? If I *really* wanted to be bold, I could say that I think Bugenhagen is probably *the* most techno-Pagan person I know--and he's only in a video game!

Getting back to the main point about pre-defined characters; Mr. Gohan is setting up a straw man here and proceding to tear it down. He ought to follow the lessons of his Bible and not build his house of logic on a foundation of sand...

Lastly, in regards to his comments on female roles in RPGs...I can not tell you how incredibly, deeply saddened I was to read such unbelievably sexist, bigoted remarks. I am truly at a loss for words to describe just how nauseated I was by them. That someone would still harbor those kinds of thoughts two years from the dawning of a new millenium says a heck of a lot.

While I am surprised by the virulence and inflammatory nature of his statements, I can not say that I am surprised, however. As a female gamer (my first system was a hand-me-down Colecovision), I have experienced so much discrimination, chauvinism, and outright bigotry from my male counterparts. I have had males (I dare not call them men) actually refuse to play against me online and in arcades. I have had males so outraged that I, a mere woman, defeated them in some game or another that I've actually been threatened with bodily harm. As a bisexual, I have recieved my fair share of hate mail from gamers on-line. This is disgusting, and intolerable.

While I would lay down my life to protect Mr.Gohan's right to spew his verbal filth in whatever forum he pleases, I am exercising my right to rebutt it in the strongest manner possible.

Well, Mr. Gohan, I am a female gamer. I am a Wiccan priestess--I am a healer. I also have black belts in Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun, as well as dan rank or equivalent in a couple of Japanese styles. Currently I am studying caponeira. My male friends, who are not students of the martial arts, would gladly stand behind me if we ever got attacked on the street and would wholeheartedly let me defend them. I would not hesitate to come to Mr. Gohan's aid should he ever need it--for that is a part of my oath as a Wiccan. My Goddess Athene has charged me to respect *all* humanity, even male chauvinist pigs like him, and to always defend the defenseless.

I simply can not see how *any* female could be inspired by Tifa Lockheart of FF7. She totally, utterly disgusted me. She was a pathetic shell of a woman who did not even have the courage to face her own feelings. Holding her up as some kind of feminist icon is like holding up Judas Iscariot as a model for Christian conduct. It's totally ludicrous, and shows an incredible lack of understanding about the character.

As for female characters moving to the rear so that their male warriors could protect them? Was it Cloud who went, alone, to the City of Ancients to stop Sephiroth? Cloud, the mighty male warrior? No! It was Aeris, the waify female magic user (please don't take that to mean I disrespect Aeris--in fact, I love her to death, and she is probably my all-time favorite video game character next to Celes and Vincent). Aeris showed more strength and courage in that game than any other character, bar none. She knew what she had to do, and she did it, even though she knew it could cost her her very life (and did).

Like other fundamentalist conservatives, Mr. Gohan probably longs for a return to the days when women were seen and not heard, except in the kitchen and suburban tupperware parties. I hate to burst the bubble, but in real life, just as in the virtual, we are warriors, lovers, teachers, healers, priestesses, judges, heroines. We are fierce, we are gentle--we *ARE*. And neanderthals like Mr. Gohan, with their patriarchal garbage, just inspire us to greater heights of achievement. Whether that is fighting a dragon in an RPG or fighting crime in the inner city. Whether that is casting a Cure4 spell or saving lives as a paramedic.

I wear short dresses and the occasional daisy duke shorts because I am proud of my body and my sexuality, and I am not afraid to express that. I work hard to keep fit and as beautiful on the outside as I am on the inside--in addition to studying the martial arts, I am also a student of Middle Eastern dance--and I see no good reason why I should hide that simply because there are some who would not appreciate it.

I think Mr. Gohan, and the pathetic others who share his opinions ought to ask themselves why they feel so threatened by portrayals of strong women. I feel that opinions like those espoused by Mr. Gohan are far, *far* more dangerous to society than any violence in a video game. They perpetuate the very hatreds and attitudes of superiority that are the root of violence--the Witch Hunts in the supposedly enlightened Renaissance, the Holocaust, the African slave trade, gay and lesbian bashings, interment of Japanese-Americans in the U.S. during WWII, and religious persecution all over the world. When one person states that 's *real* place and *real* role is *here* instead of *there*, there is all too often a feeling that those sentiments can be (and should be) enforced by committing violence. *That* my friends, is what is dangerous.

Blessed Be,
Morboriel Parthenos (aka The Lady Aerith in various FF circles)

Original Editorial: Why RPGs Should be Severely Censored and Devoid of Character Development