In the article “Not a Post-Racism and Post-Misogyny Promised Land: Video Games as Instruments of (In)Justice”, Kishonna Gray and David Leonard did a great job of examining the ways in which video games are a reflection of the world around us. From the connection of Gamergate with the 2016 election to the stereotypical representations of women and people of color in video games, Grey and Leonard look at the ways in which video games reinforce these ideas but also ways in which they can combat them. Grey and Leonard state, “Video games mirror and embody the injustices we see throughout popular culture and in society at large” (Grey and Leonard, 5). Not only is technology, like video games, used to mirror injustices but is also being used against the victims to silence them.
I think it's interesting the role that technology has played in creating and spreading narrative. Gamergate was used to empower a narrative of white male victimhood against change, which we saw happening similarly after the murder of George Floyd with the rise of the “all lives matter” hashtag. The “all lives matter” hashtag was created in contrast to the “Black Lives Matter” movement to dismiss and ignore the racism and violence perpetuated against Black people.
I enjoyed your opinion on the “Not a Post-Racism and Post-Misogyny Promised Land: Video Games as Instruments of (In)Justice” reading, especially your comment on how video games can be a place that both perpetuate and combat stereotypes. I think it's important that we recognize that they can be very negative spaces but that doesn't mean we should write off the medium. I found the game about black hair a very empowering example of this.
ReplyDelete