So What Should Be Done About these “Women” Then?

See, there are these things called “women.” You are probably familiar with them as a concept. Maybe you’re friends with one, or even married to a member of the apparent “fairer” sex. I’m not here to judge.

The thing is women like to play video games. This was once considered a myth derided as heresy by the video game playing shamans, but these days there are more women interested in games than ever before.

The ESA has found that as much as 40 percent of the current video game audience is female. Some women might even like Facebook games more than sex! Keep in mind that last study was carried out by Doritos, who are not fully licensed sexologist examiners.

The problem with that is the video game community, and even the industry as a whole, is stuck in a boy’s club mentality. That isn’t to say we all shun women from participating in lively debates centered on the finer points Lesbian Spider Queens of Mars; it’s just that everything is taken from a male perspective with more theoretical consideration for female nerds.

It’s also worth mentioning that the worst possible thing for women to do is venture online and let the world know your sex while playing. Fat, Ugly or Slutty collects the more colorful insults that usually all revolve around the name of the website itself. Click on that if you want to lose a little respect for the human species.

Some classics never go away

This childish brand of taunting can even pop up in the real world. The organizers for one LAN party in Texas, who were planning on holding the event to celebrate the launch of Battlefield 3, noticed that the number of men being assholes to women sitting a few feet from them had become a problem. In an attempt to be progressive and fight misogyny the organizers decided to take action…and ban all women from attending.

It’s even better to watch them try and justify that kind of thinking.

"We actively discourage gamers from being the kind of mysogynistic jackwagons seen in the Reddit post, and such behavior should not be tolerated. Frankly, we don't like that kind of player either. So far as this event goes, it is an special event designed specifically for male gamers. Further, it is meant as a getaway designed to help said male contingent become better men both for themselves and for those who love us."

They want to discourage misogyny by forbidding women from attending. It’s the kind of stupid that could cure cancer.

That right there is probably the best example to show what the main problem is; women are becoming more and more interested in video games and the male majority has no idea how to respond to that.

The solution probably needs to go a lot deeper than for guys to “deal with it.” I actually don’t know how to combat the problem with online misogyny just because it’s so wide-spread. I guess one option would be just to keep spreading a “stop being an asshole online” sentiment until it finally sticks, but I don’t think that will happen in my lifetime.

Video games as an artistic medium need a diversity that women can instill, which is why it’s in everyone’s best interest to not turn away those interested. Of course just bringing that up raises the problem of sexism in the video game industry and of course the games themselves, which I’ll probably cover in a follow-up blog.

The most important thing a man can do though is this; if you happen to meet a girl who likes games, please don’t act like you’ve found a fucking unicorn. Please.