Fusion’s YouTube channel has just released the first episode of a series called “Girl Gamers” hosted by Latoya Peterson. Don’t be fooled by the straightforward title, because if this first episode is any indication, the “Girl Gamers” series will approach the topic with nuance packed into every second of its snappy five-minute runtime. After just one episode, I’m already looking forward to more of Peterson’s interviews with women and girls who play and make games; this first entry describes a variety of opinions about the word “gamer,” as well as the phrase “girl gamer,” from stereotypes to reality.
Personally, I really appreciated that Peterson showed the way “gamer identity” gets policed by gaming’s most popular commentators, and also, by other women within the gaming scene. As a young “girl gamer,” I remember policing the identity of other women and girls I knew in an effort to keep my own status intact and feel better about myself. This is a big part of how gatekeeping works in all communities, and of course we’re all familiar with how it works in our own nerdy neck of the woods.
What do you think about Peterson’s first video? As for me, I didn’t even know this series was in the works, but now I’m already thrilled to subscribe and hear more!
(via Kotaku)
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