Diversity

Middle Grade Media to Enjoy Instead

~ Eric ~ Leave a comment

With a reboot series coming and no sign of the author shutting up about her trans-hating (and often racist and even misogynist) views, the most commonly known wizard-school story is still being pushed hard by news orgs and of course by Warner Bros. Surrounding all that talk, I hear a lot of base assumptions that HP is somehow uniquely good or influential, when in fact much of its popularity was originally (if I may) astro-TERFed. (For more on the myth of the books’ original impact, check out Caelan Conrad’s excellent deconstruction here.) It really wasn’t until the movies that the series became a pop culture phenomenon, and even those were unable to conceal many of the horribly flawed storytelling and world-building decisions of the books.

I try to stay on top of children’s media, especially for the middle grades, and it always makes me sad how much the specter of the TERF-slop wizard books overshadows much better books, movies, and television. For that reason, I wanted to compile a list of lesser-known works that I consider vastly superior in writing, production, and creator non-bigotry. I’m sure many people would have other favorites to add, but each of these are things that I would personally recommend to anyone willing to try them.

Continue reading →

Resistance Triage

~ Eric ~ Leave a comment

Well, here we are again. Yes, the irony is not lost on me that I wrote a literal Cassandra post before the election, yet afterwards everyone keeps finger-pointing and talking about the 2024 election as if it is an isolated incident and not the result of 40 years or more of long-term degradation of the US electoral process.

Anyway, we can’t think long-term right now. We are stuck in the moment, and we’re about to have another wave of intentional crises – a veritable Gish Gallop of oppression – that is designed to overwhelm our ability to fight against any of the individual pieces. It happened during Trump’s first administration, and it’s only going to get worse this time. While we don’t know exactly what will happen and when, there’s a lot of panic and anticipation about all the things that could happen.

Continue reading →

“Superhero Fatigue” Isn’t Actually That

~ Eric ~ 1 Comment

Is superhero fatigue killing movies? Don’t the terrible numbers of 2023 show that there’s superhero fatigue? And if so, why does it exist? Is it because there’s too much to watch? Because it’s bad? Because it’s too “woke?” (Not even those scare quotes can convey the sarcasm I type that with.) Because Millennials are too old? Because Gen Z won’t go out to the movies? Most importantly, how can we make money again? WON’T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE MONEY?

Everyone from Screen Rant to Forbes talks about this trend as if it’s a given, but no one can seem to agree on what it is and why it’s so pervasive. If you read the industry-focused analyses, the clear indicator is the rapidly declining success of the superhero movie as the box office juggernaut it was throughout the 2010s. If you read the fansite analyses, the clear indicator is the rapidly declining reviews both from critics and audiences (and from non-audience review bombers). But both of these are symptoms with no single clear cause, so anyone can project their own assumptions onto them. And that’s what’s happening, because these analyses are part of the actual real problem. They are themselves a symptom that is indicative of a totally different problem: the addiction to canon.

Continue reading →

Imagining a Spectrum of Masculinity

~ Eric ~ 2 Comments

Much of the discourse around modern understandings of gender identity, gender expression, biological assignment, sexual attraction, romantic attraction, et al. revolves around the idea of a spectrum. People may try to represent such spectra as scales, grids, Venn diagrams, or even layer cakes. I hear generally positive things about the Gender Unicorn, but I am also a bit wary because of how often these kinds of things are thrown up on the internet with no research or vetting. (Here’s a hilarious article deconstructing a few such diagrams.)

Yet there is value even in flawed representations because of the conversations they generate. They may need to be improved, but their very existence may inspire someone to improve them. And in the meantime we expand our visual and verbal vocabulary for discussing these important concepts of identity, which is always a positive. I believe that increased vocabulary brings increased clarity of communication and thought.

But there is clarity we’re missing, particularly in the category of gender experience and expression.

Continue reading →

Redefining Masculinity in Gaming

~ Eric ~ 1 Comment

It’s another Metatopia-inspired post!

There’s something about the rich offerings at this convention – both in terms of design and discussion – that inspire me to examine gaps of experience and conversation in the overall gaming community. Sometimes, as with last year’s extensive 4–part rant, those gaps are noticeable even at Metatopia itself. This year, I noticed once again that there was something missing in the conversation, and it’s missing everywhere.*

(*Almost everywhere. Brie Sheldon’s fantastic ‘zine Behind the Masc is one of the few exceptions I’ve seen, and very much an inspiration for this post.)

Continue reading →

Replacing Loyalty

~ Eric ~ 2 Comments

I am skeptical about loyalty. I’m not normally one to inspire it, and when I have given it I have not often received it in turn. It’s important for me to say that because I realize it colors the argument I am about to make:

Loyalty is not an inherently positive character trait.

Continue reading →

Breaking Stereotypes for Better Settings

~ Eric ~ 2 Comments

My last post was a rant, so now we get to the follow-up on how to do better.

Specifically, I want to discuss how we can do better as designers. Private games are private games, and we don’t really need to discuss what you do on your own time with your own friends.

But if you’re designing and publishing or talking about your games on a public platform, then that is my concern. It’s everyone’s concern, because it’s public. What you contribute to gaming is part of the ongoing conversation of who we are as a community.

Continue reading →

No More Asia Slaw

~ Eric ~ 1 Comment

I’ve been debating with myself how I want to handle this, because what I have to say affects people who are friends of some of my friends. On the one hand, that seems like a place to walk carefully, but on the other hand that’s exactly the problem that perpetuates privilege: not speaking out just because you “know” the people. It perpetuates privilege because it leaves the task of criticizing people to those who are outside the group, people who are inherently less likely to be listened to.

So screw it – I’m going to be blunt.

Continue reading →

Game Design and the Primacy of Personal Experience – Part 4

~ Eric ~ 4 Comments

Where Do We Go from Here?

The gaming community has gotten a little tense lately. I’m not going to talk about that specifically, but I will say that this last section suddenly became extremely relevant in my mind as I watched an entire local gaming community collapse in on itself.

I think the points I’ve tossed around in the previous parts can offer some things to think about, but I want to throw out just a few ideas for positive action in shifting away from focusing on our own personal experiences and growing our empathy as a community.

Continue reading →