I have played BG&E, yes. It's a lovely game. And I like Jade, she's cool. But the problem is that she's almost entirely alone.
Also, this is a very slight nitpick, but they made her primary motivation protecting her kids - which is a valid motivation which they made a fun story from! But a very, very common one for female characters. Like, almost the only one. It would be great if we could have a motivation for a female character that goes beyond simply protecting the childrens (or her people, or the planet, or et cetera). Men get things like revenge, or heroism, or rebellion. They pursue things for themselves. Women, when they get to do things, seem always to do them for other people, you know? There's this tendency towards martyr complexes. (This is one of the few problems I have with Elika. Though they justify the martyr complex in an interesting way, and she does point out that she's not following the Prince so much as he's following her, and even spoiler spoilery spoiler, that doesn't change the whole 'I am the last of my line fighting to save my people' shtick.)
It would be cool if there was a female character who was selfish and didn't get condemned for it. In fact, female anti-heroes! Female magnificent bastards! Conniving, manipulative bitches who improvise and smirk and win! Enough role-models, I want my assholes! And, this is important, female characters who use something other than sex to manipulate people. Wouldn't that be cool?
...Secretly, I just want eighteen more Azulas. Or one heroic Azula.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-01-05 12:32 am (UTC)I have played BG&E, yes. It's a lovely game. And I like Jade, she's cool. But the problem is that she's almost entirely alone.
Also, this is a very slight nitpick, but they made her primary motivation protecting her kids - which is a valid motivation which they made a fun story from! But a very, very common one for female characters. Like, almost the only one. It would be great if we could have a motivation for a female character that goes beyond simply protecting the childrens (or her people, or the planet, or et cetera). Men get things like revenge, or heroism, or rebellion. They pursue things for themselves. Women, when they get to do things, seem always to do them for other people, you know? There's this tendency towards martyr complexes. (This is one of the few problems I have with Elika. Though they justify the martyr complex in an interesting way, and she does point out that she's not following the Prince so much as he's following her, and even spoiler spoilery spoiler, that doesn't change the whole 'I am the last of my line fighting to save my people' shtick.)
It would be cool if there was a female character who was selfish and didn't get condemned for it. In fact, female anti-heroes! Female magnificent bastards! Conniving, manipulative bitches who improvise and smirk and win! Enough role-models, I want my assholes! And, this is important, female characters who use something other than sex to manipulate people. Wouldn't that be cool?
...Secretly, I just want eighteen more Azulas. Or one heroic Azula.