• Gamers, gender, and cruel optimism: the limits of social identity constructs in The Guild

    Author(s):
    Amanda Cote, Cody Mejeur (see profile)
    Date:
    2017
    Group(s):
    Game Studies, Gender Studies, Global Gaming Cultures
    Subject(s):
    Games--Study and teaching, Television--Study and teaching, Americans--Social life and customs
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    The Guild, Stereotypes, Cruel Optimism, Game studies, Representation, Gender and queer studies, Television studies, American culture
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/M6348GG30
    Abstract:
    Video game culture has a long, ongoing history of problems with representation and inclusivity, as a wide variety of forces have constructed video games and gaming as masculine. Against this background, the popular gamer-oriented web series The Guild (2007–2013) appears to offer a unique counterperspective, presenting a gender-diverse cast and focusing primarily on female protagonist Cyd “Codex” Sherman. As such, the show could potentially diversify popular conceptions of gamers. Through a close reading of The Guild, however, we demonstrate that it fails to do so. More specifically, the show’s portrayal of gamer identity serves as a form of cruel optimism, presenting it as an ideal that promises game players a consistent subculture and a sense of belonging, but ultimately traps them in narrow roles and identity constructs. Furthermore, the show’s gamer ideal also reproduces particular forms of gendered inequalities that posit aggressive, competitive masculinity as superior to both more passive masculinities and all forms of femininity. Overall, this leads The Guild to reinforce gaming culture’s existing problems with sexism and regressive stereotypes. Because of this, the show presents a relation of cruel optimism, assuming the appearance of positive change while failing to deliver on it.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Pub. DOI:
    10.1080/14680777.2017.1376699
    Publisher:
    Informa UK Limited
    Pub. Date:
    2017-9-14
    Journal:
    Feminist Media Studies
    Volume:
    18
    Issue:
    6
    Page Range:
    963 - 978
    ISSN:
    1468-0777,1471-5902
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    5 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved

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