Feminist design.

[melissadowell]

So I'm working on a video game that involves robots and will be available for all ages. We have one design finalized, but there's 4 more bosses to be decided

Comments

[la_dulce_evita]

well, i haven't seen pictures so i don't know how neutral the robots look; to my mind, it's very difficult for any humanoid figure to look truly gender-neutral. then again, they're robots, and don't really need any gender. i think having them look asexual/androgynous and giving some of them feminine names is a great idea. :^)

[celebdu]

oooh... interesting quandry. I know some folks in academia who are or were peripherally involved in designing computer games for young girls... from a very academicy / activist perspective. hmm... helen nissenbaum was one of those people. she's a professor, and not the most approachable professor in the world... but still, if you wanted to, you're certainly welcome to e-mail her and see if she happens to have input or suggestions for people who would have input. you can google easily for her e-mail. anyways, enjoy! sounds like fun. :)

Heh

[sonofclyde]

"rosie the robo-riveter" or "Leora Tanenbot"?

[fridgedicebunny]

I think it would be interesting to have a female named robot be neutral bodied. It would cancel out this idea that male is default and female is other... Like, in most instances like this, the neutral looking robot is ALWAYS male and then the female robot is somehow modified and "feminized". Which is just fucking stupid and kind of insulting.

[melissadowell]

Damn straight.

Annoyingly, they've gone over me and had the other designer do all the robots and they're all just big muscle guys save for one, who is very Bender-like.

Le sigh.

[sonofclyde]

Or make hermaphrobots, they can be pink with masculine builds and a large bump in their crotch. The can all be named pat, or chris, or Lauren