I found Roxane Gay’s media criticism in Bad Feminist very compelling through her use of humor and pop culture to make powerful arguments about women’s representation in media. When contemplating my own research in feminist video game criticism, I found myself struggling with how I could emphasize the seriousness of harmful depictions of women in interactive media, when gaming is often viewed as a childish or “fluffy” topic. I found Gay’s breakdown of Fifty Shades of Grey in the chapter, “The Trouble with Prince Charming: or He Who Trespassed Against Us,” to balance the dichotomy of “serious” and “fluffy,” quite well. In this section, she analyzes the gendered narratives within the Fifty Shades series and constructs these narratives within fairy tale archetypes. This paragraph serves a close look at the trilogy’s Prince Charming, Christian Grey (page 199-200). It contributes to Gay’s overall
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Use of humor: I used humor to highlight the tired presentation of the “stand-in male” trope. I did not use humor in the main points of my paragraph, to ensure these points stayed clear to the reader.
Accessible Language: I used casual language instead of academic jargon, to keep the tone approachable. Badass fits in this case, more so than a euphemism like “renegade.”
Direct Quotation: I thought it was important to include Juliet’s voice to highlight both her girly tone and how it pairs with her toying with Nick. Like Gay’s quote, I find this pairing humorous. The humor seems to highlight the uniqueness in how the game negotiates gender, as it violates our expectations.
Comparison to male archetypes: This section focuses on the tropes of the “male audience stand-in” and “girly badass.” The use of archetypes places the work in conversation with the larger gaming
Use of humor: I used humor to highlight the tired presentation of the “stand-in male” trope. I did not use humor in the main points of my paragraph, to ensure these points stayed clear to the reader.
Accessible Language: I used casual language instead of academic jargon, to keep the tone approachable. Badass fits in this case, more so than a euphemism like “renegade.”
Direct Quotation: I thought it was important to include Juliet’s voice to highlight both her girly tone and how it pairs with her toying with Nick. Like Gay’s quote, I find this pairing humorous. The humor seems to highlight the uniqueness in how the game negotiates gender, as it violates our expectations.
Comparison to male archetypes: This section focuses on the tropes of the “male audience stand-in” and “girly badass.” The use of archetypes places the work in conversation with the larger gaming