Gaming Culture & Rape

Rape (verb): To force to have sexual intercourse. 

Rape is an extremely packed word. It conjures images of violence, aggression, force, and helplessness. It’s a real threat that’s frequent and close to home. In the United States, someone is raped every 2 seconds. Out of these yearly 213,000 rape victims, 60% won’t report the rape to police. Of the rapists that do get reported, 15/16 won’t serve jail time. Rape isn’t something to be taken lightly. 

Why then, has “rape” become a popular slang term in gaming culture? 

 Rape, in gaming culture, means a situation where one side is overwhelmed and powerless. It can be a negative insult (“That guy raped me” = He beat me drastically) or a positive brag (“We totally raped that team” = We were better than them) depending which side of the helplessness one is on. It’s a term that is thrown around carelessly in online multiplayer matches, by gamers young and old. 

Apart from having violent connotations, rape also has serious implications against women. Statistically women are more often the victims of rape than men. When used in the context of gaming,  “rape” is used as a tool to de-masculinate opponents. By “raping” someone, the player is asserting dominance, masculinity, and power.  This focus on masculinity further perpetuates the ideology of a “boys only” gaming environment.

While the slang is usually aimed at men, the tone of “rape” shifts drastically when directed at female gamers. The website Fat, Ugly, or Slutty allows female gamers to send in examples of online harassment (usually from men), which is then posted in a humorous manner. Most of the posts show men asking for sexual favors or calling the female gamer a “whore”, however, the posts that mention raping them often stand out above others. They tend to straddle the line between the slang and dictionary definition of rape. In one post, a male gamer, frustrated about being rejected an online match with a female player, says via Xbox message, “you are a dumb slut, you stupid whore. I would rape you 1V1…” (http://fatuglyorslutty.com/2012/01/13/any-more-would-be-uncivilized/). In this context, he’s using the word rape to describe the action of beating her at 1V1, asserting that he’s a better player at that particular game type. However, the messages quickly change tone when he mentions, “I’m going to do the world a favor and rape you 18 times”. In this message, he is threatening to sexually assault the female gamer. Rapes definitions, and the implications that go along with them,  can easily switch when directed at women. It’s a term that blurs the line between a slang word and a real threat.  

No matter what the definition or use, the word rape encourages violence, creates an unequal power relation, and disempowers women. It is a term that should not be taken lightly. Gaming culture is created by the gamers, so if you want to make a positive influence do not use the word rape as slang. It may seem like you’re not making a difference, but if more gamers stop using the word rape, it will soon diminish. 

Be a conscious gamer. Don’t use the word “rape” casually.

How to Wear Geeky Clothing (& Other Nonsense)

Someone please shoot me if I see another nerd (male or female) rocking the dingy, too large, black nerd tee with ripped jeans.
 I love nerdy attire/accessories, but I've always struggled with how and when to wear them. Here's a breakdown of some tips and tricks to looking fly and staying true to your hobbies:

Graphic Tee's
I understand the majority of graphic shirts are black, but try to stay away from ones with a single line of text on it (it just looks silly). To be honest, try to avoid text at all - it usually results in a look that appears to be trying way too hard. I'd recommend getting one with a more artsy feeling, rather than game or nerd related. It's way more versatile and looks great on pretty much everyone. I would also recommend staying away from over the top gory shirts, you just can't wear them out too much.

I'm the perfect example of what NOT to do...WAY too much nerd

Now that you've picked out your super cool graphic tee, when, where, and how should you wear it?! You can pretty much wear a graphic tee to any casual event (class, hanging out, movies, etc.), just make sure you mix it up every now and then (that means don't wear the same shirt all the time!).

See if you can spot the nerdy shirts hidden on w0lfspirittt and LadySnip3r, one's a wolf and one is a Team Rocket.

 For girls, I think graphic tees look great with a pair of skinny jeans and sneakers. It's classic, comfortable, and just the right amount of geek. For those wanting to make more of a fashion statement, I usually mix my graphic tees into odd outfits; try it with a cardigan and bootcut jeans for something laid back but mature looking, or wear tucked into a cute boxy skirt.

DarkSnip3r looking super classy in his N7 shirt.

For all you boys, tees look great with a nice pair of jeans. Now nice means no rips, tears, or dirt. I think a darker wash is very flattering, especially when worn with a dark shirt. However, be careful not to match your jean wash and shirt color. I would not really recommend wearing tees with cargos (I'm a little biased against them). I think it looks a little too laid back. If you want to mix it up a bit, add a cardigan or unbuttoned button up. You don't have to be a hipster to rock a man-cardigan, they add a bit of class to any outfit.

Accessories
So you just bought some real life cog tags, now when on earth can you wear them?! If you're going to do a super geeky accessory (like a replica from a video game), try to have that be you're only geeky apparel item. I would also recommend using accessories on the smaller side, so that only true geeks can really point out what you're wearing.

As much as I love huge belt buckles, they are very difficult to wear and have it look good. If you really need a metal icon of your favorite game or anime, get a simple key chain. 

I think one of the best places to rock your nerdy love is through technology. Put your phone and computer backgrounds as scenes from your favorite games, add sweet geeky decals to your laptop, or protect your phone or tablet with a nerdy case.


And there you have, just some tips on looking good and staying geeky. Thought of some fashion tips I forgot? Leave them in a comment and save the world from fashion disasters.

As always,
LadySnip3r