From the Mouths of... Wait, was that who I think it was?

As the few of you who read this may have noticed, I've been away from the blog for a while. My other half and I noticed that we were having a little trouble being sucked in to the group-think mindset that the Internet occasionally causes, and we needed to step away for a bit.

That said, I saw something that made me want to write again. Anita Sarkeesian, a self-proclaimed gamer and feminist, actually made one good point during her time on the Colbert Report, however, I don't believe it was the point she intended.

Upon being asked if those of us who play video games should just let the princess die, this was Anita's response: "Well, maybe the princess shouldn't be a damsel, and she could save herself."

Now, I love video games, and as a hobby or a career, I think the hero saving the princess is a fine trope to use. It's one that we're familiar with, as most people have been told fairy tales from a young age and watched the traditional "Disney princess" style of movies again and again as children. And I have no argument with its use in games. That's a great place for it, and that's precisely where it does belong. Even little girls, as they grow up and get new interests, can enjoy a video game where they're playing the "hero" and saving the princess.

However, her statement can be used in the real world, to describe people like me. You see, I used to identify as a feminist, until I realized what a divisive term that actually is. Why should I champion the rights of women, when in the deepest part of my beliefs is the platform that ALL people are equal, and should have the same chances at anything they do?

Apply her statement, then, to the modern feminists out there like her. Apply it to feminists who advocate harassing others, or doxing people who aren't as violent in their beliefs, or even just say that women who don't agree with feminists are brainwashed or stupid.

Why is it ok for the princess to save herself, but it's not ok for the modern woman to speak for herself? Why does the modern woman have to allow feminists to speak for her? Is that not the same as the princess waiting to be rescued by someone else? I believe it is.

Let's see that quote in a slightly different way: "Well, maybe the woman shouldn't need the feminist, so she could speak for herself,"

Will all women speak up if the feminists who abuse the term are shouted down? No, of course not, just as right now there are feminists out there who are not abusive towards men or towards those they are genuinely trying to help. However, the more we get away from this "men vs. women" mentality, the sooner we, as people and as humanity, can work towards an equal future for all of us.

I will say this in closing: I am a strong woman. I am an equalist. And I can speak for myself.

Long live the Free Internet