Ryan Carlson
Ryan is a passionate gamer who is conflicted about whether he should become the Ubermensch or a Ghost In the Machine. Maybe his answer will be found in the Golden Mean.
As a male gamer it is difficult to play the new video games that come out because I never know if I will be labeled a bad person for doing so. For example, I cannot play the video game Mario because social justice warriors feel that the game is sexist. They argue that it is wrong to portray Princess Peach as a damsel in distress and this notion sends a bad message to society as a whole about women. So if I am a guy who wants to do the right thing, I immediately strike that game off my list because it’s not oppressive free. In the future, video game packages should have a big O with a circle surrounding the letter to stand for OPPRESSIVE CONTENT inside.
When I strive to play games that don’t contain sexism, I immediately strike Grand Theft Auto, Resident Evil, Dead or Alive, Tomb Raider, Lollipop Chainsaw, God of War, and Bioshock Infinite off my list. Because from the social justice warrior perspective, you can argue all of those games contain some type of sexism content towards women and should not be played. Fair enough. But what game can I play that would be free of sexist content and would satisfy social justice warriors? I know of the game.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Friendship is indeed Magic!
My Little Pony was originally a large pink toy released by Hasbro in the 1980s. Over the next decade it would lead to the creation of the My Little Pony Entertainment franchise. This entertainment franchise released the animated television show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic in 2010 and over the years the show has gained in popularity. Obviously, a show like this would be marketed toward young girls but as it turns out adult men really liked the show.
I have only been able to stomach seeing one episode of this animated series and from what I can tell these ponies do cutesy things in the show. There is one pony I remember in the show called Rainbow Dash. From what I was able to gather on the internet, this pony is one of the most popular ponies. The reason I talk about this entertainment franchise so much is because it resulted in My Little Pony computer and mobile games being created.
When I have played some of these games I found them to have no oppressive content what so ever. There are no scantily clad ponies in this game or any type of sexism. All there is to it is innocent female ponies who play together, run around, hug each other, sing, and do good things. I believe this is a game that social justice warriors will give their stamp of approval for male gamers to play.
Brony
The term “brony” is given to young adult and middle age males who love the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. If you have watched all the episodes, go to My Little Pony forum sites, and play the video games, you can be considered a brony. You can even wear t-shirts with the My Little Pony emblem on it to concerts, school, or anywhere you like. As a brony, you know that wherever you go people will know that you think friendship and hugs are the most important thing in the world.
I think this is the kind of game that can unite male and female gamers. If you are ever criticized by a social justice warrior who thinks you play sexist video games, remind them that you play My Little Pony and say that you believe hugs and friendships are the answer. Tell them that you believe Rainbow Dash is a beautiful pony who you try to emulate in your everyday life. Tell them that you rock custom t-shirts to represent the My Little Pony franchise everywhere you go with the hopes of spreading peace and love.
I am relieved to finally find a video game after my long search that social justice warriors will not criticize me for playing. They wanted a video game that promoted equality among the sexes, a game that allowed young boys, young girls, adult women, and adult men to play without shame. They wanted a video game that promoted the message of peace instead of the message of violence. We finally have that video game, but… social justice warriors do not like when adult men play My Little Pony
Social Justice Warriors
It is apparent that social justice warriors do not like bronies even though in theory they should. You can see this through articles, blogs, and forum posts written on the internet filled with disdain for a male who considers himself a brony. It is thought that this man is childish, refuses to grow up, and is actually creepy for liking this children’s show. As it turns out, being a man who believes friendship is magic is not liked by social justice warriors as a whole.
It seems to me as a male gamer we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t. If we endorse video games that are considered sexist by social justice warriors, we are vehemently criticized. If we choose to play a game like My Little Pony, which is free from sexism and promotes a healthy view of friendships and relationships, we are also criticized for refusing to grow up for liking a children’s show. At the end of the day we cannot make the social justice warriors happy no matter what we decide to do.
Their happiness actually stems from pleasure they receive from criticizing others instead of looking inward and criticizing themselves.
Read Next: 25 Highly Visible Benefits Of Being An Irrational Social Justice Warrior
