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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsNoblegarden: Sexy or Sexist?
by Robin Torres 
May 1st 2009 at 1:00PM
We are nearing the end of Noblegarden, but haven't discussed here at WoW Insider the most controversial part of the event: Shake your Bunny-Maker. For this achievement, you have to put bunny ears on one female of each race that is over Level 18.
Before we go any farther in this discussion, I would like to state that I am female. Not that I am speaking for all females (no one can), but I think that it is important that you know where I am coming from. I also have a young daughter and would like the world to be a better place for her, as all parents do. It is also worth noting that the title for this post was inspired by one of my favorite movies: This is Spinal Tap. The band wants to release an album called Smell the Glove with a cover of a naked woman who is leashed and is forced to smell a glove. The lead singer mistakes the word "sexist" for "sexy". Hilarity ensues.
Before we go any farther in this discussion, I would like to state that I am female. Not that I am speaking for all females (no one can), but I think that it is important that you know where I am coming from. I also have a young daughter and would like the world to be a better place for her, as all parents do. It is also worth noting that the title for this post was inspired by one of my favorite movies: This is Spinal Tap. The band wants to release an album called Smell the Glove with a cover of a naked woman who is leashed and is forced to smell a glove. The lead singer mistakes the word "sexist" for "sexy". Hilarity ensues.
The name and picture of that fictional album is undeniably sexist and degrading to women. But does that apply to the in-game actions of forcing bunny ears on appropriately "aged" females? Sutro at Feministing.com seems to think so (as do a few of our readers who wrote in about this topic). He calls this achievement "unconscionable", which is a pretty strong word.
Without a doubt, putting the ears only on female characters and having them be the equivalent of legal age to pose nude is a reference to Playboy. And Playboy, as most adults know, is a men's magazine with naked women inside AKA smut or porn. Many people believe that all porn objectifies and is otherwise demeaning to women, even if considered tasteful as many consider Playboy to be.
But while the female characters have no choice as to wearing the bunny ears, which Sutro says makes many female players feel uncomfortable in real life, they are not stripped down into a Playboy Bunny outfit or otherwise affected in any other way. So this really comes down to knowing what the reference is and being bothered by it.
On the one hand, anyone who doesn't know it's a Playboy reference, such as children, just think it's fun to put bunny ears on other players like they forced pumpkins on players' heads during Hallow's End. It is just bunny ears to them and is innocent fun. Other people enjoy the pop culture reference and also mean no harm when participating in the event.
Personally, I wish they had left the gender and level restrictions out of the achievement. Being "forced" to wear bunny ears doesn't bother me at all and I am having a good time in Noblegarden, but I don't think this was the smartest decision Blizzard has ever made. (Edited to add: I tried to present both sides of the topic here, but if you are interested in my full, unbridled opinion, I've expounded on my personal blog.)
| Yes, they should change the achievement to be any gender and level. | |
|---|---|
| Yes, the achievement should be removed. | |
| No, it's all in good fun. | |
| Not in this day and age. | |
| Bunnies are cute! |
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Events, Virtual selves, Achievements
Reader Comments (Page 6 of 19)
lsschwartz May 1st 2009 1:54PM
I can see where you're coming from, and although I too am female I didn't even stop to think about it, and I'm not sure the majority of players do either. It is a bit sexist though, but in WoW culture respect for others is not high on anyone's list, given all the name calling in trade, and bad group behaviour overall.
Then again, having your orphan out while you slaugher your way and kill King Yrmion doesn't sound politically correct either.
SINisterWyvern May 1st 2009 1:19PM
I say it's sexist to call sexism for this.
What if a female employee designed this?
Ragehoof May 1st 2009 2:26PM
pfft. Women can't program...
Now, that is sexist. This achievement is more sexual than sexist as such. Much like a crude joke, but is it really that offensive? give me a break. From the name of the achievement I was much more expecting a round tail to be put on the butts of all the females rather than ears on their heads. And have you listened to some of the /flirts? This achievement is much more tame.
As to it being and issue of not treating the genders exactly alike. Well, guess what, boys and girls are a little different from each other. Go ask you mom or dad about it. Seriously, is it really a big deal to recognize, in a generally playful way that there is a difference between men and women? Get the hell over it. All the whining in the world is not going to change reality and is unlikely to change virtuality. The whole unisex thing is really not gaining much ground with society at large.
SINisterWyvern May 1st 2009 2:48PM
Exactly:
Sexist acts are unequal pay, unequal rights, etc.
Those women in playboy, exercise their right to choose to be in playboy, which.. women's rights are what feminists are supposed to be about right? So.. wait, i'm confused.
Saithir May 1st 2009 7:12PM
Actually, Kisirani, who is the World Event Designer at Blizzard, and is quite active on the forums, is female.
And as a World Event Designer she definitely at least have seen it before, if not designed it herself.
DanH May 2nd 2009 1:21PM
"What if a female employee designed this?"
umm ... then it would make no difference at all?
Ichigo May 1st 2009 1:20PM
Where's the "I like Turtles" option?
This is just silly.
happyhooves May 1st 2009 1:22PM
As a girl, I am not bothered by it. I thought it was clever. Most of the players who are putting bunny ears on females are desperately running around Dalaran trying to find those not-so-popular females of certain races like dwarfs. Everyone is focused on the achievement so that they can get the proto-drake. As my main is female tauren shaman, I had fun with this achievement and was not acting so "noble." I took all the gear off my character and had her dance while people put bunny ears on her.
Grizzler May 1st 2009 1:24PM
I think feminists are funny. If a man says don't do Playboy, a feminists says women should do it because it's empowering for women to have control of her body. If a man says for women to do Playboy, a feminist says it's degrading to women and they shouldn't. I just think that these militant feminists like to argue with men and will just choose the opposite of what a man says.
Zrob May 1st 2009 2:52PM
Or maybe Femenism is a wide and varied umbrella that encompasses many differeng viewpoints regarding the role of women and sex in society.
Some famenists believe that women should empower themselves and use any tool at their disposal (including their bodies)
Some believe that to do so is inherently bad and resist any form of objectification.
Some even believe the first opinion but then struggle with the ramifications of reenforcing the "beauty standard" of the culture.
Sometimes dude, it's just not about you.
Grizzler May 4th 2009 5:57PM
Thanks "dude" you are so enlightened.
Zhaph May 1st 2009 1:23PM
Hrm... I'd think you'd have to know the genders/ages of those responding to the poll for it to be at all worthwhile. I have to say that when I first read about this achievement I wondered why they didn't make the achievement for both genders; I don't think the "of at least 18th level" part is at all gender-biased, though, and I would leave that part intact.
ustilago May 1st 2009 1:24PM
Lighten up, sweetcakes.
/friendly smack on the ass
Tim May 1st 2009 1:24PM
It's kinda silly if Blizz didn't think this would offend SOMEBODY. You can be fairly certain that it was meant in good fun, just another in the long string of pop-culture references by Blizz over the years.
But to think that nobody would get offended was to assume a lot about their playerbase, an assumption that they probably shouldn't have made.
Easy solution, change it to placing bunny ears on one member of each race (of one race) over the age of 18. They could even make two separate achievements, one for males and one for females, and then only require one of them for the Meta-Achievement.
Pretty unnecessary, but it'd probably minimize the number of people ticked off about it. I'd hardly call this "unconscionable", but then I'm a male and tend to view sexual objectification as less of a big deal than other forms which I've actually had to encounter.
ustilago May 1st 2009 1:28PM
Easier solution...
Tell the people who are offended by it to go f-ck themselves and keep the achievement as is.
Friday_Knight May 1st 2009 3:29PM
Or the better assumption to make is that everything out there offends SOMEBODY and to just not give a rat's ass about those people.
If you spend all your time trying to make things that don't offend people you end up making nothing of any substance at all.
Tim May 1st 2009 3:32PM
You're going to have to pardon me for finding it amusing that you're looking for "substance" from an event in a video game where you place bunny ears on other people's characters.
Reserve your demands for substance for something a little less fluffy than WoW.
Jaerock May 1st 2009 1:27PM
Cool story bro...er, sis.
Kimberly May 1st 2009 1:25PM
A character is being targeted strictly on gender and an over-18 level to make it seem "legit." That character's being tagged with bunny ears, a wink at a legendary nudie magazine.
One minute a female character is a hero battling the Scourge, or even just working up her blacksmithing in town. The next minute, without her permission, she's become a sexual punchline and just another nameless conquest on a checklist.
I know, it's just a game. It's all fun and I'm taking the Dalaran trade chat about hunting down the lone female Dwarf in town too seriously. "She's running toward the flight path! Get her!"
I didn't preach about it ingame, I didn't scream at anyone for doing it, I'm not judging anyone for doing it. But to me it's completely sexist.
However, if there was an event that required players to toss something at dark-haired Tauren & dark-skinned Draenei...what would everyone think?
SINisterWyvern May 1st 2009 1:28PM
I would think nothing.
And it's not against their will. You can click off the ears. OMG! an inconvenience I know. What will these poor female characters (mostly played by males btw) ever do to move that mouse pointer a couple inches and hit the right mouse button!