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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 7 of 19)
Marty May 1st 2009 1:34PM
I think if you'd like to call this achievement sexist then you should have been complaining back during winter veil when people were completing Bros. before Ho Ho Hos. I'm pretty sure its that achievement that's most analogous to this one, in which the player has to run around and /kiss various male NPC of their faction.
There was no large outcry then, there is now. Translation: Feminists themselves are generally sexist in that they only care about gender inequality when is affects them, and even then sometimes only when they're negatively affected.
samslaw25 May 1st 2009 2:18PM
Kimberly's right. I'm not sure if the racial analogy works completely, but it's a fair comparison.
And feminism is inherently gender-biased; women are a historically oppressed minority. Men are not, and the "Bro's Before Ho-Ho-Ho's" achievement doesn't reflect any real-world discrimination.
But there IS real world discrimination against women, and many feminists would (correctly, I think) argue that perpetuating such things in the online environment is inappropriate. It would have been easy enough for Blizz to make this gender neutral (put bunny ears on everyone for the achievement), and maybe next year it should be.
Sexism doesn't only occur because of a conscious effort to discriminate against or degrade women. I'm sure Blizz made no such effort. But when you're a corporation that deals with millions of people, you need to think such things through better.
Eddy May 1st 2009 1:25PM
I kind of thought it was a little dodgy.
Then I realized you're putting a lot of ears on level 80 players. Which added a whole new level of hilarity.
alex May 1st 2009 1:27PM
@ Super Marxio
"It is similarly sexist to assume that women find scanty clothing offensive."
Yes, you're correct... it would be sexist (if you threw in the word "all" before "women").
But the person to whom you responded did not argue that all women find it offensive. Notice he used "could" as in "could be alienating." That's not sexist, that's just true.
drail May 1st 2009 1:27PM
I think if this subject offends you, that you take yourself WAY too seriously. Eventually we will all have gray everything and nothing will be unique. Gone will be the days of creativity, killed by "equality".
Tomnationwide May 1st 2009 1:27PM
It's rabbit ears it's not a shaved kitty :|
j May 1st 2009 1:27PM
Oh please. The gamer world is predominantly male. Programming and design is run primarily by men. As a gamer girl, I took all of this into account prior to entrenching myself into this world. I don't find it insulting or sexist.
Look at any fantasy-based hobby and the females (human, alien or otherwise) are generally buxom and sexy. They are drawn and written to appeal to men because its usually men that create them.
Additionally and just as important to note, females are drawn and created to be sexy but also strong, ass kicking characters. Everything about females in the fantasy realm is over pronounced...if the feminist front wants to fight on the "bunny ear" hill, they will lose.
No one will force an entire segment of the population who understand the fantasy-based genre to acknowledge something so trivial as this as sexist.
Its fun and lighthearted. God forbid anyone have fun in a game.
yaja May 1st 2009 1:28PM
Do NOT confuse Playboy bunnies with Playboy Playmates. Playboy bunnies (which is what your ears would be associated with) almost never posed or appeared nude. If you've been to the mall in the summer, you've seen teenagers with less clothes than playboy bunnies wear. "zomg, it's related to playboy, it must be sexist" ... be informed.
Aruhgulah May 1st 2009 1:29PM
No, this wasn't sexist.
And I'm speaking not only as a female player, but as a female dwarf who couldn't pop into Dalaran for 30 sec without being beseiged by ears.
Good LORD, people, before you start calling the Playboy reference sexist, please realize that there's been PlayGIRL magazine, that porn uses both naked women AND men (yet somehow, it's only women that are supposedly objectified -- shyah. right.) and there is NOTHING wrong with freakin' bunny ears. It's a pop culture reference, that's all.
Now, you wanna talk sexist, let's talk about that Incubus slut forced on my female 'lock alt, with no alternative male Succubus....
Deadly. Off. Topic. May 1st 2009 2:24PM
I wish they'd give us a choice, I don't want a female demon either.
Blaze May 1st 2009 1:32PM
I'm sorry, but what?
How can you even deem this as sexist at all..
To the ~18% of people and the people in the future who have/will vote it to be sexist, give me some sort of worthwhile reasoning to this, as i'm sure you'll find you have absolutely no decent arguement at all. The votes for 'sexist, change the achievement' are merely views which have been overblown to the extent of a game and a modern pop culture reference.
The women who get offended by such a demeanor is the women who have specifically noticed a sexist reference and looked for further justification behind their view.
If you are someone who believes this to be sexist to the extent where people are offended enough for the mechanics of the achievement to be changed, please post your arguement, i'm sure it'll give me an insight as to your stupidity.
DanH May 2nd 2009 2:17PM
"give me some sort of worthwhile reasoning to this"
Because it discriminates based on gender. Full stop.
Ryuker May 1st 2009 1:28PM
Wow, people will literally complain about anything. And feminist groups tend to be the most bitchy. Sue me.
SINisterWyvern May 1st 2009 1:29PM
Something many people are missing as well:
Most of these female characters are played by males =O
Saelorn May 1st 2009 1:29PM
It obviously discriminates (by the definition of the word) between male and female characters.
It also celebrates those who do not "follow the norm" for what is considered an attractive character: female tauren, dwarves, orcs, etc. are thrust into the spotlight during this week only.
What nobody has mentioned is that level 18 is around the threshold for letting anyone participate regardless of level but still discouraging people from just making alts for it. I know, they're just going for the obvious joke, but still, it's a happy coincidence.
Treason May 1st 2009 1:39PM
Hypersensitive much?
dotorion May 1st 2009 1:57PM
QFT
Copernicus May 1st 2009 1:32PM
Yes, it's sexist.
I know that I felt creepy when I spotted a female Troll or whatever, and then spent the next couple minutes following them around while waiting for my bunny-ears cooldown to finish.
Mognet T May 1st 2009 1:32PM
I don't find it sexist, I find it a pop culture reference.
Then again, I'm a guy, so don't really understand what it's like to be a woman, especially one under the feminist mindset. I've known a few feminists and I always thought they overreacted to everything, but I understood and respected their opinions because they are fighting for something they deserve (and do not always receive), equality
vanillafire May 1st 2009 1:34PM
I think the achievement is sexist. The problem with it is that it singles out women specifically for the Playboy Bunny ears, which symbolise being eye candy for men. It encourages the perception that women ARE eye candy for men and that that's what they should be 'celebrated' for. It's a terrible thing, having a culture where young girls are led to believe that the most worthwhile thing they could do is look sexy for men.
If the achievement were for both genders of 18+, it would be more equal and have a sense of fun to it. Men and women are attracted to each other in various combinations, of course they are, and it's a natural part of life... but it shouldn't just be women for whom it is the most important thing they can do. It shouldn't be either gender, for that matter.