Category Archives: Monthly Articles

In Defense of Domesticity [REPOST from Shrub.com]

Posted on February 9, 2006 by tekanji

Note: This article was originally written on July 03, 2005 as a Shrub.com Article. In my process of switching all articles over to this blog, I will be reposting old entries. What follows is in its original form without any editing.

Because of some crossed wires, I’m taking this month instead of johnmoon (he’ll be up for August). Since I’m in the middle of moving, I’m going to shamelessly plagiarize my own comment from a thread over at reappropriate. On our blog, I argued for the ability for people to choose what, if any, parts of traditional femininity and masculinity are right for them. Taking the argument to its logical conclusion, everyone should have the right to choose what kind of life is right for them whether it be working a job or taking care of the house and kids. Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, Gender Caste, Monthly Articles | 7 Comments

Fantasy Women [REPOST from Shrub.com]

Posted on February 7, 2006 by tekanji

Note: This article was originally written on November 01, 2005 as a Shrub.com Article. In my process of switching all articles over to this blog, I will be reposting old entries. What follows is in its original form without any editing.

While in the midst of writing my Girls and Game Ads series, I found myself going off on a tangent on the depiction of women in the fantasy genre and how it helped lead to the rise of the “girl power” paradigm we find deeply enmeshed in current Western pop-culture. While the whole “chicks in chainmail” deal was already being challenged by fresh authors and ideas by the time I got into fantasy, it remains an important part of the genre’s history. It is this idea that I will be addressing in this article. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, magazines, etc., Gender issues, Monthly Articles | Comments Off

Gaming Communities: Real or Imaginary? [REPOST from Shrub.com]

Posted on February 6, 2006 by tekanji

Note: This article was originally written on May 05, 2005 as a Shrub.com Article. In my process of switching all articles over to this blog, I will be reposting old entries. What follows is in its original form without any editing.

Why is it that the most visible critiques on video games come from people who are obviously not even casual gamers? I always hear “violence” and “sexually explicit content” thrown around without the writer having an understanding, or offering an in-depth critique, on what those words mean for video games. I find that these so-called “anti-game crusaders” often buy into alarmist extremes, thereby misrepresenting the influence of videogames, without ever asking why such a correlation exists. Most times, this perspective misses the intricacies of the games and, in the case of online games, the gaming communities.

It’s understandable, then, when I lumped a Vancouver Sun article entitled “Those MMORPGs: Threat or Menance?” (March 24, 2005, A13) written by Erin Morisette, a political science undergrad, into the same category. Morisette seeks to prove that MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games) are “sedentary, solitary and anti-social, offering little in return,” or so the subtitle under the header would have us believe. While I can’t argue with the sedentary aspect, I find it hard to believe that anyone could accuse online gaming of being “solitary and anti-social.” Continue reading →

Posted in Monthly Articles, Video Games | 1 Comment

Shrub.com Article for January

Posted on January 1, 2006 by tekanji

January’s article, Gender Bending in Utena: the movie, is just what the title makes it sound to be: a look at the way the movie handles gender. Note: Happy new year everyone! This is a journal article from a class … Continue reading →

Posted in Monthly Articles | 2 Comments

Shrub.com Article for December

Posted on December 4, 2005 by tekanji

December’s article, Helen of Troy, is a critique of the 2003 made-for-TV movie. Why, oh why, do people insist on butchering Homer? What is it about the Iliad setting that seems to inspire people to turn it on its ear? … Continue reading →

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Shrub.com Article for November

Posted on November 15, 2005 by tekanji

November’s article, Silent Treatment is a short story and commentary on popular culture, the entertainment industry, and women’s place in all this. Wanted immediately: Hot [must be hot!] woman [must be female!] between 5’3″ and 5’10″ [must not be taller … Continue reading →

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Shrub.com Article for October

Posted on October 3, 2005 by tekanji

October’s article, Fantasy Women, discusses the “chicks in chainmail” stereotype found in many fantasy based media. While in the midst of writing my Girls and Game Ads series, I found myself going off on a tangent on the depiction of … Continue reading →

Posted in Monthly Articles | 2 Comments

Shrub.com Article for September

Posted on September 1, 2005 by tekanji

September’s article, Sword of the Valiant, is a critique of the ’80′s film of the same name. How about a little wine with that cheese? Sword of the Valiant, produced in true 80s fashion, is laughable. The movie claims to … Continue reading →

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Shrub.com Article for August

Posted on August 1, 2005 by tekanji

August’s article, Tilt, Game 6., is a short story on life, death, and the road in between. I grabbed my computer and stuffed my trunk full of documents and booze and books and clothes. I opened the mapbook to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Monthly Articles | 1 Comment

Shrub.com Article for July

Posted on July 3, 2005 by tekanji

July’s article, In Defense of Domesticity, is a short piece on domestic labour and feminism. Because of some crossed wires, I’m taking this month instead of johnmoon (he’ll be up for August). Since I’m in the middle of moving, I’m … Continue reading →

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