The creator of Lara Croft (Toby Gard), did not create her to become an iconic figure for males to use as a cross-dressing avatar, but simply because "It was a cutting edge idea at the time in terms of the game..." -Toby Gard. The team that made Lara visually possible insisted on "sexing her up" which I can only assume they thought, well if we are going to be playing with a woman, we might as well make her sexually appealing! But as far as any of them having inner motives to satisfy their cross-dressing desires, we will never know.
Anne-Marie Schleiner brings up the possibility of (some) males playing Tomb Raider to somewhat fulfill their inner desires of being a cross-dresser. Schleiner isn't the only one with this proposition, acknowledging she quotes Clover as he describes the idea that the only person to survive in the movie: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is girl with a sexy body. Clover thinks that she could resemble a female avatar for any male with inner desires to participate in cross-dressing. Quoting Turkle, we may find that males seek female avatars in gaming or online and experiment with them more so than in real life if ever in real life because there far less or no concequences when doing it in the privacy in your own home. Stone takes Turkle a step further by stating characters like Croft, or any other female character played by a male is not just a character created by someone else but literally an extension of the player himself, which could replicate one of his many different personalities or inner desires. In the end though, a single player character does not provide as much feed back to the players inner emotions as a chat room or even real life cross-dressing. Unfortunetly for Schleiner none of the males who participated in her survey addmitted to a cross-dresser relationship between themelves and Croft, not helping her hopes that cross-dressers will show up more frequently and openly in the public.
*Just a personal question I have, do women resent what has been done to Lara Croft over the years? As far as the nude patch goes, I can understand that, but when I read women's writings about Lara I get a sense of despise like when Rehak goes into detail about Lara's figure-oversized breasts and her inhumanly small waist, like she was defending all women. Which I understand, I'm just curious what other women think.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Howard Rheingold onCollective Action, Social Networks and Smart Mobs
http://www.cio.com/article/29804/Howard_Rheingold_onCollective_Action_Social_Networks_and_Smart_Mobs?page=1
I am going to summerize Collective Actions by Rheingold. In his introductory, he starts off by introducting collective action, as "Collective action happens when the aggregate actions of people add up to something instead of cancelling eachother out." When collective action was first defined, it would refur to a group of hunters taking out a buffalo, or a group of farmers bringing in the wheat. But now we can define things on the internet as collective action such as napster linking millions of computers togther. Rheingold wants us to imagine the possibilites with each and every viable source linked to the internet, all connected, all sharing information. It would be crazy! So many things could be accomplished, we would have access to so much information. With that said the government would also have absolute control, knowing where each and every one of us were at all times....
But near the end of the article Rheingold predicts there will be a war within technology. Monopolies in computer software, will eventually be limiting what we view, or what we can buy. Eventually we might need to purchase permits to do certain things with our computers...I think this is to an extreme but basically what he's saying is if companies get evil, they can ruin our lives as we know it basically. I mean what would happen if google took over the major search engines like Bing, yahoo, aol, and then said we could only search such and such, and if we wanted more access then we would have to buy it. This would suck, and that is the war Rheingold is talking about.
But we still have time because the war isn't over. what we do now matters, and we can easily prevent anything like that from happening as long as we are aware and active against the dangers that could come.
I am going to summerize Collective Actions by Rheingold. In his introductory, he starts off by introducting collective action, as "Collective action happens when the aggregate actions of people add up to something instead of cancelling eachother out." When collective action was first defined, it would refur to a group of hunters taking out a buffalo, or a group of farmers bringing in the wheat. But now we can define things on the internet as collective action such as napster linking millions of computers togther. Rheingold wants us to imagine the possibilites with each and every viable source linked to the internet, all connected, all sharing information. It would be crazy! So many things could be accomplished, we would have access to so much information. With that said the government would also have absolute control, knowing where each and every one of us were at all times....
But near the end of the article Rheingold predicts there will be a war within technology. Monopolies in computer software, will eventually be limiting what we view, or what we can buy. Eventually we might need to purchase permits to do certain things with our computers...I think this is to an extreme but basically what he's saying is if companies get evil, they can ruin our lives as we know it basically. I mean what would happen if google took over the major search engines like Bing, yahoo, aol, and then said we could only search such and such, and if we wanted more access then we would have to buy it. This would suck, and that is the war Rheingold is talking about.
But we still have time because the war isn't over. what we do now matters, and we can easily prevent anything like that from happening as long as we are aware and active against the dangers that could come.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
tuesday 's participation
The passage I chose to summerize on pages 174-175, Nakamura gives percentages on race and them having a kid and why they have the internet. I don't understand why she varies though. She states 53% of online blacks have a kid at home under the age of 18, likewise 49% Mexicans. But then she says that 42% of whites online have a kid which is 18 years old...it is inconsistant and when reading other people's data if it isn't consistant or spelled out for you it can be taken many ways. I can read what she is saying but I'm not sure why she is saying it.
She did make it clear that most americans (including myself) view the internet as a more informational means compared to television. I think Nakamura's main point of this passage is that colored people view the internet more as a means of education...moreso than whites. That is why a higher percentage of colored people have internet access with kids compared to those who do not...according to her statistics mentioned.
She did make it clear that most americans (including myself) view the internet as a more informational means compared to television. I think Nakamura's main point of this passage is that colored people view the internet more as a means of education...moreso than whites. That is why a higher percentage of colored people have internet access with kids compared to those who do not...according to her statistics mentioned.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
White supremacy?
Nakamura states a bold argument on page 97, stating the whites "enjoy" the privilege of using various means of technology, communicating with computers and others. She put white people as the lead, while submitting blacks as always taking second. According to Nakamura, black people are always either a whitness or simply support to the white man. She goes about supporting her argument by showing the white woman in a white room, resembling "white power". I think Nakamura is trying to point out the little details-which race is doing what, and there seems to be a common theme in movies as far as rolls a white or black or asian person is subjected to.
When I started to think about it, it was hard to pinpoint a movie that degrades a race as inferior to whites, there are a lot of movies that jump to mind where this isn't the case. One movie, or series, that mite suffice as supporting Nakamura would be the Bourne Identity, and the others. In these movies Matt Damon (a white guy) is the main character who dominates, no one can take him down-he is smarter than everyone else, even other white people...go figure. Then what does that say about the black man?
I believe there is a good answer for why different races are defaulted to certain tasks...but that's for another time.
When I started to think about it, it was hard to pinpoint a movie that degrades a race as inferior to whites, there are a lot of movies that jump to mind where this isn't the case. One movie, or series, that mite suffice as supporting Nakamura would be the Bourne Identity, and the others. In these movies Matt Damon (a white guy) is the main character who dominates, no one can take him down-he is smarter than everyone else, even other white people...go figure. Then what does that say about the black man?
I believe there is a good answer for why different races are defaulted to certain tasks...but that's for another time.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Dogfight By: William Gibson and Michael Swanwick
shit i just wrote this in word and I can't copy and paste it into here. fml
http://www.viodspace.org.uk/cyberpunk/burning_chrome.shtml
The story starts off with Deke, the main character, saw some men, referred to as "local kickers" playing a virtual game- SPADS&FOKKERS, and was very intrigued. He then "boosted" (stole) a game and started playing in a bathroom. This is a futuristic version of computer gaming, using his mind to control his fighter jet, referred to as a biplane. The controller hooks up behind the left ear, as it somehow interfaces with the brain allowing one to control his plane using his mind.
Deke met a girl, Nance Bettendorf, who scared Deke and made him drop his screen, which he was going to try to sell to her.
An interesting point, Nance is 17, and an engineering student at a university. Both her parents had a job, which they were described as greedy...for having 2 jobs in the house. Nance had a big sweatshirt on, and just panties underneath, which leads me to assume that as society has changed, it may be normal for a girl to be stripped down, or exposed to everyone and she not care at all. With society then, girls may not very much care who sees them in their panties, as this intelligent girl exposes herself to this complete stranger. Which may be how our society may end up one day. (God forbid)
Another hint toward this sexual formality is this girl programmed 3D images of, "Pretty little naked people, fucking." The way sex is described in this story makes it seem like 2 people having sex is as common as playing a game together, or this girl may have a fetish for sex as you will soon find out why. The word choice for these acts and the language used gives me the sense that the characters live in a world where you are pretty much on your own, either living in a "safe zone" per say or living on the streets, everything is half broken and barely working, where you do whatever yo need to do to protect yourself...
Deke also makes a comment to himself, expecting to go to bed with this girl, implying sex is a normal thing to do. Then the girl also makes a remark, "The day the brain-lock comes off I am going to fuck the vilest, greasiest, hairiest.." also implying there are no morals existent with her as far as saving herself for marrige or saving herself at all, like we see in girls today. Which brings me to the next bit, people can have "brain locks" implanted, so far being described as certain thoughts or physical activity triggers intense terror...for example the thought of an image of the prison Deke was at for theft triggers extreme terror, probably to detur him from breaking the law again. In Nance's case, her parents paid for (implying they are expensive because she actually had one as both her parents had jobs) a brain lock to where whenever someone else touches her, she reacts like she was just rapped...basically drawing back in terror. And obviously she is pissed that her parents put it in her.
As the story goes on, Deke wants to play against the champion of this flying game, "Tiny". A semi-paralytic who lives for the game. Deke goes looking for him, and gets embarrassed by a mid-level player. By now Deke has moved in with Nance, as they are "dating" each other, (if that terminology even still exists in this setting) and she rewrites the code for Deke's controller, allowing his reaction times to increase. After this, he plays local kids at the arcade for a couple weeks, getting his rep up while perfecting his own skills.
Nance ended up with this stuff equivalent to what we know as Speed, which enabled her to concentrate perfectly on her project, which ended up so well she didn't have to take the final. Her teacher also set her up with an interview with an employer, which she was saving the second "hit" for.
But Deke was convinced that he would not be able to beat Tiny unless he had Nance's second hit. Deke, who convinced himself that Nance was going to leave him when she got a job, built up his own resentment toward her, he was jelous because she had smarts, a job, money, and he had nothing but his game. When she came home all excited, he instantly killed the mood by asking her where it was. Nance was saving the last hit for her interview, and didn't want to give it up. But Deke was intent on getting it, as he attacked her by throwing her down, pinning her on the ground, demanding where it was. This, along with the brain lock which makes her freak when touched, sent Nance into convulsions, while Deke just stared at her, and let her die right in front of him. Deke fround the drug, and took it right before his match with Tiny. Just before he defeated Tiny, he realized that if he took him out, then Tiny would have nothing to live for and his life would basically be ruined. But, this obviously didn't stop Deke, and as he collected his prize money, no one cheered, no one congradulated him, there was even a sense of hatred in the air. But Deke was so happy he wanted to go celebrate, get drunk, talk up his victory. But then he suddenly realized that there was no one who would listen to him. There was no one he could talk to, he was all alone.
Deke killed that innocent girl out of his own, unphased greed. And he ruined Tiny's life, out of his own greed. There is a very strong moral of this story, and it is keep your friends/loved ones close, do not make them suffer at your own expense, do not put your needs above theirs. Family and friends are the ones who stick by you, so once they are gone you have nothing-reguardless how much money you have.
http://www.viodspace.org.uk/cyberpunk/burning_chrome.shtml
The story starts off with Deke, the main character, saw some men, referred to as "local kickers" playing a virtual game- SPADS&FOKKERS, and was very intrigued. He then "boosted" (stole) a game and started playing in a bathroom. This is a futuristic version of computer gaming, using his mind to control his fighter jet, referred to as a biplane. The controller hooks up behind the left ear, as it somehow interfaces with the brain allowing one to control his plane using his mind.
Deke met a girl, Nance Bettendorf, who scared Deke and made him drop his screen, which he was going to try to sell to her.
An interesting point, Nance is 17, and an engineering student at a university. Both her parents had a job, which they were described as greedy...for having 2 jobs in the house. Nance had a big sweatshirt on, and just panties underneath, which leads me to assume that as society has changed, it may be normal for a girl to be stripped down, or exposed to everyone and she not care at all. With society then, girls may not very much care who sees them in their panties, as this intelligent girl exposes herself to this complete stranger. Which may be how our society may end up one day. (God forbid)
Another hint toward this sexual formality is this girl programmed 3D images of, "Pretty little naked people, fucking." The way sex is described in this story makes it seem like 2 people having sex is as common as playing a game together, or this girl may have a fetish for sex as you will soon find out why. The word choice for these acts and the language used gives me the sense that the characters live in a world where you are pretty much on your own, either living in a "safe zone" per say or living on the streets, everything is half broken and barely working, where you do whatever yo need to do to protect yourself...
Deke also makes a comment to himself, expecting to go to bed with this girl, implying sex is a normal thing to do. Then the girl also makes a remark, "The day the brain-lock comes off I am going to fuck the vilest, greasiest, hairiest.." also implying there are no morals existent with her as far as saving herself for marrige or saving herself at all, like we see in girls today. Which brings me to the next bit, people can have "brain locks" implanted, so far being described as certain thoughts or physical activity triggers intense terror...for example the thought of an image of the prison Deke was at for theft triggers extreme terror, probably to detur him from breaking the law again. In Nance's case, her parents paid for (implying they are expensive because she actually had one as both her parents had jobs) a brain lock to where whenever someone else touches her, she reacts like she was just rapped...basically drawing back in terror. And obviously she is pissed that her parents put it in her.
As the story goes on, Deke wants to play against the champion of this flying game, "Tiny". A semi-paralytic who lives for the game. Deke goes looking for him, and gets embarrassed by a mid-level player. By now Deke has moved in with Nance, as they are "dating" each other, (if that terminology even still exists in this setting) and she rewrites the code for Deke's controller, allowing his reaction times to increase. After this, he plays local kids at the arcade for a couple weeks, getting his rep up while perfecting his own skills.
Nance ended up with this stuff equivalent to what we know as Speed, which enabled her to concentrate perfectly on her project, which ended up so well she didn't have to take the final. Her teacher also set her up with an interview with an employer, which she was saving the second "hit" for.
But Deke was convinced that he would not be able to beat Tiny unless he had Nance's second hit. Deke, who convinced himself that Nance was going to leave him when she got a job, built up his own resentment toward her, he was jelous because she had smarts, a job, money, and he had nothing but his game. When she came home all excited, he instantly killed the mood by asking her where it was. Nance was saving the last hit for her interview, and didn't want to give it up. But Deke was intent on getting it, as he attacked her by throwing her down, pinning her on the ground, demanding where it was. This, along with the brain lock which makes her freak when touched, sent Nance into convulsions, while Deke just stared at her, and let her die right in front of him. Deke fround the drug, and took it right before his match with Tiny. Just before he defeated Tiny, he realized that if he took him out, then Tiny would have nothing to live for and his life would basically be ruined. But, this obviously didn't stop Deke, and as he collected his prize money, no one cheered, no one congradulated him, there was even a sense of hatred in the air. But Deke was so happy he wanted to go celebrate, get drunk, talk up his victory. But then he suddenly realized that there was no one who would listen to him. There was no one he could talk to, he was all alone.
Deke killed that innocent girl out of his own, unphased greed. And he ruined Tiny's life, out of his own greed. There is a very strong moral of this story, and it is keep your friends/loved ones close, do not make them suffer at your own expense, do not put your needs above theirs. Family and friends are the ones who stick by you, so once they are gone you have nothing-reguardless how much money you have.
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