I also have the esteemed honor of presenting as part of a panel at Seattle’s first ever Geek Girl Con, which according to the GGC press kit is “dedicated to promoting awareness of and celebrating the contribution and involvement of women in all aspects of the sciences, science fiction, comics, gaming and related Geek culture through conventions and events that emphasize both the historic and ongoing contribution and influence of women in this culture.” GGC is October 8 & 9, 2011 at the Seattle Center (passes are still available). I will be presenting with a panel organized by Stevi Costa, alongside Sarah Kremen-Hicks and Ariel Wetzel. The panel is on October 8, 4:30-6:00 PM:
“Geeky Intersections: The Mangle of Performance and Play”
This academic panel seeks to present a collection of papers that trace the intersections between girl culture, fan culture and game culture. We wish to engage modes of thinking about problems of inclusion that female gamers face, what it means to be a woman in fandom, and unique avenues through which women can perform fandom.
My specific presentation is:
“Bashing Abbie: Metroid M, Women (and Queer) Gamers, and Heteromasculinist Resistance”
Analyzes the gendered and homophobic resistance to feminist critiques of video games, particularly in the case of G4TV’s recent review of Metroid M, and the perils of taking games and gaming culture “too” seriously.