<p>So let’s have a nice, calm, non-controversial week talking abo- <em>aw damn it someone mentioned feminism again, didn’t they?</em> Let me get my crash helmet on.</p>
<p>Hosts: <a href="http://www.chocolatehammer.org/">Rutskarn</a>, <a href="http://digitalmumbles.com/">Mumbles</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jelly_bean">Josh</a>, <a href="http://www.errantsignal.com/blog/">Chris</a>, and <a href="http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale">Shamus</a>.</p>
<p>Show notes:</p>
<p><span id="more-22554"></span><strong>4:00 Mumbles completed <a href="http://www.brokenagegame.com/" title="Broken Age Official Site">Broken Age</a>.</strong></p>
<p>Mild spoilers.</p>
<p><strong>12:00 OOPS FEMINISM</strong></p>
<p>It’s hard to stop talking about this subject once you get started. For me the compelling thing is the completely anarchic and asymmetrical nature of the debate. This isn’t a two-sided war between people who want female protagonists and people who don’t. This is a multi-faceted debate where extremists tend to get the most attention. There are a lot of different types of “feminists” (who might not even self-identify as feminists<span class="ref"><span class="refnum">[1]</span><span class="refbody">I don't self-identify as one, but I've been called one. Labels are dangerous things and the LAST thing I want is another argument over what the word "feminist" means.</span></span>) who just want more female protagonists. Then there are angry people who think that sexy characters are inherently destructive and that enjoying some T&A makes you a horrible person. Then the other side fails to draw a distinction between these two positions and hilarity ensues. Add in a handful of really ugly, Angry Young Men who spew hate and threats. Then have the feminist side<span class="ref"><span class="refnum">[2]</span><span class="refbody">And remember, this side is actually several sides that don't all self-identify as feminist.</span></span> paint all of the opposition as if they were in league with – and sympathetic to – the Angry Young Men. Add in a couple of layers of counter-backlash to either side and suddenly it’s really hard to understand how such a simple idea can generate so much outrage.</p>
<p>This complete mayhem creates a desire from people like me to clear up this confusion. Maybe I can’t settle the debate, but maybe I can at least help the various sides understand the complexity of the conflict? But no. My efforts never help and I just end up being yet another idealistic idiot shouting into the storm. And so it goes.</p>
<p>Rutskarn mentioned this post from <a href="http://susanarendt.com/2014/03/04/why-titanfalls-launch-trailer-made-me-emotional/">Susan Arendt on the Titanfall trailer</a>.</p>
<p>We also talk about women being integrated into the US Navy. This is such a sad topic for me. There are a lot more anecdotes like the one I told. The problem is that the whole subject is dripping with politics, and even people doing the right things are often doing them in the wrong way and for the wrong reasons. For reference, these events happened around 1991 through 1993. (My brother was in boot camp when the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailhook_scandal">Tailhook scandal</a> took place.) I don’t know how the Navy is doing these days, but the early days of co-ed service were a complete mess. I could fill several pages with stories about how completely dysfunctional the service was and about how ugly and unfair (to both genders) integration was.</p>
<p><strong>36:00 Rutskarn is working on <a href="http://pyrodactyl.com/">Unrest</a> and playing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Protocol">Alpha Protocol</a>.</strong></p>
<p><strong>39:30 Chris is prepping for <a href="http://www.gdconf.com/">GDC</a> and playing <a href="http://www.titanfall.com/xbox-one?_o=42032312&utm_campaign=tf-search-us-pbm-g-brand-core-e&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_term=titanfall&sourceid=tf-search-us-pbm-g-brand-core-e&gclid=CLbW-vjVnL0CFSISMwodqE8ACw">Titanfall</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>48:00 Shamus is playing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCWJUSulnro">Borderlands 2</a> again, and also playing <a href="https://www.pathofexile.com/">Path of Exile</a>.</strong></p>
<p>Also we briefly discuss <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIsQRvRAFk4">Race the Sun</a>.</p>
<p><strong>55:30 Josh has begun playing The Walking Dead Season 2.</strong></p>
<p><strong>56:00 Josh is playing Dark Souls.</strong></p>
<p>Here is the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcBCCVGbVfA">Dark Souls Critical Close-up</a> Chris mentioned.</p>
<p><strong>1:05:00 MAIL TIME!</strong></p>
