My Weekend Crush

What I like, what I love, is when people defy expectation, assumption and stereotype and assert their right to do as they please and do it well. When people break boneheaded barriers, when people command deserved respect, when people demand to be treated like a rightful equal. When a female gamer puts male online trolls in their place. Like badass Aisha Tyler. The actress/comedian/gamer’s epic takedown of all the haters posted on Facebook last summer has been making the rounds again this week. It started when Tyler started getting endless shit from dudes about hosting the 2012 Ubisoft E3 press conference last June.

Her response to their misogynistic questioning of her gamer cred is magnificent and deserves repeating. Read the whole damn thing here because that much handing jackasses their own asses must be seen for yourself to be truly appreciated. A sampling:

You think you know. You don't know.

I've been a gamer since before you could read.
Since I aced midterms after staying up all night playing Evil Tetris.
Since I became dorm champ at Leisure Suit Larry.
Since I double-wielded on Time Crisis 3 at Fuddrucker's.

I was a voice in not one, but two major video game titles.
I hosted the Reach Beta tutorial.
I was a Gears of War superfan panelist at ComicCon.
I hosted the Ubisoft presser at E3 2012.
I didn't do any of it for the money.
For most I got paid next to nothing, and for some, less than that.

I did it because I love video games.
Because I've dreamt since I was a kid of being in one of the games I love.
How many games have you done voices for?
How many cons have you repped at?
Your buddy's Unreal Tournament garage deathmatch doesn't count.

I go to E3 each year because I love video games.
Because new titles still get me high.
Because I still love getting swag.
Love wearing my gamer pride on my sleeve.
People ask me what console I play.
Motherfucker, ALL of them.

All that, and how cool is her gun?



And that, that’s what I love. When we refuse to accept the “norm.” Be it in gaming or politics or sports. Just because video games are unfortunately often marketed mainly to men and even more unfortunately mainly made by men, does not mean women do not enjoy and kickass at them as well. If we never challenge those assumptions, say this is just the way it has always and will always be, nothing will ever change. So here’s to the badasses out there fighting the good fight. Game on, ladies. Happy weekend, all.

p.s. On a similar norm-defying note, I saw this on a tow truck while driving down the freeway recently and it made me unreasonably happy.