Two years ago, Anita Sarkeesian decided to use Feminist Frequency, her video series on the portrayal of women in the media, to document sexist stereotypes and cliches in videogames. That project, Tropes vs. Women in Videogames, ignited a sustained campaign of violent threats and abuse, while raising over $150,000 from nearly 7,000 supporters. Despite the intense scrutiny, each video is essential viewing, a free masterclass in gender studies.
After describing Feminist Frequency's genesis as a video project meant to "bring discussions of feminist theory to a wider audience"—a pitch she used in her successful 2012 Kickstarter campaign—Sarkeesian wrote that her experiences over the past two years, full of "daily vitriol" from online commenters, have forced her to reexamine her organization's purpose. "As a result, we have expanded Feminist Frequency’s mission to include advocacy around ending online hate and abuse, analyzing and advancing awareness of how gendered harassment operates online," she wrote.
The letter said that current efforts include consulting gigs with "tech and game companies" regarding online harassment within their communities, along with helping other active online feminists come up with "long-term solutions to deal with the epidemic of online abuse and create mechanisms for support." The report's list of plans for 2015 doesn't specify exactly how that mission might change or grow, other than hoping to create "a network with a variety of different programs and hosts analyzing media from a systemic/intersectional/anti-oppression lens."
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/01...
Recorded in September 2014 at XOXO, an arts and technology festival in Portland, Oregon celebrating independent artists using the Internet to make a living doing what they love. For more, visit http://xoxofest.com.
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