Gaming: Boobs over 6-packs

From Lara Croft in "Tomb Raider" to gamers featured on www.suicidegirls.com and other Web sites, scantily clad women have long had associations with gaming, supposedly fulfilling fantasies of dating-challenged heterosexual male gamers. As female gaming interest has risen, so have incidences of women gamers who, regardless of talent, have found success based on their breast size.\nOn www.twitchguru.com, a computer technology and gaming news Web site, a debate regarding these female gamers was front-page news this week. The site's editors, Aaron McKenna and Rob Wright, posted a heated back-and-forth debate that's drawing a lot of commentary. McKenna said he believes these women are trivializing female gaming, and Wright said he believes male gamers are just jealous of the attention.\nThe Entertainment Software Association reports that women make up 44 percent of gamers, and a BBC New Media and Technology study found a similar number of 45 percent. This is great news for women at any level of gaming. Still, when many popular female gamers supplement their skills with their sexuality, female gamers' credibility falls.\nIt's easy to feed off a culture where the primary consumers are stereotypically young heterosexual males. With a body like Lara Croft and a passion for World of Warcraft, Web site hits and photo downloads will skyrocket. You may get sponsorships to competitions but only because you'll look good while playing. \nThese women are exploiting themselves for attention and fame. Critics call these women and their photos "cam-slut" or "cam-whore." The name-calling isn't mature, yet it does make a point. The male gamers want real female competitors, not Playboy Bunnies. \nBy using her sexuality, bikini photos and body instead of her skill to gain attention, a woman is regressing not only her progress, but also society's. Women shouldn't be judged by the size and shape of their bodies, and they shouldn't want to be, either. Are male gamers using their pecs, six-packs and handsome faces to get sponsorships and Web site hits? No. They work hard at their craft and want female competitors that do the same. \nSkilled female gamers do exist, such as the Frag Dolls, who focus on their skills rather than their breasts. They're strong gamers who happen to be beautiful, rather than beautiful women who happen to be gamers.\nIf we don't demand that all people respect their bodies and value brainpower over a sexual marketplace, then this will only continue.\nIt isn't liberating for men or women to sell their bodies like this. They will still be at the mercy of the gaze, relying on others' libidos to succeed. Women who want to be a part of the gaming world should work hard and have a genuine interest in it. Leave the bikini for the beach, and nix the glamour shots. Then your peers will take you seriously.\nLeaving out shallow surgical enhancements, these female gamers may fade as they lose games and their wrinkles form. Yet, unless we demand substance over superficiality, young women will continue this search for shallow self-validation.