Anita Sarkeesian is a media critic and the creator of Feminist Frequency, a video webseries that explores the representations of women in video games and pop culture narratives. Her work focuses on deconstructing the stereotypes and tropes associated with women in popular culture as well as highlighting issues surrounding the targeted harassment of women in online and gaming spaces. Recently, her critical reflections on how women are (mis)represented in video games, the focus of her new web series Women vs. Tropes in Video Games, have catalyzed conversations about women, game culture, and computing more broadly. Check out Tropes vs. Women on Tumblr.
Ms. Sarkeesian’s work and the accompanying difficulties she has faced as a feminist media critic highlight issues of great importance to Communication Studies and the co-sponsoring departments: What role does the design of games and online communities play in facilitating or limiting opportunities for women? How do new media reify or challenge historical examples of disenfranchisement and underrepresentation? How does online communication facilitate or hinder critical dialog? What can we do as media consumers, producers, and scholars to promote critical and inclusive communication, online and offline? We look forward to discussing these issues with Ms. Sarkeesian, and using her visit to invite critical reflection within and beyond the Northeastern community.
Ms. Sarkeesian is the guest of the Communication Studies Department at Northeastern University.
This even is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required.
Presented by: Communication Studies with Game Design, Art + Design, Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, Northeastern Center for the Arts, and NU ADVANCE.
Anita Sarkeesian – Tropes vs. Women