Twitter Essay: Feminine Monsters in Bioware games

Inspired by something posted by a twitter friend.

I've gotta say: I find the preponderance of horrifically feminine monsters in Bioware games - banshees, brood mothers - upsetting.

If a monster in a Bioware game is supposed to make you go "Oh god how awful!" it probably has exaggerated female sexual characteristics.

Granted, there are scary masculine things like Brutes or Abominations, but then they don't have huge dicks, do they?

I didn't love the brood mothers in DA for this reason, but it was easy to say, "well, it's one example." And then Banshees came along.

Masculine Bioware monsters are scary because alien or dangerous, while female monsters are scary because female.

Rant over, had to get it off my chest.

Twitter Essay on Avatar: the Last Airbender

Sorry, not a Sol Bulletin! I find something about tweets - literally the format of 140-character messages - oddly soothing, and sometimes I fire off an impromptu little essay about whatever's on my mind in 5-10 tweets. It's probably not the best way to use twitter, but I like it. Anyway, they tend to disappear in twitter, so I thought I might try capturing them here from time to time. Here's one now!

Since one of the appeals is that this format combats my native loquaciousness, I'm going to resist the urge to edit at all, even where something is unclear or could be explored further in a blog format.

One thing that's great about A:tLA is that the characters' nation has a profound influence on then. But this is rarely said explictly.

Aang's silliness comes straight out of being an Air Nomad. Katara's passion and Sokka's sense of duty are Water Tribe attributes.

Ditto Zuko's penchant for decisive action, rash mistakes and all. Ditto Toph's stubborn persistence.

But you just meet them as people. Sure, Katara's from the Water Tribe but nobody ever goes "Oh, those bleeding heart Water Tribe types."

You meet them as people, and then when you learn more about the history and culture of their nation, the pieces fall into place.

It makes the four elements seem like an underlying truth of the world, rather than a template applied to a cast by a trope-savvy creator.

Here endeth the lesson. #avatar #atla

Yeah, and isn't Katara just great? She's super-great. But I have to admit Sokka is my favorite. #atla #watertribeout

Emily Wong

Article pulled from the Future Content Corporation Citadel Extranet Site, March 6, 2181, no byline, with a note of thanks for additional reporting from Mass Effect Wiki.

Emily Wong, noted journalist and newly-minted hero of the Systems Alliance, is presumed dead today after apparently giving her life to aid the Alliance forces resisting the as-yet mysterious invaders attacking Earth.

Wong’s story was followed breathlessly by humans and other sentients in the Citadel and across the galaxy after downed com buoys in the Sol system left her – through the use of a quantum entanglement communicator – the sole source of information about the attack. Aided by other survivors and Alliance military personnel, Wong kept broadcasting throughout the day, even while taking an active part in the fight to defend Earth by attempting search-and-rescue operations, scouting the invaders’ strongholds, and taking up arms alongside Alliance soldiers.

Wong’s broadcast, dubbed the Sol Communications and abbreviated #solcomms on the extranet, not only provided critical information about events unfolding on Earth, but also shone a light onto the character of an extraordinary human. Wong first rose to prominence on the Citadel after publishing evidence of an extensive crime ring operating out of the notorious Chora’s Den bar, a high-profile story that eventually resulted in her becoming the anchor of a regular news show for the Future Content Corporation. Wong later left the Citadel to take a position as a senior investigative reporter at the Alliance News Network.

The decision to pursue a difficult, dangerous investigative role over a prestigious anchor job was typical of Wong. Beloved by audiences for her friendly demeanor and undeniable charisma, it was Wong’s remarkable blend of courage, compassion and integrity that won the respect of her peers. Never afraid to pursue big, dangerous stories, Wong also never hesitated to bring less dramatic issues to light. Although her Chora’s Den story achieved higher ratings, Wong’s painstaking report on working conditions for Citadel traffic controllers had a more lasting impact, resulting in new regulations and measurably fewer accidents for ships docking at the Citadel. Wong’s focus was always on the work and on the world around her rather than on showmanship or her own career.

No amount of praise can memorialize Wong as well as the Sol Communications themselves. This reporter would argue that no other working journalist could have produced the broadcast. Wong was someone willing to ram an enemy warship at need, but also someone willing to help a companion find his family, all without ever compromising her duty as a journalist. She had the compassion to want to change the world, the courage and ability to do so, and the charisma to spread a message of hope even in the face of almost certain death.

Future Content Corporation offers its fondest remembrances and deepest sympathies to Wong’s loved ones, including her parents mentioned in the Sol Communications. In a time of great confusion and tragedy after the attack on Earth, Wong’s heroism is an example to every human being and to every sentient in the galaxy.

You can view the Sol Communications in their entirety on the Alliance News Network Extranet feed here or learn more about the attack on Earth here.