Welcome to Britt5091: Origins, where I dig up old blog posts I used to write for IGN’s community under the username Britt5091. Some posts may make you giggle, some may make your eyes bleed, and some may make you stroke your beard in a pensive manner. All you need to know is that these posts, no matter how terrible some of them may be, ultimately lead to everything I do now.
It seems we have some unhappy campers when it comes to Fat Princess.
August 11th, 2009
Okay maybe I’m a little late to the party. But I’m sorry I can’t believe some women are making such a stink over Fat Princess.
Yeah, it’s being called ‘offensive’. Not for the violence, and not for the buckets of blood.
Why? Because of the ‘Fat’ and the ‘Princess’.
Blows my mind.
“…but this seems offensive to me. Why not try a “fat prince” and let the women save the day? It would empower women and quiet the critics. Afterall, why would men object to being fed cake until they cannot move or be carried off? It’s just all in good fun. Or, the game could have “skinny princeses” who are not fed until they are just skin and bones. Then they could be hid in a crack in the wall or just about anywhere because they are so small. Or, maybe the game could use “handicapped princes” . . . Remember, it’s all in good fun. Not.”
“…My husband played this game for work, and I took a look. It is very cute and apparently a lot of fun, but I’m still bugged by the idea, even though he claims I shouldn’t be because “it’s funny.” Part of the problem is that it’s funny – that fat ladies eating is comedy gold.?”
“…the game itself sounds like a lot of fun but I don’t see how the force feeding of a person is funny or cute. They couldn’t have come up with some other sort of device to keep the princesses from being captured? Like, I don’t know, letting the princesses do something to fight for themselves instead of being controlled by their ‘saviors’??”
Melissa “Shakes” McEwan is also pissed, implying that the game will spawn a “new generation of fat-hating, heteronormative assholes.”
“…many people find the concept of a game where you have to stuff a woman full of cake to make her fat so she’s so heavy that she can’t be carried off (because morbid obesity and the stereotypical trope of fat people only being fat because they eat cake is just so silly and fun!)”
I’m going to use myself as an example. I’m a 21 year old blonde chick. My favorite jokes are blonde jokes, I laugh if I say or do something stupid and it’s blamed on my hair color and I think the typical ‘stupid blonde girls’ stereotypes in film and TV are hilarious.
Bottom line, I have enough confidence in myself to be able to laugh in a society where blonde hair is linked with stupidity.
I find it sad and unfortunate these women aren’t comfortable enough in their own skin to see this for what it is: A game, NOT an excuse to poke fun and exploit those who are obese. I sincerely doubt the devs sat at a roundtable and said “Hey! How can we make fun of obese women? I know! We?ll make a game called Fat Princess and take it from there!”
Violence, drugs, sex, I get it. While I personally don’t see a problem when the big three are incorporated into games, I can see where some may have issues.
But to say a cartoonish videogame character is degrading to women for absurd reasons is beyond me.
These people have no clue.
ARGH >__< and I wonder where certain stereotypes come from?
There is so much more that could be said, but I’ll let you all have the honors. Have at it.
Note: I really am not trying to be insensitive to anyone. If you truly are offended by this game, I apologize, but I think the real problem isn’t the game. Its one’s self-esteem and the way a person views themselves.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Britt’s note:
January 21st, 2012
I feel like I should have something intelligent and witty to say, but the truth is I’m on a flight right now to Puerto Vallarta aaaand I’m half-asleep, so I have nothing.
I never played Fat Princess, but I know a lot of my fellow gamers quite enjoyed it, and never once did any of them bitch about it being offensive. I mean, that could have something to do with the fact they all have penises, but whatever.
Bottom line: people get offended way too easily. STOP IT.
Why would females get upset over this game?
Here’s the thing. People who get offended way too easily, are way to insecure about what they get offended about.