The Privilege of Play: Examining Race and Geek Culture in Hobby Games

Salient to the thread from Whitney - tomorrow's ep has our usual light-heart games chat.

But we also discuss The Privilege of Play: A History of Hobby Games, Race, and Geek Culture by @aarontram

And it's stunning how @613mandi and I instantly become more hesitant and stilted. https://t.co/S7C03hzB5X

— 🥧 SUZANNE 🥧 (@425suzanne) June 6, 2023

And it's not because we're not eager to discuss the important but very heavy topics covered in the book. It's because we are SO used to having to warily word every single thing we say about race in games.

The single mis-construed phrase will set people off.

— 🥧 SUZANNE 🥧 (@425suzanne) June 6, 2023

Folks with questionable intent will pull the quotes and use them as cudgels. But, more importantly, folks who often claim allyship will distance themselves from the convo and those who are part of it if they feel attacked (even if the point is general/generic.)

— 🥧 SUZANNE 🥧 (@425suzanne) June 6, 2023

But for Mandi and I to cede the precious small space we've managed to carve in the industry? Why should we?

When I started - how many women of color were making board game content?

We've worked too hard and dealt with too much bullshit to sacrifice this space.

— 🥧 SUZANNE 🥧 (@425suzanne) June 6, 2023

The choices we have to make to stay are, too often, unfair. But we make them. For ourselves. For our peers. Because we've seen too many of our peers leave - in part because of the bullshit they should never have had to deal with. But that's the deal. That's the way it works.

— 🥧 SUZANNE 🥧 (@425suzanne) June 6, 2023