The Privilege of Play: Examining Race and Geek Culture in Hobby Games
Join us as we discuss The Privilege of Play: A History of Hobby Games, Race, and Geek Culture by Aaron Tram. We explore the importance of being aware of our own biases when discussing race in games and the impact of privilege in the gaming community.
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🥧 SUZANNE 🥧
tabletop games + app games + pie + AsAm Adoptee + She/Her = ruining games one tweet at a time. hates puns - but in a fun way. @SaltNSassGames. personal acct.
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Salient to the thread from Whitney - tomorrow's ep has our usual light-heart games chat.
— 🥧 SUZANNE 🥧 (@425suzanne) June 6, 2023
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 -
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.
— 🥧 SUZANNE 🥧 (@425suzanne) June 6, 2023
The single mis-construed phrase will set people off. -
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?
— 🥧 SUZANNE 🥧 (@425suzanne) June 6, 2023
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. -
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 -
https://t.co/2tHPn9nKGy
— 🥧 SUZANNE 🥧 (@425suzanne) June 6, 2023
I know some folks who owe pie and crumpets for life to every woman on this list who left the industry. pic.twitter.com/6lZ5BlvzFC