The gaming industry is growing up and we — gamers and professionals alike — need to grow up with it. Beyond just asking games to be looked on as artistic expressions, we need to educate ourselves on the issues surrounding games and encourage discourse on those matters. It is not enough for us to be merely gamers, we must strive to be socially conscious gamers and to encourage others to be the same. Read the rest of this entry »
Okay. So. I was gonna write this review of Super Princess Peach for the February issue of Cerise. I had every intention of doing so, I swear. But the thing is, I hated the game. Well, no, maybe hate is too strong of a word. I strongly disliked Super Princess Peach and the thought of sitting down and organizing my distaste for the game into a coherent and original critique…well, the truth is I’d actually rather do my coursework. It’s just that bad. So instead of a review, I’m going to ramble instead. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the things I was most excited about when I got married was that I was going to get a chance to wear a tiara. And not just any tiara, but one created specially for me by my good friend (and awesome artist) Rachel Edidin [Editor's note: See Rachel's "Craft Check: Make Your Own Tiara," in this issue]. When the package from Rachel arrived, I ripped it open in a fever of excitement and, making high-pitched noises of glee, immediately tried on my shiny new crown. And then I photographed it, uploaded the photo, and made a post in my LiveJournal titled “I AM A PRINCESS.”
My wedding accessory was not my first crown. Another favorite head-ornament of mine is a circlet-like creation of fine chainmail, of the type available for sale at renaissance faires everywhere. The circlet consists of a band of mail that goes across my forehead and several thin chains that loop down on the sides, draping over my ears and hair. There’s a sparkly blue pendant on the front that rests between and slightly above my brows. When I wear it, I feel like some kind of elven princess.
I also have a weird headdress made of leather (another ren faire find) that looks like a cross between a helmet and a crown. Warrior princess? You betcha.
I’ve enjoyed my share of elaborate fantasy gowns, too. My wedding dress had floor-length sleeves. My dress-up box when I was a child was stuffed to the brim with satin and lace. But despite my enduring love of princessy accoutrements, I’ve never been attracted to the idea of playing a princess in any of the many RPGs I’ve participated in over the years. I played a noblewoman once, but I’m much more likely to pick scrappy fighter types – characters a little bit more like, well, me.
I’m not in the line of succession for any crown, which is a crucial factor in true princess-hood, but I’m not even a good candidate for the non-royal type of princess. I’m not tall and willowy. I don’t have a porcelain-like complexion; my skin is rough with calluses and is covered with bruises and scratches more often than not. I’m only as graceful as I am because I’ve been doing martial arts since I was six. And I still bump into tables and other furniture with painful regularity. My voice is husky rather than bell-like.
Of course, in a fantasy RPG, none of that matters. So why haven’t I taken advantage of the opportunity to be anyone, and used it to play a character who can fit the princess role in every way?
I guess I’ve just never really wanted to.
I like to read stories and watch movies featuring princess characters now and then – both the classic, delicate and lovely kind and the resourceful, tough ones – but for myself the attraction is all about the accessories. After all, I can be my stocky, coarse, pugnacious self and still wear the occasional sparkly tiara. And if I can have the cool stuff, why would I want anything else?
Article © February 2008 by Robyn Fleming.
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