Eisenstein, Zillah. global obscenities: patriarchy, capitalism, and the lure of cyberfantasy. New York: New York UP, 1998.

While Eisenstein's work is based more closely on the technological world of the internet, her theories easily cross over to the equally technological world of computer games.

In her chapter on cyberfantasies, Eisenstein discusses whether on-line relationships are real or not. She concludes that for some they are, indicating that such liaisons express "real desire" on the part of the participants (90). So too, the argument can be made that the playing of games provides an outlet for real feelings. So that when, for instance, a player of Civilization successfully attacks and takes over a rival city, there are real emotions of triumph and satisfaction of conquest involved.

Eisenstein concludes that the internet "extends more (sexual) freedom to men, much like the 'real' world. Middle- and upper-class white men have more freedom because of their privileged status." (91) This theory takes a tandem track to my argument that many games, like Civilization, are tailored to the tastes of middle- and upper-class white men.

Finally, Eisenstein posits that technology itself is gendered, writing that "technology is embedded in the engendered meanings and structures of science itself. These masculinist underpinnings digitize sexism" (95). If this is the case, then the very code that is used to write the computer games has a part to play in the sexism reproduced by the games.



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