Misused: Gamer Chick

While by description this seems to refer to a specific type of character (from what I understood from the description, it's "female character likes games and her gender in relation to this is made a big deal out of", and often she's the single female amongst a group of otherwise male gamers), it seems to also be used for any female characters that likes games (both in the article examples and in various series' character sheets), regardless if her gender is brought up in relation to her hobby. Even though the description itself specifies that "a female character playing games doesn't automatically make her a gamer chick as per the mold", some examples are literally just "female character X is seen playing videogames in some episodes/scenes" (though note for some of them I haven't actually seen the series/episodes in question, but with no other description of how it relates to the trope I'm assuming this is the case) And just "girl/woman playing video games" would be more of a People Sit On Chairs, so not a trope (unless the character goes under another "gamer" trope like Challenge Gamer or That One Player, and even then it wouldn't make her a Gamer Chick if the fact that she was female AND plays games isn't really brought up) So I'd say the examples need some major clean-up. Or the trope itself, but like mentioned "character plays video games and is female" by itself isn't really a trope, it's just a hobby enjoyed by the character.

Some examples of just "female characters playing games" (by far all of them, just some of the ones I'm familiar with)

• Axis Powers Hetalia: Vietnam, the Asian Tomboy, who was showed playing Uncharted 3 on author's blog.
• Eiko from Shinryaku! Ika Musume. And Ika herself to a lesser extent, which of course just creates more tension between the two.
• Homestuck: Roxy is also this in the Retro Gaming sense. (She has game consoles in her room and in her description it says she likes retro games, but doesn't as I can't even recall her ever talking about games outside of this introduction)
• Spinelli from Recess can be seen playing videogames in some episodes particularly when they're outside of school.

edited 20th Nov '13 9:51:08 AM by Zanreo

My understanding of Gamer Chick was that it was simply an aversion of the stereotype that girls don't play games.

If that's true, this is one of those tricky tropes which subverts a Super-Trope that currently doesn't exist.

Well, from what I've understood of the description it's more like what I said... Not saying any of us are right or wrong, it's just what I assume it means from the description.

Even with that, some of them don't really seem like clear "aversions" as much as "character plays games and happens to be female"

Being a gamer is different from a character who plays games. It specifically says a female character who has playing games as a major character trait. Just being shown to play games on occasion isn't it. You wouldn't really call a guy a gamer if he plays something on his smartphone on the commute to work, or during lunch break to pass time.

There's no absolute requirement that her gender has to be played up, though. Just common. Being a very skilled female gamer counts, for instance.

That's an artificial and currently debated division, though.

What is? Being a gamer versus being someone who plays games? Not really. It's like how Badass Biker isn't the just "badass who is on a bike," being a biker has to be part of their characterization.

I'm specifically talking about the division Duck used. There's a difference between being a person who plays games and a person who is playing a game, but the artificial distinction is made between the types of games they play or the time in which they choose to play them.

edited 20th Nov '13 3:22:54 PM by KingZeal

I've always seen that a "gamer chick" refers to the stereotype.

I didn't say anything about types of games, and the time doesn't really matter, so no, you're not talking about the division I used.

What I did mention was the reason for playing them. If it's just to pass time it's not a gamer. It's sort of like the difference between someone who uses computers, and a computer nerd.

edited 20th Nov '13 5:43:56 PM by AnotherDuck

While "gamer chick" is a thing, in culture, is that what the trope is about at all? From the description, it looks like the trope is abotu a sort of Affirmative Action Girl for gaming media. So, pretty much every example of a female character known for gaming WOULDN'T be an example under that definition - and none of the examples under that definition will likely follow the cultural gamer chick stereotype.

edited 20th Nov '13 6:34:59 PM by AmyGdala

So then yes, I was talking about your division. And my argument stands.

There are plenty of "gamers" who play them when they have spare time. "Gamer" doesn't mean game fanatic, game nerd, or compulsive gamer. It's quite possible to be someone who games to pass the time and still be a gamer.

The choice of pastime (playing a game instead of reading to pass the time, for example) is every bit as defining of a gamer.

from the page:

She's usually very tomboyish (but because she is brought in for fanservice, she usually looks exceptionally feminine and well-kempt), confrontational, and always self-aware of her gender (with the need to mention it more often than she should)

So yes, Zan is right. It refers to the obnoxious stereotype, not just girls that play video games in general.

edited 20th Nov '13 8:01:22 PM by shoboni

Maybe I'm just not familiar with the standard source material here, but that doesn't even sound like a trope (that is, the description could be one, but I can't actually think of any characters that would make it a pattern).

It is. It's not uncommon for poorly written female characters to shameless brag about being into gaming and such because the writer thinks it makes them look like a subversion of stereotypes.

There's even a couple of webomics on our own horrible web comics page based around it

edited 20th Nov '13 8:07:54 PM by shoboni

Still missing my point, I see. Eh, I don't have time for this.

You had time to say that, apparently, though.

Just because I don't agree with you point doesn't mean I don't get it.

Yeah, I guess what I was trying to say that the term "gamer chick" or "gamer girl" and similar are mostly used for the stereotype of "yes i'm a girl and i play games, i'm better than all of the guys" thing. A lot of characters on this page doesn't seem to fit that.

So, this page covers a bunch of things that various editors have associated with the term "gamer chick":

• A character trope. A fictional character who plays video games and conforms to the stereotype of a gamer chick through personality, appearance etc
• An Affirmative Action Girl in media devoted to gaming. This is mutually exclusive with the previous example.
• In fiction, male characters play a game, and a female character joins in and surprisingly bests them. This is a valid story trope, but there's no reason to confine it to video games - this is the same as Bested at Bowling.

Meanwhile, the laconic and picture are "woman who plays video games," which is Not A Trope.

Yeah, pretty much this. The current description of the trope makes it sound like your first description. As for the second one, like you said, "woman playing games" is Not A Trope, unless there are a lot of Affirmative Action Girls that love games (There probably are some, but it would be more of Too Rare To Trope) The third one, is like you say, a story trope, and is Bested at Bowling with games.

So I'd suggest either a example cleanup or a trope rewrite/split, depending on how other see it best.

edited 21st Nov '13 7:02:32 AM by Zanreo

I'd say it's more 1&3, and 2 is misuse unless the work subscribes to the stereotype.

I see a few things here.

• Tomboys play video games.

• A girl beats the boys at video games.

• A female video game enthusiast.

All of them are more specific than "woman playing games."

I always hear of this term in regards to #3.

I don't agree that "woman who plays a video game" should be here - at best, "many video games", should be in there.

I would say that Gamer Chick = A female video game enthusiast.

This often (but not always) implies Gamer Chick = Tomboy. Especially if she is an enthusiast about video games targeted at boys. If she is an enthusiast only about video games targeted at girls, then she is probably not a Tomboy.

"Better then all the guys" in not required for Gamer Chick, it is just the intersection of Gamer Chick and Girls Need Role Models.

Just playing a video game is not enough, but if she dedicates large amounts of time to video games, reads magazines about video games, knows the hidden Easter eggs, or is able to provide a walkthrough for another character then she is a Gamer Chick. Even if she has other interests in her life and does not solely revolve around video games.

edited 24th Nov '13 7:39:06 AM by Sackett

I agree that just "woman plays games" don't count and that the character would need a big interest in it, having it as one of her hobbies she does often, but parts of the description still implies that to be a Gamer Chick, her gender in relation to this hobby is brought up often (as in the "gamer girl" stereotype of "i'm a girl and i play games"). This isn't neccessary for a woman/girl that loves games, and in that case the description will need some work. It's mostly that part that bothers me, implying that female gamers will go under this "gamer girl" stereotype. Eh, sorry if I'm not making sense here.

edited 24th Nov '13 8:13:46 AM by Zanreo

I think we're missing the component of "Girl plays games and this is treated as unusual". Even if we agree that "girl plays videogame" is not this trope, if the work itself is treating her as a rare breed, how can you honestly say it's not invoking this trope?