Male Privilege and Magic: The Gathering
Yesterday, or maybe it was Friday, I experienced one hell of an epiphany. I've always watched J play MTG, read his cards, etc. I get it. It is not a difficult game. A monkey could play. However, for five years, I've been denying that I know how to play because something made me uneasy which I didn't quite understand until a day or so ago.
Ready for it, window lickers?
I pretend to not know how to play so I can avoid playing. I want to avoid playing because I do not have the male privilege of losing, and that creates incredible stress. That is, were I to play and happen to lose, it would not just reflect on me, but because I'm female it would reflect on any female who ever played or will ever play MTG and quite probably on the female sex as a whole. I do not have any room for losing. I could never make a deck just because it'd be a "fun" one to play, with no concern for it's ability to win.
Why is this? Three words: invisible male privilige. The skewering of a situation in favor of men which is so ingrained or long-standing that no one notices it until something goes against it. Right now, you need to read The Male Privilige Checklist. It lists the invisible male privilige which exists everywhere, all the time, and since it was written by a man it is in the first person. The highlights which caused my epiphany?
4. If I fail in my job or career, I can feel sure this won't be seen as a black mark against my entire sex's capabilities.
5. The odds of my encountering sexual harassment on the job are so low as to be negligible.
*Replace "job or career" and "on the job" with "gaming".
21. If I'm careless with my financial affairs it won't be attributed to my sex.
22. If I'm careless with my driving it won't be attributed to my sex.
23. I can speak in public to a large group without putting my sex on trial.
*Replace "financial affairs" and "driving" with "playing". Replace "speak in public to a large group" with "play in public".
29. I can be loud with no fear of being called a shrew. I can be aggressive with no fear of being called a bitch.
32. My ability to make important decisions and my capability in general will never be questioned depending on what time of the month it is.
* The cheese stands alone, here.
Think about it, if you have a penis. You probably take these things for granted every day of your life. Take five minutes of that life, right now, to imagine what it's like when you cannot claim the following:
7. If I'm a teen or adult, and if I can stay out of prison, my odds of being raped are so low as to be negligible.
8. I am not taught to fear walking alone after dark in average public spaces.
17. As a child, I could choose from an almost infinite variety of children's media featuring positive, active, non-stereotyped heroes of my own sex.
I never had to look for it; male heroes were the default.
24. If I have sex with a lot of people, it won't make me an object of contempt or derision.
28. If I'm not conventionally attractive, the disadvantages are relatively small and easy to ignore.
31. I can be confident that the ordinary language of day-to-day existence will always include my sex. "All men are created equal,"mailman, chairman, freshman, he.
40. Magazines, billboards, television, movies, pornography, and virtually all of media is filled with images of scantily-clad women intended to appeal to me sexually. Such images of men exist, but are much rarer.
41. I am not expected to spend my entire life 20-40 pounds underweight.
42. If I am heterosexual, it's incredibly unlikely that I'll ever be beaten up by a spouse or lover.
45. I have the privilege of being unaware of my male privilege.
Ready for it, window lickers?
I pretend to not know how to play so I can avoid playing. I want to avoid playing because I do not have the male privilege of losing, and that creates incredible stress. That is, were I to play and happen to lose, it would not just reflect on me, but because I'm female it would reflect on any female who ever played or will ever play MTG and quite probably on the female sex as a whole. I do not have any room for losing. I could never make a deck just because it'd be a "fun" one to play, with no concern for it's ability to win.
Why is this? Three words: invisible male privilige. The skewering of a situation in favor of men which is so ingrained or long-standing that no one notices it until something goes against it. Right now, you need to read The Male Privilige Checklist. It lists the invisible male privilige which exists everywhere, all the time, and since it was written by a man it is in the first person. The highlights which caused my epiphany?
4. If I fail in my job or career, I can feel sure this won't be seen as a black mark against my entire sex's capabilities.
5. The odds of my encountering sexual harassment on the job are so low as to be negligible.
*Replace "job or career" and "on the job" with "gaming".
21. If I'm careless with my financial affairs it won't be attributed to my sex.
22. If I'm careless with my driving it won't be attributed to my sex.
23. I can speak in public to a large group without putting my sex on trial.
*Replace "financial affairs" and "driving" with "playing". Replace "speak in public to a large group" with "play in public".
29. I can be loud with no fear of being called a shrew. I can be aggressive with no fear of being called a bitch.
32. My ability to make important decisions and my capability in general will never be questioned depending on what time of the month it is.
* The cheese stands alone, here.
Think about it, if you have a penis. You probably take these things for granted every day of your life. Take five minutes of that life, right now, to imagine what it's like when you cannot claim the following:
7. If I'm a teen or adult, and if I can stay out of prison, my odds of being raped are so low as to be negligible.
8. I am not taught to fear walking alone after dark in average public spaces.
17. As a child, I could choose from an almost infinite variety of children's media featuring positive, active, non-stereotyped heroes of my own sex.
I never had to look for it; male heroes were the default.
24. If I have sex with a lot of people, it won't make me an object of contempt or derision.
28. If I'm not conventionally attractive, the disadvantages are relatively small and easy to ignore.
31. I can be confident that the ordinary language of day-to-day existence will always include my sex. "All men are created equal,"mailman, chairman, freshman, he.
40. Magazines, billboards, television, movies, pornography, and virtually all of media is filled with images of scantily-clad women intended to appeal to me sexually. Such images of men exist, but are much rarer.
41. I am not expected to spend my entire life 20-40 pounds underweight.
42. If I am heterosexual, it's incredibly unlikely that I'll ever be beaten up by a spouse or lover.
45. I have the privilege of being unaware of my male privilege.