Welcome to the Basement

Welcome to the basement, this is where I like to write. Its not dark, nor dank, there are no people hiding in the shadows fearing the light as they roll the dice. There is no mass of pizza boxes and assorted junk food wrappers littering the floors. The place is actually fairly well lit, with windows open most of the day, art fills our walls from black and white landscapes to artistic nudes, we have no shame in it. You are right about on thing though. There are not many lamps or alternative light sources in this space. Of course we really don’t need it as long as we open the balcony blinds during the summer. This is starting to sound less and less like a basement isn’t it? Have you figured out where we are yet?


There are hundreds if not thousands of negative stereotypes associated with being a gamer the most common ones portrayed being pale shriveled people within a hidden place. Another is that they are all sex starved men that would faint at the sight of a woman and still live at home. I am neither. With that thought everyone I know that I game with is employed, or in college. Many of them are in healthy relationships. So What I want to know is where did this idea come from? The release of the original D&D was before my time by many years but I can't believe that a sub culture this large came from a group of individuals portrayed as they are in movies and this is really starting to bother me.


Even the lack of solid information on the statistics of gamers is infuriating at times as I try and trace back the social roots of this. It has in fact gotten to the point where I am going to attempt a long term study in my community to find out more about gamers and why the lack of females within it. In a breakdown:

1. What: I am attempting to study the appearance of higher male to female ratio in the table top gaming community. In this study I am also attempting to centralize whether there is a true higher ratio, or if the females have simply been discouraged from the main stream by the stereotypes and social risk/stigma associated with being a table top gamer.
2. Why: Being a female who enjoys gaming, I am curious as to why it appears that more men may by participating in the activity but during events such as cons, there are a more equal appearing number of men versus women. To me this suggest that women stay out of the mainstream gaming because it is a risk. However at cons where everyone there is a 'geek' or a gamer that is safe so they feel as if they can participate. I would like to conduct a study to find out how much of this is speculation and how much of this is true.
   
   
   However do NOT expect this to by my only subject within this blog. I will keep everyone updated assuming that there is an everyone but right now I have homework to do and art to scan while I cross my fingers for a tablet for Christmas.
   
   
   
   
   Have a good one.
   Don't do anything I wouldn't do.
   -Girl In a Corset