Video Game: Gone Home

I chose to watch the video game on YouTube instead of playing it myself because not only am I a gamer or someone who plays video games for fun, but I get severely nauseated while playing. I felt good watching the game on YouTube and it didn’t affect my sensory balance as much. The video game was interesting to watch and very suspenseful because as soon as I saw Sam’s letter to her sister, Katie, I wanted to find out how and what led to that moment. I enjoyed how the video game teaches you a little bit about each person in the family and it adds more substance to the story. I felt like I was Katie trying to find clues about Sam and where the parents went. The house looked like everyone (Sam, Janice, and Terry) was in a rush and had to leave the home immediately. The quietness of the game, besides Sam’s occasional voice, made me sit on the edge of my seat even more. I loved how the story slowly unraveled and how it revealed that Sam and Lonnie had feelings for each other. It was sad to see how Sam felt about her parents not accepting of her relationship with Lonnie because they wanted her to be with a boy.

The Riot Grrrl Movement

The Riot Grrrl movement was very powerful and made its mark on people across the world. It showed feminism in a different light and proved that feminism is about more than just being a woman. Feminist doesn’t have one look and there are different experiences with being a feminist. I think Sam and Lonnie would be part of this movement because in the video game you see words and posters with “patriarchy” written on them or “kicking against the patriarchy, and a comic book titled “Women Outlaws”. As the story continues, you learn that Sam and Lonnie bond over punk rock, grunge, and the Riot Grrrl movement. Lonnie was in JROTC and Sam was surprised that she was going to basic training. She didn’t expect Lonnie to be the type who would follow authority. I believe Sam and Lonnie would both agree with Riot Grrrl manifesto: “BECAUSE we don’t wanna assimilate to someone else’s (boy) standards of what is or isn’t”. Sam’s parents, Janice and Terry, wanted Sam to assimilate to the standards of who a woman should be with and who a woman shouldn’t be with. This proves they believe in traditional gender roles and didn’t want Sam to challenge that.

Audre Lorde (1977), The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action

Audre Lorde opens this piece by saying “I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood” (40). The way I interpreted this quote is to say what you mean and how you feel without feeling guilty of how others may interpret it. Women live their lives scared of how they will be labeled, viewed, and criticized because of what they feel is important. Women are constantly ridiculed for being too “emotional” or being “overthinkers” which may cause women to hide themselves from the world around them. Audre Lorde is saying it’s okay to not be silent. You don’t have to be silent because of your fear of judgement or visibility. In comparison to the video game, Sam couldn’t hide who she was to please her parents. She wouldn’t let them silence her, which led to her packing her things and starting a life with Lonnie. Sam chose to stay true to what was important to her, speak and live her truth. Audre Lorde says,

“But primarily for us all, it is necessary to teach by living and speaking those truths which we believe and know beyond understanding. Because in this way alone we can survive, by taking part in a process of life that is creative and continuing, that is growth”

(Lorde 43).

Lorde’s quote and a piece of the Riot Grrrl manifesto go hand in hand. Riot Grrrl’s manifesto mentioned that doing, reading, seeing, and hearing things from other people who believe in women can help us gain strength and a sense of community. We all must teach and speak our truths if we want society to change its ways. Growth is figuring out sexism, racism, the true meaning of feminism, and much more.

Connection

Bell Hooks “Feminism is For Everybody”, speaks on patriarchy and how men benefit the most from it because men assume they are superior to women. Hooks says,

“In return for all the goodies men receive from patriarchy, they are required to dominate women, to exploit and oppress us, using violence if they must to keep patriarchy intact”

(Lorde IX)

The Riot Grrrl movement set out to reclaim women’s voices and choices from men who deemed themselves in control of women. They are angry at society for looking at them as just “dumb, weak, girls”. This movement tackled sexism in full force and encouraged women to end the patriarchy. We needed movements like this so women would feel comfortable speaking their truths and not sitting in the background of men.

Essay Ideas

1. Beauty and makeup: I have always been deeply interested in all things beauty and makeup since I was younger. This topic has so many layers because beauty and makeup can turn into something complex. It can be damaging, but it can also be empowering. (Cultural Artifact: Beyoncé “Pretty Hurts”)
2. Body Image: A lot of what we see on social media or TV talks about body image and body positivity. Looking deeper, you realize that social media and TV are part of the reasons why people view their bodies in a negative way. There could be other reasons such as family or culture lifestyle. (Cultural Artifact: A Secret Between Friends: A Moment of Truth Movie)
3. Intimate partner violence: This is a very controversial topic for many people. Specifically, violence against women is tolerated and legal in many countries. Intimate partner violence is often looked over and there’s always the question: “What did they do?” “They must have done or said something for their partner to do that”. So many questions, and not enough accountability. (Cultural Artifact: No One Would Tell (1996)