The Princess's Garden:My Little Pony Project 2012

A collage of just a few of the featured ponies on display in the gallery

Having grown up in the 80's, My Little Pony was an obsession for me. I remember clipping my Pony Points from the cardboard toy cartons to scrounge and save up for the exclusive Ember. Every year for Christmas, my Wish List was filled with different ponies and their homes. You couldn't get across my room with getting a unicorn or pegasi underfoot. Though to be honest, not much has changed (you can ask the warlock) and while I am still a fan of the original series I grew up with, I am also a big fan of the new series as well.

So as you can imagine, when my dear friends Victoria and Dalin told me about the the My Little Pony Project, I jumped at the chance to join them.

The project is an art gallery featuring large pony sculptures which have been decorated by various artists. In addition to the gallery, there was an adorable salon where you could get your hair braided and decorated with sparkly clips and colorful extensions, as well as a pop-up shop where you could buy merchandise such as trading cards, posters and t-shirts. I ended up walking away with a Fluttershy hoodie since she's my favorite pony.

Me with my personal favorite, the Hime+You Pony

For the big day, my friends and I decided to go all out in fabulous fairy kei-lolita style. We went over the top with glitter, ribbons and frills. I even got to don my new unicorn horn which I recently purchased at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire.It was a fun ride on the subway and I ended up with a fan section of a bunch of fellow Capricorns who I took pictures with. Hey, it's not every day a pink-haired unicorn girl rides the train with you, right? It was one of those memorable New York City moments, for sure.

Victoria, Dalin and I with the 6%DokiDoki Pony

When we finally arrived, I was blown away by how unique each artist had made their pony. There was so much color and imagination in each and every one. We were welcomed with open arms by the staff who all enjoyed our equally vibrant attire.A bunch of the kids and staff came over and got pictures with us and we even got to talk to a representative from Hasbro named Elizabeth who we chatted with about our love for the series and our desire to have it released on DVD (please, please, please!).

But the best part of the day for me was just being able to hang out with my friends and indulge in a sparkly day full of pure joy. Because after all, friendship is magic.

Gaming by Gaslight: Misogyny in Geek Culture

I realize that this blog has been dead for quite some time, and both the Warlock and I apologize for that. With our hectic schedules, our posts are few and far between. I was not planning on writing an article any time soon, to be honest. However, after a recent discussion on a fan site got my hackles up, I have been inspired to write this article.

It started with a simple wish I verbalized. On a favorite fan site of mine, a video game preview was posted. It was a game I was looking forward. One which was based on one of my fandoms. After seeing that neither of the two PCs were female, I made a comment lamenting about this and how the video game industry often glazes over the female population of gamers. In the source material from which the video game is drawn from, there are an abundance of interesting, multi-faceted female leads that play huge roles in the story. As such I was surprised and saddened that they game designers choose to have their two male PCs both be male. What came next was an even greater shock.

My comment was responded to by another poster saying I was “very unreasonable” for having that reaction. That I “can’t demand that all games with more than [one] protagonist has an equal amount of male and female characters” and that surely I “must see how unreasonable this is”. This was perhaps one of the biggest and most overt sexist comments I have ever been targeted by in my geek community. I was caught completely off-guard by it. Here I am, a geek trying to reach out and bond with my fellow fans (in a community that surely has similarly felt bullied and ostracized from the rest of the population) only to be told that my opinion was irrelevant, invalid and “unreasonable”.  Talk about a slap in the face! I half expected to be told to go back to the kitchen.

At first, I felt stupid. I began to question myself - Was my opinion really that unreasonable? Then I paused and sat back, looking over my request in context to the game and the source material. No. I wasn’t being unreasonable. The fandom has a large portion of female fans and the canon has a large portion of lead female characters. My request was not without reason. It was rational and valid. And here someone was in my own community trying to make me invalidate my own opinion. My own perception. My own reality. I had just been gaslighted.

The term gaslighting was coined from the play Gas Light by Patrick Hamilton in which the husband of the main character starts to subtly alter his wife’s environment in order to make her go crazy. Included in these tactics, he dims the gas lights in their home and when she mentions it, denies her perception to make her question herself and her reality. The term is now used as a psychological abuse tactic that the aggressor uses against another to make them question themselves. It makes the victim question themselves and their beliefs. To quote an article found here, “Those who engage in gaslighting create a reaction—whether it’s anger, frustration, sadness—in the person they are dealing with. Then, when that person reacts, the gaslighter makes them feel uncomfortable and insecure by behaving as if their feelings aren’t rational or normal.” This tactic, while it can be found in any relationship, is frequently used by misogynists against women. It is something I never expected to encounter in my own community; a community that I had once thought to be liberal, forward thinking and embracing of people with all backgrounds.

This, of course, spurred an intense discussion among the online community and my friends about sexism in geek culture, specifically related to the video game and comic book industries. Something which was pointed out by a few people, was that females are much more willing to play male characters without complaint while it is not true of the flip side. As such, the industry choses to cater to male audience over female audiences and develops and markets games accordingly. The same can be found in literature. In a writer conference I attended, it was discussed that children’s writers tended to choose male protagonists because females are more willing to read stories with both male and female leads while males tend to read more stories with male protagonists. As a result, we frequently find fewer female characters represented.

In the video game and comic book industry, when we do see female characters we often see them portrayed as objectified and hyper-sexualized as love interests or trophies. Is it any wonder that a number of women don’t want to join in? Can you see how uncomfortable that makes ladies out there?

Granted we are seeing more and more examples of stronger and more developed female characters in the market. And that’s great, but I see potential for more.

A friend of mine countered me by asking if I felt that these industries are the cause of sexism in the population, and if so, isn’t that essentially the same as saying that violent video games cause violent behavior? No, it is not the industry’s responsibility. The industry is one that caters to fantasy, sure. However, I think we as individuals should strive to each act in a socially responsible manner. That starts with how we treat one another and continues with what we choose to support. For example, I do not buy video games which portray women in such ways. I vote with my wallet. I do not believe in censorship, but I will not support misogyny.

And so my fellow fanboys and fangirls, geeks and gamers, all I ask is to please be mindful. Please be aware of your behavior. Of what you say and do to others. Of what you are supporting. This goes both ways – males and females alike. Let’s not isolate one another by attempting to invalidate each other’s opinions and perceptions in such abusive an abusive manner. Many of us are considered outcasts and deviants enough already. Do we really need further segregation? Is sexism something we, as a community, want to continue to support?  I urge each of you out there to be aware and behave in a socially conscious manner.

As one poster followed up, the ESA reports that 42% of the gamer population is made up of females. While the majority of gamers are still male, 42% is a rather large chunk. We are almost half of the population! Shouldn’t we deserve equal representation? I think so and I fail to see how asking for it is unreasonable.

The Princess's Garden: Cosplay vs. Lolita

Costume or Fashion - Some can't tell the difference

A friend recently sent me a flyer for a cosplay event featuring a lolita theme, because she knows of my interest in lolita fashion and also my previous history of cosplay. A month ago, another friend pointed out a group of maid cosplayers dancing on stage at a local event saying, “Oh hey look at the lolitas”. I’ve heard other stories about lolitas at events in which cosplayers swarmed them and tried to start discussing anime with them. It struck me how people outside of these two subcultures often lump these subcultures together. What’s more amazing to me is how people within these communities sometimes try to group them together when they are two totally different geekdoms.

For reference, cosplay stands for “costume play”. It is a subculture revolving around making and wearing costume replicas of various fandoms, popularly associated with anime and manga.  Lolita on the other hand is, to quote LolitaFashion.org, “a Japanese street fashion inspired primarily by the clothing and general aesthetics of the Rococo and Victorian periods”.

The key words here are “costume” and “fashion”. While both subcultures revolve around clothing and originated in Japan, cosplay deals with costumes and lolita fashion about actual day-to-day wearable clothing. For cosplayers, the interest is focused on the fandom they are portraying and for lolitas, the interest is in a specific style of fashion. The dynamic divide which exists between these two groups has generated two emerging stereotypes – the annoying cosplayer and the bitchy lolita.

On the cosplayers side, they look to the lolitas and see girls (and boys, mind you) dressed in Japanese street fashion. They can relate to them – they both have a love of something originating from the same place and they aren’t afraid to go out in public dressed differently. And hey, even some of their favorite anime characters dress like that too!  It’s easy for the cosplayer to assume that they must share similar interests, hobbies, and fandoms (usually anime). However, sometimes the response is a rude rejection – a few terse words and a verbal slap to the face for daring to group the two together.

On the other side, here the lolita is dressing up day to day in her fashion of choice. Lolita fashion is her wardrobe. She endures society’s constant critical eye watching her with people taking her fashion as a joke. Society tries to tell her that what she is wearing is a costume and not a true fashion, a misconnection she continuously tries to clear up. And then she has to watch as all the hard work she’s done to get her fashion taken seriously be thrown out the window by a costume based subculture trying to bring them under the same banner.

For the cosplayer, she has only extended an olive branch of friendship as a way of banning together as fellow geeks and doesn’t understand the rejection. For the lolita, she is upset that assumptions are being made about her based solely on her clothes. And like the cosplayers who may make the assumptions that lolitas must like anime too, there are lolitas who make the assumption that cosplayers don’t understand the distinct differences between their two subcultures.  Obviously not all cosplayers and lolitas are the same. In fact, there are plenty who engage in both subcultures. But as a person who dresses in lolita fashion and who has once been involved in the cosplay community, I personally wish people would distinguish between the two subcultures. However, I think this can be done without getting flustered and rude about making the distinction. I think this needs to be something both subcultures work on – the cosplayers shouldn’t leap to assumptions that all lolitas share the same interests as them and the lolitas need not react in such a negative way if and when those assumptions are made.

Speaking from a lolitas point of view, I think it’s in the best interest of my fellow rufflebutts to keep calm and be polite when they are faced with this sort of assumption whether it’s from a cosplayer or someone outside of both subcultures. Yes, we do want our street style to be recognized as a legitimate fashion and not a costume. But snapping at others and making rude comments doesn’t help us look any better. We do not need our reputation to be one of elitism or rudeness. The best way to handle this situation is to calmly explain the differences between the two groups, educating them without chastising them for not being able to tell the difference. Because you know what? For many people not familiar with these groups, they look the same – they see a bunch of girls dressed in colorful and unusual clothing that looks reminiscent of something they might see in a cartoon. A girl dressed as Sakura Kinomoto might look the same as a girl wearing an Angelic Pretty dress. Don’t beret them for it. Simply educate them as politely as possible. And if a hyperactive cosplayer comes over and wants to discuss anime with you and anime isn’t your thing, again – be polite. It’s not hard just to smile and explain that you aren’t familiar with their interests. Either they will go away or you will find a common ground and maybe make a new friend. There’s no need to be condescending. We’re all geeks. We’re all different. No one hobby or interest is better than another. And at the end of the day, we all deserve to be accepted, by our fellow geeks more than anyone else.

Guest Post on Stuffer Shack

The Princess had the great honor of guest writing an article for Stuffer Shack.
If you don't already subscribe to Stuffer Shack - you should! It's a wonderful blog full of a variety of articles covering many subjects in gaming. It's a great resource and a fun read.
Pop on over and check out The Princess's article "How to Handle Touchy Subject in Your Game".

Princess's Garden: Etsy for the Gamer Girl

One of my favorite places to shop is Etsy.
It is my guilty pleasure for indulging in homemade, crafty goodness.
I can easily spend hours scouring through all the different shops.
I've had alot of luck at finding some very wonderful artisans who create fine products at very reasonable prices, especially for gamer type products. So I thought I would make a fun little treasury with a "gamer princess" theme, for all my fellow princesses out there. Enjoy!




I don't know about you, but I have my eyes on those hair sticks!

You can also view the full treasury listing here.
Of course, Etsy is not just for the ladies. There are plenty of awesome stuff for guys too.
It's definately worth checking out for unique gifts.

Etsy works through PayPal and they have great customer service.
If you plan on shopping though, make sure to look over the sellers feedback.
While the majority of the artisans are great and easy to work with, sometimes things happen and you want to make sure you are purchasing from a reputable seller, so always check before committing to buy.

The Princess’s Garden: An Open Letter to Ginia Bellafante of the New York Times

I'll have my sword AND my tiara, thank you very much!

Dear Ms. Bellafante,

After reading your recent article, "A Fantasy World of Strange Feuding Kingdoms", which reviews the upcoming HBO series, A Game of Thrones, I felt compelled to comment.

I found this review to be offensive to fantasy lovers, particularly female fantasy lovers. Now, I will state for the record that yes, I am a fan of fantasy, I am a fan of George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, and yes I regularly play D&D and LARP. However, the way you come off in your article you seem to attack the idea that females cannot enjoy these things and if they do that somehow makes them not feminine. Fantasy, this one or otherwise, is not gender specific. It is an interest just as RPGs are a hobby. It may not be something you are interested in, fine. But please do not presume all because you personally don't consort with women interested in the fantasy genre, that we aren't out there and those that are, are somehow flawed in some way. In fact, most of the fantasy lovers I happen to know (male and female alike) are very well-read, intelligent, creative and poised people. You may wish to consider having more of an open mind if you are to make judgment calls and critiques about things you are not familiar with. You are a writer. Do your research. It's part of your job.

Furthermore, from your jumbled piece I fail to understand exactly what it is that you do not enjoy or appreciate about the show. The message you sent with your review comes off as "I don't like fantasy, no woman out there could possibly like fantasy over any other genre, and this is just a fanboy service show to watch naked wenches." That is not a constructive nor professional review. What exactly didn't you like? What the quality of the writing poor? Were the performances stilted? Was the story too confusing and/or too contrived?

Now you may be under the impression that as a fan of the series, I am just giving you are hard time. But I assure you that is not the case. I am very interested in hearing about reviews (both positive and negative) from critics who are new to the story. I like hearing about what aspects of the production work or don't work for you and why they do or do not.

All I ask is that next time you write a review please refrain from making such sweeping generalities and attacks on a fan base and on my gender. That is not what you are supposed to be writing about - you are supposed to be reviewing the product and telling us specifically what merits and/or flaws the product has. End of story.

The Princess Comments:

Yes, I did send that email to Ms. Bellafante after reading her poorly written article in the New York Times. Here are a few quotes from the “review” (if you can even call it that based on what little journalistic merit it actual has):

“The true perversion, though, is the sense you get that all of this illicitness has been tossed in as a little something for the ladies, out of a justifiable fear, perhaps, that no woman alive would watch otherwise. While I do not doubt that there are women in the world who read books like Mr. Martin’s, I can honestly say that I have never met a single woman who has stood up in indignation at her book club and refused to read the latest from Lorrie Moore unless everyone agreed to “The Hobbit” first. “Game of Thrones” is boy fiction patronizingly turned out to reach the population’s other half.”

Excuse me? So because I am female, I can’t like fantasy? And if I do, does that make me somehow strange, flawed or defective in some way? Or unfeminine? Articles like this and people like Ms. Bellafante are part of the reason why the Warlock and I have this blog. To show the perspectives of two fantasy lovers – one male, one female.  

Ms. Bellafante you have offended me as a geek and but what’s more, as a woman.

What is it to you that makes someone feminine? Do I have to watch “Sex in the City”, have only girlfriends, shop at the Gap, carry a Prada bag, only watch rom-coms, drink cosmopolitans and spend my free time reading Nicholas Spark novels? Because while that great for some women, that is not who I am. And while I will not make judgments on those ladies, I want the same respect and not have you judge me on my own merit as a woman.

Because some days this princess gets dolled up in lolita fashion, while other days she runs around in a Slytherin t-shirt, hoodie and jeans. She drinks both mint flavored bubble tea and beer (not together, mind you).  She has a collection of graphic novels, RPG manuals and children’s books. She gives to charity and does volunteer work. She spends her time running through forests pretending to be an Elven warrior, while sometimes she has tea with her friends. She is a fabulous, happy and intelligent and I wouldn’t have it any other way. If by your definition enjoying fantasy makes me less of a woman in your eyes, then maybe it is you who are flawed and not me and not all the other women out there like me.

(note: pic from weheartit)

The Princess's Garden: Incorporating Lolita Fashion into LARPs

When my friend Victoria of Lolita Charm was planning to try out her first LARP experience in a local boffer LARP, she wasn’t sure quite what to expect and came to me for advice on how to incorporate Lolita fashion into her character’s wardrobe. I felt that this would be an ideal topic to discuss here, since I know many other lolitas who are also gamers, or lolitas who are interested in getting started in LARPs.

LARPs (Live Action Role Playing) can be broken down into two basic forms – demonstrative and salon. Demonstrative LARPs include “Boffer” style LARPs in which the actions of the characters are played out. The combat is done in real time with fake, boffer weapons. These types of LARPs usually take place in campgrounds over long weekends. You will be expected to remain in-character the entire time and will have to actually perform anything you want your character to accomplish. For example, in a table top game, you might play a bard and explain to the DM that your character sings a song in the local tavern to earn some money. In a demonstrative LARP you would be required to actually sit and sing if that’s what you wanted to do.

Salon style LARPs are more theatrical in nature. These include the MET (Mind’s Eye Theater) and Cthulu Live systems. In salon style LARPs, your character can perform actions you may not be able to. If you are playing a thief, you could make an ability check to see if you can open a lock rather than actually have to open the lock yourself. While dialogue and basic movements are all acted out, combat and abilities are determined by a system, often using rock-paper-scissors and dice rolling to determine the outcome.

In Demonstrative LARPs, you will likely be spending a lot of time outdoors being physically active and getting dirty. It is not an ideal LARP form for strict Lolita fashion, and in most cases demonstrative LARPs tend toward historical and/or fantasy genres, so straight up Lolita fashion is really not the way to go (you don’t want that Angelic Pretty OP covered in sweat and mud, do you?). However, you can create a wardrobe that is “Lolita inspired”. There are two ways to go about this; create your own outfit or shop around and build up a costume.

If you want to wear Lolita in a demonstrative LARP, I would advise staying away from brand and keep with inexpensive offbrand that you will be okay with possibly getting dirty or damaged. You may wish to consider delving into mori girl or dolly kei fashions which may be more appropriate. However, if you prefer to stick with Lolita, then I would suggest wearing more classic lines like the Innocent World JSK shown above. Since, as I mentioned, the majority of demonstrative LARPs are more fantasy based and take place in forest campgrounds, you will probably want to stick with more muted, natural tones. You can wear a faux-fur wrap or cloak over your dress. To add a touch of whimsy consider playing a fairy or an elf and add elf ears, fairy wings and/or a crown of flowers. Pair this with leather arm bracers and a good pair of comfortable boots as you can easily portray an elven archer or a fairy enchantress.

In Salon style, it is much easier to wear regular Lolita fashion since you will not be asked to participate in simulated combat nor will it be as physically taxing. Additionally, many salon style LARPs setting take place in modern times.

However, in cases of historical games taking place before the Victorian era, I would caution against wearing Lolita fashion in favor of working with the game’s aesthetic. In these cases, it’s best to just wear a costume of the appropriate time period to help with being consistent with historical accuracy. Likewise, a sci-fi or futuristic game setting may also not be appropriate. But for games taking place from the Victorian era to modern times, you should be all set.

The majority of salon style LARPs tend toward gothic and steampunk aesthetics, therefore classic and gothic Lolita attire will likely be the most appropriate. You can easily wear whatever attire you would normally wear out around the town for a salon style LARP since you will not be in any more danger of damaging your brand any more than you would going out on a shopping excursion.  If you’ve never delved into steampunk, often times just adding a pair of goggles and a pocketwatch  to your outfit will do. Character concepts like an occult scholar or an airship captain could be ideal for these type of games.

Surely you have noticed the lack of concepts here for sweet lolitas. That is because sweet Lolita style generally will only work in salon style LARPs set in modern settings.  In that case, there’s not much you will need to do to adjust your outfit to the setting.

So in conclusion, if you are a Lolita wishing to get involved into LARPs and want to incorporate your fashion into the game, the key things to remember are the type of LARP it will be and what the game’s setting will be. It may simply not be appropriate for you to wear your frills at game, but there are plenty of times you can. Just do your research before jumping in.

The Princess's Garden: Beyond the Stereotype

Everyone is subjected to being stereotyped, male and female alike. However, I am sure that I am not alone in being dismayed when I come across one dimensional female characters based purely on a template. I’m not saying that it’s not equally as frustrating for men who encounter this problem, but I think, for women, it’s an issue that is a bit more pronounced considering that we’ve only recently started to get a foot hold in an industry that used to be primarily marketed toward a male audience. It’s as if the geek media has finally just discovered that girls like to kick back and whip out our d20 just as much as our guy friends.

Through the course of time, certain stereotypes have become a regular staple of female characters in geek media. Some of these may be a residual effect of a formerly male centric interest, while others are the result of women trying too hard to fight back against. While there shouldn’t be a pressure to play or create a character that is completely original, when we don’t go beyond a stereotype we are not stretching our creative muscles as gamers and writers. Archetypes are a good foundation, but they need to be shaped to form something with depth. To craft them into an interesting and balanced character.

While there are numerous stereotypes that exist, I have chosen to address three of the ones I see the most frequently. Let’s examine their pitfalls and how we, as a community, can strive to go beyond the stereotype.


The Damsel
This, more than any of the others on the list, is the stereotype that the majority of women rail against the most. It’s also the one that many starting players create. Why? Because many female gamers come into gaming through their significant others. They are often referred to as a “backpack” among gaming society.
The profile of The Damsel is a character that has little to no physical attributes, is dependent on other characters, and has minimal motivation or goals. They are frequently the love interest for another character and lack a clearly defined background. She appears helpless with no indication of ever trying to get involved or make her own choices.

The problem with this stereotype is that those playing The Damsel will often find that they feel alienated from the game and the other players. The reason for this is usually because of their dependence on others and weak concept design. Motivations, goals and a fully conceptualized background help give a character the fuel they need to be an active participant. Without this drive, other players may become exhausted with trying to constantly work in ways to get you involved or having to rescue you every five minutes.

Those who want to play a more classic heroine role shouldn’t let this deter them though, because there are ways to construct this archetype into a fully fleshed out character. One of the best ways to do this is by giving your character a useful, non-physical based skill set, whether it be diplomacy, martial tactics, economic strategy, first aid, empathy, academics or linguistics. Giving yourself an edge is one way to make your character a part of the team. Not everyone can be the fighter. Sometimes you need someone to be able to talk down the monster or translate ancient documents.

An example of this can be found in fan favorite, Princess Leia. We are presented with a character who needs to be rescued and upon first look seems to be a damsel in distress, but we soon learn that she possesses a strong moral code and sense of self. She conducts herself with confidence and is able to take command of military units. While she might not always jump out directly into the fray, she’s still involved in the action.

Princess Leia

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The Gun Bunny
Next we come to the ever-popular Gun Bunny. This stereotype is a two-fold construction from guys wanting to salivate over busty girls in tight leather and women wanting to escape the confines of The Damsel stereotype they have been presented with for too long.

Gun Bunnies are usually defined by their martial prowess. They are often have no flaws and no rational excuse for their powers and/or skills. In addition, they can often be found going the lone wolf route in an attempt to display just how cool their character is.

These stereotypes become an issue due to their frequent unwillingness to work with a group and also for their unwillingness to show any faults. While it’s tempting for many girls to play someone “empowered”, I think the idea of inner strength gets blurred with a total focus on physical skills. Gaming is a social pastime and as a result, alienating yourself from the group doesn’t do anyone any favors.

If you want to play a more social based character, it is possible to play this archetype effectively without having to compromise integrity. The goal of creating a character like this should focus on making the character be realistic. Flaws and short comings are universal and your character shouldn’t be exempt. This goes beyond having an eye patch. We’re talking about true flaws and insecurities that can truly affect the character. In addition to this, to make this character endearing, you’ll want to craft a believable backstory and be approachable.

Personally, I find Joss Wheadon to be one of the best writers of believable female characters. One of his characters that I think is a perfect example of the Gun Bunny done right is in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Faith. Faith starts out as a very likeable girl. Everyone immediately gets along with her, she doesn’t spend her time skulking in a corner – she’s out there making jokes and having fun with the others. We also get to see some great moments of vulnerability that display a near crippling self- loathing. In this, she transcends from being a run-of-the-mill antagonist and becomes a character you can relate to.

Faith

The Crazy Girl
Those who don’t’ want to be a physical powerhouse like The Gun Bunny nor a delicate and demure Damsel, will often turn to a third option – The Crazy Girl. From happy homicidal psychopaths to excessively traumatized teens, the Crazy Girl has become a recent favorite among gamer girls and geek media alike.
The Crazy Girl can often be found laughing manically and rambling incoherently in a corner. Their random actions are focused on silly antics. Their purpose seems to be exclusively to seek attention and offer, often disruptive, humor. They usually have little other defining characteristic aside from their insanity.

The problem is that many players find this stereotype to be annoying. And with good reason. The Crazy Girl has a habit of disrupting otherwise meaningful and emotional charged interactions for a chance to throw in a joke or make a scene. Constantly diverting attention to yourself can ruin a moment and rub other players the wrong way.

If you want to play a Crazy Girl, there are ways to pull it off without becoming disruptive. One of the key things is learning to be subtle. A constant barrage of flamboyant antics doesn’t give you room for displaying levels of clarity and psychosis. Sometimes it’s more unsettling to stare at someone blankly than to pull out a fish from your shirt and whacking someone on the head with it. Another thing you can do to keep everyone on their toes is to have moments of utter normalcy. These moments will make moments of insanity that much more impacting because you display a level of unpredictability without relying on humor.

A good example of this type of character that would fit in well with a game is Luna Lovegood. She is clearly “not all there” but she’s still an active member of the team. Sometimes her dialogue is nonsense, but it is sprinkled with wisdom and she rarely hogs the spotlight. She has subtle quirks and eccentric beliefs that cause her to be unsettling without being over the top.

Luna Lovegood

While those are only three examples, I think we should constantly seek to go beyond all stereotypes we may encounter. We should always strive to delve further into our characters and craft fully realized concepts. Challenging ourselves to push the beyond the limits of popularity and convention is how we will continue to grow and make a solid presence for ourselves in the gaming community.