From ‘Bimbos’ To Books And Wonder Women

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Gahhh!! Gahhhhh!!! New Game Encourages Young Girls To Embrace Their Inner “Bimbo” - Jezebel.com

Yes, I’m not kidding. And just when I was doing a bit more research after being inspired by Bitch PhD’s asking about good reading programs for kids that used the computer… (”Does anyone out there know if there are any *educational* games for the Nintendo DS that focus on teaching reading?” - feel free to help out!):

There’s a new game in England and France for girls ages 9 to 16, and it’s so raunchy it makes Bratz dolls look positively Pollyanna-ish.

Miss Bimbo - the game is essentially an online competition in which each registered player is given a “Bimbo” all her own to take care of — sort of like those Tamagotchi pets, but, well, not. According to Miss Bimbo rules, the goal of the game is to make your Bimbo the ” the hottest of hot Bimbos,” which involves dating “that famous hottie,” becoming a “socialite and skyrocket[ing] to the top of fame and popularity,” and even resorting “to meds or plastic surgery”, because girls should “Stop at nothing to become the reigning bimbo!” According to CNN, “Breast implants sell at 11,500 bimbo dollars and net the buyer 2,000 bimbo attitudes, making her more popular on the site.”

…Bill Hibbard, a member of the parents’ rights group ParentKind, tells the Guardian, “It is one thing if a child recognises it as a silly and stupid game. But the danger is that a nine-year-old fails to appreciate the irony and sees the bimbo as a cool role model. Then the game becomes a hazard and a menace. Children’s innocence should be protected as far as possible. It depends on the background and mindset of the child but the danger is that after playing the game some will then aspire to have breast operations and take diet pills.”

It also raises a big issue that I have with online ‘fake fortune telling’ programs like BONGO and love lines - you don’t read the small print… and if you’re a kid, you might not realise how much time (and money…) is being sucked up by taking part.

Miss Bimbo, at first glance, is free for registrants, but when players run out of virtual bimbo money, they are given the option to buy Bimbo text messages which cost £1.50 ($2.99) per message and give players extra dollars to spend on their Bimbos. A French man has already sued Miss Bimbo’s Gallic sister site after his daughter ran up a text message bill of over £100 ($199).

The 23 year old (male…) creator defends it, of course. Why wouldn’t you want your very own Gossip Girl to manipulate? Err… because we have enough crap out there already and there’s already a dearth of cool games out there… which are educational? Sheesh.

“The missions and goals for the bimbos are morally sound and teach children about the real world. If they eat too much chocolate in the game, it is bad for their bimbos’ bodies and their happiness levels compared to if they eat fruit and vegetables, which reinforces positive healthy eating messages. The breast operations are just one part of the game and we are not encouraging young girls to have them.”

Uh huh. And DON’T get me started on easting disorders. Thankfully, the NY Times says that recent research into feminism may point the way towards better body images: Perceptions: Feminists More Open-Minded on Weight -

A new study finds that women who describe themselves as feminists are more forgiving than other women when assessing the attractiveness of women who are either very underweight or very heavy.

Writing in the journal Body Image, researchers said the findings added evidence to the argument that women who considered themselves feminists might be less likely to be taken in by the notion that the most important thing for women is to be thin. That belief, especially in younger women, can lead the way to an eating disorder.

This just after I delightfully reported to my friend Digital Cuttlefish that England’s first size 16 beauty queen has been announced: “The first size 16 candidate to reach the finals of the Miss England competition… Chloe Marshall, from Guildford, is 79.8 kilograms, 1.78 metres tall and has a 38DD bust. The 16-year-old beat a bevy of slimmer hopefuls to be crowned Miss Surrey.”

Sadly, we still have a way to go…

Feminists and non-feminists tended to agree on which woman was the most attractive. But that woman was described by the researchers as somewhat underweight, suggesting that even feminists cannot fully avoid societal pressures to be thin.

Which reminds me - after hearing how Perth girl Megan Gale is starring as Wonder Woman in the new film (I did hear a radio interview a few weeks back when she was in Perth for the David Jones fashion parades where she revealed that she is the ONLY starring woman in the film though! A shame, I was hoping for some sparky lady sidekicks, but I guess that’s not really cannonical…), you can check out the ever-inspirational character on Salon.com (thanks again to Bitch PhD!):

Looking For Some Kick-ass Female Heroines? The Amelia Bloomer Project:

Maybe you want good book ideas for a niece, daughter, young friend or expecting mama. Or maybe you actually want some good feminist reading for the — gasp — boys in your life. Regardless, you should check out the Amelia Bloomer Project, six years (and counting) of book awards to “honor the authors, illustrators, editors, and publishers who give life to books that encourage readers young and old to push the envelope and challenge what it means to be a woman, regardless of ethnicity or social-economic background.”

…But given that even today children’s stories continue to rely heavily on male protagonists (Harry Potter, anyone?) or to emphasize girly girls (”Fancy Nancy”), a certain amount of sober-minded reading and a reminder that feminism’s about more than pink “girl power” T-shirts can’t hurt.

Hell yeah!!!!!

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Tags: Amelia Bloomer project, beauty queen, Bimbo, blogs, body, Bongo, computer, computer game, feminism, Gossip Girl, Megan Gale, perception, research, weight, women, Wonder Woman