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The erasure of female representation in geek spaces as an element for the construction of Geek identity: The case of Warhammer 40.000

2018; Intellect; Volume: 10; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1386/cjcs.10.2.193_1

1757-1901

Alejandro Muñoz-Guerado, Laura Triviño Cabrera,

Media, Gender, and Advertising

Abstract In the following article we aim to depict the complex threefold relationship between the phenomenon of the second digital divide that plagues women inside entertainment spaces, the theoretical framework of post-sexism and the construction of Geek identity as a besieged, discriminated space. Our purpose is to highlight how the construction of Geek identity was based on both the exclusion of women from geek spaces and the creation of a melodramatical narrative surrounding such spaces. We do so through the analysis of gender representation within the popular Warhammer 40.000 game. Results show a perfect example of a women-excluding setting, packed with gender representation problems that is trying, as of late, to distance itself from such baggage, taking steps to redefine what it means to be a Warhammer 40.000 fan.