As a high school student, I often babysat my next-door neighbor's children. There were three boys and one girl, the youngest. All the boys' rooms were painted bold colors, decorated with sports icons, littered with trucks. The young girl's room was decorated in Raggedy Anne. She had dolls and stuffed animals on her bed. It was not, however, their rooms that really struck me as overwhelmingly engendered. I once overheard their mother console her youngest son when he bumped his head. He had been jumping on the couch, and hit his head on the hard arm of the couch. After his sniffles were quickly silenced, his mother told him, "Hit it, honey! Hit that couch!" She then demonstrated, punching the couch with her fist, and encouraged him to do the same. In this instant, she was encouraging this act of violence in her son. She was encouraging bravery in the face of pain, and further, physical strength and violence conquering over his fears. She didn't want him to cry, but rather, to be angry. One day, I saw two beautiful families walking together. There were two sets of parents, three young boys, and two young girls. As I continued to watch them pass by, I observed their sons running around them, rolling on the ground, playing tag, yelling and screaming. It seemed like such a fun afternoon for these boys. However, I noticed that the two girls were behaving very well. They walked quietly with their mothers. They held hands while walking slowly, obediently. They were the docile creatures, while their brothers were allowed to run free. I vaguely wondered if they would be reprimanded if they followed their brothers lead. In the face of such gender expectations and guidelines, who wouldn't want liberation? To be free of restraints, pressures and prejudices would be a relief. While the woman is expected to always be docile, and the man to always be dominant, what of the woman who finds herself eloquent? Or the young man who would rather be a docile follower than a leader? To find a place of refuge, of freedom, such a Utopia, is highly longed for. As we turn to virtual realities, is this what we find? Is this what we long for? Away from stereotypes and gender expectations we must flee. But is hiding from the problem really a solution? For many, it was said that they chose Second Life as a place of refuge, away from prejudices, racisms, and sexisms. It was a place where men and women could experiment with their gender and sexuality anonymously, without face-to-face judgment of their peers, relatives or friends. Many have studied gender and sexuality on cyberspace. Arguably, cyberspace is a safe space to explore one’s sexuality and to even question and manipulate one’s virtual gender. In real life, these individuals often identify themselves as gay, lesbian, queer and transgender. When individuals do not feel comfortable with public displays of their sexual and gender exploration, they now have the opportunity of playing out these explorations online, relatively anonymously. However, is this really enough? Is it enough to be living as one wishes in merely their Second Life, and still miserable in their First? Even if some may contend that they are content in their Second Life virtual identities, it has also been argued that Second Life is in fact no utopia. There are unfortunately still these stereotypes present in one’s avatar and online environment. Further, though individuals have the opportunity on cyberspace to resist stereotypes, their identities “perpetuate the established norms of gender and sexuality” [6]. We live in a world where we are defined by our appearance. If we are male or female, something about our character is instantly judged. In the same way, we are judged by our race, height, weight, hair color, clothing, and undoubtedly much more. We long to be free of these prejudices. But how? Do we turn to a virtual world, perhaps Second Life? In Second Life, individuals, avatars that is, have the ability to change their appearance as they please. An individual can instantly shed their “first” identity and appearance with a simple alteration of their avatar. We can instantly look better. But what is better? Who decides what is the ideal beauty? Why is it that we give in to this perception and criteria? Somehow, we cannot escape it, and it flows over into Virtual worlds and identity as well. The theory of the “docile body” helps to explain this. It is like the conditioning of individuals to be, act, and long to be a certain way. This theory is discussed by Brookey and Cannon in the article, “Sex Lives in Second Life.” Though individuals have the opportunity and empowerment to escape these gender norms and expectations, individuals often are still influenced on their Virtual worlds. As these scholars put it, “Docility helps explain why individuals empowered with the agency to produce their own sexual world might choose to perpetuate the established norms of gender and sexuality.” Has the influence of these norms really gone so far as to have such an influence with no return? To become more feminine or masculine is perhaps more accessible on Second Life than in real life. It is ridiculously easy to acquire bigger breasts, or bigger muscles, longer legs, or tighter abs. Are we looking for a Utopia? It seems, though, that gender stereotypes are perhaps accentuated to the max on this virtual world called Second Life. Women can easily acquire the so-called “perfect” 36-25-36 figure. And men can accentuate their muscles as much as possible. But these two figures of appearance are the epitome of gender stereotypes. But even so, many avatars long for and achieve these qualities. Many women avatars are known to do a lot of shopping, of course, and “many of the stores in SL offer clothing, swimwear and lingerie which accentuate feminine sexual attractiveness” [6]. It does not seem that women escape to Second Life to be free of these gender expectations, because they are continually perpetuated online. Avatars on Second Life have the opportunity to engage in sexual encounters. Often however, these encounters feature the woman as the submissive player in these acts. Actions can be purchased for couples to engage in, but even so, the actions designated for the female character are the submissive acts, encouraging dominant, often aggressive male actions. The expected sexual actions between male and female border on rape of the female avatar by the aggressive, masculine male avatar. However, these women agree to engage in these acts. Is it their willingness to tolerate these acts that perpetuates the expectation for women to be submissive? Sexual intercourse between two avatars can be purchased in the form of “pose balls.” Often, pink balls are for the woman’s position, and blue balls are designated for the male… of course. Each avatar has to agree to the pose, however. But, “if a female avatar submits to the automated animations in which she is passive, she often is committed to the sexual act until the male is finished” [6]. This could be a deficiency in technology, but nevertheless, this is not in accordance with real life safe sex and the idea of consent. Further, “…male sexual dominance and female sexual passivity are propagated as the ‘natural’ state of sexual difference” [6]. Again, the idea of heteronormativity is aroused and influential. It seems that the only “normal” way to engage in sexual contact is between a man and woman. And further, only in the instances that the woman is the submissive partner. Perhaps the idea of acquiring a second identity is to flee earthly pains. After all avatars do not age, gain weight, sleep, or even die. Or, is it a place where women finally have the freedom to be safe? Perhaps not, because there have been many reported cases of rape on virtual worlds. Arguably, it is not as horrible as "real-life" rape, without repercussions of physical harm or alterations, or pregnancy, but, emotional reactions and scarring have indeed been felt. Even the experiences of sexual interaction between male and female avatars border on rape, as many of the actions involve the female avatar as the passive character. Often, there are these "pose balls" which service actions like: "hand job" or "blow job," obviously geared toward the satisfaction of the male avatar [6]. With crimes such as these, this Second Life becomes more and more like our first world. Except, terrifyingly enough, there are no repercussions of an avatar’s actions. Is this merely a place where men can rape without prosecution? It sounds more like a hell than a refuge. Rape, one of the most serious crimes against womanhood, and essentially, against humanity, exists on Second Life. How then, is it a refuge, when serious crimes such as these, prevail? In other instances, female avatars are seen as encouraging this behavior in each other. Women shop often for clothing in Second Life, much of which is revealing and sexually provocative. This clothing merely perpetuates the objectification of women. Why are women called to buy such provocative clothing? Why are we as women so fixated on being, so called, "sexy"? Is this charade for ourselves? for other women? for the attraction of a male? Why must women appear as over-sexed beings to gain attention? It is very real that this happens in real life, but why continue these stereotypes on Second Life? If Second Life is an escape, then why must we, as avatars, as beings, keep up appearances? Can we not simply be ourselves, plain and natural? Then, why is it that women feel it is their duty, or their identity to dress so provocatively and act so promiscuously? Perhaps women feel it is part of the identity of a woman to dress and act as such? This behavioral tendency then transfers to Second Life, where women continue this trend. Female avatars have even wanted to start an online Cosmopolitan magazine. So that the virtual women may continue to get tips on beauty, sex and style. If women are seeking refuge, then why choose Second Life, where the gender stereotypes are forever perpetuated and emphasized? I have been in a lot of theatre in high school and in college, and it is often the trend that young women absolutely adore to dress provocatively on stage. Women students longed to dress on stage as adulteresses, strippers, or concubines. I do not have an explanation for this, but it seems that they wanted to be promiscuous for the attention of others, particularly men. Had they not realized they were making themselves into sexual objects? They were no longer seen as beings, but rather, as objects of sexual promiscuity and pleasure. Though there is much gender stereotyping on Second Life, this correlates with the idea of “normalcy.” The first identity that a new avatar must chose is either “male” or “female.” This is an automatic assumption by Second Life that the user is comfortable and self-assured in their gender identity. As discussed, often individuals flee to Second Life for a refuge from just this. However, the first identity one must chose is either/or, no exceptions. “In SL, this dichotomy is reproduced, and these default options introduce the user into SL in the same way that a gendered subject is introduced into a RL heterosexual world divided up into women and men” [6]. In a different virtual world, called Active World, avatars have the opportunity to travel to different online worlds. “In Active Worlds, a collection of multiple and discrete worlds among which one can travel, the question of avatar design is worth investigating because each world contains its own default avatars” [1]. These “defaults” immediately produce stereotypes of each visited World. When an avatar visits a world, their appearance will become the “default” form, and merely accentuate stereotypes, racism and prejudices in each World. For example, “In America, both defaults, Cindy and Butch, are Caucasian, blond, and overtly sexualized” [1]. This is an assumption that the so-called “American” is a white person, whereas this is definitely not the case. America is extremely racially diverse, but this is no way shown by the default identity. How can we escape these stereotypes then, when “normalcy” is reiterated all over? As one scholar writes, “The problems associated with gender and sexuality are RL social problems that predate the technology of SL, and therefore we should be mindful that the solutions to those problems might lie in RL as well.” [1] We cannot escape from our world of prejudices, because it will not fix anything. And further, is Second Life really a place of refuge? For, instead of a refuge, these " … virtual selves recreate patterns of gender and racial discrimination” [6]. We need liberation from these stereotypes, and perhaps Second Life is not the answer. |