Looking Outwards 11

ANGELA WASHKO
THE GAME: THE GAME, VIDEO GAME, 2018

play The Game: the Game

https://angelawashko.com/section/437138-The-Game-The-Game.html

The game: the game is exactly what it sounds like: a video game about ‘the game’ – a euphemism for the formalized male practice of ‘seducing’ or ‘picking up’ women. The game: the game takes the form of a dating sim where ‘pick-up gurus’ vie for the player’s attention using strategies and techniques taken straight from their own instructional materials.

I really admire this work for how direct it is. It directly tackles the inherent chauvinism & absurdity of ‘pick up artists’ and their objectification of women. Most interestingly, it uses the interactive nature of video games to the fullest. While other artworks might convey the same message, only a game could provide you with a facsimile of first-hand experience.

Angela Washko is currently a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Art at CMU.

-Robert