Battle Lines

Suyin Looui,an Asian woman from China decided to hit back at the constant ethnic taunts and verbal sexual harassment that she was a target of during her years in the US by co-creating the game with Emily May,executive director of Holla Back,an online community aimed at ending street harassment. “A few years ago I was on the subway in New York on a cold winter day when somebody called out ‘Hot Ching Chong’ to me. Hey Baby was born out of this incident. The game is not suggesting that shooting the random “bad apples” who harass women is going to put an end to sexism; in fact,in a way the design of the game speaks of my concern,that there is no end to it,and that,ultimately violence against women is a systemic issue,” says Looui in an email interview.

In India too,the game is fast becoming popular with urban women. “As it stands the game is pretty engaging. It’s fantasy revenge and though some of the violence is a bit appalling one can see why virtual violence can be gratifying,” says Maya Ganesh,a feminist writer and gamer based in Mumbai. “You feel a great sense of satisfaction when you are able to hit back at the men blocking your way,but in the long run it becomes a bit spooky because there doesn’t seem to be an end to it,” says Nalini Arora,a web designer and online gamer from Delhi.

It’s the latter aspect and the reliance on violence to combat sexual harassment,even if it’s in the virtual world,that has drawn criticism for the game. “The game is not cathartic at all. I would never want someone to die just because he’s a low life. They should be punished in more humane ways. I can’t see myself ever playing this game,” says Lesley Esteves,a writer,queer activist and compulsive gamer who is based in Delhi.