Gingiva [1] is a surreal indie game made by John Clowder while it largely focuses of anti-capitalist ideals unlike its predecessor Middens where the playable character is male; Gingiva has overt Feminist overtones stemming from the female main protagonist that shares the title name. You can see at the start of the game that Gingiva has a human female body over from the neck up she is a turnkey.
[top]
Gingiva’s introduction [bottom] Gingiva (bottom, right most figure) and her
workmates
A process
advertised in the game for when “your Daughter is possessed of an unnatural
mind” sending them to a government correctional facility, their head is severed
and a “head key” is grafted in its place in order to stop “sentimental thought”
and become more productive in factory work, being a literal interpretation of
Instrumentality. [2]
An in game
advertisement for the correctional facility
Gingiva is put into confinement when she makes too many defective goods where she meets a pair of disembodied teeth called chatterbox that harks back to older government procedure where before heads where removed only the mouth was and some survive to spread the word, this adding to the allegory of objectification of women. [3]
Gingiva’s [4] setting could be considered a surrealist equivalent to a sweat shop based in asia as she contemplates the factory she lives in:
Gingiva
contemplating her workplace while she is in confinement
“Women migrant workers, who are
primarily employed in factories, rarely get maternity leave, and with no
childcare facilities and working weeks of more than 70 hours … In 2009 alone, approximately one million workers were injured at work and
about 20,000 suffered from diseases due to their occupation.” [5]
Patriarchal ideas are often put into plain view as boss characters ask to marry Gingiva, marriage resulting in years passing and gingiva levelling down or rejection causing the boss fights to happen. This behaviour a hyperbolic example of Street harassment.
“when women walk by one or a group of men who yell out comments about their physical appearance, “Damn, girl! Look at them sexy legs!” … When women don’t respond to the “compliments” many of them are then attacked for being “stuck up” and the label “bitch” is frequently thrown out when a woman’s behavior doesn’t meet the man’s expectations.” [6]
Patriarchal ideas are often put into plain view as boss characters ask to marry Gingiva, marriage resulting in years passing and gingiva levelling down or rejection causing the boss fights to happen. This behaviour a hyperbolic example of Street harassment.
“when women walk by one or a group of men who yell out comments about their physical appearance, “Damn, girl! Look at them sexy legs!” … When women don’t respond to the “compliments” many of them are then attacked for being “stuck up” and the label “bitch” is frequently thrown out when a woman’s behavior doesn’t meet the man’s expectations.” [6]
Top line:
Marriage proposal. Middle line: Gingiva’s married life. Bottom line: Rejection
of the marriage proposal
Concepts of
motherhood are explored briefly with vending machines relating to Gingiva’s [7]
Capitalist world settings as vending machines not only sell children but
cigarettes relating the ability to raise a child to a bad habit that can only
be kept up with enough money.
Children
being sold in vending machines
However
despite what is presented in the game it presented with a certain amount of
apathy and themes are often not explored further than face value nor do we see
gingiva’s character developing. Although her main drive throughout the game is
to reclaim her head she is treated largely as a silent protagonist.
“His games are suffused with big ideas, yet none of they are lingered on, and the closer you seem to get to them the less substantial they appear” [8]
Gingiva presents itself as a social commentary on capitalist society from an impoverished female perspective, not many games or any type of media. While Gingiva as whole may fall short sometimes, it has bluntness about its social commentary that cannot be easily explained ignored.
“His games are suffused with big ideas, yet none of they are lingered on, and the closer you seem to get to them the less substantial they appear” [8]
Gingiva presents itself as a social commentary on capitalist society from an impoverished female perspective, not many games or any type of media. While Gingiva as whole may fall short sometimes, it has bluntness about its social commentary that cannot be easily explained ignored.
References
[1] Gingiva
[2]
wikipedia
[3] Wikipedia
[3] Wikipedia
[4] Gingiva
[5] war on
want
[6] Maxwell,
Z
[7] Gingiva
[8] Thornon,
E
Bibliography
Gingiva. 2013. PC [Game]. John Clowder: Isle of man
Gingiva. 2013. PC [Game]. John Clowder: Isle of man
Maxwell, Z.
2013. Street harassment catcalling and
rape culture. [Online.] 10 April. (Accessed 20 march] Available from: http://www.ebony.com/news-views/street-harassment-catcalling-rape-culture-476#.VQwTIuE2V8g
War on Want.
[no date.] Sweatshops in China. [Online.]
[Accessed 20 march] Available from: http://www.waronwant.org/overseas-work/sweatshops-and-plantations/china-sweatshops
Wikipedia.
2015. Objectification. [Online.]
[Accessed 20 march 2015] Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectification
Thornton, E.
2013. Gingiva – Beware the Sphincter
lamas. [Online.] [Accessed 20 march]
Available from: http://killstreakmedia.com/2013/10/12/gingiva-beware-the-sphincter-lamas/
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