Super Mario Run's not-so-super gender politics
Game rife with stale, retrograde gender stereotypes - elements expected in 1985 but that today are just embarrassing.
'%3e%3cpath%20d='M20.7725%2026.9924C20.9555%2026.9924%2021.1297%2026.953%2021.2951%2026.8741C21.4604%2026.7953%2021.6346%2026.6694%2021.8177%2026.4965L27.8373%2020.8125C27.9848%2020.6752%2028.0865%2020.5353%2028.1425%2020.3929C28.1985%2020.2505%2028.2264%2020.1183%2028.2264%2019.9962C28.2264%2019.869%2028.1985%2019.7343%2028.1425%2019.5918C28.0865%2019.4494%2027.9848%2019.3095%2027.8373%2019.1722L21.8177%2013.5417C21.6142%2013.3484%2021.4375%2013.2098%2021.2875%2013.1259C21.1374%2013.042%2020.9708%2013%2020.7877%2013C20.5181%2013%2020.2981%2013.0916%2020.1278%2013.2747C19.9574%2013.4578%2019.8722%2013.6765%2019.8722%2013.9308V16.8147H19.6509C18.2827%2016.8147%2017.1014%2017.0258%2016.107%2017.448C15.1127%2017.8701%2014.2963%2018.4805%2013.658%2019.279C13.0197%2020.0776%2012.5466%2021.0402%2012.2389%2022.1668C11.9312%2023.2934%2011.7773%2024.5612%2011.7773%2025.9701C11.7773%2026.3006%2011.8575%2026.5537%2012.0177%2026.7291C12.1779%2026.9047%2012.3597%2026.9924%2012.5632%2026.9924C12.7259%2026.9924%2012.89%2026.9593%2013.0553%2026.8932C13.2206%2026.8271%2013.3693%2026.6719%2013.5016%2026.4278C13.9441%2025.5936%2014.4553%2024.9413%2015.0351%2024.4708C15.6149%2024.0004%2016.2838%2023.6685%2017.0417%2023.4752C17.7995%2023.2819%2018.6693%2023.1853%2019.6509%2023.1853H19.8722V26.0998C19.8722%2026.3591%2019.9574%2026.5728%2020.1278%2026.7406C20.2981%2026.9085%2020.513%2026.9924%2020.7725%2026.9924Z'%20fill='black'%20fill-opacity='0.85'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3crect%20x='0.5'%20y='0.5'%20width='39'%20height='39'%20rx='19.5'%20stroke='%23F2F2F2'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cclipPath%20id='clip0_715_28555'%3e%3crect%20width='16.4491'%20height='14'%20fill='white'%20transform='translate(11.7773%2013)'/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
LAST week, after a wait of almost a decade, the world's most popular video game series, Super Mario Bros, finally came to the world's most popular video game machine: the iPhone. Nintendo's Super Mario Run went immediately to the top of the App Store charts, above mainstays such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube. According to one estimate, the game was downloaded 37 million times in its first three days.
Unfortunately, despite Nintendo's history and reputation, Super Mario Run is not a family-friendly game - or at least not one my wife and I will be letting our six-year-old daughter play.
The game is rife with stale, retrograde gender stereotypes - elements that were perhaps expected in 1985, when the …
'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M35.1847%2014.0422L9.37867%2024.1703C8.88772%2024.363%208.86989%2025.051%209.35015%2025.2688L15.0551%2027.8567C15.2097%2027.9269%2015.327%2028.0594%2015.3778%2028.2212L17.8255%2036.0078C17.9491%2036.4009%2018.4247%2036.5534%2018.7539%2036.3054L23.0143%2033.0968C23.2178%2032.9435%2023.4961%2032.9364%2023.7072%2033.0787L30.8526%2037.8975C31.2091%2038.1378%2031.6951%2037.9339%2031.7732%2037.5114L35.9896%2014.7059C36.0747%2014.2456%2035.6206%2013.8712%2035.1847%2014.0422Z'%20fill='%23FDFEFF'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M15.3125%2027.9998L30.4162%2018.627L19.3691%2029.3628L19.548%2033.3966L18.9531%2036.1248C18.3783%2036.7236%2017.9297%2036.2772%2017.8477%2036.0662L15.3681%2028.178L15.2734%2028.0233L15.3125%2027.9998Z'%20fill='%23C8DAEA'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M18.3594%2036.4259L19.3511%2029.3447L23.519%2032.9856C23.303%2032.9612%2023.1588%2032.9863%2023.0268%2033.0859L19.0712%2036.0718C18.6289%2036.4572%2018.4297%2036.4455%2018.3594%2036.4259Z'%20fill='%23A9C9DD'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear'%20x1='33'%20y1='7.5'%20x2='19'%20y2='36.5'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%231E96C8'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%2337AEE2'%20stop-opacity='0'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Lifestyle
Former Zouk morphs into mod-Asian Jiak Kim House, serving laksa pasta and mushroom bak kut teh
Massimo Bottura lends star power to pizza and pasta at Torno Subito
Victor Liong pairs Aussie and Asian food with mixed results at Artyzen’s Quenino restaurant
If Jay Chou likes Ju Xing’s zi char, you might too
Mod-Sin cooking izakaya style at Focal
What the fish? Diving for flavour at Fysh – Aussie chef Josh Niland’s Singapore debut
