"Girls Go Games"

First, upon typing "girls" into Google, I was not at all surprised to find many sources to learn more about Lena Dunham's hit HBO show Girls. It's just another reminder that I need to start watching it. Scrolling down, I see promotions for a band named Girls, for silly internet games aimed toward girls, and (I must have Google's location feature turned on) for the Columbus School for Girls.

Since I feel the TV show, band, and school probably won't show me much about how "girls" are perceived in the virtual world, I give www.girlsgogames.com a shot.

Well, the site is definitely what society would call "girly." Big letters spell out "Girls Go Games: Free Online Games for Girls" near the top of the page, while cartoon characters, probably meant to represent preteens, adorn the site, all big eyes and shiny jewelry. There are dozens of little squares, each one a link to a different game. Glancing at the titles, I see "Princess Hairstyle," "Girls Go Fashion Party," "Pony Adventure," and even "Justin Bieber Date." As I explore the site, the term "game" seems to be a stretch. I can't seem to find any need for skill or strategy. Most of the games involve dressing up the aforementioned characters (Gabriella, Gwen, and Grace) in new outfits, giving them new hairstyles, or designing and painting their nails.

Though current-me is somewhat offended that the marketing team behind this site so blatantly groups girls into such a broad, stereotypical category, I know that 11-year-old me would love every one of these games. But that was 11-year-old me. Had you asked my sister, when she was that young, to sit down and play any one of the Girls Go Games, she would've scowled and returned outside to catch frogs by the creek.

Based on the very specific source I chose to study, girlhood (in this case, let's say ages 7 to 12) seems to be an amalgamation of all things frilly, sparkly, and pink. Little girls are thought to be aspiring princesses, each one excited to grow up and do "glamorous" things like wear makeup and dress up for fancy parties. While this, the GGG message, is a big generalization, it does apply to many little girls. So, if that is the case, is it necessarily wrong or offensive? It's impossible to appeal to every person in a given demographic, so it makes sense to, at the least, appeal to the largest subset. While I may not agree with everything Girls Go Games markets, I at least understand the motivation behind it.