Beyoncé's got a DS (makeup)

So I saw this on TV and knew I wasn't going to have any trouble picking something to write this week's pointless rant on. Video games have been an important part of my life since I was jumping on flying turtles and shooting ducks as a four-year-old. And gender is a prevalent issue in the male-dominated industry.

Let's put aside that this is Beyoncé for a minute. Well, before that, let me explain, for those who don't already know, that since Nintendo can't compete with it's competitors with more advanced hardware and better graphics, they're instead going to make games that everyone can play. Yes, as many have seen, that includes grandmas, grandpas, and legions of soccer moms (yes I said it) who found out that video games are about more than seeing how much blood you can splatter on the wall.

So, anyway, here, Beyoncé, sorry, some girl, has been put into a DS commercial to show off that this product is so playable, even girls can play it. Yes that's right, you dumb girls, even you can play it. But no, you can't play anything that might require thinking, like maybe Mario or even Star Fox: you might have to learn what the buttons are for! Nope, you have to play games like Rhythm Heaven, where you play senseless mini-games and bash way too hard on the touch screen like a savage while you mimic the sounds coming from the speakers.

Okay so I've been harsh. There's nothing wrong with games that are nothing but senseless fun. But why does everyone act like that's all girls are capable of playing? Even when they are shown playing games with some value, why do they still act like Nintendo has just invented light or something? In her behind-the-scenes feature, Beyonce talks about how much she loves the game and how much she likes to play it. Yeah, and Jeff Gordon has Pepsi and Fritos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner too, right? I'm sure when she does find time to play it, she plays as long as any normal person would, until it's given all it has to give to someone who's older than four, and then one of two things: she'll put it down and do something else, or she'll find some other games. I'm sure there are many who agree with me in saying I hope it's the latter.

One thing about this whole ordeal, though, is that I've seen from first hand experience that this is an issue that has been taking a turn for the better. As a new generation of gamers grows older, not only does the age demographic of gamers grow wider, the gender lines start to blur. I mean, the first time I played the excellent Banjo-Kazooie was at a girl's house. And no, she wasn't some pocket protector nerd, either. And this was more than ten years ago.