It’s no surprise to most them I’m considered not your “average black girl”. I maintain the title of being a freelance writer, artist, female gamer, intellect, and fashionista. Amidst all my creative endeavors, most view me as a fairytale. I’m constantly bombarded with the usual “Oh, are you a real person?” or “I didn’t know black women like you even existed!”. Is it that rare nowadays to find a young black woman, or to be politically correct “African-American” woman who doesn’t idolize the falsified images in media?
I’ve had the opportunity to interview ask black men ages 20-27 what their definition of the typical black woman is, and furthermore how I’m exempt from the category. After years of gathering mental data, I’ve got their answers down to a science. I spoke with someone a few days ago and they were blown away by our conversation. They had never had so much fun speaking to a young black woman who was able to be feminine and still on the cutting edge of “manly” interests.
Just because I love playing Assassins Creed: Brotherhood and Killzone 2 for six hours, doesn’t mean I’m not capable of possessing a feminine charm. There have countless occasions where I have played my Ps3 with freshly painted nails; attempting to unlock new trophies without getting a splash of fire engine red on the sleek black controller.
You don’t have to exude a macho attitude to play videogames or to like martial arts movies. People tend to get caught up in stereotypes and when they meet someone who defies their ideologies, and they aren’t sure how to handle it. A lot of the social commentary I’ve heard from black men is that they are tired of Nicki Minaj and diva women who treat men as if they are immature because they enjoy to have fun. They are used to most black women having kids, listening to only commercial hip-hop, wanting a man that is a baller, and having a nasty selfish attitude. That’s such a stereotypical judgment! Not all black women can be categorized like that, to expand it further…most women of any race can fall into some of those qualities. I’ve met women of other races that are just as shallow and personify a diva. I’ve met women of other races that only want a baller and don’t want to be independent, but prefer to gold dig and find a man for his status….not the size of his heart or his charming personality.
I’ve come to accept my title of being “not the average black girl”. Yes, I listen to classic rock, yes I love cartoons and videogames more than going shopping (not always though!), and yes I don’t have any kids or a nasty attitude. The color of my skin says I’m black, but my interests are international and not of the conventional ethnic woman. Well, there isn’t anything I can do about it. I’m going to keep pressing forward and being beautifully unique. I’m going to keep pre-ordering the latest games for my ps3 and 360, I’m going to continue staying up till 4 am watching Rockos Modern Life and Martial arts movies, and I’m going to half the day Friday shopping and the other half working on my book and some paintings.
My name is Jasmine McGee and I’m an eccentric artsy black female gamer. I don’t have a high pitched anime voice and I don’t dress like a boy in goth clothing. I’m beautiful, fearless, creative, and always ready to go head to head in any video game. I’m not “your average black girl”… I’m just being myself, not confined to the stereotypes of my skin color. So you either love it or hate it…to be honest I don’t care what you do. Just don’t try to have a serious conversation with me while playing COD….I’ll be on another planet and the next shuttle to earth won’t be back until 3am.
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