I Wish Gaming Had A Figure Like Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X is taking the music world by storm and standing up for LGBTQ+ people.
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Lil Nas X is the perfect encapsulation of queer zoomer rebellion. The musician burst onto the scene with Old Town Road and has since taken the music industry by storm. Mixing rap, R&B, and country – all genres of music with a notable history of bigotry and homophobia – here is a young gay man who is willing to stand up for himself and people like him while pushing the medium forward in unparalleled ways.
With the arrival of his debut album this week, I want to talk about Lil Nas X, Montero, and his untold impact on popular culture and how he continues to shape a progressive conversation for a new generation.
Ever since the release of Old Town Road, the artist has slowly but surely built a reputation fueled by memes, TikTok, and a willingness to enrage and stand up against boomer conservatives who are almost afraid of a gay black man taking power into his own hands. LGBTQ+ people are often expected to stand by and simply exist, abiding by heteronormative health and social systems that make living life a struggle at the best of times. Lil Nas X denied that way of life, showcasing in his music and aesthetic that he wanted to stand for something and be proud of his identity, even if it meant boiling ample amounts of piss along the way. Good on him, and part of me wishes the gaming world had a similar icon for queer people to latch onto and admire as someone who stands for them.
With auteurs like Hideo Kojima, David Cage, Peter Molyneux and several other straight men, gaming is fairly lacking in massive LGBTQ+ figures striving to push the medium forward. These queer figureheads exist, but they’re often denied the platform of these auteurs. Many notable LGBTQ+ characters in gaming were created by teams led by straight men. Progression like this is often encompassed through intimate communities, or small independent development teams creating projects that place diverse characters at the forefront while seeking to explore themes that modern blockbusters would otherwise avoid. Celeste, Boyfriend Dungeon, and If Found… are three recent examples, honest pieces of queer storytelling that recognise the need to feel true and relatable to an audience that is becoming increasingly confident in expressing their identities.
Triple-A games are making similar progress, especially with games like The Last of Us Part 2 and Tell Me Why seeking to weave a narrative that is inherently queer, so much so that taking these themes away would rid the characters and wider message of each game of their respective purpose. Developers are growing more confident, recognising the need to tell stories and appeal to players that go beyond the install base of straight white men so much of this art form was built upon. Sadly, whenever these games are brought to the forefront they are met with a vocal minority spitting hatred and vitriol towards players and creators alike. Games are accused of being political or pushing a woke agenda whenever they deviate from the norm, like any form of media daring to carry a political message is trying to shove its ideals down your throat. If you find yourself nodding along with that, maybe you’re a sensitive little snowflake unable to detach yourself from media that perhaps isn’t made for you.
Few people in this field have the following of Lil Nas X, meaning it’s easier for harassment to become overwhelming and force people out of the industry for good. It’s happening time and time again, with even someone as small as me being subject to death threats when I write about certain games and topics that frustrate your average gamer. It’s exhausting, and there isn’t much you can do beyond condemning such actions and moving on with your life, waiting for it to inevitably happen again. There’s nothing to break the cycle, nobody powerful enough to shout from the rooftops that such individuals need to be rooted out of this field and forced to never return. We can’t do that, so harassment becomes something we’re forced to live with. That isn’t right, but there’s no way to fix it.
The world of music is filled with larger than life celebrities like Lil Nas X, but he is one of the first of a new generation stepping into the limelight with the confidence to say ‘screw the haters, this is who I am and I’m going to proudly flaunt it.’ He’s said in the past that fellow artists in the world of hip hop are afraid to collaborate with him because of his sexuality, especially with his willingness to flaunt bold homoeroticism in his lyrics and music videos.
He’s unashamedly himself in a way the musical landscape isn’t quite ready for, and I think them being unable to comprehend his presence is the cultural shift we so desperately need. Lil Nas X is here to stay, and given the untold success of Montero, he will continue to have a massive influence on the industry for years to come. Games are catching up, but they lack the celebrity status to take a stand against bigotry, so they instead bow to it. We need a counterculture, a youthful burst of energy that moves this medium forward in creative, cultural, and political ways while ensuring it remains fun and accessible to everyone. We aren’t there yet, but by taking a few cues from Lil Nas X, we could be well on our way.
Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/lil-nas-x-gaming-montero/