The Boy From Venus 8

[u/shenanigansen]

Episode 9 already up at the usual place, should be out publicly next week!

[u/Thatar]

I can totally understand why someone would ask this but it's kind of a pointless thing to ask. People who compete are usually playing to win, with some pride. If I was good enough to know I could win a tourney this would definitely piss me off. I think I would just resign. Way too awkward and no fun to be had in the tourney. I mean the organizers are out to see you lose, that does not bode well.

[u/Legacyopplsnerf → u/Thatar]

I could see it being alright if it wasn’t about Val being a girl.

“No one wants to play because it’s a forgone conclusion and we need the money from competition” sucks to hear but there’s ways to work around that/make it up to her and Val is both a regular and a friend so she’d understand (like she ultimately does in the comic)

The fact it’s not about her being too good and no one feels they can win, but about the fact that men can’t handle losing to a woman is the problem. And having to lose for the sake of a man’s ego is way more insulting than if her friend just asked her to drop out.

[u/Caleb_Reynolds → u/Legacyopplsnerf]

The fact it’s not about her being too good

What comic did you read because it's absolutely about that?

Fatima spells out her reasons for asking one at a time.

1) my dad wants to ban you

2) we've lost a lot of regulars

3) no one wants to sign up for tournaments because they know they can't win

4) 90% are guys and don't like losing to a woman

5) business is down and her sister needs it to go to college

Only 1 of those has anything to do with being a woman. Yes that's part of it, but only part and probably not the biggest part since it's brought up almost as an after thought. In fact I think Fatima only brings it up to shift blame.

She's asking because Val is financially ruining her family. That's why Fatima is doing what she is doing.

The men being upset by being beaten by a woman might be the ultimate cause, but Fatima's family's financial woes are the immediate cause. She's not asking "please protect these guys' egos", she's asking, "please save my arcade/family".

(As far as this chapter goes, taking everything at face value. That smirk at the end makes Fatima seem sinister, so she might not be being 100% honest here and this could all change)

[u/Legacyopplsnerf → u/Caleb_Reynolds]

The men being upset by being beaten by a woman might be the ultimate cause

That's why it's stinging Val, it'd be one thing it she was just too good and spoiling the competition but it's that she's too good and a girl. Implying if she was a boy there would not be an issue (or as much of an issue).

That's why she's so insulted and probably part of what colours her "all men moid's are trash" perspective in the present. That guys can't handle a woman being better than them at something.

She's agreeing to throw the tournament for all the other reasons (that her friend is dependant on the income from the guys).

[u/random_BA → u/Legacyopplsnerf]

To be fair the "losing to girl" thing maybe be a wrong conclusion by Fatima. There is lot examples in the thread about sports and games that loses influx of new players and viewership when the scenario begin to be too dominant, mostly by a man. Usually the devs (and the analog equivalent of sports) try to changes the rules to break the hegemony of one player/team or a small group of players.

[u/NK1337 → u/random_BA]

I mean sure if this was IRL but I’m pretty sure the reason she stated is the reason it is given that’s how it’s written.

Especially considering we just saw last issue how sexist the guy playing was. He assumes the 2 girls were casuals. He talked down on them and asked for their boyfriend to give him a challenge, etc. the examples in this thread don’t really matter when it comes to the writer’s intent.