April 23, 2015
When 12 year-old Maddie Messer wrote an Op-Ed letter to her local newspaper to protest the lack of female characters in video games, she had no idea that the Washington Post would run with the letter too. The next thing Maddie knew, her call was heard and being discussed all across social media and news outlets.
The biggest surprise came when the creator of Maddie’s favorite online game called to apologize for not including a free female player-character and said that this embarrassing exclusion would be remedied ASAP. She even has another game company offering to model its main character after Maddie herself. That’s a win for Maddie and all female gamers everywhere.
Maddie’s mission won’t fix all the sexist (or racist) problems in the video game industry on its own, but she has proven that one person can raise awareness and make a difference. Thanks, Maddie.
Don’t miss this light-hearted and encouraging story. It originally aired as an NPR feature and can be listened to here.
If you are unable to listen to the audio, readers can access the full transcript here.
