Lau, Mechling, and Fiske

American Studies scholar Jay Mechling’s work on the cultural and political meaning of play provides much of the theoretical scaffolding for Kimberley Lau’s generative essay, “The Political Lives of Avatars.” Citing Mechling’s influential ethnographic study of the Boy Scouts (among a few of his other works), Lau contends “...Mechling reminds us that play and non-play are not only co-constitutive but also co-extensive with our deepest cultural meanings and values” (370). Mechling’s scholarship represents an early synthesis of folklore studies and cultural studies in that he was interested in mapping the underlying political dimensions of play--not just as mindless youthful leisure, but as imbricated within and contributing to broader socio-political discourse(s). 

Lau extends these ideas into the realm of online videogames, drawing as well from pop culture scholar John Fiske’s notion of the “moment of semiosis” to argue, “virtual worlds (e.g. World of Warcraft) are complex and dynamic expressions of everyday vernacular practices shaped by the technologies that structure massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) and other similar multi-user platforms” (371). Essentially, Lau believes online worlds can enable new spaces for democratic organization. Fiske’s “moment of semiosis” notion is introduced to represent the meeting place of media and the folk, or the ways audiences do active work constructing “...meanings, pleasure, and social identities” (370). 

As I read Lau’s article, I thought a lot about the complicated relationship between video game developers and the players who populate their games. Specifically, I thought about the kinds of players who purposefully work to “break” games. In October 2014, Vice reported on a YouTube personality called “Goldvision” who tried to play Grand Theft Auto V (a notoriously violent game) as a pacifist, avoiding violence whenever possible. How can players attempting to “break” video games by playing “against the rules” (so to speak) complicate Lau’s argument?

-Brandon McCasland