Anita Sarkeesian makes Time 100 list

Feminist Frequency creator and equality advocate Anita Sarkeesian has made it into this year’s Time 100 list.

[Sarkessian] became the target of vicious, misogynist harassment that included death and rape threats, pornographic vandalism of her Wikipedia page and a coordinated effort to have her Kickstarter flagged as terrorism. All of this because she wanted to have a conversation about the way women are portrayed in video games,” her entry, written by Wil Wheaton, said.

Anita is just the latest woman writer to prove the law coined by journalist Helen Lewis: that the sexist comments on any article about feminism justify feminism. In the face of hysterical and childish abuse, Anita has refused to back down. She continues to speak around the world about the role of women in video games and popular media.

She also talks about her life as a target in the online culture war known as Gamergate, waged by entitled male gamers who fear change in an industry that is evolving while they seem determined to remain 15 forever.

Anita is a feminist for the digital age, using modern tools and platforms to engage thousands of people who want to hear her thoughts and respond to the challenges she raises. A lesser person may throw up her hands and unplug her game console, but Anita is determined to ensure that video games are inclusive and representative of everyone who plays them.

As her detractors grow increasingly unhinged, we have proof that her efforts are working.”

It is far from the first time the US press has recognised Sarkessian’s accomplishments, with Bloomberg Businessweek last year dubbing her the ‘Video Game Avenger’.

Also in the list from the video games world are Apple boss Tim Cook and Microsoft head Satya Nadella. Previous years have featured the likes of Markus ‘Notch’ Persson and Shigeru Miyamoto.

Non-gaming names in the listing include Kanye West, Emma Watson, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pratt, Christopher Nolan and Taylor Swift while the political spectrum provides the likes of Vladimir Putin, Raul Castro, Kim Jong Un, Hilary Clinton and Pope Francis.