...I don't think the term "flying saucers" was used in the 1920's to denote UFOs. According to Wikipedia:

Although disc-shaped flying objects have been interpreted as recorded occasionally since the Middle Ages, the first highly publicized sighting by Kenneth Arnold on June 24, 1947, resulted in the creation of the term by U.S. newspapers.

And "Bully" itself was a wimpy version of the bullied kid who was never really allowed to strike back.

There's only one game that honestly shows what high school is really like, and it doesn't run properly on most modern PC's, and it's called "Super Columbine Massacre RPG." Look up the web sites for the screen shots, because you probably won't get it to play.

"...with the option to opt out of the squeaky clean moralizing if one so chooses."

This sort of throwaway game with modest graphics should download for less than ten bucks.

I'm, you know, like a totally waycool feminist writer. My boyfriends says so. Did I tellya I have a boyfriend?

Well anyway, I'm playin' this freakin' freeb game and all the while my boyfriend chills and I sorta like that. 'Cuz wimmin, being more intuitive and all, are more interesting. That threatens the patriarchy which makes us act byotchy to each other instead, like my boyfriend points out, empowering us to become Presidents. Or something.

Anyway, it's fantexpialidocious to pass one's time (or even two's time) surrounded by modern amenities, like games and my boyfriend.

Oh well. Just thought I'd give a shoutout about how cool I am and how much fun it is to be me and play games n stuff. My boyfriend (did I tell you I have one? It shows not all feminists hate penis-bearers) just beer-slurred something about stuff happening in the Mideast. Sounds like a downer. I'm stickin' with "Snarky Skanks'n' Sluts."

Can't believe I get paid to write these pearls. Plus I give my money to my new good bud, Mr. Madoff, who handles what he calls my "portfolio." I'm even thinkin' about creating a new game in his honor called, "Madoff With My Money." My boyfriend thinks it'll make killer sales. Plus I could write even more deep thoughts about it. Woo-hoo!

Your post made me snort coffee. Thanks for that bit of snark. Just awesome.

Hey there,

The previous letter reminded me of that mid-80's line about the Jacksons....."(A) Has anyone else noticed that Michael and LaToya Jackson look JUST like each other?', and (B) Has anyone else noticed, in addtion, that neither of them looks like anyone else on Earth?..."

I do wonder why all these Broadsheet writers feel so obliged to tell-everyone-all-about their boyfriends so regularly or, for that matter, structure the entire little "blog" around whatever the incumbent boyfriend happens to be doing at the time (making gnochhi with Rebecca, playing horsey-back with Tracy, couch-tatering with Amy, etc...). It's not, finally, a subject most people would necessarily expect to continuously read about in a purportedly "feminist" publication.

Comparing the Broadsheet writers to female contributors in other sections of Salon?...let's see....the most I've gathered from their writings is that Joan Walsh has a daughter, Anne Lamott has a son, Camille Paglia has a partner of some sort....and I couldn't begin to tell you whether Laura Miller and Stephanie Zachariek (sp?) live alone with a cat or pass their days in a polygamous compound north of Salt Lake City.

Well, I don't intend to sound as though I'm complaining. I'm, in fact, grateful that in regard to this article, I didn't have to ask my usual question ("How OLD is this writer?", since the answer was made pretty obvious.

Amusedly as ever,

David Terry

www.davidterryart.com

Wow, great letters, even though only a couple have to do with the actual video game. I looked at it and it cost $20....whoa. You can get a real, high-end video game for $30-$40 if you wait a few months past the release date. Even less if you illegally copy it.

I also agree, it sounds like "Bully" for (mean) gals. That one's by Rockstar Games, which also made "Grand Theft Auto IV" -- which Farhad Manjoo wrote something like four articles about, prior to leaving to write for Slate (where one assumes he has written at least four more articles about GTA IV). I don't recall Farhad Manjoo ever mentioning whether he had a girlfriend, let alone whether she played an Xbox or helped him make gnocchi.

Anyway, nobody here has mentioned that "Dangerous High School Girls in Trouble" is a play on a comedy sketch in the film "Kentucky Fried Movie," so I thought I'd be the first. The title of that bit was actually "Catholic High School Girls in Trouble," and its combination of silly jokes and bare breasts totally blew my mind when I was a kid.

Hey, despite the snark, you almost sound human. Could it be your ascetic fem-hating days are over? Keep tuned for the next installment of that wonderful '20s soap opera 'When We Were Men'...

With all the problems with girl bullying these days, I feel like this game might encourage those attitudes and actions a little too much?

We'll see...

I wonder why the need to relive such strange things as highschool society. The descritpion Ms Benfer gives of the game makes me think it emphasizes some destructive attitudes and may actually lead to encouraging this kind of behavior in real life. I know, one should be free to explore all kinds of desires in one's imagination (see Hesse's chacter happily killing others in the Magic Theater of Der Steppenwolf), but considering all the bad things I remember from highschool, I certainly wouldn't like to see them again, even in games. Maybe I'm being a litte moralistic here... but this kind of games does not make me happy.

Wasn't that title a segment in Kentuckey Fried Movie?

That was totally funny . I don't play video games hardly, never got past the Pacman stage. as for this game, well I think it is like so much more real girly than these games I read about in some article in our Woodbury,CT area " Family-oriented"[ translate- BORING!] local paper called Voices; in the section titled 'In The Holiday Mood' Dec 2008. [www.voices.com ].

They had this article titled " Video games- not just for the boys anymore" and in it, they featured the Hannah Montana game and yeah, Fashionista, one about decorating the house. All of these being games which simply help to reinforce the fact that " all girls/women love to go shopping and do makeup."[ everybody wants to be Tila Tequilla- the college frat whore on MTV, I guess? ]

But these are great as they show girls as their real selves!" pretty" and always " nice" on the outside like mommy said to be. Yet one in truth to act like the catty fucking bitch whom is highly skilled in girl bullying and otherwise "cutting the other one down" for her own gain.

And so is the real world of girls and women! As teenagers the object is to be jealous, steal the other's boyfriend, spread rumors all over town and the internet about those you truly "hate" and are jealous of.

As adults- it's the " bitch eat bitch" world full of corporate queens, many married with children- a game where the object is to out-femme and out-dress one another in " age appropriate" high fashion clothing from Chicos! A fun game in which the " properly-attired" woman makes sure to try and one up the woman whom dresses casual, or " trashy", in summer and wears just a sports' bra, shorts,and sandals to the supermarket while shopping!

My mom and I have a 30-something and married realtor whom uses her " feminine attributes" to do this quite well and even sell a few more houses! And believe me, she knows how to " act like a lady" to your face, but behind your back; emotionally "piss in your face" quite excellent