HonesTEA #03 : The place of racialized men and women in video games, with Mélissa Casneliet and Jennifer Lufau — Partie 2/2 [EN]
Welcome everyone to HonesTEA, the podcast that speaks without taboos about the many facets of diversity, in video games as everywhere else!
Lay back, prepare your favorite drink, it’s time for HonesTEA, the free speech of diversity!
Guillaume : Welcome to another episode of HonesTEA. I’m Guillaume and I’m still with Mickaël in this second part of our podcast devoted to the place and representation of racialized people in video games. Part 2, you’ll see, is just as interesting as part 1, and we invite you to listen to it if you haven’t already, in the company of our two incredible guests: Mélissa Canseliet, cyberpsychology expert and founder of Humanet, her recent structure which aims to shed light on the best of human beings on the Internet, and Jennifer Lufau, consultant in marketing and inclusion in video games, particularly within the structure Afrogameuses.
Enjoy this second part of our new episode of HonesTEA.
If we look at other fictional universes such as films and TV series, we can see that racialized people are more willingly cast in roles that have historically been held by white people.
One of the latest examples is Disney’s live-action version of “The Little Mermaid”, which stars Halle Bailey in the title role of Ariel.
What did you think of the inevitable controversy surrounding this casting, and can you explain why this choice is so important?
Jennifer : The Little Mermaid is a big topic. I think having Halle Bailey in this role is extremely important for the people who look like her, and for others. Overall, there’s been a lot of controversy, a lot of discussion around this subject. We’ve seen hashtags going #NotMyAriel, people completely rejecting the fact that she could play this role. I think it just shows that there are a lot of people who don’t want to… People who feel so normalized about roles in general, who feel so represented that they think they have to continue to be non-stop.
Those people don’t want to let go of their privilege, in a way. For me, I’ve come to only one conclusion, and it is that Halle Bailey was cast in this role because she’s competent and because she’s talented, because she sings incredibly well and because her acting perfectly matched what Disney was looking for in the role. Period. I don’t know why anyone would go out of their way to tell us “what about the little red-headed girls who identify with Ariel, what can they do today”? For one , she’s still a redhead. Halle Bailey is a redhead in the film today.
On top of that, the film that existed before will continue to exist, it will always be there. Ariel, in her performances, was once a blonde. Today, we don’t have little blondes crying and saying “But where did blonde Ariel go?”. We’re also often told that Disney should have created a new story, rather than using Ariel as a representation, or remaking a film about Ariel, they should have created a new story about a black mermaid. So yes, it’s true that they could have, except that in terms of cultural impact, a new mermaid is not at all comparable to the one that already existed in the tales. I think that, quite simply, the fact of having a black Ariel, as we’ve seen with the videos of the little girls who watch the video and react because they’re amazed and so surprised to come across a black Ariel. I think that’s enough of an argument to say to people, “OK, leave a little room.
Leave a little room because your other Ariel, she’ll always be there. She continues to be loved and adored by the little black girls who knew her. It’s simply an opportunity to make a version that will also appeal to lots of other people who need to be represented. There are plenty of white girls who won’t mind seeing a little black Ariel on screen. I often get the impression that people don’t feel concerned by this new Ariel, even though these are issues that concern us all.
We’re used to seeing historically black characters played by white people. When you think of Alexandre Dumas, who is then portrayed by Gérard Depardieu or Cleopatra or a whole host of Egyptian gods and goddesses who are played by white people, we’ve always had to live with it, even if we’ve always been indignant, when have we ever complained about it? In any case, it’s something we’re used to doing. All our lives, we’ve seen ourselves through the eyes of white characters and heroes in video games, in the media, in pop culture. Things are starting to evolve a little, so just leave us alone.
That’s how I feel about it, and I think that in video games specifically and in film, these are areas where we have the opportunity to do this kind of thing, and where people have trouble accepting that racialized people, who before didn’t have the opportunity to be visible in these worlds, are finally starting to take their place, because we have more means to take our place, because we also have more means to talk about it and make ourselves heard on these subjects, and above all because we are talented and always have been.
Today, if we have the opportunity to take on these roles, we’ll take them on and that’s that. Here’s what I think on the subject.
Mickaël : Clearly and in any case, just seeing dozens, I imagine even hundreds of little girls crying with emotion because they find themselves represented for once. That should end the debate. What’s even dumber is that it won’t stop little white girls from identifying with this new Ariel.
What’s even dumber is that we’re talking about something that doesn’t exist, which is a little mermaid. We don’t even know if they can have skin covered with scales from head to toe!
We’re talking about something completely fanciful, and I don’t even know if there was a very clear definition of Andersen in the tale. It’s true that this controversy was stupid.
Mélissa, I imagine you have things to say too.
Melissa : For me, the hashtag #NotMyAriel, me too… For me, it manifests a privilege because we’ve never had a #NotMyCleopatra or #NotMy before. And it manifests a privilege, a privilege that we refute, because at the same time, we present ourselves as victims of the fact that we’re not represented for once.
Jennifer : Wokism.
Melissa : Yeah, exactly. So, in fact, what’s interesting is that we’re showing that we don’t want to lose a privilege and we’re denying it at the same time. So, anyway, for me, it makes absolutely no sense. Again, to be cast by Disney, I think you have to do something other than see light through a door and come in.
We’re talking about… We know Disney cast members: they’re actors, especially when they’re young, who are performers, in the sense of real athletes, in all areas of their field, whether it’s singing or acting. We’re generally dealing with real performers who rarely exist anywhere else in the world. And then, in fact, for me, the most beautiful proof that it’s working is the reactions of little girls. Because yes, they’re happy, but it’s also a surprise.
In fact, that’s what it’s all about: they’re happy, but above all, they’re surprised to see themselves represented. And you can’t talk about ideology or political will at that age. And having been a little girl myself, the first thing I thought when I saw Ariel was “How happy I would have been to see that when I was a child!
Jennifer : Yeah.
Melissa : That’s the first thought I had, and I felt like those little girls in fact. And that, for me, shows how important it is. And I’ll go even further: I don’t think there have been non-black little girls who were sad and said “Oh, she doesn’t look like me, it’s not fair.” I don’t believe that.
Jennifer : Nah, same thing.
Melissa : Maybe I’m a utopian, but I don’t believe in it. So these people who say “Yes, but what’s the big deal? What about the little redheaded girls?”. Show us a reaction of little redheaded girl. I think it’ll be fine. Because when we had a brunette Snow White and a blonde Cinderella, I don’t think brunettes were outraged.
I don’t think blondes were outraged when there was another… I don’t see what the problem is. Besides, when Pocahontas came out, there were no problems. Obviously, I don’t want to talk about the story and also the cultural bias that was brought into the script of this film, etc., but there was no scandal. Why would there be one today? I just don’t get it.
At some point, you have to stop trying to represent the opinion or emotional reaction of little girls you can’t see and who don’t seem to be outraged, because otherwise, in my opinion, there would have been videos. Given the completely idiotic outpouring of hatred on the Internet, if there had been little girls who had reacted badly to this, I’m sure there would have been videos. If there weren’t, the debate is over.
Mickaël : And then the #NotMyAriel, it’s as stupid as people asking for a “Hetero Pride”. Seriously…
Jennifer : I didn’t know there were people asking that, I’ve learnt something!
Melissa : I didn’t know either!
Jennifer : Didn’t you know? Well, yes, “there’s a gay pride, why can’t we have a Hetero Pride? They didn’t understand the fundamental problem.
Melissa : But isn’t Hetero Pride something I experience every day when I walk down the street?
Mickaël : It’s Hetero Pride every day, yes.
Melissa : Yes, the idea Hetero Pride is crazy, but what shocks me is the kind of boycott that’s being gently conveyed, gently suggested with #NotMyAriel. Hetero Pride, I find that absolutely stupid, quite frankly. What would be serious is to boycott gay pride and say #NotMyPride. Okay, bye.
Mickaël : We can’t stop idiocy yet. But we’re trying!
Guillaume : Above all, what people who claim this kind of thing forget is that, in any case, it’s obviously not aimed at an audience from 30 years ago. I mean, at some point, obviously it’s a new version aimed at people who are young today.
Melissa : It should be, I feel. It should be aimed at an audience from 30 years ago in fact.
Guillaume : Fans, basically, are the gatekeepers. The fans, old fans clinging to their nostalgia.
Mickaël : Yes, “it was better back in my day”.
Guillaume : You can see it in series, you can see it in video games, you can see it in the fact that people today can’t bear to imagine another version of what lulled their childhood, but which today can also be something totally problematic and which needs to be refreshed, we need to show other representations.
People who speak out against this film don’t do so in a very sensible way. They’re only doing it because they feel that something from their childhood is being ripped away, I don’t know…
Jennifer : It’s a privilege…
Guillaume : …It’s a cartoon. Calm down!
Jennifer : Because they’re privileged and they think they’re entitled to everything and they have the right to complain about it. It’s the same thing The number of times I get into these conversations at parties or because I’m in specific places.
At times, I just say I don’t feel like talking about it because I don’t feel like explaining the same things over and over and over again. I’ve heard that same parallel with Rings of Power, where you have an elf who’s black, you have a dwarf who’s black.
Melissa : Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
Jennifer : So, I get the same thing, it’s like “why did they put a dark elf?” That and the dwarf, it’s exactly the same things.
Mickaël : And then it’s heroic fantasy all over again, elves, dwarves, mermaids Personally, I’ve never seen one, so it’s even more stupid.
Jennifer : “Yeah, but you understand, the author, he never mentioned that in the book and so, for me, it’s not coherent because at that time, and this and that”. In fact, they’re trying to justify everything! They simply want to find ways to deny the existence of these people and characters in these universes.
In Afrofantasy, our place has always been called into question, and that’s one of the big things we’re trying to do with Afrogameuses, too, to put ourselves back into that context. Recently, we celebrated a day called Black Fae Day. It took place on May 13, and May 13 is a day that originated in the United States or the UK, I don’t remember, that celebrates black people in fantasy. Basically, you’ve got people who organize parties, who arrive in cosplay, who are fairies, elves, simply characters, fantastic creatures in that world.
And the reason it’s come to this is that, clearly, there was still a lack of representation and, above all, a lack of consideration from people who automatically want to exclude black people, racialized people and diversity as a whole from certain universes.
You have to understand that sometimes there’s a real desire to exclude. It’s not by chance, it’s not always by chance or simply because it’s not done on purpose. There are directors today who simply never have black people in their films because they’ve decided they don’t want them and that it doesn’t fit in with their world.
Of course, I think it’s important to have this benevolence, but we mustn’t forget that behind it, there are people who really want to do harm. This is true in every field. I like to remind people of this from time to time, because we’re not in a world of carefree dreams. If there are initiatives that want to change things, to make things evolve, it’s for real reasons, not just exclusion, because exclusion, at the end of the day, is just exclusion, but exclusion sometimes kills. Exclusion puts people in a precarious situation, it takes away opportunities. That’s where the impact of these privileged people can have on the lives of everyday people.
Mickaël : It’s interesting what you’re saying, a friend of mine told me that too, because I think we have to share that, that we’re living in a bit of a “Carebear world”. That’s what he told me, but there are over 300 of us in the studio, and there are homophobes among us, just as there are racists and all that. It’s true that you become a red target by being vocal on these subjects and defending them.
Stop being naive and think that everyone is benevolent and open-minded because you’re supposed to be in an industry of educated people. No, there are racists and homophobes everywhere.
Melissa : And there are many who have the power. That’s the limit. They have the power. And that means that even people who aren’t racist or homophobic will be afraid to speak up. When I was in France, for example, it was difficult to speak up on the issue of systemic racism, even with people of color.
I had black colleagues who didn’t dare speak up on these issues. And when I did, of course, I was a savage, and so on. You can imagine all the pejorative adjectives, even with their racist undertones. I was savage, I wasn’t angry, I was savage, that could be attributed to me. But there’s that fear too. I remember a colleague saying, “Yeah, but I work, I’m married, I’ve got kids. If I talk, it’s all over.” So they’ve learned to keep quiet too.
Jennifer : Yeah.
Melissa : Because power is concentrated in people who have these privileges. And part of the world’s wealth has also been built on racism.
We’re not going to deny what we forget to learn at school, but there’s much more to it than the “triangular trade”. So there’s that part of history too, which has enormous consequences today. I’m delighted to be in Canada today and, of course, I still experience these inequalities, but in a way that’s much less taboo.
Jennifer : I was also going to ask you about the difference between France and Canada. Because I launched this structure called Afrogameuses, and I can tell you that, clearly, I’ve had a few things thrown at me. Sometimes, I think it was more at the beginning, I was even afraid to say its name out loud, to explain the concept, because I thought “How will people take it?”.
There’s still not a day today when I feel absolutely comfortable standing in front of an audience and saying “There’s this thing called Afrogameuses, which is a gathering of young women, mostly Afro-descendant, etc.
What do you think? What do you think of it?” I’ve had instances where some people left the room, and then I’ve had other times where I’ve been listened to and so on. You’re always testing. But yes, these things happen because in France, it’s so taboo. But yes, I cut you off, sorry.
Melissa : No, it’s very interesting. So, it confirms a little bit the perception I had of the subject. I think it was two years ago, when the “UNEF”, the students union in France, wanted to get together to talk about systemic racism between racialized people. But it created an unimaginable outcry in France. The media were talking about it: “Yes, it reminds us of dark periods of French history.” Well, I have a lot of things that remind me of dark periods in French history… It was quite bad, they encountered a lot of obstacles.
Here in Montreal, every year there’s the “Salon international de la femme noire” (International Black Women’s Summit). Today, and I may be wrong, I can’t imagine such a summit in France without issues. I’m not saying that there aren’t problems here, but there are politicians of different parties who dare, in any case, who go there in an “unapologetic” way, who talk about it without any problem, to show themselves off.
I wonder, if there was an International Black Women’s Summit in France, would it be as welcome, as easy to set up?
Jennifer : It would clearly be different, because there have been initiatives like the festivals organized by Rokhaya Diallo, who wanted to launch initiatives like that and she got a media backlash. That was a few years ago, so I don’t know if things have changed much today. Honestly, I doubt it. But clearly, like you, I would feel more comfortable talking about these subjects with English speakers, people who are in the United States, in Canada.
I work today, now I’m self-employed, with people who are more in the United States, etc., because I have the impression that we’re less receptive in France. And at the same time, I don’t want to give up on France, because I think there’s always work to be done and if I can do things on my own scale, I always will, because I’m a committed person. But once again, I don’t want to carry this burden alone, and it’s not up to me to do it alone either.
That’s why these issues concern everyone in the industry, coming back to videogames, and are not just a question of the people involved taking action. No, it’s something that can be initiated and have more impact if it’s carried by the majority. The majority is everyone.
Melissa : Yes, but then I see an obstacle to that. In France, we can’t use ethnic statistics. And so it gives you the opportunity to deny the problem and say “Oh well, it’s okay, there’s no racism because there’s one person (when there is) who may have benefited from them, so it’s okay.” As long as there’s no statistical reality, you can always go around the problem, and I think that’s one of the reasons why in the United States, despite obviously everything you might hear…
United States is a country of several hundred million people, but I still feel that it helps to diagnose a real problem and from there, take certain actions. Yes, not everything is rosy in the U.S., for example, police violence… In the US, they have firearms that can be drawn like anything, and that’s a problem. But then, particularly in relation to the police violence that is denounced, in France, it’s not like in the United States. In France, there are no statistics. What I mean is, if I want to be critical…
Jennifer : You can’t fight what you don’t know.
Melissa : Can we prove that it’s not the same thing? Statistically, I’m not sure. In terms of systemic racism bias, I’m not at all sure that in France it’s better. I hope it is, and of course I love France and I think it’s great that things are changing in France. But there’s no statistical reality. So if you want to be objective all the way, you have to be able to be statistical and not just say, “No, but it’s okay, in France we don’t have the same problems as in the U.S.” I’m not sure.
Jennifer : In the United States, it’s worse, or so we often hear.
Melissa : Yes, we hear, “In the United States, it’s worse. Look at the cops, they shoot people.” Yes, but overall, guns and firearms are a real problem in the United States. And then, in terms of arrests, controls, more or less forced identity, etc., I don’t know, because in France, we don’t have the stats. So I don’t know.
Mickaël : Besides, the proportions aren’t the same.
Jennifer : It’s not the same Yes, but I don’t know, I don’t have the stats, so I don’t know those proportions again. On the other hand, in the United States, we see black people in power, we have role models, we have people who are willing to get into debates, we have journalists who enter into debates, etc. In France, we have very few, and as soon as something goes wrong, they’re gone.
In France, we have very few of them, and as soon as there are some who take a little stand — I’m thinking of Harry Roselmack, who also does a fantastic job — these people take big risks. So yes, you were talking about Rokhaya Diallo, great. I’ve sometimes seen her received in an undignified way on TV shows, even recently, interrupted… It’s great that such personalities are emerging, and I’m delighted.
But once again, to me, the way they are received is a symptom of something that is sometimes worse than what you find in the United States. After all, there has been a black president with a black first lady.
Jennifer : We also have successful business role models like Oprah Winfrey, etc., who write books on business, who write books on lots of subjects where, in fact, we can refer to their expertise, i.e. their intellectual skills as well. I’m not going to go as far as asking that during COVID, a black expert would tell people what to do, because obviously that’s going to create a problem.
But it’s interesting to see so few debates in France, in politics. There are so many black male and female senators, for example here in Canada. We even have a party representative with a turban… We have lots of black senators who aren’t told to “Go back to their tree and eat bananas”, as Christiane Taubira was once told. Or even more recently with another black MP in France. I don’t remember his name.
Melissa : Yes, and then people say “No, we were talking about something else” or whatever.
Jennifer : Yeah, we don’t take responsibility.
Guillaume : I’d like to add that in the society we live in, as you said Melissa, we can’t really know to what extent we don’t allow this diversity to express itself, but we also touched on a lot of other more positive things. In any case, we’ve shown that people are fighting every day and organizing things, whether in France or elsewhere in the world, to try and get closer to a world that’s a little more representative and a little more inclusive.
And we’re going to leave you with our two ritual questions to try and get to know you a little better. I’ll start with the first one.
Can you share with us one of your unusual passions? Jennifer, would you be willing to tell us about one of your little passions?
Jennifer : It’s a difficult question for me, but I’ll tell you, I have a passion, a passion that I readily admit to, that I proclaim loud and clear everywhere. I don’t know if it’s that unusual, since I’m one of the millions and billions of fans in the world. I’m a big fan of the K-pop group BTS. I like them a lot, I adore them. You can’t see it, but behind me I have posters of them.
I know a lot of BTS-related things from my little sister, and I felt like a teenager again when I discovered them, getting to know the singers one by one, doing background checks, seeing all the videos, keeping up to date with all their live shows and so on. It was a bit of an obsession for a while, but I’ve calmed down.
My dream now is to see them live one day, because unfortunately they’ve taken a break. There are seven members and they all have to go and do military service.
Guillaume : Ah yes.
Jennifer : So it’s going to be a while before we find all seven of them at the same time. That’s my passion for BTS. I’m an Army.
Guillaume : Oh yes, it’s quite original, actually. In any case, K-pop hadn’t been mentioned to us yet, even though it’s a musical genre that’s finding more and more fans, even in France.
What about you, Melissa?
Jennifer : Yes, I’ve been listening to K-pop for years.
Melissa : Yes, they’re releasing a biography this summer.
Jennifer : You’re well informed!
Melissa : It evokes my curiosity more than my passion, but yes I am curious about them. I think it’s a K-pop phenomenon that is so huge and whether you like it or not, you can’t say it’s badly made. It’s all the same, they’re big productions. I think it’s still interesting.
The fact that my passion, in any case, is that I love the Columbo series is no longer a mystery to many people. If people ask, “Yes, but there’s nothing going on.” Yes, there’s a lot of psychological violence in watching Inspector Columbo morally harass criminals. Every time, there’s also a little social revenge, because in general, it’s just that they’re a little more privileged. I love this series, and I have DVDs that I re-watch every few years to keep up the suspense, even though I’ve come to know them all by heart.
I’ve just started crossfit. I can’t tell you if it’s a passion yet, but apparently, either you are passionate or you aren’t. I’ve had my first session and now I’m going for something a bit intense. So we’ll see. I was scared at first, I feel like it was a bit cult-like with all the vocabulary and everything. But we’ll see.
Jennifer : (laughs)
Guillaume : Okay. As if you had the time for such a demanding sport! I’m in awe.
With every show now, we have another little ritual too. Finally, it’s Micka’s turn to propose an unusual passion, since he can’t help it anyway, he’s got thousands of them.
Then I see it written on the driver and I have to say that I don’t agree. I completely dissociate myself from this one, Mickaël, on this episode, what’s your unusual passion?
Mickaël : The passion, I’ve already teased, is Melissa Canseliet. No, just kidding.
Guillaume : So yes, you’re going to have to tell the real story, because if you don’t, my introduction is really very awkward.
Melissa : #MeToo, what’s going on?
Mickaël : No, I prefer brussels sprouts, I must admit. I know it’s unusual, I know everyone hates it, but I love it roasted in the oven with a good marinade.
Melissa : I’m also trying to convince other enthusiasts.
Mickaël : It’s so good!
Melissa : Let them be. It’s really good. It’s a little sweet too.
Mickaël : Ah, but of course. I roast them in the oven with a little marinade. A little marinade of soy sauce, a little olive oil, ras el hanout or something like that. You roast it in the oven for 20 minutes, and it’s like candy.
Melissa : Of course, of course!
Mickaël : Listen, I’ll come to Montreal and make you some! I’ll bring you trays of Brussels sprouts!
Jennifer : There’s clearly a club to be created here. Guillaume is starting to regret…
Guillaume : It’s been a few episodes now that I’m used to being surprised every time.
Mickaël : Hahaha! It’s my turn to ask you a question that’s a little off topic today.
Do you have a surprising game you love that you’d like to share with us?
Jennifer : So I might have a game No, it’s not unmentionable, perhaps a little surprising in the sense that… I’m very fond of educational games on a societal theme that interests me. This is one of the first games I discovered several years ago, and which I still use as an example. It’s called Hairnah, which means “hair”, “cheveux”, “na”, it’s N. A. H.
It’s a game where you simply play a young woman who travels the world and is accustomed to having hands trying to touch her hair. She’s a young black woman. The aim of the game is very simple, in other words, in terms of gameplay, it couldn’t be simpler. You play with the left and right buttons, so it’s also very accessible. It’s a game that’s simply going to educate people about the fact that you shouldn’t touch people’s hair. Especially when you’re trying to touch black women’s hair, because it seems so exotic, so new, because it looks like cotton, because…. I don’t know.
These are microaggressions that many women, who often have curly, wavy, curly, frizzy hair, etc., undergo and experience. I really liked this game because not only was it simple and accessible, but it also carries this message in a rather fun way too, since when you play, quite simply, you have your hands swinging like this to remove people’s hands. Often, it’s white hands trying to get their hands into your hair. At the end, you must have a pretty cool little score, and then they also tell you how these microaggressions play out on a daily basis.
There’s this message sharing that I find really cool. I love little games like that, which are educational and convey important messages. I recommend Hairnah.
Mickaël : A game totally in tune with our subject today. At first, with your intro, I thought you were going to say “Adibou”, but no, it’s better. What about you, Melissa?
Melissa : My marriage is regularly tested because of Mario Kart, which is really the game that, for me at least, becomes warlike very quickly, and in which I have zero representation. It’s a catastrophe of diversity. Mario is Italian, but in Italy there are obviously very few women. She’s only blonde.
The representation isn’t extraordinary, but the gameplay is incredible. I can’t get enough of this game, it’s mind-blowing. It really is.
I was wondering if there’s an old mobile game called Minesweeper. I’d love to get my hands on it again, because I used to play it when I was a kid, and frankly, I think it’s great for waiting rooms and stuff like that.
I like this kind of thing you can do.
Mickaël : A little basic game that we had on PC, this Minesweeper.
Jennifer : Yeah.
Mickaël : Jadis!
Melissa : I wonder if it exists for mobile. Does it?
Jennifer : Certainly.
Guillaume : Surely.
Melissa : Yes, I’m more of a small games fan than big ones, especially lately, because I don’t put the same amount of time and resources into it. So yes, that’s what it’s going to be.
But yes, Mario Kart, Nintendo games are really good. If there were any diversity in Nintendo games, I think we’d reach the pinnacle, because in any case, in terms of gameplay, they’re very… It’s a cult.
[Guillaume : You can use your Mii in Mario Kart.
Mickaël : Ah yes, that’s right.
Guillaume : This is not a character from the official Nintendo gallery, indeed.
Thank you both once again. Thank you Melissa, thank you Jennifer for being here to talk to us about the representation and place of racialized people in video games, but not only.
As you’ve heard in this episode, we’ve gone way beyond video games, and that’s only natural. Thank you both very much. Once again, we’ve given you a lot to say. That was the point, and as I’ve already had the occasion to sayit personally, I found it fascinating. I was absorbed by your exchanges. I hope our listeners will too.
Jennifer : Thank you for the invitation. It was great.
Melissa : Thank you very much. That was really cool.
Guillaume : Can you or would you like to share with us your latest news or something that’s close to your heart? An event or initiative coming up in the next few months? Jennifer, for example?
Jennifer : What can I tell you? I recently left my job at Ubisoft. I resigned to embark on a new entrepreneurial adventure. I’m continuing in marketing and communications, still in videogames, since my aim is to offer my services to indie studios. For the moment, I’m working with people in Canada and the United States, and maybe soon in France too.
On the side, I’m also starting a new business, I’m not sure what to call it at the moment, but maybe you can help me. I’d like to help studios by reviewing their pitches, their game scenarios, to try and detect any stereotypes or negative elements that might be perceived by various communities during the development and the release of a game.
My idea is simply to help them as much as possible to avoid falling into the trap of stereotyping when they create black characters, for example. It’s a bit like sensitivity reading, I guess, maybe there’s a better name for it. I’m still looking for it, since it’s not that common in France. I’ve got some leads on that, so that’s cool.
And then, at AfroGameuses, things are happening all the time. We’ll be celebrating the association’s third anniversary in July, on July 14th to be precise. So yeah, we’re patriotic like that. We’re going to celebrate three years, and it’s going to be really cool. We’re going to invite a lot of people. You’re invited too, if you’re in Paris at the time. Of course, you’re welcome. Otherwise, in September, we’ll be organizing an event called Game Changers, where we’ll be inviting lots of people from different backgrounds to come and talk about their jobs and their careers in video games, along with workshops on how to sell yourself properly, how to pitch your game, to get financing, and so on. There’s a lot of stuff like that, and it’s going to take up a lot of our time this summer.
And before all that, I’m going on vacation for the whole month of June. I’m going to take refuge in Benin, where I’m from, and that’s going to do me a lot of good. I hope to be back in shape and fully immersed in my entrepreneurial adventure by then.
That’s it for my news!
Guillaume : Okay, great. Is there a social network or a site perhaps where we can follow all this?
Jennifer : Yes, I’m very active on Twitter and Instagram, and a little on LinkedIn too. My Twitter is invinciblejane, for the more French-speaking among us. Otherwise, on LinkedIn.
Otherwise, I’ve got my website too, jenniferlufau.com. You can go and check it, but I’d recommend it less because it’s not really up to date.
Guillaume : Ok. All right. Melissa, what’s your news?
Melissa : I’ve launched my own company called Humanet, H U M A N E T, for the best of human beings on the Internet. And really, the idea is to be able to train employees and also institutional partners on the cognitive biases we have on the Internet. So, there are two main aspects today. The first is cybersecurity.
Why cyber, you may ask? Because, in fact, 95% of cyber-attacks are traced back to human error, and the vast majority of training courses on offer focus on the technical aspects, the dos and don’ts, but they don’t really explain what goes on in the brain. It’s a bit of a shame, because it makes people aware of the real problem of human error, and also gives them a sense of responsibility, since 80% of us think we’re less biased than the average person.
Once again, it’s the snake that catches the tail. On the other hand, there’s an aspect that’s more to do with a harmonious digital life, where we know how to better manage our fatigue online and also the content we’re exposed to on social networks for mental health reasons.
That’s Humanet. The website is humanet.ca. Instagram is melissa.humanet. And then, anyway, on LinkedIn, there’s both the Humanet page and also my profile on which I share a bit. And an upcoming event, I have several potential partnerships that could be very interesting.
Otherwise, I’ll have my own booth at the Salon international de la femme noire on August 12 and 13 in Montreal, at the Old Port. It’s a superb location next to the Montréal Science Centre, on the banks of the St. Lawrence. I’ll have the opportunity to be with all the black female entrepreneurs exhibiting their businesses. It’s really an event that’s open to everyone. It’s not an event for black women, it’s an event where black women are represented, where they express themselves, but it’s open to everyone, so that everyone can benefit from this representation that isn’t as strong elsewhere. It’s really a key event for me, meaning that it was something I’d been dreaming about even before I had the idea of setting up my own business.
When I heard about the Salon International de la Femme Noire, I’d go “Wow! It was also something that convinced me that I’d better live my identity here in Montreal. Basically, for me, it’s an obligatory passage, in a way. In any case, I’m very happy to be able to take part in this event.
If you’re ever in Montreal, I know some of you might be. I’m not sure on this date, but I’m confident. In any case, go for it. And at the very least, follow up on the relayed networks, it’s really important. And Dorothy Rau, who runs the show, really wants it to be a movement, not just a closed one, but a real movement.
Jennifer : It’s great. I love this show. I attended it two years ago, I think, from a distance, unfortunately, but I hope one day I’ll be able to go IRL.
Melissa : Yes.
Jennifer : And bravo, bravo, for your participation and for the new business, the projects. I think it’s great.
Melissa : Thanks, but I think we’ll have a chance to talk again!
Guillaume : Things are happening behind the scenes of this podcast, it’s amazing. Best wishes to you both on your new entrepreneurial adventures.
Of course, we’ll be following all this on social networks with great interest. And that’s it, that’s the end of this episode of HonesTEA. Don’t hesitate, you who are listening to us, to tell others about the podcast.
As I said in the introduction, don’t hesitate to like, comment and share the podcast and its publications within your networks. It’s really the best way to support the podcast, to help people discover it too, and to support the free expression of all diversities in video games as elsewhere, that’s our motto.
And don’t forget that the French and English transcripts of this episode, and of all our episodes in general, are available as a link to the podcast on our Medium account.
On the English version, you can even launch a text reader that will give you an English audio version. Admittedly a little robotized, but it really makes this podcast more accessible.
And we, Micka, may not be back in two weeks because it’s summer and we’re all busy, but we’ll be back very soon with a new topic and new guests.
Mickaël : And I’ll always be faithful to my post. Thanks again to our incredible guests.
Guillaume : Yes, indeed, thanks again Mélissa and Jennifer and Micka. See you in two weeks.
Melissa : See you!
Jennifer : Ciao, ciao!
Mickaël : Bye bye.
