Episode 60: Geek Girl in the News: Game of Thrones AXED, Sacha Baron Cohen is woke, & Trans Lead Characters
Geek Girl in the News looks at the awesome or not so awesome news that will make you go either: “YAY” or “OMG I can’t believe that.”
The latest and greatest geek girl news from November 2019 covers the cancelled prequel to Game of Thrones, the next Star Wars trilogy (yes, trilogy!), Sacha Baron Cohen being an incredible human being, the 14-year-old girl who solved the blind spot problem plaguing drivers, the first leading trans character in a video game, and the game developers focussing on mental health problems in their releases.
Are we a little bit gutted that HBO have cancelled Naomi Watts’ Game of Thrones prequel that was 3 years in the making? Uh – yeah! They’ve axed this progressive, super interesting sounding prequel in favour of one about the Targaryens. Sounds like just what the last 8 seasons were about. Snooze fest!
Speaking of Game of Thrones – you remember how the showrunners royally f#cked up the last season so they could go work on the next Star Wars trilogy? Well, they’ve bailed out of that one, too! So who’s making the next trilogy? And why are they making another trilogy so soon after the last one? We dunno!?
Whether you’ve been a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen in the past or not has suddenly become irrelevant. His controversial characters have always had political and racial undertones meant to make society examine their belief system – and now, Sacha is gunning for justice for all walks of life. Take some time to listen to his absolutely scathing speech. Trust us when we say you won’t regret it!
Submitted by Marty over at Sleepless in Copenhagen, we take a look at the 14-year-old girl who used simple technology that’s already available to create a way to see through (yes through) the blind spot created by the passenger seat pillar. How inspirational is she!?
We finally have a game developer creating a lead character who is trans! In Tell Me Why, we’re introduced to twins who have grown up with very different lives. French developer Dontnod has had input and support from GLAAD and trans beta testers to make sure the game remains sensitive and realistic to the issues facing transgender people in today’s society. We dunno about you, but we cannot WAIT to play this one.
And finally, game makers Ninja Theory, who brought us the psychosomatic lead in Hellblade, are tackling mental health issues in their latest release, The Insight Project. Working with clinical neuroscientists and psychologists, The Insight Project will not only help people understand mental health problems, it will work as a tool for those going through a tough time. We love where the gaming industry is taking video games and are so excited for the future.
What’s your take on these news articles?
In this episode of Geek Girl in the News, we covered these news stories:
- HBO confirms Game of Thrones prequel with Naomi Watts is canceled
- A New Star Wars Movie Is Coming in 2022, but We Don’t Know Who’s Making It
- Sacha Baron Cohen Tears Into Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg In Scathing 24-Minute Speech
- 14-Year-Old Genius Solves Blind Spots
- ‘This raises the bar’: Microsoft introduces first lead trans character in a major video game
- Could Video Games Lead to a Mental Health Reckoning?
- Hellblade studio launches a new venture to explore mental health through games
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If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others!
- Geek Interviews: Mental Health and Real Life Rep Grinding with Thyst
- Geek Discussion: Rising Representation and Diversity in Video Games
- Geeking Out About Game Of Thrones
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Geekily yours,
Amanda & Monika