Liberal Sims?: Simulated Difference and the Commodity of Social Diversity

Abstract

This paper outlines how representations of gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity intersect with strategies of late capitalism in The Sims, arguably the most popular video game of all time. Within an industry known for its social stereotyping, The Sims has been praised as socially progressive for its liberal views towards same-sex relationships, racial equality, and non- sexualized presentation of women. However, I will argue, using the theory of Stuart Hall, Naomi Klein, Henry Jenkins and others, that below its progressive façade The Sims amounts to an exploitation of diversity initiated by targeting untraditional markets to better tap into the consuming potential of millions of non-white, non-male, non-heterosexual people – what Hall sees as the commercial appropriation of difference. I want to suggest that the spike in social liberalism may not be the result of a socio-cultural change in ideology, but instead reflects a change in how traditionally marginalized people are marketed to in late capitalism. The Sims, in this formation, becomes a hybrid entity, fueling both progressive liberal discourse and the relentless pursuit of profit at the expense to those it (mis)represents.