Masculinities in Play by Nicholas Taylor & Gerald Voorhees

Author:Nicholas Taylor & Gerald Voorhees
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783319905815
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

On Beards, Dwarves, and Women

In Dragon Magazine #28, published August 1979, an article entitled “The Dungeons Master’s Guide—Developers’ Notes & an Interview with the Author” offered developers notes on the newly released Dungeon Master’s Guide from several members of the design team. In addition to the notes left by author and designer Gary Gygax, other notables like Jeff Leason, Len Lakofka, Lawrence Schick, Jean Wells, Allen Hammack, Mike Carr, and James T. Ward were given some space to explain their thoughts on the design process. Notably, Jean Wells, the first and only woman to be employed by TSR Hobbies at that time, left an enigmatic remark that reflected many of the debates occurring behind closed doors. Apart from complaining about what, in her opinion, were overly frivolous representations of elves in the Dungeon Masters Guide, Wells ended her notes with a strong point: “Finally, let it stand that I say, ‘Dwarven women DO NOT have beards, Gary! ” (Gygax et al. 1979, 4).

Some of the other designers offered their thoughts on the topic, too. The other twelve designers, all men, were in consensus—they claimed that dwarven women DO have beards and that the new rules reflected this point. One designer Allen Hammack wrote quite smugly, “With the lopsided score of TSR 12, Jean 1, the mini-controversy of whether dwarven women have beards has been laid to rest. They do” (4). Gygax also was sure to weigh in on the controversy, as in the same column the editors of Dragon Magazine inquired what his thoughts on the topic were. His reply assumed a typically patriarchal tone as he assured readers that his account of dwarven women was more reliable than any other:It’s fairly common knowledge. I don’t believe I know anyone who ever met a female dwarf who didn’t have a beard, so I don’t know what more there is to be said about the matter. I’m not quite sure what the hoopla is—perhaps somebody who is uninformed or who has never dealt with dwarves en masse would assume that because homo sapiens females generally don’t tend to have beards, dwarven females are likewise. But they all, of course, have beards. They’re not so bald as the males, though. (46)

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