Boyfriend Trainer App Depicts Violence Against Men
I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve told my friend Michelle that men must be trained and molded into the ideal boyfriend that we all desire. We don’t just find them that way. But that advice never implied using physical violence in the manner portrayed by the “Boyfriend Trainer” app available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Boyfriend Trainer consists of a game where the “girlfriend” player teaches the boyfriend lessons for misbehaving by slapping, zapping and putting him on a leash.
“Crack that whip and teach your guy a thing or two about being the Perfect Boyfriend,” the apps description claims. “When scolding doesn’t work, just zap him, whack him and train him to be your ideal man!”
The main problem with this game is its double standard. Of course the violence in the game is all for fun, but it would never be acceptable if the roles were reversed. I have no doubt that Apple would have never allowed a “Girlfriend Trainer” app into the App Store to begin with. Even though the game depicts cartoon violence, it’s rated for ages 4+ and can very well blur the lines between acceptable and reprehensible behavior in real life. If a woman doesn’t want abused, she shouldn’t initiate abuse.
The game very well may intend to empower women, but there are certainly ways to train a man without resorting to violence. As I’ve told Michelle, women truly hold all the cards in a relationship if they play their hands right. Deep down, most men want to please their partners, and just need to be gently led in the right direction. Women can use their feminine wiles to mold a man into the boyfriend they desire. As in any situation, violence is never the answer—game or not.
