"Thank you Mario, but your princess is in another castle..." How many times did you see that message and proceed to call Princess Peach everything you were taught not to call a woman? Most video games after the popularity of the 1981 classic Donkey Kong featured some spin on the whole "save the damsel in distress" story. it became even more prevalent after the massive popularity of Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. It actually became one of the first great video game cliches, and it is one that is perpetuated today. These tales of a lone hero rescuing his lost love are a bit humorous to me lately with games like Metroid, where the protagonist Samus Aran turned out to be a woman, and even Super Princess Peach, a Mario Bros. game which put the usually helpless princess in the role of rescuer, and Resident Evil, which featured a female protagonist fighting off a zombie horde in nearly every game in the series among others. Most of the women in these games didn't need to be rescued, and the ones that truly needed it would be in a truly messed up spot if he didn't save her. I equate that same sentiment to Valentine's Day, and how people expect to be treated a certain way. It's not that they need anyone to buy them anything, but it proves to be a great thing for both egos if the person seeking a gift is bought one, and the person buying it will feel appreciated by the one who receives it. So consider gift giving (with a person you truly care about) to be an exercise in mutual ego stroking.
unless she's just a gold digger...
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