The internet superhighway from NeoPets to MissBimbo is a straight line
The internet superhighway from NeoPets to MissBimbo is a straight line with many exits to other, lesser known, pay-to-play low-resolution games.
While NeoPets was disarming with their cute alien-like Pokemon-clones, Miss Bimbo was creeping around the corner, waiting for its moment in 2006 to premiere with the most bedazzled (dare I say, sexy?) female avatars that you could customize and dress up to your heart’s desire.
Later known as Bimboland, and now known as XimboLand (interesting), your avatar was always referred to on site as your Bimbo. And it was a… positive? By 2020 standards, yes, we’ve embraced the bimbo stereotype and some of my favorite Tiktokkers take on this persona, but this was certainly controversial 20 years ago.
Many critics in the 2000’s argued that MissBimbo was harmful to women and girls, as it encouraged them to prioritize their looks and to compete with each other based on their physical appearance rather than their intelligence or skills. I’m not saying this isn’t true, but I think America was already doing that to teens as a whole. Maybe it was because it was a European game, and the avatars were particularly curvy? Regardless, I liked the curves.
My Bimbo- was the sexiest Bimbo.
I can’t defend the virtual "surgery center" where players could purchase virtual cosmetic procedures for their avatars, including breast implants and liposuction, but at the time I did feel like these were normal options to consider. And, after checking the media landscape now for a solid 10 seconds, isn’t it?
The game also allowed players to purchase virtual items and features using real money, which some viewed as promoting a consumerist and materialistic mindset. Again, we’ve evolved here, and not necessarily in the best way. 2022’s wave of NFTs remind me of this.
Clearly the issue was that it was aimed at young girls and children, but as for my experience?
After making my first account, something dark inside me at 2am would routinely say, “Remember to feed your bimbo, make sure her mood score is up- you NEED a new cute outfit.”
Then, “I’m 18, why am I doing this?”
See, being a teen when this child’s game came out had it’s benefits: I had the illusion of not being persuaded in any direction about how women should look or the value of one’s appearance, and I could pretend I had unlimited money for my fave outfits. My experience was not the norm.
MissBimbo’s outfits made me feel rich. I could plan real-life outfits I had only dreamed of with my minimum wage retail job at Best Buy. The biggest plus was you could be a goth queen or a pink pantheress, and the game felt like a legitimate form of creative expression, even if I would NEVER tell my friends about it.