Going with the Flo

This essay analyzes the video games in the popular Diner Dash franchise, paying specific attention to the games' protagonist Flo. While on its surface, the series appears to be a number of simple games about a waitress, they reflect more complex themes about gender, empowerment, work, and play. Ultimately, I argue that the game series can be seen as an open-ended (producerly) text that invites several possible interpretations (and negotiations) of femininity. By understanding the games in this open-ended manner, we are able to see how different meanings can potentially reinforce beliefs about feminism and femininity with women players—rather than advocating specific kinds of feminisms, means to empowerment, or lifestyles. All of these issues coexist simultaneously within the Dash games, creating a rich potential for media studies analysis, and a better understanding of women's leisure.