I just finished reading an article on women in games from the NY Times and I have a lot to say. Before I begin, it's important to know that the article discusses the way women are portrayed in games and not female gamers, as they are two very different topics.
The discussion is similar to the one that occurred when black people first appeared in television and film -- is it better to have black people on tv being portrayed inaccurately or to have them off tv completely? In regards to women, the critics seem to agree that women need to be in games, but there is argument as to whether or not the portrayal is acceptable.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is at one extreme, as women are often beaten or killed, usually after a helathy round of prostitution. Clearly, no critic approves of this. In a game like Tekken 4 the women are capable of defending themselves and often kick ass, but are still hyper-sexualized versions of real women (see image below). All of the games in the Tomb Raider series are also good examples of this. As the article points out, many women have applauded the heroism and stength of Lara Croft but have been disappointed by her incredibly large bust size. Few games give a totally positive portrayal of women -- even games like Super Mario Brothers show the Princess as a completely helpless person that a plumber can save from a hideously large and violent super-turtle.
The bottomline is that although women are being given a fair shake in fighting games and often given starring roles in other genres, it is under the wrong pretenses. They are put there and are shaped accordingly in order to appeal to the male gamer's labido. What's more troubling, and isn't fully addressed by the article, is that this accurately portrays real life. Yes, women are finally gaining some equality in society but they are still portrayed as feabile, sexual creatures. A quote from the article sums it up nicely.
"Now women can be killing machines, but adolescent about everything else," Ms. Hooks said.
"That is what one sees in 'Charlie's Angels,' " she continued. "The women kill as ruthlessly and as brutally as any men, but when it comes to sex that drops out and they are little girls. It is a tremendous burden."
At this point I would like to point out that men are also shown as hulking masses of testosterone, only capable of maiming and looting, which reminds us that games, like all fiction, allows people to live out fantasies. Still, we need to remember that authors of any form of fiction have a tremendous power -- the ability to shape our concept of reality.
Now, I challenge the video game industry, and all other industries as well as society, to think of women as equals in all senses of the word. I admit it is fun to visit a fantasy world where men can pretend they are 6'4", incredibly strong and unbearably handsome fighters who get to wrestle with unbearably buxom women, but if this is giving adolescents the idea that women can be treated like dirt then I think we can and should give up these images forever.
05/18/03 2:29 PM
Excellent post! The question that immediately jumps out at me is one of etiology ? which came first, the chicken or the egg? Do video games lead to misogynistic stereotypes, or does the popularity and appeal of this type of portrayal of women (obviously among teenage boys) lead to the ubiquity of these concepts in society?
From my perspective, which is very limited with regard to video games, this portrayal of women as ?weaponized? sexual objects is becoming more and more accepted, but I think it only reinforces what is already a dominant theme throughout all media. The biggest offenders are games such as Vice City (as you mentioned), which not only portray women as objects, but also as victims.
Can't wait to read this article!
05/18/03 9:52 PM
And a great comment from you. It's fairly clear that it is the desire of the young boys that fuel the production companies to create these characters, but videogames, like all popular media, are adding fuel to the fire by reinforcing these stereotypes. In regards to teenage boys looking to oggle large-breasted women, that is just a natural response. My concern is not necessarily with their physical shape but the way in which they are dressed and portrayed. It is a fact of nature that men are attracted to women and I could care less about people's preferences, but there is no need to teach teenagers that women get into teach matches while wearing thong bikinis. I don't mean to imply that this was your argument, but I wanted to make the clarification.
I also think that videogames are incredibly young and have the ability to do something about it even though it seems like it's too late. When I see games like Dead or Alive Extreme Volleyball doing well or find out that Playboy: The Mansion is being released, I am certainly discouraged (Obviously there is room for mature content in games, but mature doesn't have to mean sexist). The only movie, game or tv program that has shown a strong, sexy woman without outfitting her with a bikini is Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Yu Shu Lien was both attractive and modestly dressed, which seems to be a complete anomaly these days.
So, I fear that all media will continue to appeal to the lowest common denomenator and reinforce these stereotypes because it's easy. I would love to see talented people take the harder route and keep people like myself from staying jaded.
05/20/03 11:55 PM
Hey matty, read it as commanded...
I am not sure I can really add to this because these questions are unanswerable to me. However, I would like to add that gay cultures are having this problem too. Is it better or worse to show gay men like Jack from will and grace? Is just being on TV enough? It seems to be a ? for any marginalized group.
What I actually find more intriguing in your post is the thoughts about man as testosterone machines. That seems ot be something left out of "weak woman turned warrior" talks...my question is...if the man were weak and so were the woman....would this question of is it OK to show big boobs on the fighter exist? What if the man had been like...castrated...or had flab or was bad with hitting on women....then the playing field would be evened in a way that the men are made fun of but so are the women.....hmmm....
08/12/03 8:39 AM
Two words "boob envy".
11/04/03 9:46 PM
According to some recent figures (NOV 2003)
women now make up 45% of the games market
and just over 50% of the online gaming community.
In the UK women are much less involved in games design
and production than in Korea, Japan or the States, where
they represent a larger percentage or even a majority.
TOMB RAIDER, is from a UK production company,
TEKKEN, from a japanese one...
Would it be appropriate to have a version of TEKKEN
where the majority of male characters are replaced by a
female equivalent? A hideous TRUE OGRESS and a deranged drunk female mad scientist?
The characters in TEKKEN draw on a tradition of male
observance of their gender types and their corresponding traits, successful complex female characterization is a great challenge to contemporary game design and production, and while TEKKEN's current female cohort resembles some diverse aspects of the feminine, the nature of the game does not lend itself to traditional female roles.
Hell what is a woman if she is not vulnerable? If she's not intelligent, sexy, or deadly, lets make her drunk, stupid, ugly, fat, mad, boastful, deceitful, malevolent, etc. etc.
Afterall there's a whole world of untapped female characteristics out there which are being ignored by the game industry altogether!
Op
(Alternatively, EIDOS could just make Lara's breasts a little smaller?)