Women's issues in gaming is something I probably give an unreasonable amount of thought to. Primarily because i see (and statistics seem to back me up) women as potentially 51% of the market for gaming. As such that makes women absolutely crucial to the success of the industry.
The real problem with sexism isn't the aesthetic standards put on women, its mostly to do with the perception that the woman has nothing to offer BUT her looks. It also has a lot to do with context.
With games like Lollipop Chainsaw, characters are perhaps a complete sexist stereotype but its intentional and part of the ridiculousness that is the rest of the game. In a similar way Duke Nukem Forever conveying an unbelievable masculine stereotype. Its intentional, sometimes funny, sometimes even thought provoking but mostly just good for a laugh.
But there is no comparison between female and male objectification in popular culture. I think men would have a similarly disproportionate problem with these things if every guy in movies for like (oh lets just say) 60-80 years was nothing more than a pretty face with nothing to add to the conversation other than "silly little ideas".
Its still taught in progressive, modern, liberal, tolerant, universities, in screen play classes, that its bad to have 2 women talking to each other on screen about anything other than men (hence the existence of the bechdel test). And this is because apparently men are the only people in movies that are, at all, interesting.
Think about that, if it was just assumed for a really really long time that you had nothing of value to say because you were born a certain way. Its as arbitrary as being short or black or ginger (cry). These things may inform your identity but they do not speak to the validity of your opinion or your depth of thought on an issue.
But while its much scapegoated it isn't the aesthetic appreciation that is the problem. That's where the overreach happens. There is nothing inherently wrong with aesthetic appreciation of anything Its the fact that for a long time it was the only thing that anyone cared about that a woman had to offer and really the only acknowledgement of their existence in media. And that's an attitude that very much still exists in various forms across various media.
Equality and balance is a difficult ideal to achieve so this isn't really surprising. But I believe that its an ideal worth striving for and that we're moving in the right direction. But progress in these areas is frequently hobbled by feminist overreaction to objectification.
I don't however think that media is actually responsible for any of this. The media is really just a reflection of culture as it exists in its time. If it wasn't then it wouldn't be in the shape that it is (see codblops2's 1 billion dollar revenue).
We as gamers have a responsibility to stand up against things in the media that we believe don't represent us in order to change that shape to better reflect us.
Things like racism and xenophobia, sexism and hate, in all its insidious forms, are important issues for shaping cultures when they crop up. Its through these issues that we decide if we're going to be a culture of inclusion and compassion or division and repression. Whichever side of that fence you live on, it will probably shock you to find that there are people who truly believe you should be on the other.
Lolipop Chainsaw makes fun of sexism, not women, whereas Resident Evil 6 really was casually racist (unintentional as it was) and its up to us to stand up TO these attitudes as much as we stand FOR Lolipop Chainsaw's true underlying meaning.
They both have an equal right to exist, absolutely, such is the nature of speech, but opinions that hold no traction with culture are quickly marginalised and ignored, and in many cases, rightly so.
Its up to us as a community to be the deciders about what that is though.
(Sorry for using Lollipop Chainsaw like a fucking battle standard for women's lib. I know its really nothing even close to as profound as I'm making it out to be. its just an OTT example.)
*is worried about feminists taking away his toys*
Sources: His own brain
The real problem with sexism isn't the aesthetic standards put on women, its mostly to do with the perception that the woman has nothing to offer BUT her looks. It also has a lot to do with context.
With games like Lollipop Chainsaw, characters are perhaps a complete sexist stereotype but its intentional and part of the ridiculousness that is the rest of the game. In a similar way Duke Nukem Forever conveying an unbelievable masculine stereotype. Its intentional, sometimes funny, sometimes even thought provoking but mostly just good for a laugh.
But there is no comparison between female and male objectification in popular culture. I think men would have a similarly disproportionate problem with these things if every guy in movies for like (oh lets just say) 60-80 years was nothing more than a pretty face with nothing to add to the conversation other than "silly little ideas".
Its still taught in progressive, modern, liberal, tolerant, universities, in screen play classes, that its bad to have 2 women talking to each other on screen about anything other than men (hence the existence of the bechdel test). And this is because apparently men are the only people in movies that are, at all, interesting.
Think about that, if it was just assumed for a really really long time that you had nothing of value to say because you were born a certain way. Its as arbitrary as being short or black or ginger (cry). These things may inform your identity but they do not speak to the validity of your opinion or your depth of thought on an issue.
But while its much scapegoated it isn't the aesthetic appreciation that is the problem. That's where the overreach happens. There is nothing inherently wrong with aesthetic appreciation of anything Its the fact that for a long time it was the only thing that anyone cared about that a woman had to offer and really the only acknowledgement of their existence in media. And that's an attitude that very much still exists in various forms across various media.
Equality and balance is a difficult ideal to achieve so this isn't really surprising. But I believe that its an ideal worth striving for and that we're moving in the right direction. But progress in these areas is frequently hobbled by feminist overreaction to objectification.
I don't however think that media is actually responsible for any of this. The media is really just a reflection of culture as it exists in its time. If it wasn't then it wouldn't be in the shape that it is (see codblops2's 1 billion dollar revenue).
We as gamers have a responsibility to stand up against things in the media that we believe don't represent us in order to change that shape to better reflect us.
Things like racism and xenophobia, sexism and hate, in all its insidious forms, are important issues for shaping cultures when they crop up. Its through these issues that we decide if we're going to be a culture of inclusion and compassion or division and repression. Whichever side of that fence you live on, it will probably shock you to find that there are people who truly believe you should be on the other.
Lolipop Chainsaw makes fun of sexism, not women, whereas Resident Evil 6 really was casually racist (unintentional as it was) and its up to us to stand up TO these attitudes as much as we stand FOR Lolipop Chainsaw's true underlying meaning.
They both have an equal right to exist, absolutely, such is the nature of speech, but opinions that hold no traction with culture are quickly marginalised and ignored, and in many cases, rightly so.
Its up to us as a community to be the deciders about what that is though.
(Sorry for using Lollipop Chainsaw like a fucking battle standard for women's lib. I know its really nothing even close to as profound as I'm making it out to be. its just an OTT example.)
*is worried about feminists taking away his toys*
Sources: His own brain
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