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Author Topic: Female game portayals  (Read 21647 times)

Glorb

  • Banned
« on: May 22, 2006, 02:00:19 PM »
Although females in videogames have mostly gotten past the "damsel in distress" role, I still feel that the portrayal of women in games is superficial and in some cases offensive. Even in their roles as main characters, they're still always ridiculous stereotypes. Most people offer Lara Croft as an example of a good female role model in a game. I, however, think the contrary. Even after her recent redesign for Tomb Raider: Legend, she still retains the same stereotypical traits: absurdly small clothing that is impractical for her occupation (raiding tombs, I think) and a ridiculous breast size. It's even worse in RPGs: Every single female character that will join your party will always be a healer or magician, wear impractically skimpy clothing that barel even qualifies as clothing, and will, 99% of the time, have an attack where thay blow a kiss, visible as a giant pink heart. And in all other games where you can play as either a male or female, the female character will always have less health, but more ammo and an easier difficulty. And this phenomenon has been around before Resident Evil. I think the only actual positive female role model in any videogame is Samus Aran, with the possible exception of Jill Valentine. She doesn't go into hosile planets wearing tiny shorts and underwear (well, except in the original Metroid, with the Justin Bailey code), she goes with full armor, and has actual combat expertise. And even then, the power suit isn't a form-fitting leotard thing, it's an actual power suit designed to keep out the elements. I wish more games would feature female characters that aren't just sexist eye candy.
every

« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2006, 03:38:40 PM »
Meryle in Metal Gear was pretty cool. In fact, all of the girls in that kick butt.
Luigison: Question everything!
Me: Why?

SolidShroom

  • Poop Man
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2006, 03:51:29 PM »
Even EVA, although she dresses kinda sleazy. Ditto with Fortune and sniper wolf. Lea in Star Wars Battlefront is a pretty nice charachter, plus Nana from Ice climbers, and the white mage,(even though she is a mage, she can still use a hammer and she wears a robe) from Final Fantasy I are all good women in games. The female from Mercanaries, Playground of destruction is respectable, and you can't comment on Sheik, she isn't girly, although Zelda is.

« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2006, 04:31:16 PM »
I wonder if the girls fashion in video games could be based off real life...

Go to a place with lots of people between 17 and 24 and you'll see what I mean.
Senior Mariology professor

SolidShroom

  • Poop Man
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2006, 04:32:51 PM »
you have a point.

« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2006, 05:08:56 PM »
I don't like female roles in video games that are overtly un-feminine. In my view Samus falls into that category, but I don't find games like the Metroid series particularly obnoxious (there are far more feministic game series out there).

Worse than games in the above category, of course, are the "sex-object" portrayals of women in video games like Tomb Raider.

I wonder about anybody who finds the "damsel in distress" theme offensive. What on earth could you find wrong with it, besides the fact that it doesn't fit in with feministic views?

And regarding the first post: I nearly always discredit stuff I read if I see the word "sexist" used seriously. "Sexist" is almost only used by feministic-viewed people now, even if what it describes technically is sexist.

And anybody who calls ME a sexist dies. I'm a traditionalist, NOT a sexist. I respect women a lot, but also respect traditional sex roles.
GEIANDGIRLCO DIRECT - The Sensitive Alternative

The Chef

  • Super
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2006, 07:50:09 PM »
This is part of the reason why I hate Cream the Rabbit. Characters like Amy and Rouge can kick arse. Cream can't. Cheese shoulda been the playable character.

Sonic rants aside, I think Bow,Watt,Sushie,Goombella,Flurrie,Vivian and Ms.Mowz are good female role models.

« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2006, 07:57:56 PM »
Flurrie?...
Maybe there is more to me than there is to me...

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2006, 08:00:05 PM »
I think Glorb is pretty much wrong. I think smfan is pretty much wrong about the use of the word "sexist".
That was a joke.

Hirocon

  • June 14-16, every year
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2006, 08:18:00 PM »
I think the reason people don't like the damsel in distress theme is because you see it all the time, but you never see a guy in distress.  At best you see a heroine rescuing a hero (a capable male character who just happens to be in trouble at one point in the game) or a young boy.  You never see a truely helpless adult male being saved by a female.  I can't think of a single example.

SolidShroom

  • Poop Man
« Reply #10 on: May 22, 2006, 08:18:56 PM »
Super Princess Peach, I think...

« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2006, 08:21:15 PM »
Well, Chupperson, I pretty much stopped listening to what you have to say about gender roles after your extremely casual dismissal of what I said here.

Hirocon: What cultural basis is there for a theme about a powerful woman saving a helpless man from danger? That sort of theme may be a feminist's utopia, but it sure as heck has no base in nature.
GEIANDGIRLCO DIRECT - The Sensitive Alternative

« Reply #12 on: May 22, 2006, 08:53:15 PM »
*imagines some sort of Doomsday scenario where smfan1085 has to live with the Amazons*

« Reply #13 on: May 22, 2006, 08:58:03 PM »
Well I have a game called "No One Lives Forever", and it's about a lady who's a spy. She gets all the weapons that James Bond would get...handguns, machine guns, and even a harpoon gun when she goes underwater. I haven't beaten it yet but it's really fun.

« Reply #14 on: May 22, 2006, 08:58:38 PM »
It's not even certain that the Amazons actually existed. I certainly have my doubts.
GEIANDGIRLCO DIRECT - The Sensitive Alternative

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