Comments on: Standards of Misogyny in Video Games

By: Ian

Ian — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:58:00 +0000

I have to agree with THM here- there is no clear cut line and context is key. I certainly believe that misogyny can exist in video games and this is an issue that should be addressed. It can only be irresponsible when a significant portion of those playing the games are young and impressionable.

However to take this view, the other side of the argument should also be examined. Are video games not also guilty of portraying men in stereotyped and inaccurate ways? Male characters are invariably violent and aggressive; arguably they are represented in the same stereotyped way as women are. Of course, this brings up the wider argument of whether such games encourage violent behaviour. It seems that video games are devoid of positive role models for both men and women. I suppose the issue is whether people believe that this is a problem.

Thanks for the post- this is definitely an interesting debate!

By: THM

THM — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:59:00 +0000

I’m several years late to commenting here, but I think the issue here isn’t one of scantily clad = misogyny. Scantily clad CAN = misogyny – it is all in circumstances though. Intent is important and context is everything. The description of the game you referenced and what occurs actually does sound misogynist to me (for a variety of reasons.)

This article does a great job illuminating misogyny in the new Batman game: http://filmcrithulk.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/goddammit-video-games-the-first-few-hours-of-arkham-city-is-lots-of-fun-but-super-duper-sexist/

It also explores the issue of sexism in video games with a great deal of nuance (despite the all caps “HULK SMASH” format) and I think a lot of what Hulk says in that article is applicable to this post.

By: Techni

Techni — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:11:30 +0000

I found Jade, Aya Brea, the girl from Rhapsody (it’s like a decade ago) and Parin from Gurumin, to be the perfect female protagonists. Or rather, anytime a female is the protagonist, and they don’t exploit her sexually to sell the game (at least, till Parasite Eve 2, which sucked)

Chell from portal was a horrible protagonist. It’s like “Yeah, we let you play as a girl but we’re not going to let you enjoy it. Hell 90% of people won’t even know it’s a girl”, it’s almost like they tried to hide it.

By: James

James — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:05:44 +0000

You know, the real irony here is that pink used to be a boy’s color. It was thought of as a subdued red.

By: Son Yong

Son Yong — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:45:51 +0000

Good article, James. I do agree with you. That fight women have with men and each other. The eternal question: Does taking on feminine “stereotypes” somehow mean your as a women are a traitor to the “cause?” Why do I have to look and act like a “man” to be taken seriously?
We are all affected by our culture, upbringing, etc. What is wrong with embracing “femininity” and “strength” together?