board77

The Last Homely Site on the Web

Tropes vs Women in Gaming

Post Reply   Page 1 of 1  [ 11 posts ]
Author Message
Alatar
Post subject: Tropes vs Women in Gaming
Posted: Wed 29 May , 2013 3:44 pm
of Vinyamar
Offline
 
Posts: 8272
Joined: Mon 28 Feb , 2005 4:39 pm
Location: Ireland
Contact: ICQ
 
Crossposted on HoF

A little background first.
Quote:
Anita Sarkeesian is a media critic and the creator of Feminist Frequency, a video webseries that explores the representations of women in pop culture narratives. Her work focuses on deconstructing the stereotypes and tropes associated with women in popular culture as well as highlighting issues surrounding the targeted harassment of women in online and gaming spaces.
Recently Anita announced that she was looking for funding to examine sexism in videogames and the Internet exploded in the usual masochistic, misogynistic way, with countless anonymous trolls offering to find and rape/kill her, or asking her to "go make me a sandwich". Ha bloody ha.

However, the other side of the internet rallied behind her, fully funding her kickstarter campaign and in the process rejuvenating many discussions about the treatment of women in the gaming industry.

Anyway, here's the first two episodes in her series. Don't be concerned if you're not up to speed on the latest in Videogames, she aims for a diverse audience and explains everything.

The Damsel in Distress Part 1

The Damsel in Distress Part 2

For completeness, here's her earlier series on Women vs Tropes in general media

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBBDFEC9F5893C4AF

_________________

[ img ]
These are my friends, see how they glisten...


Top
Profile Quote
Jude
Post subject: Re: Tropes vs Women in Gaming
Posted: Wed 29 May , 2013 4:15 pm
Aspiring to heresy
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 19644
Joined: Wed 23 Feb , 2005 6:54 pm
Location: Canada
 
I think your first two links are mixed up...

_________________

[ img ]

Melkor and Ungoliant in need of some relationship counselling.


Top
Profile Quote
Alatar
Post subject: Re: Tropes vs Women in Gaming
Posted: Wed 29 May , 2013 4:26 pm
of Vinyamar
Offline
 
Posts: 8272
Joined: Mon 28 Feb , 2005 4:39 pm
Location: Ireland
Contact: ICQ
 
Don't know what you mean! :whistle:

_________________

[ img ]
These are my friends, see how they glisten...


Top
Profile Quote
LalaithUrwen
Post subject: Re: Tropes vs Women in Gaming
Posted: Wed 29 May , 2013 8:42 pm
The Grey Amaretto as Supermega-awesome Proud Heretic Girl
Offline
 
Posts: 21748
Joined: Thu 24 Feb , 2005 3:46 pm
 
I hope to find time to read these articles later tonight or tomorrow.

As an aside (but not really), I was appalled to see a clip from Grand Theft Auto during one of the last movies I saw about sex trafficking. I knew the video game had a bad reputation, but this scene was shocking to me (a prostitute being picked up, having sex with the guy in the car, and then being shoved out of the car and shot several times and killed). :nono: I mean, WTF? Really.

_________________

[ img ]


Top
Profile Quote
yovargas
Post subject: Re: Tropes vs Women in Gaming
Posted: Thu 30 May , 2013 5:26 pm
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 14772
Joined: Thu 24 Feb , 2005 12:11 pm
 
LalaithUrwen wrote:
I hope to find time to read these articles later tonight or tomorrow.

As an aside (but not really), I was appalled to see a clip from Grand Theft Auto during one of the last movies I saw about sex trafficking. I knew the video game had a bad reputation, but this scene was shocking to me (a prostitute being picked up, having sex with the guy in the car, and then being shoved out of the car and shot several times and killed). :nono: I mean, WTF? Really.
The stuff with shooting prostitutes is exactly what gave GTA its great infamy. Some people think it's funny in a "dark comedy" kinda way, I guess. I'm not nihilistic enough to find it amusing.


Top
Profile Quote
LalaithUrwen
Post subject: Re: Tropes vs Women in Gaming
Posted: Thu 30 May , 2013 5:49 pm
The Grey Amaretto as Supermega-awesome Proud Heretic Girl
Offline
 
Posts: 21748
Joined: Thu 24 Feb , 2005 3:46 pm
 
Ah. Well, I didn't know exactly why it had a bad rep. I thought maybe it was from the whole concept of a game about committing serious crimes.

_________________

[ img ]


Top
Profile Quote
Dave_LF
Post subject: Re: Tropes vs Women in Gaming
Posted: Fri 31 May , 2013 9:02 pm
You are hearing me talk
Offline
 
Posts: 2950
Joined: Mon 28 Feb , 2005 8:14 am
Location: Great Lakes
 
I haven't played it myself, but as I understand things it's mostly a game where you can do whatever you want. Including killing prostitutes, if that's what floats your boat.


Top
Profile Quote
ToshoftheWuffingas
Post subject: Re: Tropes vs Women in Gaming
Posted: Fri 31 May , 2013 9:12 pm
Filthy darwinian hobbit
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 6921
Joined: Fri 11 Mar , 2005 12:52 pm
Location: Silly Suffolk
 
My classmate has landed a job as computer games designer in residence at London's Victoria and Albert Art Museum. She started up a company to develop games that appeal to women. We sat round the same kitchen table labouring at learning Japanese.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22704984?SThisFB

_________________

[ img ]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos

Norwich Beer Festival 2009


Top
Profile Quote
Deumeawyn
Post subject: Re: Tropes vs Women in Gaming
Posted: Sat 08 Jun , 2013 12:12 pm
Offline
 
Posts: 254
Joined: Sat 06 Oct , 2012 3:02 pm
Location: Dreams
 
yovargas wrote:
LalaithUrwen wrote:
The stuff with shooting prostitutes is exactly what gave GTA its great infamy. Some people think it's funny in a "dark comedy" kinda way, I guess. I'm not nihilistic enough to find it amusing.
Apparently shooting escorts is a bit more common in Texas? I mean WTF????

And I have watched the women in video games series and women in Anime series. Too sad really.

_________________

Maiden the Shade


Top
Profile Quote
LalaithUrwen
Post subject: Re: Tropes vs Women in Gaming
Posted: Sun 09 Jun , 2013 11:24 am
The Grey Amaretto as Supermega-awesome Proud Heretic Girl
Offline
 
Posts: 21748
Joined: Thu 24 Feb , 2005 3:46 pm
 
Yeah, WTF?! indeed, Dwyn. :nono:

_________________

[ img ]


Top
Profile Quote
Crucifer
Post subject: Re: Tropes vs Women in Gaming
Posted: Sat 15 Jun , 2013 1:45 pm
A song outlasts a dynasty.
Offline
 
Posts: 3202
Joined: Tue 29 May , 2007 9:42 pm
Location: Wouldn't you like to know...
Contact: Website
 
I might point out that the shooting of prostitutes aspect of GTA is, and always has been, an optional one, not highlighted in the game. You do not get points or achievements, it is not a side quest, you are at no point guided towards it. In my favourite installment in the series, chinatown wars, I actually don't think there are any prostitutes. One of the first things that happens in the game is that someone being set up to be a female side-kick is murdered and you spend the rest of the game finding out why. Killing prostitutes in any GTA game instantly increases your wanted rating and gets the police after you.

_________________

Sleep is a death; Oh, make me try by sleeping what it is to die.


Top
Profile Quote
Display: Sort by: Direction:
Post Reply   Page 1 of 1  [ 11 posts ]
Return to “The Symposium”
Jump to: