Public again! Women on Game and Book covers. For Feminist Geeks? Or just Geeks.
Ah-ha! A nostalgia kick (and an intense bout of procrastination here in the language lab) lead me to unearth a picture of the previously mentioned Sorceress Polgara.
It's actually kind of screaming "Gryffindor! Hedwig!" at me right now. Followed close behind by "Cleavage! Hair!"
The first image to spring to mind was #9 on this list, Firiona Vie, who "graced" the covers of the boxes of my old addiction, EverQuest. Another, better-pixelated version of an EQ babe, is to be found here, along with the rather annoying/ disturbing contest that accompanies the image.
As the article points out, sex sells. Playing Soul Caliber III recently, I was just amazing by how dedicated those programmers must have been to get the womens' breasts to jiggle with such ferocity. At least they have the capability to kick some serious ass - they are not damsels in distress.
The objectification of women point has been brought up again and again, so I'm not going to bother rehashing it in any proper fashion. I would be quite the hypocrite to do so, really, since a decent part of the enjoyment I get from games like Soul Caliber and games-cum-movies (no pun!) like Tomb Raider is in fact those gorgeous, bouncy women (which in the case of "Tomb Raider" is almost unfair to us, since Angelina Jolie is nearly impossible to resist, never mind who she's playing)! But would I like it a lot more if there was some decent character and storyline development in Soul Caliber III? (God yes, I think their grammar was off, too, I just wanted to smack someone! *ahem*). One of the reasons I have always had a soft spot for Samus Aran, otherwise known as Metroid, is because I didn't have any idea that she was a girl in the initial games (and maybe they didn't even decide it for themselves), since she was swaddled in full-body armor and shooting things just like any other normal (see: male) video game character. I'm really not pleased that they decided they needed to disrobe her in order to keep the Metroid franchise going - people were happy to buy it when they thought she was a he. But, because he's a she, the assumption is that unless you're taking off the main female characters' clothing, gamers would rather put that game away and play one with a male lead character (because they can identify with them more? Because you look like a sissy if you'd rather play Metroid than Megaman?).
In games like EQ where women do play as well, unrestricted by having to convince a group of boys that you can indeed play D&D (you can just buy it and log on, w00t, no gender barrier!), it's cool that you are able to play as either gender (and there're probably ways to make your character ambiguous, although usually the game designers (those poor bored programmers get their kicks here) take pains to sexualize those characters). Basically, though, male characters are designed, in body and clothing, to look "tough" and "manly," whereas females, while being able to look "tough," depending on the choice of armor, usually look like they're going tanning, Zena Warrior Princess-style. Tanning and bouncing. Even the female cat-people from the moon (excuse me, the Vah Shir from Luclin) have huge racks and tiny waists.
OK, I really had no point writing this entry, it ran away with me. The character of Polgara was actually more focused on being tomboyish and different from her very feminine, non-magical sister, until her sister's wedding (and the realization that dressing up and having people pay attention to her gave her power over them. I am a big fan of using the male gaze against the wielder. But that's a whole other discussion). Therefore, it makes sense that the character the book follows, who is intelligent, powerful, and knows how to use her sexuality without abandon, is not actually HYPER-sexualized (although she certainly is sexy). When it comes to games, however, and things that are meant to sell en-masse to the tits-and-ass-craving teenage (and older) male crowd, the emphasis ceases to be on holding back from painting a woman in a midriff-bearing top so you can appreciate the look of intelligence and skepticism in the artist's rendering of her face. No, it becomes about the blonde bombshell who is there not to be a really developed character (although Firiona Vie is an NPC in-game); it's about capitalism. Sex sells. Do you think I read Belgarath the Sorcerer before I read Polgara? With that old guy and the simpering blonde/ display of intense heterosexual bonding on the cover? Please.
I'm pretty sure that went against my original thesis, and makes me sound like a female chauvanist pig. I'm getting kicked out of the lab anyway... I have been here for 3 hours... so perhaps I shall go read it!
I'll try not to update for the rest of the night. I know how tiring I can be.
It's actually kind of screaming "Gryffindor! Hedwig!" at me right now. Followed close behind by "Cleavage! Hair!"
The first image to spring to mind was #9 on this list, Firiona Vie, who "graced" the covers of the boxes of my old addiction, EverQuest. Another, better-pixelated version of an EQ babe, is to be found here, along with the rather annoying/ disturbing contest that accompanies the image.
As the article points out, sex sells. Playing Soul Caliber III recently, I was just amazing by how dedicated those programmers must have been to get the womens' breasts to jiggle with such ferocity. At least they have the capability to kick some serious ass - they are not damsels in distress.
The objectification of women point has been brought up again and again, so I'm not going to bother rehashing it in any proper fashion. I would be quite the hypocrite to do so, really, since a decent part of the enjoyment I get from games like Soul Caliber and games-cum-movies (no pun!) like Tomb Raider is in fact those gorgeous, bouncy women (which in the case of "Tomb Raider" is almost unfair to us, since Angelina Jolie is nearly impossible to resist, never mind who she's playing)! But would I like it a lot more if there was some decent character and storyline development in Soul Caliber III? (God yes, I think their grammar was off, too, I just wanted to smack someone! *ahem*). One of the reasons I have always had a soft spot for Samus Aran, otherwise known as Metroid, is because I didn't have any idea that she was a girl in the initial games (and maybe they didn't even decide it for themselves), since she was swaddled in full-body armor and shooting things just like any other normal (see: male) video game character. I'm really not pleased that they decided they needed to disrobe her in order to keep the Metroid franchise going - people were happy to buy it when they thought she was a he. But, because he's a she, the assumption is that unless you're taking off the main female characters' clothing, gamers would rather put that game away and play one with a male lead character (because they can identify with them more? Because you look like a sissy if you'd rather play Metroid than Megaman?).
In games like EQ where women do play as well, unrestricted by having to convince a group of boys that you can indeed play D&D (you can just buy it and log on, w00t, no gender barrier!), it's cool that you are able to play as either gender (and there're probably ways to make your character ambiguous, although usually the game designers (those poor bored programmers get their kicks here) take pains to sexualize those characters). Basically, though, male characters are designed, in body and clothing, to look "tough" and "manly," whereas females, while being able to look "tough," depending on the choice of armor, usually look like they're going tanning, Zena Warrior Princess-style. Tanning and bouncing. Even the female cat-people from the moon (excuse me, the Vah Shir from Luclin) have huge racks and tiny waists.
OK, I really had no point writing this entry, it ran away with me. The character of Polgara was actually more focused on being tomboyish and different from her very feminine, non-magical sister, until her sister's wedding (and the realization that dressing up and having people pay attention to her gave her power over them. I am a big fan of using the male gaze against the wielder. But that's a whole other discussion). Therefore, it makes sense that the character the book follows, who is intelligent, powerful, and knows how to use her sexuality without abandon, is not actually HYPER-sexualized (although she certainly is sexy). When it comes to games, however, and things that are meant to sell en-masse to the tits-and-ass-craving teenage (and older) male crowd, the emphasis ceases to be on holding back from painting a woman in a midriff-bearing top so you can appreciate the look of intelligence and skepticism in the artist's rendering of her face. No, it becomes about the blonde bombshell who is there not to be a really developed character (although Firiona Vie is an NPC in-game); it's about capitalism. Sex sells. Do you think I read Belgarath the Sorcerer before I read Polgara? With that old guy and the simpering blonde/ display of intense heterosexual bonding on the cover? Please.
I'm pretty sure that went against my original thesis, and makes me sound like a female chauvanist pig. I'm getting kicked out of the lab anyway... I have been here for 3 hours... so perhaps I shall go read it!
I'll try not to update for the rest of the night. I know how tiring I can be.