Bayonetta & Half-formed Thoughts on Sexual Objectification

[paperclipchains]

I did an article on Bayonetta and exploitative representation and male gaze for class. I fully intend to rewrite it to remove the awkward class material references and to include more and just to, uh, tailor it to an audience who's already familiar with games and gaming culture. I'll link it as soon as I've got a mirror that doesn't have my full

Comments

[asylumiss]

I'm all for thoughts on Bayonetta since I'm going through the game and figuring out what I like about her so much myself

[paperclipchains]

On general gaming sites any article on Bayonetta usually descends into comments about her appearance and how she's not hot because she's disproportionate or something or that dumb Sarah Palin comparison (seriously, am I blind or something because I don't see it AT ALL). It's kind of funny how a lot of men seem to be uncomfortable with a female character flaunting herself and being in control of it, probably because it doesn't happen a lot. Usually it's the player exploiting the in-game camera while whatever lady character stands there unaware of it.

This is exactly what I'm seeing, too, but I'm like. Hesitant to believe it. How is this possible? It is too good for my own purposes to be true. Clearly I just have not yet found the motherlode of creepy-ass Bayo fanboys. Not that I want to find them, but...

Also, the Sarah Palin thing irritates me to no end. The woman did not invent beehives and glasses, get the fuck out.

[asylumiss]

Yeh I know, I thought guys would be all over this game. Maybe it's a weird elaborate social experiment by Platinum Games.

I am seeing a lot of japanese fanart though so I guess that's something. Funny enough I haven't come across any porn or fetish art... YET

[paperclipchains]

No, I know, right? I am just fucking baffled by the lack of porn. I know there's a Bayo/Rodin doujin floating around of which I approve simply because it is not Luka, but...

[blueshinra]

Knew I shouldn't have skimmed this without playing it first...

[paperclipchains]

Shit, I tried to avoid spoilers. Where'd I screw up?

[blueshinra]

The bit about Bayonetta and Jeanne's relationship. I thought they were rivals, yeah?

[paperclipchains]

Oh, they are. But I mean. You'd pick up on the friend thing early on if you're paying attention. Their relationship's kind of complicated.

This comment is so long, I apologize!

[sisterjune]

I wholeheartedly disagree with whoever the person who said Fiona Apple's "Criminal" is for the male gaze or men at all. I am kind of surprised in fact that anyone would try to make that kind of point using that video or fiona apple at all, she's not exactly a sex symbol or glamorous dream girl type is she? At least she certainly never struck me that way. I think sadly there are feminists who will see any kind of media where women are overtly sexual as sexist just because so much of it out there IS (and there are the misguided women who see media where women are sexually objectified for the benefit of men as "liberating") but here's why for me the Criminal video is anything but sexist. The main thing about that song is how predatory it is, and also slightly dark. The whole time through the song Fiona is saying "I've been so bad, I hurt this man, I used him to fulfill my desire, I need to repent" etc, it's very intense and sexy because it is this woman who clearly acted of her own will, for her own benefit, and then even caused the guy

Re: This comment is so long, I apologize!

[paperclipchains]

That's what I said. I think to read it as "oh she is performing for men" is to deny her of agency. Sorry, I agree with you completely, I said basically all the same things this morning.

I think she is campy, definitely, and please to be enlightening me on what you mean by ACII because I had my eye on it but I do not usually spend money on things that will inevitably piss me off?

Re: This comment is so long, I apologize!

[sisterjune]

Glad you do! I just wanted to agree as well and explain my reasoning. Really it does deny her agency and that's one of my biggest problems with sexist media, women have NO agency

Re: This comment is so long, I apologize!

[paperclipchains]

Disappointing. I like AC but I had some issues with the first one in the same vein. ACII, I am convinced, would be a much better game if it was about a suave renaissance lady who looked like a witch hunter.