While playing through Super Mario Galaxy, I thought of a question:
Are there any female characters in popular video games who have not been victims of evil male characters or objectified rewards for good male characters?
Princess Peach has been kidnapped more times than we can recall. Even the "girl power" game, Super Princess Peach, is merely a reversal of the classic "damsel in distress" narrative. The game also features abilities based on emotions, including a "Gloom" emotion where Peach's tears are used to progress through levels.
(On a side note: I don't write much on The Legend of Zelda series because Link is so androgynous. Link's femininity may even be one reason why female gamers seem to be more interested in Zelda than other series.)
More recent video games feature even more disturbing objectification of women. Prostitutes serve as health packs in Grand Theft Auto III, increasing a player's health after implied sex acts. Rockstar is no stranger to using controversy to avoid the costs of advertising and to mask weak gameplay and design, but using prostitutes to restore health (when prostitutes are commonly known to do the exact opposite) is more disturbing than using "gaming journalism" (quotes intentional) for free publicity.
Duke Nukem 3D featured 2D sprites of scantily clad strippers.
God of War II features a minigame where Kratos engages in offscreen sexual acts with two topless women in a hot tub.
The entire purpose of games in the Leisure Suit Larry series is to "score" with female characters.
There are female protagonists in video games, of course. Samus Aran and Lara Croft are, arguably, the two most famous female protagonists--but what in the Metroid or Tomb Raider series have anything to do with gender (besides Lara Croft wearing short shorts)? The original Metroid manual even identifies Samus Aran as a male several times. And what is the reward for defeating Mother Brain in under two hours? The sight of 8-bit Samus in a swimsuit.
There is a bright light in the darkness, though. Final Fantasy VI features Terra and Celes, two strong female characters. FF6 is a great example of what developers can achieve when they create female characters with their own identities, strengths, and flaws. [...] I did appreciate FFIX's Garnet.
EDIT: I removed criticism of FF7 and FF8 to help keep this thread on topic. To read the original text of the previous paragraph, click here.
The only other game with a complex female character that comes to mind is Odin Sphere, which explores the troubled mind and heart of Valkyrie princess, Gwendolyn.
The media tells us that young people are spending more time playing video and computer games than watching television.
What are video games teaching young children about gender roles? What effect does the portrayal of women as objects or rewards, especially in America's hypersexualized culture, teach young men?
Does it have any impact at all?
Are there any female characters in popular video games who have not been victims of evil male characters or objectified rewards for good male characters?
Princess Peach has been kidnapped more times than we can recall. Even the "girl power" game, Super Princess Peach, is merely a reversal of the classic "damsel in distress" narrative. The game also features abilities based on emotions, including a "Gloom" emotion where Peach's tears are used to progress through levels.
(On a side note: I don't write much on The Legend of Zelda series because Link is so androgynous. Link's femininity may even be one reason why female gamers seem to be more interested in Zelda than other series.)
More recent video games feature even more disturbing objectification of women. Prostitutes serve as health packs in Grand Theft Auto III, increasing a player's health after implied sex acts. Rockstar is no stranger to using controversy to avoid the costs of advertising and to mask weak gameplay and design, but using prostitutes to restore health (when prostitutes are commonly known to do the exact opposite) is more disturbing than using "gaming journalism" (quotes intentional) for free publicity.
Duke Nukem 3D featured 2D sprites of scantily clad strippers.
God of War II features a minigame where Kratos engages in offscreen sexual acts with two topless women in a hot tub.
The entire purpose of games in the Leisure Suit Larry series is to "score" with female characters.
There are female protagonists in video games, of course. Samus Aran and Lara Croft are, arguably, the two most famous female protagonists--but what in the Metroid or Tomb Raider series have anything to do with gender (besides Lara Croft wearing short shorts)? The original Metroid manual even identifies Samus Aran as a male several times. And what is the reward for defeating Mother Brain in under two hours? The sight of 8-bit Samus in a swimsuit.
There is a bright light in the darkness, though. Final Fantasy VI features Terra and Celes, two strong female characters. FF6 is a great example of what developers can achieve when they create female characters with their own identities, strengths, and flaws. [...] I did appreciate FFIX's Garnet.
EDIT: I removed criticism of FF7 and FF8 to help keep this thread on topic. To read the original text of the previous paragraph, click here.
The only other game with a complex female character that comes to mind is Odin Sphere, which explores the troubled mind and heart of Valkyrie princess, Gwendolyn.
One could argue that Gwendolyn's inner conflict rests with choosing between two men: her father, Odin, and her new husband, Shadow Knight Oswald. One could then counter-argue that Gwendolyn proves that her strength is sufficient to carve her own path without depending on either man.
What are video games teaching young children about gender roles? What effect does the portrayal of women as objects or rewards, especially in America's hypersexualized culture, teach young men?
Does it have any impact at all?
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