Damsel in Distress: Part 3 - Tropes vs Women in Video Games

iluuuuuvbakon · 2013-08-02T03:34:10+00:00

ITT: SRS brigade.

Nomenimion · 2013-08-02T05:54:22+00:00

I find it incredible that this feminist and her allies can't understand that the reason no one wants to play a game involving male "damsels" is because people view men in distress with contempt. Furthermore, it's astonishing how the same people promoting negative stereotypes about female helplessness have the gall to whine about these same stereotypes being used by others, in a far more innocuous way.

ramataz · 2013-08-02T07:38:23+00:00

I couldn't watch more than 10 minutes of this crap. Which is sad, because I actually watched the previous two videos all the way through.

Her assertion that men and women being treated the exact same way in video games isn't actually the same, because history is a load of bullshit. As it is, Anita wouldn't know history if it snuck up on her and bit her in the ass. So it doesn't surprise me that she's trying to use her little feminist version of history to femsplain why women have the monopoly of being objectified, even in situations where male and female characters are being treated the exact same way.

MechPlasma · 2013-08-02T12:18:16+00:00

[On Spelunky:] Setting aside the fact that if a female character is easily interchangeable with a dog, then it's probably a pretty good indication that something is wrong.

...except that since you can pick gender, it's also a male character being easily interchangeable with a dog. But that's not a problem, apparently. Double standards at its finest!

She later went on to say that a Chip 'n' Dale [whoops] style hunk is a perfectly normal model of a man but a big-boobed lady is sexism.

Muffinmanifest · 2013-08-02T04:35:54+00:00

What is up with all the self entitled feminists raiding this post? There isn't any actual discussion on the video or commentary on its worth/worthlessness. Only name calling.

Broccoli_Tesla · 2013-08-02T02:03:37+00:00

It feels like she is just reading the tropes website and wikipedia. I guess giving one person a very large amount of money does not increase that person's abilities and creativity. This is where she should have used the money to hire better writers/researchers.

Perpetual_dissident · 2013-08-02T07:19:12+00:00

I want to see her challenging the traditional trope of women marrying up.

ss3james · 2013-08-02T06:50:40+00:00

Women shouldn't be portrayed as victims.

Now let me tell you about rape and domestic violence.

MechPlasma · 2013-08-02T12:51:48+00:00

Oh christ, that game idea. It's a rather well-made animation, but all it says is "Instead of a hero rescuing a damsel, the damsel escapes on her own. And emphasises a change of outfit, because Feminism". Look! I did it in 5 seconds! For free!

The worst part is that it comes right after talking about Monkey Island 2, which was a brilliantly written take on the damsel rescuing herself already!

(Bonus points: She "abolish the monarchy forever". She's the princess. She just dethroned herself! Excellent writing there, Anita. I particularly love how you can't tell the difference between 'abolish' and 'abolishes'.)

Archangelle_Gangrape · 2013-08-02T11:28:46+00:00

[permanently deleted]

anakinastronaut · 2013-08-02T05:14:13+00:00

She's still focusing on damsel shit? Can she not think of any other sexism in video games?

slinkyman98 · 2013-08-02T02:38:50+00:00

Wow the feminist down vote brigade is out in force. I was very confused when I saw what comment were up voted and which ones were down voted.

Phlexonance · 2013-08-02T22:58:59+00:00

In a discussion on TwoXChromosomes about this video, someone posted some studies which supposedly confirm the trend of the DID trope.

Well I took the time to look at them.

Here's the first one:

An Examination of Violence and Gender Role Portrayals in Video Games: Implications for Gender Socialization and Aggressive Behavior

Found here: http://files.planbookedu.com/247567/76035/Video+Games+and+Gender+Roles.pdf

In order to draw the sample , four stores that rented video games and two stores that sold video games were contacted in the spring of 1995. A list of their ten most popular Nintendo and Sega Genesis games, in order, were requested. In addition, the January issue of a popular video game magazine, Electronic Gaming Monthly, ranked the most popular titles as well.

That's 33 games.

So basically: let's just take a shitty snapshot of what's currently popular and make assertions about the whole artform.

Btw, here's the list of games that they looked at:

http://i.imgur.com/8F4dl6W.jpg

And here's what the numbers mean:

1 no characters
2 women portrayed as heroes
3 no women characters
4 no human characters
5 women portrayed as victims
6 women portrayed in traditional roles/appearance
7 women portrayed as sex symbol
8 women portrayed as evil

10 non-violent
11 socially sanctioned aggression (in context of sports, for example)
12 violence directed toward women
13 violence directed toward others

Notice how they say

There were no female characters in 41% of the games with characters.

And Dr. Mario counts as "no woman characters". And so do the 5 NBA and NFL games.

This is fucking ridiculous. I'd be ashamed to publish this.

fractal_shark · 2013-08-01T22:21:40+00:00

[permanently deleted]

Archangelle_Gangrape · 2013-08-01T23:48:05+00:00

[permanently deleted]

phoebus67 · 2013-08-02T02:39:55+00:00

Part 3? Did we need a part 3?? Wasn't all this covered in parts 1, and then reviewed in part 2? Seriously--is there actually anything new, relevant, or noteworthy in this to make it worth the huge amount of money people have spent on it?

JaydenPope · 2013-08-02T01:12:28+00:00

Anita logic: show clips of games and give a one sided open while blocking discussion also feministlogic.

Sadly everyone and their grandma already knows Anita is full of it.

TorontoMike · 2013-08-01T23:01:05+00:00

So she rips off the people of the kickstarter, does no research , does not play any of the games, steals screen-shots and video of the web and just blovates her useless opinion about things she doe not know about.

So it is exactly like feminism

rg57 · 2013-08-02T02:03:19+00:00

Ratings and comments disabled = I don't watch it.

Nomenimion · 2013-08-01T22:52:20+00:00

Don't like the games, cupcake? Don't play 'em. It's as simple as that.

themountaingoat · 2013-08-02T01:26:29+00:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kJ-Pe0VVhY

CosmicKeys · 2013-08-02T11:51:32+00:00

[X-Post]

Possibly the thing that bothers me the most is her eyebrows? Seriously, I go to /r/MakeupAddiction once and now I can't unsee eyebrows...

Criticisms:

Dude in Distress. I really dislike the way word "dude" and "bro" are used here and in certain circles (especially Jezebel). Not all men are dudes and bros, and you know effeminate men who would like to be rescued by a woman probably aren't chugging beers and watching MMA, babe.
She says direct gender flips do not suffice. The only implication there is that adding games, options and media for female gamers isn't enough, and that we need to take those options away from men. But later on she we need less damselling, so tell me what men are getting out of this? If women don't want to rescue men, it sounds like "No more of your fantasy, more of my fantasy which isn't a gender flip of yours". She doesn't realize how much of a petulant feminine bully she sounds like, which is as traditional as it gets.
If gender hacked roms are so great, why didn't she take the chance to recommend it to female gamers and programmers? She's missing so much discussion on what girls want and can do in gaming it's comes across less of pro-girl-gamers and more anti-male fantasies. I guess that just the series, but in that case I think the series is lackluster.
Notice in Anita's "gender flip", the female protagonist is violently assaulting male characters. That's male disposability, she's complaining the default hero is male but she's happy to slice away at the default male henchmen. True subversion would be a woman brutalizing other women to protect a man.

Pros:

Most of everything else. Good criticisms of SPP, good research, cuts off a lot her oppositions arguments with nuance, good discussion on irony. Slightly aimless video in comparison to the others but lots of examples, glad Monkey Island got a shout out. Really glad she made the point about gender flips not simply needing to be making fun of male characters, but starring female characters. Because if all of the games with empowered women are anti-male, no male is going to buy them. I'm sort of feeling the impending disappointment at the lack of discussion about why men dislike feminine games and what gendered fantasies are allowed.

Hamakua · 2013-08-02T17:51:03+00:00

Anita Sarkeesian cloaks her agenda in complaints that have half-truths in them. The worst part, she doesn't even really believe in her agenda and is using this whole thing for attention, publicity, and money.

Her subject matter and insight is just vague enough that it can't be refuted and the previously mentioned half-truths pre-paint any of her critics as extremists from [fill in the anti-feminist camp]. All the while she is running haphazardly along a sidewalk curb with the words "Dunning-Kruger effect" written over and over again underneath.

TorontoMike · 2013-08-02T01:41:04+00:00

Ahh look at the Feminazi brigade with the downvotes

Feminist are so petty and retarded

ShawnGH · 2013-08-02T21:05:33+00:00

Don't Buy The Fucking Game.

tyciol · 2013-08-01T23:30:04+00:00

So, we're up to an hour and a half-ish of "the damsel in distress trope is bad"...

Next up on the "no shit, sherlock" files...

kragshot · 2013-08-05T23:46:33+00:00

Again...this is all about one thing; control.

There are countless groups out there making independent games and those games are being played by countless consumers. But these complaints are not about feminist-friendly game designers not being able to make games. Whenever I have brought up the idea of feminist game supporters backing the design of feminist friendly games, I get the same answer which in effect translates to the following:

"Why should we have to make our own games? The game industry should just stop making the games that they/you want and make the games that we want."

And that is the ultimate problem with this whole angle of critique from Sarkeesian. It's not about genuine critique or even a desire for genuinely equal and balanced change; it's a push for social control.

The most productive solution to the problem is for feminist supporters to start backing/creating feminist-friendly game studios. Dollars speak volumes. If the major players in the industry see the sales and buzz that these games would allegedly create, then they will get on board real quick. But instead of supporting a positive motion, they would rather push a negative agenda. The entire push of the feminist gaming argument is that the gaming industry which is mostly men should stop making games that cater to their biggest supporting demographic and make games that cater to the feminist lobby.

Why is that? Can anyone show me one kickstarter to fund a feminist-friendly game studio or to create a fund/scholarship to get feminist-friendly game designers into an Art Institute or Full Sail?

Nope. Not a one.

And that's because of the hypocritical idea that is at the core of the of nearly any focused-feminist movement toward a male-focused activity or idea:

"Women should not be restricted to any given gender role, but men need to remember to stay in their gender role of supporting whatever we want to do."

dawn_of_the_don · 2013-08-01T23:21:31+00:00

What the fuck does this have to do with Men's Rights?

failblorg · 2013-08-02T04:14:24+00:00

As a MRA, Sarkeesian is completely correct about this issue and should be praised for bringing light to it to the extent that is reasonable. Warren Farrell in "The Myth of Male Power" explicitly and repeatedly states that both men and women are hurt by gender roles and is only criticizing the lack of focus on men's issues, the fact that men have issues does not invalidate claims that media portrayals of women can also be legitimately problematic.

Mechazaowa · 2013-08-02T00:40:01+00:00

ITT People I want to like, but are douche-bags.

Title	Damsel in Distress: Part 3 - Tropes vs Women in Video Games
Author	Barbx
Upvotes	106
Comments	330
Date	August 1, 2013 10:09 PM UTC (12 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/1jiwgk/damsel_in_distress_part_3_tropes_vs_women_in/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/damsel-in-distress-part-3-tropes-vs-women-in-video.1167404 https://theredarchive.com/post/1167404

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