Kickstarter "Tropes vs Women in Videogames"

[Retrogamer0001]

Not sure why video games are taking all the flak for this - it exists everywhere in modern culture, and dates back much further than that. Books, film, television - these reflect "sexism" as much or more than video games.

She said that in the video. Videogames aren't taking all the flak, they are just an area of interest for her where this topic shows up again.

Ahh, that might explain why I missed it - I didn't have the stomach to finish the entire video.

[J T]

Interviewer: "So, why do you write these strong female characters?"
Joss Whedon: "Because you’re still asking me that question."

[Ack]

Interviewer: "So, why do you write these strong female characters?"
Joss Whedon: "Because you’re still asking me that question."

Admittedly, that is a very stupid question.

[irixith]

Ahh, that might explain why I missed it - I didn't have the stomach to finish the entire video.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Not sure why video games are taking all the flak for this - it exists everywhere in modern culture, and dates back much further than that. Books, film, television - these reflect "sexism" as much or more than video games.

She said that in the video. Videogames aren't taking all the flak, they are just an area of interest for her where this topic shows up again.

Ahh, that might explain why I missed it - I didn't have the stomach to finish the entire video.

Maybe you should watch the whole video before making comments like that then.

[jfrost]

It was enjoyable, though I wish she could detail more her arguments on why the damsel in distress trope is so damning. Most people see it as harmless, specially given the most notable examples of it (it is admittedly just a flimsy justification for gameplay). Well, I can't get too worked up about that...

I bolded the relevant bit in your quote -- the point is exactly that -- most people see it as harmless. That's what the video is supposed to make the viewer question their own perception of (why do we see it as harmless?), not silver spoon it for them. In that regard, I think she has done quite a good job by providing more than enough examples of the trope with decent commentary.

Whether or not she's right is up for debate, but my feeling is that it's definitely an interesting conversation piece.

I think it's a fair point, but I just don't think she made a compelling case for why the trope is so bad per se. She did show that it is far too often employed, and I can see why that would be concerning. I guess I just would like the discussion to focus more on what is being said and why it shouldn't be said, rather than give us such a big rundown of what games have used a given trope in the past.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I think she'll get into that, hopefully - it's probably why this trope is gonna be a two (maybe more?) part video.

[J T]

It sseems like she has already gotten into it. The problem is that there is a general portrayal of women as weak and helpless, and even as some sort of coveted object to be possessed by either the kidnapping villain or the hero. While any one instance of this happening isn't particularly damning, when we look at an entire medium and see that this representation of women is so prevalent, it should concern us.

[Ack]

It sseems like she has already gotten into it. The problem is that there is a general portrayal of women as weak and helpless, and even as some sort of coveted object to be possessed by either the kidnapping villain or the hero. While any one instance of this happening isn't particularly damning, when we look at an entire medium and see that this representation of women is so prevalent, it should concern us.

That was the purpose of this video, that these things should concern us about how the role of women was originally treated in video games. I'm now interested in hearing what she has to say about this trend in modern games: does she consider it to be just as bad, does she feel the trend has lessened or strengthened? Admittedly she played a very brief windowed clip of Dante's Inferno, which doesn't exactly have me hopeful.

But then I felt that Dante's Inferno was awful in general, as it took a pivotal work of literature and turned it into a badly-altered and heavily stereotyped God of War clone.

[Opa Opa]

"Regressive crap".

I gotta remember that one next time I have to write a lengthy report.