Kickstarter "Tropes vs Women in Videogames"

[Gamerforlife]

But women tend to be more idealized in gaming media.

Fixed.

There are some shows that occasionally try and break that mold. They had a character named Stephanie on the Big Bang Theory for a few episodes played by actress Sara Rue. At the time, Sara was a bigger woman than we typically see on TV. I don't personally have a problem with that, but I have to admit to all of her scenes with Leonard feeling strange to me, and I realize it's because I'm programmed to expect the male character of pretty much any show on TV to only date slim girls who look like models. I don't like admitting that, but it's true. Compare her to all of the skinny other girls Leonard has dated on the show and you get that whole, "one of these things is not like the other" feeling.

I felt the same way watching Dollhouse seeing Ballard, played by studly Talmoh Pinket, and Mellie, played by Miracle Laurie - who wasn't a slim looking woman at the time. Ultimately, you knew he'd eventually drop her for the more conventionally beautiful, slim, attractive character played by Eliza Dushku, which eventually happened (minor spoiler).

Contrast that to a big guy like Hugo Reyes having a skinny blond girlfriend on Lost, which didn't seem weird to anyone. Maybe there are double standards in our media

[Ack]

But women tend to be more idealized in gaming media.

Fixed.

True, but since this topic was specifically focused on video games, I figured I would keep the focus there.

[J T]

I never see an overweight bearded man rescuing an aging overweight princess.

[jinx]

Just watched the video and rather liked it. I think with just about aything, it can go too far (I'm against animal cruelity, but I'm also against PETA). I think this was pretty fair and on point.

Having a daughter, I don't want her to grow up thinking she has to be the damsel in distress, nor do I want her to look up to the overly sexualized female characters in video games as idols. I'd much prefer her to look up to a character such as Zoe Washburne from Firefly. I think more games should have strong female characters that play a larger role, and not just because the developers "didn't want to stair at a man's ass while they play a game". (I've always hated this reason for picking female characters, but to each their own)

There are several strong female roles (even as main characters) in a lot of games. Although, t's easy to see that this is not nearly as common as the weaker, helpless, or over-sexualized roles.

Some of my favorite games had this sort of main character.
Asha from Monster World IV
Faith from Mirror's Edge
Samus from Metroid (Eh, until Zero Suit...)
Alyx from Half Life 2
Chell from Portal

I'd like to see where this video series goes.

[Gamerforlife]

Just watched the video and rather liked it. I think with just about aything, it can go too far (I'm against animal cruelity, but I'm also against PETA). I think this was pretty fair and on point.

Having a daughter, I don't want her to grow up thinking she has to be the damsel in distress, nor do I want her to look up to the overly sexualized female characters in video games as idols. I'd much prefer her to look up to a character such as Zoe Washburne from Firefly.

In a way, I don't like characters like Zoe. She's super masculine, making her the extreme counter to female stereotypes, and thus, becoming something of a stereotype herself. Kind of like Jean Calhoun from Wreck it Ralph, or Kaylee (to use another Firefly example), who never really acts like a girl. I don't know if the answer to female stereotypes is essentially turning women into men. Granted, some women are extreme tomboys by nature and I think that's fine if it's what makes them happy.

However, I like seeing female characters who can be feminine while still proving themselves capable of doing anything a man can. Buffy Summers is a classic example. She desperately wants to just be a normal girl who can go to the Prom and do girly things, but is constantly thrust into a role of hero where she's got to get down and dirty fighting monsters and vampires and saving the world. I also like Gizelle from the movie Enchanted, who is very much a classic, girly girl, princess cliche for the whole movie. Yet, there's a moment in the movie where her boyfriend gets taken by an evil queen who has turned herself into a dragon. We then see Gizelle take up a sword and actually go save her boyfriend, who has pretty much become the damsel in distress. It completely goes against your expectations as a viewer and is Disney kind of subverting itself.

My favorite type of women is balanced between feminine and masculine energies. Strong, intelligent, independent, able to kick any guy's ass, but still very feminine. She likes her shoes and perfume, and looks great in high heels and a dress. Course, this is all personal bias on my part. I could never go for someone like Starbuck from the new Battlestar Galactica. She's a total turn off to me, but I love the girls of CW's Nikita. The women really are the main characters on that show from heroes to villains. They can do anything any man can do, but are all sexy and feminine too

[AppleQueso]

In a way, I don't like characters like Zoe. She's super masculine, making her the extreme counter to female stereotypes, and thus, becoming something of a stereotype herself. Kind of like Jean Calhoun from Wreck it Ralph, or Kaylee (to use another Firefly example), who never really acts like a girl. I don't know if the answer to female stereotypes is essentially turning women into men. Granted, some women are extreme tomboys by nature and I think that's fine if it's what makes them happy.

Really? Kaylee never acts like a girl? Did we watch the same show?

[irixith]

My favorite type of women is balanced between feminine and masculine energies. Strong, intelligent, independent, able to kick any guy's ass, but still very feminine. She likes her shoes and perfume, and looks great in high heels and a dress. Course, this is all personal bias on my part. I could never go for someone like Starbuck from the new Battlestar Galactica. She's a total turn off to me, but I love the girls of CW's Nikita

We already know what the problem is.

(In case that doesn't make sense, who says that shoes and perfume have to be for females? Why does a female need to look "great" in high heels and a dress? Why does she have to be uncomfortable so you're happy with what you're looking at?)

[Gamerforlife]

My favorite type of women is balanced between feminine and masculine energies. Strong, intelligent, independent, able to kick any guy's ass, but still very feminine. She likes her shoes and perfume, and looks great in high heels and a dress. Course, this is all personal bias on my part. I could never go for someone like Starbuck from the new Battlestar Galactica. She's a total turn off to me, but I love the girls of CW's Nikita

We already know what the problem is.

(In case that doesn't make sense, who says that shoes and perfume have to be for females? Why does a female need to look "great" in high heels and a dress? Why does she have to be uncomfortable so you're happy with what you're looking at?)

I get that, but who says she CAN'T be those things. My point is that characters like Zoe who are so male she could have a penis are just as bad of a stereotype. The idea that a character like that is necessary to counter negative female stereotypes and make feminists happy is something I dislike as much as the very stereotypes I'm talking about in that post you quoted. I hate whenever people get angry at the very fact that a woman in a comic book or TV series is actually slim and attractive or has nice cleavage or says something girly like, "I like shoes." It's the other extreme. The idea that women need to not be feminine or super sexy or attractive to make the feminists happy. I roll my eyes when people demonize a game like Lollipop Chainsaw for example like Suda51 should be burned at the steak for creating it.

It's sort of like when the metrosexual thing got popular and there was this backlash against it because of men not liking the fact that it suddenly seemed wrong to just be men or women not liking seeing all these men act like women.

I guess my point is, a person should just be whatever they want. On a personal level though, I like women who are strong and feminine. I don't personally find the Zoe/Starbuck types attractive

[Gamerforlife]

In a way, I don't like characters like Zoe. She's super masculine, making her the extreme counter to female stereotypes, and thus, becoming something of a stereotype herself. Kind of like Jean Calhoun from Wreck it Ralph, or Kaylee (to use another Firefly example), who never really acts like a girl. I don't know if the answer to female stereotypes is essentially turning women into men. Granted, some women are extreme tomboys by nature and I think that's fine if it's what makes them happy.

Really? Kaylee never acts like a girl? Did we watch the same show?

Aside from being really emotional sometimes, no she doesn't. She's the mechanic. She's sexually aggressive. She never wears anything feminine. Even the way that she talks is not exactly feminine. She's a tomboy in every sense of the word. Were you watching the same show I was? If you want someone who is more traditionally feminine, you can just look at Inara

[AppleQueso]

In a way, I don't like characters like Zoe. She's super masculine, making her the extreme counter to female stereotypes, and thus, becoming something of a stereotype herself. Kind of like Jean Calhoun from Wreck it Ralph, or Kaylee (to use another Firefly example), who never really acts like a girl. I don't know if the answer to female stereotypes is essentially turning women into men. Granted, some women are extreme tomboys by nature and I think that's fine if it's what makes them happy.

Really? Kaylee never acts like a girl? Did we watch the same show?

Aside from being really emotional sometimes, no she doesn't. She's the mechanic. She's sexually aggressive. She never wears anything feminine. Even the way that she talks is not exactly feminine. She's a tomboy in every sense of the word. Were you watching the same show I was? If you want someone who is more traditionally feminine, you can just look at Inara

Did you miss the whole episode where she was trying to get that dress because she wanted to go to that fancy party? She's a bit tomboyish, sure, but she's very clearly feminine.

She reminds me of an awful lot of girls I've known, and I wouldn't call any of them masculine.