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Female Characters - Empowering or Endangering Equity?
deacon_jay writes "There's an interesting article from the NY Times (registration required) about what the depiction of female protagonists in video games is doing for female empowerment. Obviously, there are opposing views put forward, such as: 'Women as hypersexualized killers distracts attention from their unequal status' or 'I do not think playing these games encourages women to be victims'. I'm tending to the latter argument, but the article raises some interesting questions." For example, Lara Croft - icon for the power of the female, or created for gamers to goggle at? This is even an academically discussed question.
I hate to break it to you, but she's an actor. It's her job to look good.
Repeal the DMCA!
Any visit to a magazine shop should convince anybody that women are portrayed mainly as sex objects whose only tasks in life are to keep an eye on their weight and how to find their blue prince.
Men do not have to suffer such humiliation.
And men are portrayed as insensitive and expected to be breadwinners. Big deal. If you think that pop culture media is humiliating to people, I have to disagree. Pop culture shows computer programmers to be antisocial geeks. So?
If porno gaming is your thing, fine, but many females are uncomfortable knowing that strong industries like the gaming one can't come with better ideas but the stereotyping of women as sexual animals.
The gaming industry does not determine the psyche anywhere near as much as the psyche determines the gaming industry. Guys like looking at attractive girls, and will tend to throw down money more readily for a product if they have the opportunity to do so. Sorry. It's biological.
May we never see th