Essay on Gender Stereotypes in Video Games

It has been pointed out in Mark J.P Wolf and Bernard Perron’s (ed) The Video Game Theory Reader of 2003, that images of women and girls in computer games emphasize stereotypes, paralleling more traditional media (2003, p.172). How would you account for this?

Computer games often come under scrutiny for what appears to be the persistent sexualization of female characters as Wolf and Perron said ‘Feminist researchers have started to systematically explore images of women in mainstream video games’ (2003, p.172), these images showed the emphasizing of stereotypes that are not only seen in video games however it is also something that can be seen in more traditional media. The purpose of this essay is to research the role of female characters within the gaming industry and to link this to more traditional media such as film and television, as well as give specific examples of how stereotypes of females are shown within video games as a result of the recent shift in stereotypes that have occurred, especially in more traditional media given the recent rise of feminism.

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Traditionally in video games, stereotypes surrounding the role of a female character have always existed. For example, one of the stereotypes commonly used by video game creators is how a female character is often portrayed to be the damsel in distress who is awaiting a strong male lead character to come and rescue them from danger. Often these ‘damsels in distress’ are perceived to be weak and powerless (hence why they are reliant on a male savior). Females within video games often take the role of a secondary character in the plot of a game, for example in the popular platform game Super Mario Bros (Nintendo, 1987), not only does Princess Peach play the role of the helpless damsel who needs to be saved by the knight in shining armor (Mario), but she also presents herself as a background character who only features in specific parts of the storyline. This is very different however from the role of ‘Luigi’ in the Super Mario games, who features as the sidekick to Mario. Why was it not Luigi’s role to be abducted and then rescued by Mario? It could be that because of his gender he was automatically the sidekick rather than the one in danger. Another role that females take in video games according to Wolf and Perron is that of a love interest ‘One way it has been normalized is through media representations of the ideal heterosexual romance, shown as “the great female adventure, duty, and fulfillment”’ (2003, p.174). Not only in Mario but also in games such as Grand Theft Auto: Five (Rockstar, 2013) in which the roles of females are that of stripper, prostitute, or simply a bystander in the background of the game. Grand Theft Auto is the greatest example of how a stereotype for women is being emphasized within video games.

The persistent sexualization of females within video games is not something that is new and has been prevalent within video games since their creation. A modern example of this is the presence of the strippers in Grand Theft Auto who embody this completely. In the video game that was released in September 2013, players can visit a strip club and receive lap dances and shows of a sexual nature. According to Rutter and Bryce, 'Of course, just as media coverage of gaming shows differences in the way the different sexes are represented, so too there is the apparent encoding of gender in digital games themselves’ (2006, p.196). From this game one could assume that the role of women is simply to fulfill a man’s needs, this could be very influential on the audience's actions as Behm-Morawitz and Mastro suggest ‘More specifically, we argue that exposure to sexualized female video games characters may promote more traditional, less egalitarian beliefs about women in the real world’ (2009, p. 811), this does not come as a surprise however as many people assume that the majority of gamers would be males due to the nature and themes of some games, however as Behm-Morawitz and Mastro state, ‘40% of gamers (i.e. game players) are female, meaning that digital games are played almost equally by both men and women.’ (2009, p. 808). Therefore, why is the constant sexualization of females still seen so frequently in video games? Well quite simply it is a way of selling video games: ‘Overall sex does sell in gaming. It brings loyalty, sparks interest when there is none, and it brings word of mouth to the table. People told others how hot this character is or there is a cheat code to see a character do that’ (Ecock, 2009). So, if this strategy has worked for video game producers and attracted a largely male audience in the past, then they will be reluctant to change a strategy that has worked for them thus far. It may not even be that the attractive female character has been at the forefront of the advertising but the mere presence of this attractive female within the game may be enough for some consumers to purchase and play the game

Not only does the principle that ‘sex sells’ only apply to video games, but it also presents itself within more traditional media, for example in film advertisements. An example of this can be seen when comparing two large superhero film franchises, DC and Marvel. Both companies have produced superhero films that star a female hero as the protagonist in recent years. Both Captain Marvel (Marvel, 2019) and Wonder Woman (DC, 2017) have empowered women through their strong and heroic displays in their films. However, when looking at the advertising and the outfit design of both characters, you can see some discrepancies between the two. For example, both superheroines are pictured in the center as the main focal point of the image, but when examining the costumes/suits that each heroine is wearing, there is a substantial difference. Gal Gadot who plays Wonder Woman is dressed in a strapless top and a short skirt with knee-high boots (Figure 1). In contrast to Captain Marvel who is wearing a long-sleeved suit which reveals no skin apart from her head (Figure 2). These disparities could simply be down to the differences in clothing design from the comics or a difference between the two film companies. When looking at other heroes within the DC franchise it’s clear that this is not a common feature amongst the male heroes, for example, Batman, Superman, and The Flash all feature an outfit that covers the full body with no skin on show. Therefore, it is clear that Wonder Woman and other female DC characters such as Harley Quinn can be seen as more sexualized through the choices of outfits alone.

From the rise of films that feature a strong female protagonist, we can see that the role of women within traditional media is being somewhat strengthened. Similarly, with the rise of new media and social media there has been an increase in feminism that has changed how some traditional media has operated, for example in the recent Marvel Avengers film after featuring an all-female battle scene, many on social media felt that this scene was too forced and felt slightly unnatural. This sparks a debate as to whether we are trying too hard to expel the stereotypes surrounding women.

One exception to the stereotyping that females receive within video games is Lara Croft. When creating the game Tomb Raider (Core Design, 1996), the game developers changed the gender of the lead character to become the iconic Lara Croft that we know today. We can see that this strong female lead is something that separates Tomb Raider from many other video games. Throughout the video game series, there have been multiple redevelopments of the character, however, the main message behind the character has remained the same and from the very beginning she established herself a network of fans ‘she quickly established herself as the go-to female gaming icon. Why? Initially, it was simply because of a lack of competition.’ (Reed and Hartup, 2018) The appearance of Croft has since been changed and ‘Some Tomb Raiders miss the point completely, overly sexualizing Lara and making her sassy’ but overall many people like and choose to continue playing Lara Croft as they admire her ‘mental toughness and drive’ (Reed and Hartup, 2018). So not only does Lara Croft provide an exception to the rule that video game protagonists have to be males, but she also empowers women by becoming a female icon of the video gaming world.

Lara Croft provides an exception to a norm that has been ever-present within video games for many years ‘Lara Croft has always been a cultural flashpoint, always in direct relation to her gender.’ (Romano, 2018) however, within the film industry, the number of strong female protagonists is also increasing. When the first Disney Princess film came out in 1937, they all followed a similar model that would often result in the female character (the princess) being caught up in danger and relying on a strong Prince or male character to come and save the day. The most famous example of this is in the film Snow White where the princess requires the male character to kiss her for her to avoid death. In recent films however and in recent years there has been a definite shift, for example with the recent Disney Princess films there has been a definite increase in the number of female protagonists. In the film Frozen (Disney, 2013) the main character, Elsa (Snow Queen) who has magical powers, does not rely on the help of a Prince to save her. In the 2013 film, the prince does become the enemy of the film which does challenge the idea that the Princess needs a man’s help to get her out of danger. We see this increase in strong female characters used in other Disney films such as Tangled (Disney, 2010) and Wreck-It Ralph (Disney, 2012).

A woman’s image within advertising is similar to that of video games and is often heavily reliant on the sexualization and objectification of these women. One problem that is further fuelling this problem is that with modern-day technology, it is very easy for companies and advertisers to photoshop or edit a woman to become more desirable to the consumer. Similarly, in video games, the producers and designers can manipulate and change the design of a character (especially female) to make the character more appealing. As previously mentioned, men do not necessarily buy a video game because there is an attractive woman figure within the game, however, it is something that may influence their decision.

There is another perspective that offers the opinion that females are being empowered through video games. Whereas in modern-day society sexual features of women can often be demeaning and can make a female be seen as less competent, one argument is that females simply are not considered that way within video games. ‘Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII is one of my favorite women in gaming. She is also one of the bustiest characters you’ll see outside of anime. This is never portrayed in a negative light in-game.’ (PlusMana, 2017). This is interesting as it shows that perhaps the sexualization of females within this video game is simply a choice of aesthetics rather than a way in which to sell the game. ‘Yet, in the context of the game, she’s just another human. She’s characterized by her kindness which contrasts with the common idea that beauty equals bitchiness. Tifa is shown to be a competent and loyal mother figure while also being badass and gorgeous.’ (PlusMana, 2017) from this, we can see that perhaps the character ‘Tifa’ is simply another character, and her exaggerated features may simply be a small decision that is not influenced by the consumer’s needs.

In conclusion, my evidence shows that there is a large majority of video games that promote the stereotypes of women and girls. Certain video games, in particular, promote women as less powerful characters, damsels in distress, and solely as a love interest for male characters. All of these stereotypes of females that are being used in video games are not new however and they could simply be mirroring what we see every day within traditional media, for example when we see the image of a ‘perfect woman’, advertising a beauty product it is clear to see that they are also promoting the stereotypes surrounding women and how this strategy helps them to sell their products. This is similar in video games, as Behm-Morawitz and Mastro suggest that ‘female sexuality [is] often accentuated with highly revealing clothing’ (2009, p.809).

In video games and more recently in traditional media, we have seen a new trend that empowers females rather than promoting these stereotypes. For example, the game Tomb Raider which features the strong female character Lara Croft, is a way in which the video game industry has empowered females. Similarly, the recent superhero films Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman they too, both introduce a strong sense of female power however this may not be as positive as it seems ‘Pennell and Behm-Morawitz thus speculated that while today’s powerful superheroines might elevate egalitarian beliefs about gender roles, their sexualized nature might simultaneously have destructive effects on body image and self-objectification.’ (May, 2015) also with these superheroines, Behm-Morawitz and Mastro suggested that ‘such female characters are strong, bold, intelligent, and independent, but on the other hand, they are ‘made-up’ (with makeup and clothing), sexualized, and objectified (Inness 1998)’ (2009, p.810). This is evident in the costume choices of DC compared to Marvel where one film production company still uses clothing to sexualize and objectify the female protagonist. So, to conclude it is clear that video games do promote and emphasize the stereotypes of women and this can also be seen on a similar level in more traditional media, however, there are exceptions to this rule that provide a more positive outlook for the representation of women within the video game industry and in more traditional media.

References

1. Behm-Morawitz, E. and Mastro, D. (2009). The Effects of the Sexualization of Female Video Game Characters on Gender Stereotyping and Female Self-Concept. Sex Roles, 61(11-12), pp.808-823.
2. Core Design (1996). Tomb Raider. [Video Game] Eidos Interactive.
3. Ecock, B. (2009). Does Sex Sell In Video Games? [online] DualShockers. Available at: https://www.dualshockers.com/does-sex-sell-in-video-games/ [Accessed 3 May 2019].
4. Etsy (2018). Wonder Woman Movie Poster. [Online] etsy.com. Available at: https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/585263083/wonder-woman-movie-poster-home-decor [Accessed 6 May 2019].
5. IMDB (2019). Captain Marvel. [Online] IMDB.com. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154664/ [Accessed 6 May 2019]
6. May, C. (2015). The Problem with Female Superheroes. [online] Scientific American. Available at: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-problem-with-female-superheroes/ [Accessed 3 May 2019].
7. Nintendo (1987). Super Mario Bros. [Video Game] Nintendo.
8. PlusMana. (2017). How Video Games Are Empowering Women Where Feminists Aren't. [online] Available at: http://plusmana.com/video-games-empowering-women-feminists-arent/ [Accessed 3 May 2019].
9. Reed, A. and Hartup, A. (2018). The 25 most inspirational female characters in games. [online] GamesRadar. Available at: https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/20-most-inspirational-female-characters-games/ [Accessed 3 May 2019].
10. Rockstar North (2013). Grand Theft Auto V. [Video Game]. Rockstar.
11. Romano, A. (2018). Why we’ve been arguing about Lara Croft for two decades. [online] Vox. Available at: https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/3/17/17128344/lara-croft-tomb-raider-history-controversy-breasts [Accessed 3 May 2019].
12. Rutter, J. and Bryce, J. (2006). Understanding Digital Games. London: Sage Publications, p.196.
13. Wolf, M. and Perron, B. (2003). The Video Game Theory Reader. London: Routledge, p.172, 174.

Film References

1. Captain Marvel (2019) Directed by Anna Boden, and Ryan Fleck [Film]. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
2. Frozen (2013) Directed by Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck [Film] Walt Disney Pictures.
3. Harley Quinn (2016) Directed by David Ayer [film] Warner Bros. Pictures.
4. Justice League (2017) Directed by Zack Snyder [Film] Warner Bros.
5. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938) was Directed by David Hand, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Ben Sharpsteen, William Cottrell, and Perce Pearce [Film]. RKO Radio Pictures
6. Tangled (2011) Directed by Byron Howard, Nathan Greno [Film] Walt Disney Pictures.
7. Wonder Woman (2017) Directed by Patty Jenkins [Film]. Warner Bros.
8. Wreck-it Ralph (2013) Directed by Rich Moore [Film] Walt Disney Pictures