Dead Island’s “Feminist Whore”: The Tip of the Iceberg

Extremely one-sided article to be honest. I think the problem is not limited to games, films or books. It’s a social problem. We as humans have degraded ourselves to a consumer society. To have the maximum amount of success, we’ll use the cheapest tricks possible.

Do yourself a favor, go watch a trailer for some Hollywood blockbuster. Fast & Furious for example. Now, did you see – even for a few seconds – tits and ass in it? Why? Because it stimulates our primal instincts to fuck. We’ll use Sex in commercial for products that have nothing to do with sex. Just to stimulate these primal instincts.

Look at the Cover of a magazine. GQ for example. GQ cover mostly feature tits and ass, but sometimes famous male actors, in stylish but not-over-styled clothes. Why does this work? Because we like to think we are this person, or can become this person. You’ll encounter this phenomenon mostly in Female Magazines. Cosmopolitan for example. An attractive woman, young, looking hip, independent, self-confident. The readers of those mags are quite the opposite, and most of the articles are about how to control men with sex, or be how to be a better fuck … to better control men with sex.

I work at an advertising agency and one of our clients is a woman magazine. Occasionally it would feature a contest, where you’d get a price, mostly jewelery. The number of people participating in these contests exploded after we designed a new layout where the price would use the maximum space of the page.

Because we’re consumers. Greed, Power and Sex is all what drives us. Films, books and games that don’t use those cheap tricks actually take a huge risk. Since most gamers are still male, most of the games we play will feature over-sexualized woman and macho-man who get the job done.

I recommend the book “Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism” by Natasha Walter, which goes into many other aspects of sexism. Not only towards female but also towards male and why the feminism of today is all but successful. The slut-walk that recently took place in some major cities is one of things that come to my mind when i think about unsuccessful feminism.

Why? Because it – again – used primal instincts to get our attention. Sure we now know that a police chief said something incredible stupid about woman. But did we take those woman serious? Hardly.

If we don’t stop to use these cheap tricks in order to secure success we – as a society – will fail and this shit will continue.

But anyway, that’s it from me. For now.

@13: “Basically, FemShep was included in Mass Effect from the start, but has never been seen in any marketing”

I think you’re actually wrong here. If you look up old ME videos, you’ll see that all of the videos show Male Shepard and not one showed Female Shepard. Just look at the model of Female Shepard, it looks like someone set down for 5 min. to use the Character Creator from the game and called it a day. Male Shepard has a unique Face and unique Textures.

Now Bioware actually sat down to make a proper Female Shepard and … people are complaining? Why? Because she doesn’t look like a train-wreck now? Say what you want about Male Shepard, but his design greatly combines handsome model and tough soldier.

@14: Excuse me. Adults are talking.

@20: Actually one of the old ME videos i saw showed a Male Shepard that look QUITE different from the one we got now. Other then that, i really like your comment. But as Aimless already pointed out, you have to admit that female character take a jerk-off-role in some games. I mean just look at Lost Planet 2. WHAT THE FUCK WERE THEY THINKING?!

There is only so many body armor you can take away, females in this game have no bodyarmor at all. Not even mentioning the ridiculous breast physics.

@21: Depends on the Art-Direction. A good Art-Director/Character-Designer would sit down and take his time with the design, even with side-characters.

@43: This is the reason why i dislike this game and will never bother to play the full version. Just because it’s “ironic” doesn’t make it okay. The problem – as you can see – is that people actually do find her hot.

@45: Fuck Faith, okay? Just because she actually had clothes on doesn’t make her a good female character.

@47: Wow, an actual Neanderthal man, able to write in English! Amazing! Seriously though, your comment makes me angry and sad at the same time. Just stop talking.

@50 The game has to be good as well. Just sayin’.

And… honestly… appearing indefinitely constipated isn’t what I’d personally call “natural” looking.

Anyway, I never said it didn’t exist. I simply said it wasn’t common. I’m not sure what Max Payne of all games has to do with any of this.

@52 “We as humans have degraded ourselves to a consumer society.”

We, as humans, have not “degraded ourselves to a consumer society”. This isn’t about people becoming stupider. People have always been this way, as far back in history as you can imagine.

This is simply marketers becoming more aware of what the lowest common denominator wants to see.

Simply minded people have always been easily influenced by violence and sex. There’s a reason why prostitution is called the “world’s oldest profession”.

Also finding it genuienly amusing that the original Jill Valentine was used as a good example when as a reward for finishing the game you can play dress up with her in a special room full of dressing rooms.

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100520155426/residentevil/images/b/b4/REJillSpecialOutfit.png

Saucy.

#53 The game was good, unlike Uncharted. Just saying.

Sorry, I disagree. then again I’m not into males, especially Ricky Martin.

And really, constipated? I ‘d say he looked fine for those circumstances. Makes me question if you even know what the story was about.

I mentioned it because it was one of the few titles actually looking both stylish and different in terms of protagonists for that time. With such a distsinct example from so long ago, I find it odd you mention something as mundane and recent. But anyway.

#52 I do find her design ‘hot’ as well, but I’m not certain we’re talking about the same thing. I also find things you find okay not okay. We can stop here

i find the most sexist people on the planet for gaming has to be the Japanese

You’ve never heard the Max Payne constipation jokes? Really?

Even the guy whose face that is knows about the jokes, he mentions them in the Alan Wake making of video.

Err, not the same and not in English. We ‘ve joked quite a lot about his appearance back in the days though.

I don’t like AW, so I haven’t seen that video.

Gotta argue against the use of Lara Croft as part of the “problem” as well.

In the past, she was undoubtedly part of the problem, I can’t deny that. Her physique used to be abnormally beyond natural proportions. But since her revision back in the mid 00′s, her physique has been seriously toned down to be a lot more realistic… even more so in the upcoming game.

Lara Croft used to be the worst of the industry, the embarrassing barbie doll of the industry, but the character as it exists now is a much better image for “the tough and sexy woman” than most games, and should be championed for that, not criticised.

@55 I never found Max Payne’s style to be particularly stylish when it came out. It *tried* to be stylish, and I thought it ended up tacky as hell. I also thought the gameplay was absolutely atrocious.

@#52 young zero. Why do you think it sells? Do you think its because people feel better about themselves degrading women? I don’t believe that. Men are visual, they like “tits and ass” women don’t understand this because they are not visual or as visual. This appeals, and sells because it separates reality from fantasy. A over weight nerdy kid can pretend he is getting the super model. Women don’t go after the super ripped guys they go after the ones that make the most money or have the best outlook on the future. Stability instead of looks. Men and Women want different things, this is how they are built, created, wired whatever beliefs you have. Women want the nice dressed, intelligent successful guy or someone that treats them good. That’s how sales and marketing work, you find what appeals to people and what there needs are and you offer that to them for a price. Like I said before men want to save the princess and the princess wants to be saved. Not the other way around unless you drive around with a rainbow on the back of your car then, No offense but I cant relate.

“Why do you think it sells? Do you think its because people feel better about themselves degrading women?” What. The. Fuck.

Man, i’m not even going to comment on the rest. I might not have been clear enough with my last comment. But you’re the last person i want to talk about such things.

The problem is that people like you seem to think that they KNOW how people work. The difference between you and other people is that those other people actually dare to do some research instead of writing such embarrassing, offensively stupid bullshit.

Go back into your cave.

@61 One of you is directly insulting people. One of you isn’t. I think you know which is which.

You’re being needlessly antagonistic with people simply because they disagree with your opinion.

If you didn’t want to discuss it with him, why are you even responding to him? That is how discussing works. You’re not making a very good case for “not wanting to talk about such things” with him if you’re replying to his posts.

#59, It was neither pretentious nor took itself completely seriously, so it really wasn’t ‘tacky’.

The graphics were above any of the muddy looking games released at the same period, even though Max’ face wasn’t.

It was also obviously rather deep and fun as a tps, because it involved both traditional elements which were done very well and bullet time, which it pioneered, it was actually the next step in third person shooter genre.

@53: Never said that more consume equals more stupidity. It’s just that since – as you said – more marketers become aware of these cheap tactics, more things fall victim of these tactics. It is cheap, but damn effective.

@62: If his opinion equals that of a caveman, i’m going to call it. He’s basing his opinion on things he thinks are facts, when they are not. It’s like throwing oil into fire. It’s one of the reasons why sexism is so persistent.

Ignorance is no excuse in law.

Figuring out what drives us and what influences us is very hard to pull off. Because of that most studies about the subject are bullshit. The biggest pile is usually the one that gets quoted the most.

But whatever. Point taken. Stopping now.

Why do you think it sells? Do you think its because people feel better about themselves degrading women? – Meaning of course this isn’t accurate. But its absurd to think this way. So far the only condescending comments or insults have come from you. Your entitled to your opinion. But I think insulting people, because they merely state something that is researched and has been studying for hundreds of years is just ignorant.

According to your theory, we should be sold things that don’t really appeal to us. Just so that it doesn’t hurt one persons feelings or offend one person. This is why we have a free market. If enough people shared your opinion the product wouldn’t be successful. Why don’t we go back to women wearing full dresses and hiding all skin. Get rid of the low cut shirts and better fitting jeans. We can introduce uniforms and have every be required to wear the same thing so no one feels ugly. Is that your idea of freedom. Cause Ill bet you (if you are in fact female) and your friends buy those clothes and wear those types of things. I bet you wear make up and perfume all traditional things, that women enjoy. There is a psychology behind all of it that you wont get from your liberal magazine. Try picking up a history book and find out why women started wearing lip stick.

@65:

Ugh, i’m probably going to regret this, but i guess i owe you a better discussion, instead of just insulting you. It’s not really your fault.

“Why do you think it sells? Do you think its because people feel better about themselves degrading women?”

Degrading women? I don’t even know what you’re talking about! Where did i say this?! All this research and studies you talk about, show them to me. Either do that or read the book i recommended “Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism” by Natasha Walter. It goes into details to why you shouldn’t trust these so called studies and research. Especially those who’re made once and then never repeated.

@66: “According to your theory, we should be sold things that don’t really appeal to us. Just so that it doesn’t hurt one persons feelings or offend one person.”

Theory? What Theory? If more people would buy stuff that’s actually more than just stimulation of their primal instincts we would live in a better society. You better believe that! It’s not that we buy this stuff because it’s actually good for us, we buy it because our brain gets tricked into thinking its good for us. That’s marketing, i know that because it’s part of my job to know that.

A gaming example: If you play Call of Duty, you earn xp, get better weapons, hear fat sound when you level up. All this is done to stimulate your brain. You don’t get better, the game doesn’t get better, your brain just tells you it does because the developers made sure it would stimulate the right parts of your brain.

The same goes for sex in ads, films, books or videogames.

“Why don’t we go back to women wearing full dresses and hiding all skin. Get rid of the low cut shirts and better fitting jeans. We can introduce uniforms and have every be required to wear the same thing so no one feels ugly.”

Erm, what’s going on? Are you changing the subject? I’m not stealing your rights to wear what you want to wear and i’m not interested in a communism either, if that’s where you want to go with this.

“Is that your idea of freedom. Cause Ill bet you (if you are in fact female) and your friends buy those clothes and wear those types of things.”

If i’m in fact female? Where did i say i’m female? You’re jumping to extreme conclusions here, mate. I’m male.

“I bet you wear make up and perfume all traditional things, that women enjoy.”

Lol.

“There is a psychology behind all of it that you wont get from your liberal magazine.”

Lol.

“Try picking up a history book and find out why women started wearing lip stick.”

Do you really wanna go there?

This comes down to the age old, nature or nurture argument. Sure they stimulate the brain, its called sense of achievement. People like to achieve goals. EX level up, points, weapons. They strive to be better than the next player. Another goal. With out these goals were running mindlessly through a jungle for no reason.Thats the multi player portion. Games like Halo, Mass Effect & Dragon age great fantasy stories. We play the games for a good story and allow our minds to role play. It allows us to be the hero, the villain, push the limits and see what happens next. Same holds true for movies. Its called entertainment. Getting back to the original assumption about games being sexist, Women choose to be strippers and prostitutes, Why? Are they forced to? They choose to because once again sex sells, they know it and make money from it. By taking the stance you are taking you are insulting most people in saying they have no mind of there own. I will give you a portion of people that try to fit images, such as the barbie doll look or models which are no where near natural looking. And as far as the lip stick, yes there is a real reasoning behind it like all make up. Its way more primitive then you are leading people to believe.

Clearly, I am not gonna change your mind, and have no desire to. We will let this one die out for now.

@68, Don’t be such a fucking fool, prostitution is hardly a “career” many would pursue as a first option. It’s a desperation option, a last resort, don’t talk about it as if it’s a casual choice “oh, hey, I need a job, I’ll just have sex for money, lol”.

Saying someone does something as a last resort or out of desperation doesn’t make them mindless, in most cases it probably makes them hopeless.

I reckon everybody’s overreacting. Yes this is sexist but why should anyone give a damn? Everyone in the developed world should know that all humans are born equal & those who discriminate are just ignorant trash who doesn’t deserve our attention to being with.

I’d be a hypocrite if I said that I’ve never discriminated, we all have, but I’m being specific about those who actually believe what they say, this was clearly a tasteless placeholder name for a skill-nothing more, so there’s no reason to make a deal about it, it’s not physically effecting anybody.

To put it simply, there’s much more offensive words & phrases but that’s all they are, words & phrases, it’s just easier for everybody to be the bigger person & not let it get to you.

@70

I know its surprising but there are actual people that don’t mind that profession hell in Neveada you can actually be a professional call girl because its supported and regulated with health care just like any profession only they have to go get an inspection every month. And the same goes for porn too, there are people that want to do that too.

Different strokes for different folks.

Is this perk had been called “Ball Buster”, we wouldn’t be talking about this.

@73, Agreed. That’s more like the real problem, when it comes to females everyone screams and shouts but if it’s a male they’re just told to “man up and get some balls”

@74, stop bitching & grow a pair

@75 But but…. *runs of screaming*

@72 Well said. Perhaps some people in here don’t really know what goes on out there. I have gone to school with people that graduated with a degree, but realized they could make more money doing these types of professions and did it. This is because women don’t look at these things the same as men. Don’t take it from me, listen to handfuls of psychology cds, books, studies. SO #70 really the fool is the one that goes through life with a closed mind, and insults people for there opinions. Some day when you have a career and have to listen to and accept peoples opinions to be more proficient at your job will you have a been understanding of what is being talked about.

@70 & 72 – Right. But then you have the women who get into either prostitution/porn/stripping who use the excuse that it is “empowering”.

If it is “empowering” to them to have men toss money at them because they are naked and reduce them to slobbering all over like a neanderthal or to show the world they are great at giving fellatio on film and using their sexual parts for money – well, then they have a deluded sense of what “empowerment” really is. They need to tell the truth, they either got into it because a) they were desperate for money; or b) they harbor massive self worth issues.

I get so sick of these women I see on TV interviewed, being asked why they do this, and misuse the work empowerment. Just tell the truth: I have an ace body/I can’t get a job in my desired field/I don’t have the skills… so I strip/hook/porn myself out for a living because it makes money.

I am not including those doing it to feed a drug addiction, as that is another subject all together – but I just never understood how it is “empowering” to show your bits all over the place or have sex with strangers for money. You are not “empowering” yourself, nor are you “controlling” the man you are doing this with/for. They can easily get such titillation from someone/something else.

Sorry for the mini-rant, but women fought for the right to own land, vote and get equal pay for equal services in the workplace – not to provide a false sense of empowerment to a woman who chooses to hide behind feminism for her decision to work in such an industry.

Like sexism in video games is a suprising fact… sexism is everywhere these days. Just go outside and you can’t walk 10feet without approaching a n add with a ridicilously good looking man/woman, sometimes half naked. turn on the tv and its the same thing. so why acting like this is a new phenomenon. its been in video games since they went 3d. nowadays any company can afford a good engine for mediocre games, which makes everything look better and more realistic. so it might appear that its more present than b4. but sexism has always been around in every media.

Well there’s no reason why a woman can’t sleep around & fight against sexual discrimination at the same time, I mean having different genitalia & using it are two different subjects right? I mean, I don’t see how a loose woman can’t fight sexual discrimination just because they like sex, seems irrelevant.

There is a difference between sleeping around for personal enjoyment (I personally don’t see an issue with that ) and doing it for living. Most don’t do it for a living because it is “pleasurable” – it’s for money. You can separate it easily.

@81, Maybe they enjoy making people smile, guess we’ll never truly know
All I know is, I’m not going to debate the reasons why strippers/prostitutes etc do what they do, you can only assume unless you have personal experience & even then, it’s only one person’s perspective.

I’d say there’s quite a difference between adult actress/stripper and a prostitute too..

So, how is there a difference between a porn star and a prostitute? They both get paid to have sex – only difference is that one has an audience, and the other one only has an audience when you pay extra. :p

Sorry, I find that logic ridiculous.

Adult actress is comparable to cascadeur (I don’t know how you guys call it, those circus athletes, or stunt doubles in movies).. comparing that to prostitute is like putting a carpenter/builder and a wrestler alongside.. they both make money by using their physical abilities.

Adult actors don’t have sex with people to pleasure them. They’re just playing a role in a fantasy spectacle.

@83 Sorry you didn’t see the joke in that, apparently. Next time I will add extra smileys to denote it. (see?)

There’s some truth in every joke. I got used to that.