Anita Sarkeesian and the Objectification of Women in Games

 

As an avid gamer, an avowed feminist, and one who has previously been employed within the game development industry, I consider myself well versed with the systemic subordination of women within games and game development. As explored in class, and extensively by Feminist Frequency’s Anita Sarkeesian, this subordination was evident in the nascence of games, with player characters predominantly presented as male, and women serving a perfunctory decorative purpose. As men are dominant members of Eurocentric society and those with primary access to resources, hegemonic masculine interests are those primarily considered under capitalism. To maximize gains, early game developers relied heavily on emphasized masculinity in the form of violence and sexual domination to attract and retain players.

As technology has expanded, so have the myriad opportunities to objectify women in games. The game experience has evolved to allow for moving, talking actors within a digital environment, in some cases even allowing the player to choose from a selection of actions and dialogue options. This allows for the player to actively participate in their game experience, including how they interact with non-playable characters (NPCs). Frequently, however, female NPCs are restricted to dialogue options relating to either their sexual availability or experiences of violence. A commonly referred to example is that of the prostitutes in the Grand Theft Auto video games, which allow for the player character to contract the sexual services of women and then assault her to avoid paying.

Even when the opportunity for the player character to either verbally or physically assault a female NPC does not exist, violence against women is often used as a plot point or impetus in the story of the main protagonist. In games such as Max Payne, Castlevania, or Deus Ex, the protagonist sees his romantic partner or daughter violently murdered, sometimes raped, and thus embarks on a quest to avenge her. In these incidences, the female NPC is devoid of agency, disposable, and exists simply to further the story of the male player character. Whether or not the player is an active participant in the violence perpetrated against the female NPC, it remains that said violence is a key feature in the NPC’s involvement. And as Siltanen and Doucet noted, “[w]hat is the relational core of hegemonic gender in this context? It is that a male is a foreground character who is an aggressor and killer, and the female is a background character who is a targeted victim.” (Siltanen & Doucet, 2017, p. 85)

One regularly heard counterargument to critiques of violence in video games is that they remain disconnected from real life behaviour and experiences, and that not all who play games are inherently violent or misogynistic. While this is certainly true, the direct impact of the consistent objectification and violence against women in games is readily observable.

The abuse suffered by Anita Sarkeesian following her critique of the issue is certainly a stark example of such a case. Sarkeesian’s critique was apt, appropriate, and described perceptible trends in games without pointing fingers or attacking any singular source. The level of rage generated in response to her video, however, was startling. Threats of violence and rape levelled against a human being for expressing her legitimate observations is of course disproportionate and extreme, and context plays a large role in understanding the incident. Game culture has upheld and even celebrated mainstream concepts of toxic, violent traits as inherently masculine, while positioning women as objects available for male enjoyment. The objectification of women is not only commonplace, but integral to the concept of hegemonic masculinity, and female subordination becomes entertainment. When these messages are sustained, repeated, and ingrained in society, the reality of women like Anita Sarkeesian as sentient and valuable human beings can be easily lost when they speak out against them.

Video games can have great value, beyond that of simple entertainment. Their potential as educational and social tools are being widely explored, and games such as the Mass Effect trilogy, Control, and the recent Tomb Raider franchise reboot feature strong female protagonists (though in Mass Effect, protagonist is a binary gender choice). Violence and objectification of women will remain apparent in the industry, however, as long as it generates profit and upholds capitalist power structures.

 

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