To be fair, most male characters have equally unrealistic looks. They’ve got more muscle in their necks than I got in my calf and can take gunshots to the face and lose 5 hp. Not that objectification and sexualization of women in games are not real issues though.
I mean, they’re both issues in the same way: society has an unhealthy relationship with power fantasy. They don’t think it’s fiction in that who is portrayed is unrealistic, only in what is portrayed. As in, since it’s a real actor, people think it’s actually attainable for most, and judge others as if they’re merely lazy for not being an action hero.
It happens more fiercly for women since they’re aesthetically judged more, but it’s the same thing. The main problem is the judgements from normalization and lazy thought. It’s not inherently bad to be pretty or strong or sexy, but it is bad to judge others for not being so.
The same thing happens with power and authority itself. People objectify and seek power for the very aesthetic, or for power’s sake itself, instead of using it as the dangerous tool it is. (although due to the nature of power, it is always negative to someone, usually those on the recieving end)
I am not sure distinguishing between idealized body form from a man or woman’s perspective is all that useful. Although the cultural ideal has developed over time, for example being chubby was the ideal in much of the olden times, male and female ideals often agree. However, that the female characters are eye-candy sexbombs, whose sole purpose is to satisfy the male protagonist’s needs, and by extension the majority of male players, is of course sexist. I just wanted to point out that the roles played are arguably more important than unrealistic looks in the context of sexism.
To be fair, most male characters have equally unrealistic looks. They’ve got more muscle in their necks than I got in my calf and can take gunshots to the face and lose 5 hp. Not that objectification and sexualization of women in games are not real issues though.
I mean, they’re both issues in the same way: society has an unhealthy relationship with power fantasy. They don’t think it’s fiction in that who is portrayed is unrealistic, only in what is portrayed. As in, since it’s a real actor, people think it’s actually attainable for most, and judge others as if they’re merely lazy for not being an action hero.
It happens more fiercly for women since they’re aesthetically judged more, but it’s the same thing. The main problem is the judgements from normalization and lazy thought. It’s not inherently bad to be pretty or strong or sexy, but it is bad to judge others for not being so.
The same thing happens with power and authority itself. People objectify and seek power for the very aesthetic, or for power’s sake itself, instead of using it as the dangerous tool it is. (although due to the nature of power, it is always negative to someone, usually those on the recieving end)
Male characters in games are based on an idealized male view of the world
Female characters in games are based on an idealized male view of the world
This isn’t equality.
I am not sure distinguishing between idealized body form from a man or woman’s perspective is all that useful. Although the cultural ideal has developed over time, for example being chubby was the ideal in much of the olden times, male and female ideals often agree. However, that the female characters are eye-candy sexbombs, whose sole purpose is to satisfy the male protagonist’s needs, and by extension the majority of male players, is of course sexist. I just wanted to point out that the roles played are arguably more important than unrealistic looks in the context of sexism.