That Feminist Gamer Girl Did a Thing (DERAILED)

[Elija2]

Hey Eli, you wanna join us for Smash bros?

I'm at my parents' house for the week and their internet is pretty unreliable so I'm gonna pass.

[jkid101094]

I'm at my parents' house for the week and their internet is pretty unreliable so I'm gonna pass.

Well alrighty the, hun. We should play some when you get home then.

[Elija2]

Well alrighty the, hun. We should play some when you get home then.

Sure thing, sweetie.

[shadowDOESrock]

Well alrighty the, hun. We should play some when you get home then.

Sure thing, sweetie.

D'aw, what a cute couple

[Elija2]

D'aw, what a cute couple

I...it's not as if I like jkid-senpai or anything!!

[Hakudamashi]

However, the problem is that women are overwhelmingly depicted this way, much more than men are. These negative tropes are sexist because they are used almost exclusively with female characters. And when a group of people (in this case, women) are disproportionately depicted in a certain way, it means that this is how a majority of people see them as.

I will agree that it is more common that women are saved than men, but I wouldn't call it sexist. Sexist to me, is if the situation changes or becomes "wrong" when only the genders are swapped.
If you swapped the genders around in Mario and Zelda, nothing would really change, someone's still kidnapped, there's still a big bad, and someone makes things right. Sexist to me, is like in those romantic comedy examples I gave before where there's a couple and one is being demanding of the other, if the demanding one is a woman, you're supposed to root for her, if he's a man, he's the villain, same scenario, same circumstance, but swap the genders and suddenly the tone changes. You know what I mean?

In terms of people seeing women like that, I personally put more blame on parenting than the media. It all starts at home, including one's way of thinking. I believe that one's true role model should be their mother and father, and they should not only set an example, but also be there with the child as he/she grows and forms a mind of his/her own. Yes, I know a parent can only do soo much what with the internet and public schools and all, but they should strive to be with their children and teach them the rights and wrongs so when they are challenged in the real world, they can spot what is "right" and what is "wrong", including how to see women, skin colour, disabilities, accents, etc.
And I don't encourage beating around the bush when they ask questions.

But the media is everywhere, and there's no guarantee the child will ask questions when they see things like this, so I can understand if you more want to blame the media.

I'm at my parents' house for the week and their internet is pretty unreliable so I'm gonna pass.

huh
Where do you stay normally?

[Elija2]

I will agree that it is more common that women are saved than men, but I wouldn't call it sexist. Sexist to me, is if the situation changes or becomes "wrong" when only the genders are swapped.
If you swapped the genders around in Mario and Zelda, nothing would really change, someone's still kidnapped, there's still a big bad, and someone makes things right. Sexist to me, is like in those romantic comedy examples I gave before where there's a couple and one is being demanding of the other, if the demanding one is a woman, you're supposed to root for her, if he's a man, he's the villain, same scenario, same circumstance, but swap the genders and suddenly the tone changes. You know what I mean?

In terms of people seeing women like that, I personally put more blame on parenting than the media. It all starts at home, including one's way of thinking. I believe that one's true role model should be their mother and father, and they should not only set an example, but also be there with the child as he/she grows and forms a mind of his/her own. Yes, I know a parent can only do soo much what with the internet and public schools and all, but they should strive to be with their children and teach them the rights and wrongs so when they are challenged in the real world, they can spot what is "right" and what is "wrong", including how to see women, skin colour, disabilities, accents, etc.
And I don't encourage beating around the bush when they ask questions.

But the media is everywhere, and there's no guarantee the child will ask questions when they see things like this, so I can understand if you more want to blame the media.

It is sexist though because being a damsel in distress is demeaning and it predominantly happens to women.

The parent can't be blamed for everything their child thinks, that's just unfair. And besides, most parents probably have the same views too.

huh
Where do you stay normally?

I rent a place near my university.

[Hakudamashi]

It is sexist though because being a damsel in distress is demeaning and it predominantly happens to women.

Aaaaand, I just don't think it happening predominantly to women is sexist, cause when it happens to a man, the scenario roughly stays the same.
And they also don't go about saying she got kidnapped because she's a woman, but that this person got kidnapped, and she's also a woman.

1:30 is what I would call sexist, he didn't say this got screwed up because she's Kitara and that's what she happens to do, he said things got screwed up because she's a girl.

And that what I meant when I said "drawing attention to it". If the show or game or whatever doesn't care about the character's gender or skin colour or whatever, then neither will I, but if they're gonna draw attention to it, then I have a problem, unless they're going somewhere with it.

I don't factor in predominance in sexism and all that stuff.

The parent can't be blamed for everything their child thinks, that's just unfair.

I can't blame them for everything their child thinks and does, true, but I do blame them for the "groundwork", like making a child play an M rated video game before he understands the concept of murder.

And besides, most parents probably have the same views too.

It is also likely those parents had bad parents, and those parents had bad parents, and so on and so forth, each passing on a negative and problematic view of the world across generations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSgY_pscJ8k&list=UUOCs7lAn_5fZWhnqMOOYfXQ
It's relevant I swear.

I rent a place near my university.

And it has the better internet?
How odd.

[shadowDOESrock]

I can't blame them for everything their child thinks and does, true, but I do blame them for the "groundwork", like making a child play an M rated video game before he understands the concept of murder.
It is also likely those parents had bad parents, and those parents had bad parents, and so on and so forth, each passing on a negative and problematic view of the world across generations.

Pfff...

[Elija2]

Aaaaand, I just don't think it happening predominantly to women is sexist, cause when it happens to a man, the scenario roughly stays the same.
And they also don't go about saying she got kidnapped because she's a woman, but that this person got kidnapped, and she's also a woman.

1:30 is what I would call sexist, he didn't say this got screwed up because she's Kitara and that's what she happens to do, he said things got screwed up because she's a girl.

And that what I meant when I said "drawing attention to it". If the show or game or whatever doesn't care about the character's gender or skin colour or whatever, then neither will I, but if they're gonna draw attention to it, then I have a problem, unless they're going somewhere with it.

I don't factor in predominance in sexism and all that stuff.

No, it's not the same. When a woman is a damsel in distress it reinforces the widespread belief that they are naturally weak. When a man is captured, it doesn't reinforce any negative beliefs.

And many games do bring up that the person being kidnapped is a woman.

I can't blame them for everything their child thinks and does, true, but I do blame them for the "groundwork", like making a child play an M rated video game before he understands the concept of murder.

Okay, but you'd have to be naive to think that the media doesn't have a major impact on how people perceive things.

And it has the better internet?
How odd.

Probably because my university is in a city with better internet infrastructure than the small town that I grew up in.

Also I'm paying for really good internet.

[shadowDOESrock]

No, it's not the same. When a woman is a damsel in distress it reinforces the widespread belief that they are naturally weak. When a man is captured, it doesn't reinforce any negative beliefs.

So, we should stop having women kidnapped?

Okay, but you'd have to be naive to think that the media doesn't have a major impact on how people perceive things.

Yeah, to dumb people...

[jkid101094]

Yeah, to dumb people...

My mom still thinks reality TV is unscripted.

[Elija2]

So, we should stop having women kidnapped?

No, but we should stop doing it all the time.

Yeah, to dumb people...

Uh, no. You'd be surprised at how much you've been subtly influenced by media.

I mean, think about it. Why do so many games use the damsel in distress trope? Because they think it's normal. They've seen the trope being used in so many things that they don't even think twice about it.

[shadowDOESrock]

Uh, no. You'd be surprised at how much you've been subtly influenced by media.

Try me. (And also, ditto)

I mean, think about it. Why do so many games use the damsel in distress trope? Because they think it's normal. They've seen the trope being used in so many things that they don't even think twice about it.

Not because it's normal, because it's easy. It's easy way out. It's easiest and laziest way out and to write. This is just lazy writing. Not because women are weak, or the belief that women are weak.

Because that's the easiest way to get someone engaged, because (most) know how it feels to lose someone they love. And most would fight for someone they love.

The only thing even easier would be a revenge plot, which usually just results in a love interest / parents / father figure dying in the first section.

[Hakudamashi]

No, it's not the same. When a woman is a damsel in distress it reinforces the widespread belief that they are naturally weak. When a man is captured, it doesn't reinforce any negative beliefs.

I'm talking in the context of the story.

And many games do bring up that the person being kidnapped is a woman.

Never said there aren't, but Mario and Zelda are not those games.

Okay, but you'd have to be naive to think that the media doesn't have a major impact on how people perceive things.

Well, at the very least, it's both.
The media and parenting turned Jamaica into a country of whores. I just put more emphasis on parenting.

No, but we should stop doing it all the time.

I can't agree on "should", it's up to what the devs want to do.
But for the devs that do care, then by all means raise awareness so they're more conscious about their writing.

I mean, think about it. Why do so many games use the damsel in distress trope? Because they think it's normal. They've seen the trope being used in so many things that they don't even think twice about it.

Or it could be because guys like to save women, and most devs(to my knowledge) are men.