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I am annoyed with how women characters are sexualized in games (piefed.social)
submitted 1 month ago by to c/goodoffmychest@lemmy.world
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Makes me frustrated and hopeless, Its quite clear that they do this for the male gaze and whatever its called, but that doesnt justify it and makes me very sick.

Not saying that beautiful characters are bad, but semi naked characters with unrealistic beauty which both have nothing to do with the game at all is terrible, very terriole.
Why ruin a good game for the so called" male gaze" or "sex sells" thing? why?

I feel like a hypocrite and a loser.

Not sure if indie games are any better, itch io is very good, it has great (hidden) gems.

But its also filled with dating games and whatnot, I didnt check the nsfw games, but I wouldnt be surprised if they filled the entire front page.

Anyway, Its a deep issue for me, wanted to vent, thanks for reading.

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[–] 7 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I don't know about that, read some women's romance and you'll see that women eat that shit right up. The male lead is always hot, often rich and more recently also "special" in one way or another (werewolf etc).

Those are pretty unrealistic expectations too, they just aren't as sexualizing.

The problem isn't sexualizing, the problem is unrealistic expectations and standards and that is rampant in women's media too. And why shouldn't it be? Women are humans too with dreams and desires for more than the average.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 1 month ago (2 children)

    And why shouldn’t it be? Women are humans too with dreams and desires for more than the average

    Look, if this was in a romance novel, then it would make sense, you go watch porn and expect the actors to look humble, makes no sense.

    But if it was in everyday media, like how its the case right now, then I believe this becomes an issue, a big issue.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago

    Wait I think I understand what you mean now, I missed your point earlier, sorry about that.

    I don't think such distinctions are possible though... Also there is definitely porn that is more soft and gentle, 'humble' if you wish, usually it is directed at women.

    Sex and sexual desire is an everyday thing though. It is already everywhere in everyday media, like in series and movies. I am afraid I don't really see your point. Are attractive women not allowed to exist in the media because men feel sexual desire for them? Like why is that a problem? I feel like I am missing something here.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago* (1 child)

    My most recent "fantasy" dream I had was about this character, a short peasant. There was no nudity, just a hug as he left me... for my cousin (Idk dreams are wierd)

    Not all women read smut novels, Ive only met one IRL who does. Not all video games are tits out either though. They can be avoided.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    What do you mean not all women read smut?! 😱

    You can't just go around ruining men's understanding of the world like its a casual Tuesday!

    Also, I have seen plenty of women write about how they fantasize about short men and let me tell you, as a tall person I find that expectation to be very difficult to live up to! Walking around on my knees all day really hurts!

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  • [–] 2 points 1 month ago* (1 child)

    The character Machej from 1670 is the Female gaze, just sayin. It's in his personality. His love intrest, Aniela, is also the female gaze..

    Probably why I like the show so much. Im sure there are other examples. Anyway, appreciate your humor Denixen. Also, I think it's thursday ;)

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  • [–] 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 child)

    What is this Machej from 1670? I can't find it when I search for it! Is there a typo? Can you give me some more context or a link? I am really curious now!

    Edit: I found it! Apparently search engines didn't like just "Machej 1670". They thought I was looking for a dead relative... Not helpful! Had to add " tv series" to the search.

    Edit the Second: Did you mean Maciej rather than Machej? I don't find any Machej :/ I did find Aniela though. Gonna watch it later!

    I really enjoy learning and understanding what it is that women like, how they see the world and men. Reading and analysing media directed at women is sooo educative to learn about women's preferences and inner workings. It is so different from men because it reflects the historical and societal perspective of women, like what they have experienced in their own lives, but also historically.

    Like a werewolf can actually represent the simultaneous danger of men (violence) and the safety they can provide because of the violence they are capable of. What is one day protection, can become a danger the next day.

    Fascinating! Yet men never think about this! Even though we are the one's (in a general sense) putting women through these experiences.

    I feel like I might be oversharing and I apologize for that, but I am in the zone and I don't want to stop!

    Thanks, I wasn't expecting a compliment on this casual Thursday!

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago* (1 child)

    I can tell youre in the zone, go off! :)

    yes, i did mean Maciej, I dont know polish at all, my bad, apologies

    You are on to something with the werewolf bit, I think. That never reached me, but I could understand it better through this context. That does make some sense.

    I hope the show can.. well show you something, or you can get something out of it! I like how reflective the show can be at criticizing both gender and class roles. I cant speak for all women, but, idk, enjoy :)

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago* (1 child)

    No worries, its literally only off by one letter! 😅

    I think it is the same with the vampire trope. I think you can tell a lot about a person from what tropes and characters they like. It reflects our own desires in life and partner.

    For women safety with a man is a lot more important than for men with women and this is something men constantly miss and misunderstand. A man can be both a shield and a sword and sometimes it is directed at you instead of others... At least that's become my understanding...

    Interestingly enough being the 'protector' is a very common trope amongst men's media and plays into the above. Yet it rarely deals with the other side. Instead it is about being chosen to be the 'protector' by the woman and protect her from other men.

    The woman for this reason is often rather more passive, since she will choose him after he has proven his worth by defeating the bad man trying to hurt her. Her choice is determined by his actions, not by her preference or actions. The female love interest in men's media therefore often don't have much agency, she isn't striving for anything, she is just there to be convinced.

    In women's media on the other hand, women often have more agency and are more active in the choice, often deliberating between multiple men and her actions and drive determines the outcome. Meanwhile the men, while not passive, are single mindedly interested in her and driven by gaining her favour (it would of course be a poor romance if he wasn't interested in her, but men have other goals in life than chasing women!).

    Really quite interesting and telling about our society and culture if you ask me.

    It is also kinda boring and repetitive... I love media that challenges norms and stereotypes.

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  • [+] 1 point 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 child)
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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago

    As you say, the active man and passive woman trope is so tired and repulsive at this point. I used to really enjoy James Bond movies, but I can barely watch the older ones. The women are literally only there as a love interest for him, they have no other purpose. They don't add anything to the story, other than to get across the message that he is a cool womanizer to be admired.

    Hehehe I am tempted to just have you say the ending scene, but I think I want to watch it properly!

    Anyway, I think that kind of growth is what makes a good book, movie, series etc. Having a invincible lead that succeeded at everything is cool for a moment, but real memorable characters are those that had serious relatable flaws that they learn to overcome and grow. The character growth should drive the plot, the choice's of the character in relation to that growth is what matters.

    Oh yeah, you cannot protect someone without controlling them. Just think about children. You restrict their freedom "for their own best" and some men sees things the same way with women... Their desire to protect is to make sure that you behave in a way they approve of and that nothing happens to you (good or bad) that they don't like (and it always happen to benefit them, strangely). This is true for everything really. Politics etc.

    You i think that mutual care is key in a healthy relationship. As you say a lot is a matter of trust!

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