I produced a horror survival game that includes both male and female characters however the dominant signifier indicates that the game is primarily masculine, this links to Jean Kilburn’s theory of men also being objectified as well as women however when men are objectified is it in a more masculine and strong manner. This is shown by the fact that the main character is muscular and strong without needing help from others to complete his goals.

Further to this I have exaggerated the muscular attributes of my character with muscular arms, legs and torso. I also included clothing that was war-like and confrontational, signifying combat, aggression, conflict etc. In some ways this inverts Laura Mulvey’s notion of the male gaze in that my main character is there to be objectified and looked at, in the words of Laura Mulvey he is a character “establishing ways of looking and spectacle”. However, the notion of the male gaze is quite distinct as it relates to the sexualisation of the dominant signifier, which is not the case for my character.

Nevertheless, I believe that it is generally accepted in society that masculinity is seen as much more aggressive, confrontational and violent than femininity. So in this sense my product is a reactionary representation of masculinity.

However,  I don’t think this is a positive representation of masculinity, I personally believe that an over-aggressive representation of masculinity is not healthy for males to aspire to. As such, if I was to create this product again, I would avoid a stereotypical representation of an over-muscular, over-physical character and create a character that is more radical in the way they are represented and portrayed. Perhaps using a range of signifiers that would indicate a more feminine character could make the character less masculine. I could do this by adjusting my characters physical appearance, this could include their clothing and their posture. As such, I would be sending out a much more positive message about masculinity, this would also provide an image that men can aspire to without presenting impossible standards.