All posts by Roisin Flynn
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pithy quotes
“For a time, some of the only places where Black characters could be found was in sports games, such as PUNCH OUT!!, released in 1987″
“stereotypes were not limited to African Americans; Latinx characters have often been portrayed as gangbangers and drug dealers”
“The industry traditionally projects an image that is young, white, straight and male”
“games are his home. “games let me explore sexuality and gender at times when I’ve questioned both” “
key terms :)
The male gaze– Is an objectification of women. The ‘gaze’ is looked at as sexualising women and objectifying them and empowering men, not just in video games but in general media platforms. The game makers use women more as a sexual object used for appeal unlike male characters who are built to have a personality, talents and appropriate outfits. Women’s representation in games focuses more on their boobs and butt and outfit than their object which is to win the game.
Voyeurism– The practice of gaining sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity.
Patriarchy– system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is reckoned through the male line.
Positive and negative stereotypes– When positive stereotypes are expressed or simply believed as true about a group and its members, positive stereotypes can be related to a number negative consequences for targets’ emotional and psychological states, their performance-based behaviours, and others’ judgments of them. When positive stereotypes are expressed or simply believed as true about a group and its members, positive stereotypes can be related to a number negative consequences for targets’ emotional and psychological states, their performance-based behaviours, and others’ judgments of them.
Counter-types– a positive stereotype and emphasizes the positive features about a person. An example of a countertype is that all religious people are kind.
Misrepresentation– A misrepresentation is a false statement of a material fact made by one party which affects the other party’s decision in agreeing to a contract. If the misrepresentation is discovered, the contract can be declared void and, depending on the situation, the adversely impacted party may seek damages.
Selective representation- selective representation is when some groups of people are represented more in government than others. In the extreme case, selective representation can mean that whole groups of people are made ineligible to vote; in the US women could not vote before 1920, for example.
Dominant ideology– The ideas, attitudes, values, beliefs, and culture of the ruling class in a society; usually also the function of these in validating the current issues/ status quo.
Constructed reality– Sociologists generally accept that reality is different for each individual. The term social construction of reality refers to the theory that the way we present ourselves to other people is shaped partly by our interactions with others, as well as by our life experiences.
Hegemony– Sociologists generally accept that reality is different for each individual. The term social construction of reality refers to the theory that the way we present ourselves to other people is shaped partly by our interactions with others, as well as by our life experiences.
Audience positioning– Audience positioning refers to the techniques used by the creator of a text to try to get the audience to understand the ideology of the text.
Fluidity of identity:
Constructed identity
Negotiated identity
Collective identity
I produced a star wars action game and I created a dominant signifying image that was essentially a sexualised female. This corresponds to Toril Moi’s analysis of the distinction between female, feminine, feminist categories of representation (1987). This can be identified in the size of her breasts and butt, which I made purposely to translate the normality of objectifying women, and that over exaggerated features are used heavily across this male dominated industry.
In addition, I also included clothing that was war-like but inappropriate for the situation she will be put in, in the game and which also highlighted her waist and breasts. This relates 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” (Mulvey, p. 883, 1999). However, the notion of the male gaze is quite distinct as it relates to the sexualisation of the dominant signifier, which is 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 femininity.
However, I don’t think this is a positive representation of femininity at all, as I personally believe that an over-aggressive (toxic) femininity is not healthy for women to aspire to. As such, if I was to create this product again, I would avoid the stereotypical representation of her breasts and bottom. And look to create a character that was more radical in representation. I did want to represent what this media form does to women in relation to sexualising them, but next time want to show a real gender equal representation. Perhaps inhabiting a range of signifiers that would connote a more masculine (ie less stereotypical female body) character. I could do this by re-sculpting my character in terms of their physical appearance, their clothing and their posture. As such, I would be sending out a much more positive message (for me) about femininity, one that used a positive countertype to present a radical and challenging representation which could help gamers to adopt a new ways of thinking about gender representation, with more positive role models for young people to aspire to. As Keith Stuart notes ‘the power of video games [is] a reflective, empowering and emotional influence on the lives of players’. (Why diversity matters in the modern video games industry, Guardian, 18 July 2017)
Games cover SKetch
games cover design
statement of intent video game cover:
Statement of intent.
I am gong to make an inlay sheet for a new video game. My video game is based around a female character, based on the star wars movies. I will have two representations of her, one being reactionary and sexualised by wearing revealing clothing and quoting stereotypical ”blonde” comments. The other being a strong and non gender conforming. A realistic picture of what a female fighting ‘bad guys’ with appropriate and realistic outfit would look. This representation of this character would be smart and quick thinking like a male character would be defined in a video game. I want to focus on the characters being no different other than their actual gender.
I want incorporate both reactionary and radical aspects. The female characters will be dressed as closely as possible to what a male would wear which is radical since females are stereotypically dressed in much tighter clothing which is contrasting to males. The character dressed in Tighter clothes will be reactionary since it is stereotypical for a female to dressed in. This will make her look like the ‘damsel in distress’. I will use a Paradigm, lots of signs that have a connection. Such as Tie fighters, The Millennium Falcon, and well known settings in the movies, on the print product.
I would like my final print product of my cover to be eye-catching and interesting. (a lot to look at), but neat at the same time. I want it to immediately communicate star wars and the aesthetic of fighters, star ships and well known characters, i.e.: Darth Vader, obi-wan Kenobi and Padme.
My age rating will be 15+, in order to be able to show the reactionary outfit of one of my characters as her breasts and bottom will be exposed slightly to promote the ideals of media sexualising and why is it obviously wrong. This would be inappropriate for anyone younger. The language of my radical character would be intelligent and intuitive which younger audiences wouldn’t understand.
representation- the make gaze.
The Male Gaze
The male gaze is an objectification of women. The ‘gaze’ is looked at as sexualising women and objectifying them and empowering men, not just in video games but in general media platforms. The game makers use women more as a sexual object used for appeal unlike male characters who are built to have a personality, talents and appropriate outfits. Women’s representation in games focuses more on their boobs and butt and outfit than their object which is to win the game.
Laura Mulvey, is a feminist who explains that most films are designed to visually pleasure masculine ‘scopophilia’. Scopophilia is the sexual pleasure in looking. Her concept is described as a heterosexual, masculine gaze. Mulvey explains that men are uninterested in women if not sexualised in some way, either in their outfits or exaggerated features, in video games and movies. She explains men feel power over women when they are venerable in media, by wearing sexualised outfits.
John Berger– He devised the theory of “Ways of seeing” suggesting that the way woman are seen by men and the way they are taught to see themselves is wrong and creates a bad relationship.
CSP task 1+2
Media summer task
