Barriers
Says what- might not speak the language, message can be misinterpreted without tone of voice and physically being told
Channel- not all of the audience may see adverts through this channel
To whom- might not be sure if it’s meant for the particular type of person
Representations for:
Coca cola- it is a radical representation because there is male and female names which shows that males aren’t more dominant. It hasn’t used selective representation and goes against hegemony (dominance of one group over another). It shows how you can construct your own identity and the idea of fluidity of identity in such that there is a broad range of names.
Maybelline lipstick- The model is viewed in the male gaze due to the position she is in. It shows negative stereotypes which isn’t possible for all women to be like and a lipstick won’t change this your real identity. It is a way of showing the way (constructed identity) shapes us as people and for men seek voyeurism whilst seeing this ad giving ideas for what to buy a girl as a present.
Loreal lipstick- it is clear that the patriarchal society still poses the dominant ideology that men are more capable than women. Good audience positioning as there is a indexical meaning for there to be more positive stereotypes of women in higher job roles creating countertypes wanting hegemony (dominance of one gender) to be scrapped.
Quotes
“52% of Hispanic people studied believed there was a link between violent video games and real-world violence.”
“This poor representation of Asian women perpetuates the stereotype that they are meek, submissive, sexual objects who exist purely for men’s entertainment.”
“new range of diverse player avatars, complete with wheelchairs, complete with a greater range of skin tones, complete with more expressive gender-agnostic clothing”
“It is isolating not to be thought of or considered in the culture you desperately want to consume and be part of.”
“women then stands in patriarchal couture as signifier for the male other”
“women displayed as a sexual object”
“Euthanised damsel- only solution is to kill damsel in order to protect her”
“Woman in refrigerator- women killed off to continue male story development and seek revenge”
In this essay I am going to apply a semiotic analysis to both the CSP 1 Tomb Raider and CSP 2 Metroid video games covers. In specific the relationship between the signifier and the signified (the thing/ idea being represented and the way the thing/ idea is expressed as a sign.
I will argue that CSP 1 Tomb Raider is both a very violent and highly sexualised which I feel doesn’t represent a female’s capability in a positive or productive way for the gaming world views them. The signifier (the thing being represented) in the game Tomb raider, which is about shooting, is successfully depicted by some of the signified media signs that include: the main dominant signifier and the paradigm of images on the back of the cover. Lara Croft (the main character) is an iconic sign as to what the game will be based around.
Firstly, the way in which the female is depicted on the front cover having tight fitted clothing clinging specifically to her rear emphasising the dominant ideology that women should have a big bum, setting unrealistic expectations (an example of negative stereotyping) right from the beginning, leading women into feeling like they have failed if they don’t appear to be like these figures which are considered desirable and the voyeurism that men will experience at this sight. However, this could also suggest she is less capable and more likely to get in danger due to not being able to protect herself (supported with the way in which she is holding the guns down by her side: not looking ready to battle) and so the reason as to why she might be the main dominant signifier on the front cover is, as shown in the feminist frequency videos about “damsel in distress”. Suggesting that a women’s main purpose in a game is to keep the plot going by the man needing to assist the woman.
Furthermore, in both games covers, CSP 1 Tomb Raider and CSP 2 Metroid, the link between the signifier (being what the game is about) and the signified (being the characters and setting) is very clear. There is use an effective use of bold text for the titles top draw attention to the main media sign of the game (the name of it) especially in the Tomb Raider cover the anchorage between the image and title is very good. The lighting in the background is drawn to the title but also the main image of the woman with guns showing how everything links in together. “Women then stands in patriarchal couture as signifier for the male other” – quote from Why Diversity Matters.
Despite all the negative judgements that can be made about the character in Tomb Raider this aspect of the cover is efficient in showing how a woman has power by the light being focussed on her. It is a good representation of in some way how the world is changing and trying to challenge The Male Gaze view (Laura Mulvey) in which women are objectified and sexualised which can lead to violence as proved in the article about feminism where it states “52% of Hispanic people studied believed there was a link between violent video games and real-world violence.”- Feminist Frequency site. Especially domestic violence which isn’t what the signified was trying to represent from the signifier.
It seems unfair that in CSP 2 Metroid, the dominant signifier is a fantasy male with a muscular build and lots of fighting gear to present how he is very well prepared which agrees with the typical stereotypes of males being strong and independent. This is prejudice because there is still a clear patriarchy which shouldn’t be allowed in this year. To add to the conveying idea there is also a transparent texture on the cover reflecting from the weapons, which indicates additional power and ability to actually work weapons compared to in Tomb Raider where the female is just holding the weapon down next to her thigh not looking as if she will actually know how to use it. But the guy in Metroid is stood in a firm position, strongly clenching on the gun and aiming it a specific point proving he is ready to shoot. Therefore, men are getting more of a supportive community with more recognition. Guantlett believes in the theory that you create your own identity through media inputs which would impact how men feel more forceful and women are shrunk into a smaller and less capable person due to the constructed identity.
Additionally, there is quite a strong use of hegemony in CSP 2 Metroid due to how there is no females to be seen on the front cover (this is an example of selective representation) implying they are significantly less important than the male characters. This could cause the audience of female gamers to have a lower self-esteem because they are influenced into believing they aren’t as worthy and as talented. In contrast this could also been seen as a positive because usually men are less likely to admit to their struggles so it might help them feel better about their selves. “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
In conclusion I strongly believe that none of the games cover (neither Tomb Raider or Metroid) have a positive representation of the relationship between males and females. More specifically the possible dangers in which women can encounter due to the influences that video games try to convey to the user such as sexual violence and disempowering them. These examples from CSP 1 Tomb Raider and CSP 2 Metroid effectively back up the theories by Laura Mulvey about the male gaze and the Guardian’s report on the outstanding impact games have on everyone. I think that all games should try to use more countertypes which would create positive stereotypes giving a more realistic expectation of a group of people whether it be male or female or different races.
I produced a game about a shooting war with both a male and female character. However the male character is represented as being the main signifier, following typical stereotypes. This relates to Jean Kilbournes theory about men being objectified as well as women but in a more competent and strong way. Focussing on the masculinity in ways such as holding the gun in a powerful and confident positive ready for action at the edge of the cliff. He is a big, muscular build with less protective armour to portray the reactionary idea that men don’t need help.
On the other hand I believe that this is a negative representation of masculinity as it tries to create a radical image of how men should look (when this is unrealistic for the majority). I think it would have been better if my male character challenged this stereotypes and used a positive counter type to try and shape the way that men think of themselves and how they see women.
Whereas on the other side of the cliff where the female is positioned, she is seemed to be further away from the edge showing she is less capable and more likely to get in danger so has to stay at a safe distance. As shown in the feminist frequency videos about “damsel in distress”, a women’s main purpose in a game is to keep the plot going by the man needing to assist the woman.
Futhermore, usually the clothing which the female is wearing is tighter and more objectifying. In my game the female is wearing non-revealing clothing but more protection than the man still suggesting she is weaker but not sexualising her. Sexualising women in video games is unacceptable as it normalises dangerous attitudes towards women and increases the sexual violence threat towards them: “52% of Hispanic people studied believed there was a link between violent video games and real-world violence.”- Levelling up article.
I am going to makes a games box cover based around the game “Call of Duty”. I aim to portray the idea that women are equally as powerful as men and shouldn’t be seen from the “male glaze” by putting both a male and female on the front cover. They will both be in the same stance and wear non-revealing clothing: avoiding typical male sexualisation of females in-game. Calling it “Ancient shooting war”
I will use contrasting colours from the top of the cover to the bottom, mise-en-scene, large bold writing for the title and different shapes to introduce mystery hiding behind them, using both icon and indexical signs to allow for increased interest.
The type of company that would make my cover would be a big brand Eldos who make many popular games and the type of people that would consume it would be both male and female but mainly male aged around 12 and up.
The male gaze– How men objectify (view) women and sexualizing’s them as being less capable creating empowerment in men.
Laura Mulvey– She was the person who came up with the idea about the male gaze as they were many issues with gender in film and other media. She is a feminist and says that films are made in the view of a heterosexual men trying to reveal sexually attractive parts of a woman by camera angles, zoom-ins or other strategies.
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.
Quotes
“52% of Hispanic people studied believed there was a link between violent video games and real-world violence.”
“This poor representation of Asian women perpetuates the stereotype that they are meek, submissive, sexual objects who exist purely for men’s entertainment.”
“new range of diverse player avatars, complete with wheelchairs, complete with a greater range of skin tones, complete with more expressive gender-agnostic clothing”
“It is isolating not to be thought of or considered in the culture you desperately want to consume and be part of.”
“women then stands in patriarchal couture as signifier for the male other”
“women displayed as a sexual object”
“Euthanised damsel- only solution is to kill damsel in order to protect her”
“Woman in refrigerator- women killed off to continue male story development and seek revenge”
