The Sexism Debate in the Game Industry

The Touchy Subject

I firmly expect that this article is going to make at least one person angry, and I am OK with that. However, before you fly off the handle, dear reader, try to read the article through to the end with an open mind. There is no question that there could be better representation of characters in games, just as there is no question that equality is a worthy goal to strive for. However, the current climate of debate is inherently destructive.

This article is not an attempt to solve the issue of stereotyping and/or sexism in gaming, or to deny it’s existence. Yes, there are issues with the way characters are portrayed in video games, but those issues exists regardless of race or gender. Instead, I hope to engage readers in productive, constructive debates be establishing a platform for discussion that doesn’t start by demonizing 50% of the population or tearing down the works of others.

A Baseline for Discussion

I think the initial baseline for any discussion has to start with respect. If we can not deal with each other respectfully, we might as well hang up our hats and go home, stop making and  games and entertainment, and just shake our heads at the pathetic state of humanity. Discussions like these should happen, through them we are able to improve. However, if they are destructive in nature then they do not improve anything. 

Respect means that we do not tear down, but instead we build up. It means that we do not imply motives where no evidence of such motives exist. We do not look to be offended or to give offense, but rather look to give and receive understanding. Without this, there can be no progress.

The second part of that baseline has to come in the form of tolerance and understanding. Not ever game is made or meant for you. You are not the sole audience of the video game industry. Regardless of your personal taste, political or ideological beliefs, and regardless of your moral values, you have no right to push those on to other people or demand that they share them.

Sexism and Tropes in Gaming

I want to reiterate here that there is no doubt whatsoever that there is gender inequality in gaming as far as character representation. I also do not doubt some of the population, whether on the production or consumption side of the house are actually sexist. That applies equally to both genders. There are women that hate men just as much as there are men that hate women. What is in doubt is how much of the bias it is intentional, how much of it is reflective of the general gaming culture vs. the culture of the world at large, and how one sided it is. 

I’m certain many of you watched, read about, or at least heard about the entire Anita Sarkeesian incident, which actually made me ashamed to call myself a gamer. For one, I don’t like being lumped under the same umbrella as the little jerks that were harassing her for what she was trying to do, and two, I don’t want to be associated with people like her that feel the need to tear down other people’s work to promote their own political or ideological agenda. I strongly disagreed with their actions and her methods and feel they all deserve a good round of smacks to the back of the head.

In particular, her misuse of the concept of tropes struck me as disingenuous and annoying. In a recent discussion with Raph Koster, noted designer and author of books such as “A Theory of Fun”, we talked about this very topic. One of the subjects that came up is the nature of tropes in general. Tropes are neither positive nor are they negative. They are not for or against anyone. They simply are. They are shorthand characterizations that the audience can immediately recognize and are used as literary devices to convey a lot of information in a short amount of space. In short, they are stereotypes that we all recognize.

The two important things about stereotypes is that they have to be true often enough to be recognized by the public, and they are often exaggerated for effect. This makes them particularly useful in mediums where you have limited bandwidth to divulge character details, for example games, stand-up comedy, short stories, and music. In all of these mediums, you have a very, very limited amount of time and space to devote towards character development, as opposed to say a novel, feature length film, or television serial. Yet even in those mediums, the use of tropes is unavoidable because everything is a trope. So proclaiming that writers should write without resorting to tropes is like saying chefs should cook without resorting to using ingredients.

Another important aspect to recognize is that there are tropes that apply to everyone, regardless of age, sex, or gender, and they are all used liberally throughout pop culture. For example, consider some of the following tropes regarding people other than strictly women (feel free to look these up on tvtropes.org):

• Men are the Expendable Gender(Men)
• Closer to Earth(Minorities)
• Magical Native American(Minorities)
• White Knighting(Men)
• Sacrificial Lion(Generally Male)
• Dirty Old Man
• False Teeth Tomfoolery
• The Al Bundy
• The Bald Black Leader Guy
• The Bastard Bastard
• The Bastard Boyfriend

The list could go on and on for days. The point is, not all tropes are against women, not even most of them. More importantly, they are not inherently BAD. So, to me at least, the entire concept of ‘tropes against women’ falls apart. The tropes do exist, and perhaps on some level do reflect the attitudes of society. More likely, though, is that they actually reflect society itself in an over dramatized fashion, using exaggeration to point out the silliness of the trope itself. In short, when you watched Steve Urkle and compared him to your other intelligent friends, you realized that they were not some closet freak wackos that blew up their house performing arcane experiments, but rather they were just normal, highly intelligent people. It was the juxtaposition of the fantasy with the reality that made the realization strike. The show even highlighted that fact later by turning the character into Stephan. 

Feminism, Radical Feminism, and Game Criticism

Before I start on this particular section, I invite you to look up the differences between feminism and radical feminism. Many self-proclaimed feminist fit within the original definition, and seek the goals proscribed therein. However, like any political or ideological group, you have your radicals. The radicals are dramatically different in that they generally advocate rather extreme actions that are disproportionate to the supposed ‘crime’. They are also notorious for being rather inventive in their propaganda, dismissive of anyone that disagrees with them(including the group they are supposed to be supporting, ironically), and quite obviously insane.

Unfortunately, I am not sure which category critics like Sarkeesian fall into. She seems intelligent enough, but due to some of her past associations with known radical feminist organizations like Bitch Magazine, I find it very difficult to take her at face value as simply seeking gender equality. More to the point, I found her to be intellectually dishonest. However, this section is not about her, per se, it is about allowing your personal ideologies to cloud your judgment when you are supposedly trying to ‘improve’ something. 

Being neutral is perhaps one of the hardest things in the world to do. It requires that you be able to look at ever perspective and see it for what it really is, and to make a rational decision or suggestion based on the best information available.

When we criticize games, we often do it from an emotional standpoint. Consider for a few minutes the tremendous backlash that EA has gotten over their recent debacle. There is not a game on the market today that was shipped bug free, and didn’t require a patch when you first installed it or soon after, much less an MMO that doesn’t go through birthing pains. So, while there are certainly many valid points to the complaints, most of them are simple knee jerk emotional responses that will die down as the game stabilizes  This is exactly what we saw with Diablo 3. 

When we get into some of the deeper topics of video games, it becomes that much harder to stay neutral because many of us are emotionally invested in games. That is part of what makes us gamers and makes us love them so much. At the beginning of the article, I mentioned that topics such as sexism, especially ones which are emotionally charged, have to be approached from the outset with respect. Calling someone’s treasured childhood memory a “Fighting F*^$toy” or a “slut’ is a slap in the face. There is nothing respectful about it. Particularly when these characters were never portrayed that way. Similarly, calling someone racial or sexist slurs because they criticized a favorite game of yours is pretty crappy and disrespectful as well. 

A Starting Point

So, for a starting point, lets throw some ideas out there for having a productive conversation about hard to deal with topics in the game industry and culture. 

• Don’t refer to people, ideas, products, or games with pejoratives. The English language is vast and there is plenty of valid critiquing words that can be used instead of F*^& Toy & Jew B&*^%.
• Don’t resort to Ad Hominem Attacks –  If you can prove your point objectively without attacking the individual, keep your yap shut because you haven’t a clue.
• Don’t slander people, ideas, products, or games. The burden of proof for your statements is on you, and you should certainly back up your claims with cold hard facts. If you can’t prove that the designer hates women, don’t make the claim.
• Try to refrain from stereotyping – Not all men are sexist pigs, not all women belong in the kitchen, not all jocks are stupid, not all girls like pink, not all boys like guns and violence, and not all pretty women are whores. 
• Be Objective – Take yourself and your opinions out of the equation. Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and they all stink. Be objective. If you think something is wrong, say so, and explain why, in detailed objective terminology. 
• Be Constructive – If you don’t have a solution or an idea that might give insight into a potential solution, don’t chime in on the problem. If you have something to say that adds value to the conversation, by all means, share it politely.
• Be Honest – If you are going to identify yourself with a group or ideology, be honest about it. When you work under false pretenses you tear down what others have worked hard to build. If you want equal treatment for everyone, be a humanist. If you want preferential treatment, then be honest about it and align yourself accordingly.