[This is a two-part feature on the objectification of men in video games. Kurosune approached the issue from the female point of view, and SarahTheRebel will feature Part 2 from the male perspective next week!]

It all started when one of my friends posted this on their Facebook page:

And, me being me, I LAUGHED HYSTERICALLY. Not because I’m a “bitchy feminazi,” but because I can’t remember if it was a guy or a girl who posted it. In fact, while on the hunt to find out who it was that posted this picture, I decided to open up my Facebook to comments about how gamers, both male and female, felt about this picture, and the response was overwhelmingly female. I mean, seriously: NO males answered.

But. Please know that I was dying from lack of breath because I was laughing so hard at some of the responses, because they were hysterical.

*

The following comments are from some of the top girl gamers I know, all in their twenties:

Katie Bailey

Not many, save for the few nerds trying to save money with stationary-bike-powered-electricity to cut down on the rent they pay while living in their parents’ basement.

For a realistic response:

It’s true that objectification does go both ways, but, with male objectification, it tends to spin along the lines of wish fulfillment. These are depictions of the “bad ass,” where the character designs are those that some guys wish they could look like. They yearn to emulate the character’s look and personality. On the whole, these are more of who the assumed consumers – and, in some cases, the creators – want to become during the time that they pick up the controller. When it comes to female objectification, it’s less that these are who women want to be and more of what men want to stare at. Even there, note the difference: who versus what. That’s probably a lot of why I, personally, tend to relate to and enjoy a lot of male characters more than female ones; plenty of male characters have quick wits, intelligence, well-thought-out backstories, and enjoyable dynamics, while a sickening amount of ladies are depicted as DDDs and a g-string.

Madeline Deligiannis

(Madeline asked not to be pictured, but I’m still happy for her input!)

While I agree that there are not many men who look like this, I don’t see this as men being objectified. I think “power fantasy” when I see these characters. You want to be these guys. They’re seen as charismatic leaders and powerful warriors, not damsels in distress. Unlike their female counterparts, these guys are not slut shamed and put into chainmail bikinis or overly-sexualized costumes. When I start seeing banana hammocks as unlockable costumes for even half of these characters, then we can talk about men being objectified.

Linda Young

In RPGs, I think I’ve only seen it happen once or twice where a female pulls out items from somewhere other than her cleavage. (I have discovered that I can hide a whole tool box in my bra, so I see where that came from now.)

Men tend to be more built, which is something much more achievable in real life through hard work and dedication. Women would likely need plastic surgery, a few ribs removed, and possibly relocated hips to achieve the look that some game developers create. 

I think it’s how those buff men are perceived. They’re buff, strong, handsome, and tough. A Man’s Man. A Badass. Women, though, are perceived as less badass when they are covered up or have smaller boobs. 

Also, keep in mind that games are designed to sell. and what sells the best? Sex. Sexy women sell games. Buff men sell games. Skinny guys and tiny women don’t sell as many games.

For me, it’s not about graphics, how buff a guy is, or the achievements. I play games for the story. Or I play a game because it is fun. I could care less what a character looks like if the game is crap. Saying the graphics were good is like saying Avatar: The Last Airbender (the movie) was good. It was terrible, and only the graphics were good. Are you really so amazed by spectacle that you’ve forgotten what plot is?

Juko Von Dezmo

Are they supposed to be sexy? The only one I find any bit attractive is Hawke from Dragon Age II. The one on the farthest right is just scary. And the thought that this is for the women is just plain wrong. I mean, if anything, it is more for the men. It also increases the already existing feeling of inadequacy, because this is what they assume women are attracted to (leading to the sex scenes, and the lure they have towards all romantic interests or side characters in game). These are to help the audience like the characters, and to help the game with being plausible. Because I don’t think Kratos could have done half the shit he does if he had the physique of any random bloke.

Mia Kennedy

I think men in gaming are depicted depending on what they do. For example, Leon from Resident Evil is a government agent; he is supposed to be buffed out a bit with muscles. We need to know that he can handle himself and that he has skills; you are not gonna believe he is an ex-government agent running around killing zombies with a body like Nicole Richie’s.

The first guy in the pic looks like he is from Syphon Filter (could be wrong) – again, military special ops. He is supposed to be buffed out a bit with muscles, because we want to believe he can handle himself.

The second guy, same thing – I don’t know what game he is from, but it has to be something where he is kicking ass and taking names, so you want him to look that.

God of War? Give me a break – he is slaying Gods, for Pete’s sake, which is hard to do when you look like you can’t complete two sit ups. It’s just good characterization.

Actually, most guys in this poster are depicted that way due to their characterization. These guys are supposed to be fighters, killers. Last time I checked, the guys in real life who do those jobs are well-ripped; do you see any wrestlers without a six-pack? No. Guys in the military are HOT – they are ripped, and they have to keep their body in top condition. It means the difference between a bullet in the ass or living. Do you see fat and flabby MMA fighters? What about a fitness model? NO, so why would I make a male character who I know is supposed to be badass skinny and frail looking? My point is, most guys in video games are supposed to be ass-kicking, powerful heroes, because usually the game calls for it. But in Silent Hill, is that dad super muscled and ripped with huge biceps that scare little children and are stuff nightmares are made of? No, that would be stupid, because he is an average dad and he looks like one. Imagine writing a character who is a male stripper (I use example because my boyfriend is one, lol) are you gonna make him avg because most men are? Nope, you are gonna make him hot with muscles and a six-pack. Strippers are hot because they have to be – it means more money.

Men are rarely objectified in media; people can make a guy as attractive or as unattractive as they want. Why? Because women hardly care. How many men do you see who are unattractive with hot girlfriends? Beyonce and Jay-Z,  Janet Jackson and her ex, plus many more.

Now women, no matter their profession, what they are doing or not doing in movies, games, music, etc., are always hot and a man’s dream girl. They have to have boobs, be skinny, and more to qualify, and I have noticed in manga and anime it’s something that is often pointed out. Girls’ purpose in many things are to be a sidekick and something pretty to look at, especially in games. Leading heroines are always beautiful, skinny, and white – lots of times, a man’s thoughts on what the ideal women should look like and act. I think women are heavily objectified and stereotyped by both their sex and race.

*

FINALLY, the person who posted the picture came forward. Why I was even surprised, I don’t know, but she is one of the biggest wisecrackers I have ever met. A girlfriend of mine from high school who has a tongue that doubles as a lethal weapon and is full of sarcasm and awesome, Sam Snyder had this to say about the picture she posted with the original caption:

Aside from the awesome Monty Python reference at the end that had me howling with laughter, what’s interesting is that her friend Jake posted a picture from Imgur, with which I COULD NOT AGREE MORE:

And now without further ado, Sam Snyder’s reply when I re-posted the image:

Sam Snyder

My two cents: since we cast men in these horrible objectifying roles possessing strength, power, directive, virtue, etc., it’s only fair to cast women into roles that emphasize their most important qualities: tits and ass. While this is not always true in the rare game that features a playable female protagonist, the female side characters are generally there as eyecandy. Or a good fuck.

*

Now, I’m curious to know what you, readers, think of this reverse sexism when it comes to men in video games. My take on it is that, put simply, NO. I do not see a double-standard. I really just can’t. Women are, in fact, the ones who are mostly objectified in the games, and there’s no denying it: most female leads (up until recently) have all been given wildly disproportionate bodies.

The main lady that comes to mind is Tifa Lockhart (before her “breast reduction surgery”)

She was redesigned by the man himself, Tetsuya Nomura, for later games and movie Advent Children, because he said he wanted more players to focus on Tifa as a “positive female role model for girls.” Her breast size was later reduced to more “average” standards for someone of Tifa’s weight and height, and her brand-new design was first revealed in Advent Children:

Now, personally, I’m a fan of both outfits. I mean, I’ve always loved Tifa, and she will always remain a badass in my eyes regardless of what she wears. (Honestly, I feel for her, though – that moron Cloud will never get his act together. Meanwhile, I’m pretty damn sure Aerith is sitting on cloud nine – literally – with that hunky Zack Fair (YES. I ship them like FED-EX!) and wishes Cloud would stop fawning over her, given…depending on how you view it…Cloud was kinda the one who killed her, not Sephiroth (for more on that, watch here). Best believe I’ll touch upon that in a later article.

But, before I digress too much. As you can see, female leads in video games have actually gone from the female protagonist being this chick with huge knockers and an unrealistic body-type who prances around half-naked (with an airhead personality to match) to the badass ladies we have today, who manage to be sexy while also being more relateable to female gamers, and, yes, showing a more take-charge attitude instead of playing second banana to a male protagonist. The female protagonists we have today basically give the big middle finger to female stereotypes in games, and defy the usual tropes when it comes to how a female protagonist should look, act, think, etc. These ladies are the first to come to mind:

Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII

Bayonetta from Bayonetta

Nariko from Heavenly Sword

Just to name a few. Believe me, there are more, but I don’t want to continue to digress from the main point here, which again, is the picture featured at the very top. So, that brings us to our main point (at last!)–

Are men objectified in video games as well? Many of the male characters in the picture in question above, along with the games, are intended for male audiences. Of course they wouldn’t want to play as some scrawny, wimpy protagonist who didn’t look like a total badass, right?

I hate to say it, but from what I’ve seen and experienced, and based on the taste of my close guy friends and male relatives, they tend to prefer their games with “a lotta action and a lotta tits.” Or even without a female character present at all. However, that’s not a generalization of the type of games all men prefer; I have guy friends (who I won’t name, because they’ll honestly kill me) who love playing Harvest Moon with me, and some even enjoy playing as the female leads and not the male ones. Does that put their sexuality into question? Of course not. That would be like saying that myself or other female gamers who enjoy playing as the male character in video games are either “self-hating women who need a man to get the job done right,” or we’re lesbians.

See how dumb that sounds? Either way you spin it, it sounds moronic.

Of course, referencing my guy friends, these are the same men who love smashing heads in God of War and think Solid Snake is GOD. But what is the purpose of video games? Entertainment and to indulge in pure fantasy that we as gamers enjoy. That’s it. So, do I personally feel as though men who look like this are being objectified?

Again, no.

Do I personally have a tendency to objectify the men in video games? Um. That would be a yes. What? I’m not a hypocrite, and I’m not going to lie to you all and say, “For shame! I would NEVER look at a male video game character in such a sexual light!”

I have. Multiple times. Ask anyone who knew me back in high school: I thought Riku from Kingdom Hearts 2 was sex on legs. Seriously, I bust out screaming when he was finally revealed.

And don’t even get me started on Hwoarang from Tekken, who everyone knows I have the biggest, raging ladyboner for.

Mmmm.…guys who show their midriffs. Yum.

Still, those are my personal preferences. I definitely don’t lust over Kratos (who scares the ever-living hell outta me, even if he is a badass), and frankly, any man who has muslces like Ryu from Street Fighter honestly grosses me out (or again, scares the hell out of me). At the end of the day, it’s up to each person and their own personal tastes to turn a male character into something lustful and sexual and all that jazz.

But, men in video games? Objectified by the masses? HA. But maybe we women are being the overly sensitive creatures we tend to be. I mean, for God’s sake, it’s NOT like any creators have made it so that male players can control the cleavage of a female character….

…Oh. Wait. YES THEY DID. Dead Or Alive 5 has a brand new feature: enhanced boob control.

Behold: six minutes of tits (even I had to laugh).

…And you REALLY think men are the ones being objectified in video games? Please, don’t make me laugh. Like Madeline said: “When I start seeing banana hammocks as unlockable costumes for even half of these characters, then we can talk about men being objectified.”