Make me a sammich woman! (The representation of women inside and outside video games) Rough draft

Women as a whole truly have come a long way in the past century. They have evolved from a weak, subservient being that only cared for house and home, to influential leaders of industry and politics. And while it is logical to think that a relatively new medium of pop culture, video games, would embrace a more contemporary viewpoint on gender, the opposite case is true. Women everywhere are still considered the weaker sex by men, and this is reflected by the continuing sexist attitudes and stereotypes to which Americans adhere. “Why is she out of the kitchen? She should be making me a sandwich!” “Girls shouldn’t be allowed equal opportunities with men because they’ll push men out of their own responsibilities.” “Women can’t play video games!” These are all stereotypical statements that are not true by any sense of the word. And yet, people all over the world continue to hold beliefs like these. I personally believe that people of all shapes, sizes, genders, and beliefs should treat each other with respect and as equals. . Tolerance and equality are important to Americans, so why do Americans continue to treat men and women differently on so many levels?

World of Warcraft is a massive multiplayer online role playing game, or MMORPG for short. In this game, the objective is to group up with friends to slay computer generated monsters. In-game, males and females have the same stats and the same combat abilities they use to destroy said monsters. However, there are subtle differences between the two genders. Male characters that wear armor normally have large, bulky, plated-looking armor that covers the whole body. Their metallic shoulder pads and tough-looking protection seem fitting for a warrior in a fantasy battle setting. However, the armor as seen on a female (with the same stats and bonuses) will be completely different. The shoulder pads will be much smaller, their face may not be completely covered by a helmet, and even their chestplate armor may not even cover their stomach area. Blizzard Entertainment, the company responsible for World of Warcraft, seems to be saying that while men and women are equal in terms of ability, the women should always seem to be attractive and the men should always be muscular and brutish. There are many other examples of how women are portrayed in video games as being equal in ability, but different in gender roles. The Soul Calibur and Tekken series are good examples. In these two games, the objective is to simply battle each other using fists, swords, and whatever else one may have until there is only one man (or woman) left standing. Although the male and female characters can both be played to a powerful level(which Paula Gaetos proved to us in her entry in She’s Such a Geek!), there are still gender discrepancies. The women are nearly always thin, attractive, and scantily clad, while the men are nearly always big and burly. These games seem to be sending us mixed messages-women are equal to men and both are equally capable beings, but women are supposed to do so while wearing very little clothing at all and being attractive to men. Why do these discrepancies arise between genders?

The point I am trying to make is this: a person’s gender, race, or beliefs are not determinants of how well a person can perform any task on any level anywhere, and yet people all over the world seem to think otherwise. Paula Gaetos proved that she and her female characters can beat many male characters (as well as male people) at their own game. Morgan Romine and her Frag Dolls have also shown that gender plays no role in gaming skill and prowess. Women in positions of power, like Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin have displayed prowess at their jobs as well. And yet, gamers everywhere I have spoken to seem to genuinely believe that there is something inherent about a woman that makes her incapable of learning how to accomplish anything more than making food for a man! I believe that a prime reason for this attitude is the longstanding relationship between men and women. Men, for most of the world’s known history, have always been the dominant leaders. After witnessing the up and coming power of women, however, men everywhere have decided to tighten their holds on their power by belittling women’s standing in our culture and making them out to be subservient beings that exist only to please men. Feminism has pushed back, however, and it is gaining ground every day. While people still have a long way to go in terms of respecting each other as equals, regardless of gender, race, or creed, the doings of Morgan Romine, Paula Gaetos, and other feminists have begun to question the stereotypes currently in effect in America, and with time, I believe our stereotypical beliefs can be cut out of our culture for good, and we, as Americans, can finally embrace true equality.