The Protrayal of Women in Video Games

In this video by Feminist Frequency discusses the role women characters have in video games. For the most part, Feminist Frequency says, women characters have the role of the damsel in distress or “passive victims”. Princess Peach, for instance, in the Mario Bros. game plays that role. They’re generally very feminine, attractive and princess-like. Rather than playing the role of the savior or the hero the characters are usually portrayed as submissive, weak and helpless. It’s the male characters who are the hero who save the female. Also, often times the female character is fought over and “a prize to be won” by the male characters. It’s almost as if she’s a ball in a game which is passed back and forth. She does point out that even if the female character starts out strong they will often become weak, particularly it their femininity becomes apparent.

Even though it’s just a game and really just for fun there is a social impact. These games are very popular and played around the world and they give a backward impression of women. The female characters are always the helpless victims that need to be saved. They also empower men by reducing women as helpless victims. This, I think, sends a message that women are not equal and need to be protected and shielded. These games also portray men as the subjects and women as objects and this only further exacerbates the different expectations society has of men and women.