misa2472 asked:Imagine there’s a problem with your favorite game: all female characters are wearing skimpy armor. But you like this game because of its interesting features and its unique gameplay. People are hating on it because of its looks. Does it make you a supporter of sexism by just playing it? It is right to judge a game because of its appearance and how it’s advertised without even playing it once? What would you say to those people?No, playing the game would not make you a supporter of sexism. As long as you recognize the problems with the game, and are willing to discuss those problems (read: not shutting out all criticism because it is your favorite thing and how dare anyone say anything negative ever about a thing you love [read: me in high school]), then you’re just enjoying something problematic. Which is a-okay! The SyFy channel has built an entire following based on just that.But, really, here’s an article (note: contains profanity) about how to be a fan of problematic things that could be interesting to anyone who might worry about having sexist guilty pleasures (Doctor Who, anyone?).As for how to approach people who criticize the way something is presented/advertised without ever playing the thing, well, they have the right to do so. Just as you have the right to have a discussion with them about how, while problematic, it still has strengths and maybe they should give it a try. They may take you up on the offer, they may not. People have different tolerance levels.-Staci
Provocative Armour
Because nothing says “cut me down the middle” quite like an exposed V-section going down a person’s torso. /serious
All joking aside, unless you’re one-third golem, or your skin is actually comprised of space titanium, I don’t give a shit how “beautiful” or “sexy” you are. You’ve left yourself wide open to all kinds of frontal (or back) attacks targeting that glistening, supple flesh. This means that while you attract more attention from the rabid fans craving medieval/alien “boobage”, you’re also a huge liability and I’ll have to keep worrying about a very potential casualty when I face archers.. gunners… swordsmen.. fuck, pretty much anything.
Gods, at least carry a personal shielding device or something, just so we know you can take a couple hits before splitting like a freshly hewn log.
That said, if your outfit UNDER the armour looks sexy, I’m not gonna really argue. We’ll only see it when you’re undressing – which I’m sure will be constantly, right? – and that isn’t normally something somebody does in a hostile situation.
Unless you’re Samus Aran, of course.
Words of wisdom.
Some parts bolded by yours truly.
there is nothing inherently liberating in showing skin
there is nothing inherently liberating in covering up
the liberation lies in the choice
RELEVANT.
Repair His Armor
This blog is dedicated to show and change the looks of ridiculous male armors (and other outfits)…
This cracked me up!
No, really, there aren’t any male characters who wear ridiculous, illogical, revealing outfits! None at all!
/sarcasmOh wait, those are power fantasies, so they totally don’t count. It’s not like men are killing themselves because of the high expectations that society sets for them and that are being reinforced by video games… while feminists completely ignore this issue because these are so-called power fantasies, and also, “lol male tears”
What if I told you that it’s possible to do activism without erasing and ridiculing the problems of the opposite group
Wow, someone is grasping at straws here.
Do you have some actual things to say, or you are just going to do the good old “lol ur stupid end of story” way of arguing?
The day these outfits are seen as “default” and the day we need to objectify and sexualize every male character in ALL games/comics/etc possible, only for the sake of female gaze, then your argument would work. But it doesn’t. These are rare cases of silly armor/outfits. Men do not have to deal with this in every damn game they’re playing. They have something called -gasp- variety!
Your argument would also work if male characters were a minority and rarely ever portrayed as main character, but rather as an love interest or something sexy to look at and ONLY THAT. Or, if they ARE main character – they must look sexy, because you’re supposed to drool at them; not wanting to be like them — and they can’t even be on the cover of their own story.
The day I see more of this I’ll be happy, because then we’re treated as equals. But, for now, we’re not.
– Tica
“I found three shirtless men in video games, look at the male gender being oppressed! Sexism is over, y’all!”
