Anita Sarkeesian is a woman who runs the YouTube channel “feministfrequency” and runs a podcast on that same channel(https://www.youtube.com/user/feministfrequency). On June 4th of 2012, she started a kickstarter page to fund her newest video series: Tropes vs. Women in Video Games. She uploaded a video to advertise this series to her YouTube channel, where it was immediately panned by a ton of video game enthusiasts who “disagreed” with her making this series. Although I have no recollection of the events personally, I somewhat recall there being a huge debacle on her and her video series she was funding. The series was funded in less than 24 hours and went on to make $158,922 in funding from fans (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/566429325/tropes-vs-women-in-video-games).

In this series she dissects many tropes of women as they are portrayed in video games. This video series has three parts where she describes many tropes that are very common and that I agree are a major issue: The woman in the fridge, the damsel in distress, etc. She also lists some I don’t really agree with, but I digress. She pans very popular games by saying the women in those games are used as trophies, the end goal, and more. She continuously refers that not many games do these tropes well, and the few that do are few and far between. She finishes off the series giving an example of a video game that could be great with this, but it isn’t real and is just an idea from her head(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6p5AZp7r_Q).

Above: The thumbnail for the short animation she used to detail this nonexisting game, where a princess rescues herself and gets rid of the monarchy(from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZKtFfHIGrA)

This is not going to be a blog post deconstructing her views. Even if I don’t agree with her all the way, I admit one big fact: Positive female role models in games are few and far between. However, they do exist. So, unlike Sarkessian, I went on a journey to find these role models. I cannot define what they are since I am not a woman, I have no right to say what makes a good female role model. However, my sister does; as does my mother, many of my cousins, my best friend, and my roommates. So, I went to question as many female video game fans as I could to ask what they thought would qualify as a good female role model in a video game.

Of course, my mother and some cousins being of the earlier video game eras, commented on Samus from Metroid. Samus is a space explorer with a metal suit that she uses to kill aliens and save other humans. She doesn’t save damsels or dudes in distress, she just helps people, and if no people are around, well, she goes on to kill aliens. She isn’t really in distress, in fact, she (quoth my mother)”kicks alien ass!” My sister and roommates commented that they really liked Lara Croft. No, not from her early renditions where she has...unnecessary weight on her chest...no, the more recent rendition where she picks off cultists silently, isn’t afraid to run into danger if it means saving artifacts or people, and has a genuine care for people close to her. While some may comment that this care is part of a stereotype, I don’t think being caring should ever be considered a bad thing. Furthermore, my sister commented that the women in the Pokemon games never really became damsels in distress. Were a few evil and sadistic at some points? Yes, but the protagonist women were always helpful(such as Lillie, who travels and changes with the player to become braver along with having a genuine care for Pokemon, the somewhat pets in the game). My best friend even suggested the Sonic series females. While Sarkeesian comments on Amy being the damsel in distress, the later and more modern renditions show these gals packing a punch and not really needing saving. In fact, a few times, they have to save the dudes for being reckless.

nothing goes the way we intend it to the words we say the things we do so when Anita rambles on how sexism sells funny now she has to eat those words That ghostbuster's trailer? whatever reactions they're misogynist by consent buy our tickets it's progressive you want to see it want to see if it's shit sexism sells Changing that Tracer pose? Whoever complains they hate women by consent buy our videogame we have empowered characters you want to play it want to play it for shits sexism sells it's wishful thinking to just demand something come out of thin air withing thinking about it careful what you wish for or you might just get it so when I'm reminded of Anita purporting that sexism sells it's more true but not in the way she intends it to Making Thor female in source canon? whatever criticisms levied it's all misogynist by consent you'll still read the pages see if it's any good see if you're right all along sexism sells Changing the cover of Joker and Batgirl? despite the lack of context dumbasses still lament over trivial nonsense and you'll see if it improves you'll still buy it with your wallet buy into the race baiting nonsense sexism sells reactionary controversy sells so when someone calls it racist so when someone calls it sexist you'll want to see it to see if it rings true to spite those motherfuckers but they already have you buy their fists, buying tickets out of childlike nonsense sexism sells misunderstood rambling sells so when something is labeled racist so when something is labeled sexist you're damn sure that they'll sell it not that it is or isn't but by the nature of humanity we're curious to see if it's true sexism sells it's simplistic and lazy but we like easy conclusions to problems nuance and context get wrapped up in rubber bands to be shoved in someone's pocket if it's misogynist or otherwise nail that target demographic and lock it so when Anita labels something as oppressive to women she's implicitly selling you sexism under her navel Having women on the dollar bills? no matter the pander someone will call it like it is and someone will call it misogynist playing right into the hands of the target marketing you want to see what it'll look like no matter if it empowers or it's trite sexism sells Making Xena Warrior Princess gay? disregard source accuracy in favor of moral superiority and yet someone will call it misogynist and it's now a new brand label stamped in the corner and you are tempted to watch it not that you agree with the message but to see how it all falls in the end sexism sells reactionary controversy sells so when someone calls it sexist so when someone calls is racist you're damn sure you want to see it to spite them but they have you in your hand another six letter word sold just like any other on the market scale coldly calculated misunderstood rambling sells so when something is labeled sexist so when something is labeled racist you're damn sure that you want to set this debate clear but it's already too late they have your wallet they sell the pretense and sell the sexist reaction as a reason to buy more tickets to it You want to see it you want to see if it's shit sexism sells not in the way Anita intends it and now she eats the shit she crapped from her wit the pretense is sold for the cost of evidence pseudo scientific you want to see if it's shit you want to see if it holds up but they have your ticket they got your attention sexism sells not in the way Anita intends it so as apocalypse falls over her by the virtue of her words she eats the shit she spilled what is or isn't sexist is just another movie ticket to the disenfranchised labeled misogynists labeled bigots labeled ignorant sexism sells what is sexism well it certainly isn't a currency