Comments for Gender/Sexuality/Media

Comment on Forum: General Discussion by Avery Rain

Avery Rain — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 06:33:12 +0000

Just read a blog post that asserts that “the straight male gaze is almost totally irrelevant to fashion.” Thought it was interesting. (There is nudity!)

http://jezebel.com/5707470/lesbian-model-infiltrates-world+famous-nude-calendar-%5Bnsfw%5D

Comment on Forum: General Discussion by Rajsavi Anand

Rajsavi Anand — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 17:52:52 +0000

That’s actually really interesting, I’ve never actually given much thought to the sex of the character in terms of Wii Sports. I wonder if thats why this game seems to be so popular with both sexes. Is this the kind of “not boy game” that was talked about in that article?

Comment on Last reading questions! by Alexander Griffiths

Alexander Griffiths — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:52:33 +0000

Lazzaro suggests that, Extreme male games and extreme female games are probably not extremely fun games and that “both sexes have more in common than different”. Therefore why are game producers blind to this data, or are game manufacturers entrenched with patriarchal definitions that render them blind to new audiences? Or have games been sex split for so long that, splitting gaming into other categories, such as race or ethnicity or young, old seems too radical? Could one suggest men, want to maintain a monopoly on jobs within this industry and this dictates their motives to segregate gaming?

Comment on Last reading questions! by Eleanor Krause

Eleanor Krause — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:42:07 +0000

These articles talk about creating games that allow girls to experience aspects of traditionally male video games. What about giving boys the opportunity to access the more feminine sides of games? It seems that a boy playing a barbie video game would be less accepted than a girl who plays Halo. Why aren’t companies reaching out to the image of a more feminized male? Is this yet another example of media working to masculinize women as a means of power but not feminizing men?

Comment on Last reading questions! by Bryanna Kleber

Bryanna Kleber — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 06:53:12 +0000

Why are people searching for ways to get girls into video games? These people who are strategizing act like it’s so important and possibly even a necessity to get girls involved. Most girls think that video games are a waste of time–just like a lot of boys think the things girls do are a waste of time. Not often do you do you hear, on an intellectual level, strategies to get boys to go shopping or get their nails done because that would be demasculinizing to them and looked poorly upon.

Comment on Last reading questions! by Oliver Sutro

Oliver Sutro — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 06:36:19 +0000

“My own research suggests that women may come to enjoy male typed games if given the time an support to master them” How will time and support change anything? And in what form of support does Hayes mean? Men and Women are inherently different, is hayes suggesting that women can change their innate differences through time and support?

Comment on Last reading questions! by Amethyst Tate

Amethyst Tate — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:56:31 +0000

In Lazzaro’s article, she analyzes how game designers target women and men in differing ways, which is limiting, as not all men are interested in only car racing games and violence, just like not all women want to play games involving dressing up Barbie. However, is the best solution creating games that are gender neutral or are there considerable gender differences in the kinds of games preferred by boys and girls? Is gender the only issue? What about social class and ethnicity?

Comment on Last reading questions! by Maria Macaya

Maria Macaya — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:22:12 +0000

Lazzaro states that videogames that are strictly designed based on a masculine or femenine stereotype have a narrow market. Instead, games should appeal to both males and females. This increases the number of players and maximises the market. What effect would this transition have in society? How would the stereotypes and the constructions of masculinity and femeninity respond to an increasing number of “neutral” videogames? Would the gender divide be diminished? Would the stereotypes be deconstructed? How would players feel once that videogames are not strengthening the concept or their sense of masculinity or femeninity. Will they find the games more or less engaging?

Comment on Last reading questions! by Luke Martinez

Luke Martinez — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 04:25:15 +0000

Is it possible to create one video game that appeals to and can be popular with both males and females? What elements must this unified game contain to appeal to both sexes? Is Lazzaro’s argument too simple?

Comment on Last reading questions! by Amelia Furlong

Amelia Furlong — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 03:58:06 +0000

On Lazzaro:

Lazzaro suggests that because modern teenagers and young adults are becoming less bound by their gender, video game makers should target their games more at the interests of men and women who “bend traditional gender norms.” But will young men and women who “bend traditional gender norms” by playing video games? Even if video games were made more appealing to them, isn’t this a demographic that wouldn’t even know about these new games and who wouldn’t play them because of their macho, misogynist stereotypes?