Sex Sells

Not my usual subject for ranting, I know, but this post over at Pixiepalace got me thinking. The venerable Rosepixie was a friend of mine from long ago and a land far away, though we've been only intermittently in touch for the last couple of years.

Her post deals with issues of marketing to female gamers, specifically, the over-sexualization of female characters and avatars in the gaming industry. Her complaint is, specifically, that the women on the promotional art (and sometimes on the boxes) is degrading, irrational, and oftentimes impossible.

I’m always on the lookout for gaming art with images of women that make me want to play the game or, even better, play that particular female character. I was a kid in the era when Ms. Pac-Man and Princess Peach were about the only female characters that were terribly prominent in the video game world. This led me to believe for a long time that video games weren’t really for me. I didn’t really want to be a princess in a pink frilly dress who constantly needed rescuing (What is up with that anyway? Somebody needs to buy Peach some books on how to be self-reliant!). Anyway, we’re beyond that now. These days, women are everywhere in the world of video games. Unfortunately, they still have a ways to go when it comes to being attractive as avatar images for women.

One commenter noted that women are not the target audience of these designs (there are images on Rosepixie's blog), and therefore, because more men than women buy games, it is the men to whom the designs are marketed. Rosepixie counters with the logical if-you-don't-market-to-them-they-won't-buy-it answer, and I think she's right. But I also think that by assuming a specific marketing audience, the marketers are perpetuating certain, very negative, stereotypes.

First of all, your "average" guy isn't going to go for the image of a woman in armor, no matter how scanty that armor may be. Not only does it very often look funny, but it would be a pain in the royal patootie to get off... which, let's be honest, is what most guys are after.

Second, these images of seemingly idiotic women in even more idiotic armor reinforces the idea that women just don't belong on the battlefield. And if they're wearing THAT, I'm going to have to be forced to agree. At least make the men equally stupid and in equally bizarre clothing so that everybody's got an equal change of being skewered.

Third, most gamers are more than happy to make the acquaintance of a female gamer. Especially if she knows what she's doing... unlike the ever-so-charming artistic depictions of her. Competence, like confidence, is very sexy.

I do acknowledge that a girl in full armor probably doesn't sell... oh, wait. Samus. A girl in full armor. Selling. (This would be Metroid, for those not in the know.) Admittedly, it's not really humanly feasible armor, but it is at least armor.

Anyway, my point being that if sexy sells, fine. But then be sexy to the men, too. Show that sexy does not always mean stupid. It doesn't always mean I'm-about-to-die-of-exposure. It doesn't always mean I'm-helpless. Show both genders in equally revealing/tight clothing that is actually wearable and in circumstances in which said clothing won't get them immediately killed.

Is that really so much to ask?