'Damsel in Distress' trope in video games...

While looking up the term 'feminine ideal' on Google today (and doing a little deep clicking), I came across a video on YouTube featuring a woman discussing the 'damsel in distress' trope that is so commonly used in video games and its sequel.

Part 1 - http://youtu.be/X6p5AZp7r_Q

Part 2 - http://youtu.be/toa_vH6xGqs

I have several retorts to these two videos.

TALKING POINTS RELATED TO PART 1...

1.) Why must you over-analyze and try to ruin the happier parts of my childhood? Did you really think I would have noticed these things as a child? Do you really think that I thought LESS of women because of a bunch of games? That is ridiculous and it doesn't give me (or any other players) enough credit.

2.) Peach was indeed made to be the 'Damsel in Distress' for Mario to constantly save from the bad guys. That's the whole point of the main series in the Mario franchise. I'm surprised there aren't more in-jokes about it in the games themselves.

3.) Why would you be surprised at Shigeru Miyamoto using this trope so often? He's Japanese. That society is by far the most racist and sexist in the world. They have the attitude that 'if you aren't Japanese, you aren't shit' and/or thinking of outsiders as a sub-Human species. The only possible exception is that they offer begrudging respect to Americans. The reasons behind that being that they are afraid of pissing us off again and because their export economy depends on us buying their products. It's so ingrained in their culture now that they routinely smile at/offer peace signs with their index and bird fingers to every American (or just Caucasian-looking) person they see in their country. I know this to be true based on numerous first-hand reports from individuals I've met who have traveled and/or lived in Japan over the years.

Simply put, Shiggy may not be aware of the fact that some feminists consider the 'damsel in distress' trope to be offensive. Even if he did, he probably wouldn't care. Miyamoto-san is a smart man. He probably uses this trope so much because it's easy for children, Mario's largest audience demographic, to understand. If it helps the storyline, who cares if some people get offended? I routinely get offended at certain types of stories in popular entertainment but, no one gives a shit if I consider it offensive and nor should they care. Not everyone is going to like your work as an artist. That is the way life works.

4.) I agree that Peach should be a playable character/hero in more games, especially if she has the ability to fly like in the American version of Super Mario Bros. 2. Nintendo recognized that and made a title called 'Super Princess Peach' for the DS a few years ago. However, they portrayed her as an overly emotional person, again relying on stereotypes about women. I haven't played that game (yet) so, I can't give more info/perspective.

5.) There are plenty of strong female hero characters in games. Nintendo made one named Samus Aran in 1986 with the game Metroid. Eidos Interactive made another in 1996 with their game Tomb Raider. Both of those characters were highly sexualized to appeal to the mostly male gaming audience but, that doesn't matter to me. I like those franchises because they are fun, not because the main character is some kind of digital masturbation fantasy. The same also applies to Joanna Dark from the Perfect Dark franchise. Although, I don't believe she was ever as sexualized as Lara Croft or Samus Aran in the Zero Suit.

6.) Mario vs. Donkey Kong wasn't just a franchise for DS. It started on the GBA. Please get your facts straight.

7.) Marian getting punched at the beginning of Double Dragon was a bit much. As a child though, I simply thought that the bad guys who did that to her were being assholes and needed to get their asses kicked. It galvanized me to want to save her, which made the 'damsel in distress' trope all too effective in that case. It might be a bit inappropriate for kids (not to mention brutal to watch for females that have been victimized in some way) but, it sure was effective game design. The NES port of that arcade classic also has one of the most awesome opening themes of any NES games I have ever played.

8.) Did it occur to you that maybe I'm protective of women because that is what my father taught me to do? It has nothing to do with patronizing, sexist attitudes or pop culture. It had EVERYTHING to do with being chivalrous and the fact that most women do NOT have the same kinds of physical strength as men. Most women are not going to last long in a fist fight with some brute that's decided he wants something from that woman that she doesn't want to give him. It probably doesn't matter whether what he wants is her p***y or her purse, either. That is why my father taught me to protect women from male predators. It's not that they are weak. It's because protecting them with my strength is the right thing to do.

If it's not right to inadvertently stereotype a woman, then it's not right to inadvertently stereotype a man, either.

TALKING POINTS RELATED TO PART 2...

1.) I don't think I'd fall in love with someone just because they are vulnerable and need someone to save them from whatever. In fact, that might actually be a turn-off. I like women that are strong and smart enough to NOT be put into a vulnerable position on a regular basis. If I were Mario, I'd tell Peach to raise an Army to defend the Mushroom Kingdom. I would get really aggravated with CONSTANTLY having to rescue her from Bowser. No, that wouldn't ruin Mario games forever. It would just introduce new plot devices to make them more interesting and less formulaic.

2.) Actually, I can think of at least one game where a female lead character is out to avenge her murdered family. It was called Rouge Ops and it was a multi-platform title on the PS2, XBOX and GameCube. Sadly, it had terrible controls and no way (at least none that I could discover) to get out of the FIRST DAMNED ROOM. Not even the first level, just the first room! What a crappy game. I fully intend to use it for target practice at the range someday. It deserves to eat lead courtesy of my 1911.

3.) The whole 'your wife was murdered and her soul is unfairly trapped in Hell' trope is definitely overused. Personally, I would have never thought of it as being sexist or anti-woman in any way. I don't think of those things and Pop Culture does NOT influence my thinking at all. I think for myself. I'm sure more gamers than not also think for themselves. Please don't assume that we allow ourselves to be led blindly by other people through media.

4.) Sensationalism supposedly used to add emotional depth but is really just trying to cover for blatant Misogyny? Really?! Are you sure you are not over thinking this too much? It's only a game!

That being said, I could do without scenes featuring violence against women. It disturbs me.

5.) Mentioning the misogyny in games like Duke Nukem and Grand Theft Auto III is kind of a no-brainer. Those games were never meant to be something noble or chivalrous. Hell, Duke's only thought behind saving the world is 'Hey those alien scumbags are kidnapping all the babes!' or something along those lines. That's just crude humor that I personally don't find funny.

In fact, Duke Nukem deserves to be left behind in the dustbin of gaming history. His character (or lack thereof) is repulsive to all but adolescent males who like making immature sex jokes, assuming they haven't already abandoned him anyway. Duke Nukem Forever was resoundingly rejected by the gaming community and should have been left in Development Hell.

6.) I'm not comfortable with the whole 'your girlfriend has been made evil and now you have to kill her' plot device, either. Forget any concerns on how that might make violence against women socially acceptable (which anyone with a brain should know is NOT acceptable at all), it's also lazy storytelling on the part of game designers.

7.) Yes, most games are geared to a male audience. For most of the industry's history, males have been the predominant gender among players. This is starting to change and with it, so will the games themselves to appeal to new audiences. I look forward to that because I want new types of stories (assuming the game needs a story at all) and new play mechanics. No matter how much I love Mario & Zelda games, saving the Princess again and again does get old. So do revenge stories like God of War or 'save her soul/legacy' stories like Dante's Inferno. Don't even get me started on 'save the world' storylines. That couldn't get any more trite if it tried.

8.) Men wanting revenge against someone that took their women and children from them existed long before video games ever did, both in media and the real world. It's not going away. It's not always a limitation on 'male responses' to such things, either. In fact, it's a cultural imperative for many societies on Earth, particularly Sicilians and their tendency to engage in a vendetta against their enemies. It might not have anything to do with violence against a woman or children, either. Blaming games for perpetuating a stereotype here is illogical because it's not a stereotype. It's something that actually happens. Human Nature is not always pretty and the stories about Human Nature should reflect that where appropriate.

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The host in these videos said towards the end of part 2 that there would be a part 3. I couldn't find it on YouTube so, it probably hasn't been made/uploaded yet. If I ever do find it, I'll offer rebuttal to that one too.

- Lord Publius