Dead Island Torso Statue: Misogynistic? Stupid? Both? Neither?

[BloatedGuppy]

Deep Silver is promoting their new Dead Island thingy with a delightful conversation piece...a disembodied torso, dripping with gore, of the obvious gender.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/01/15/deep-silver-promote-dead-island-with-appalling-statue/

RPS is quite blunt when it comes to what they think of it:

Okay, no it?s not. This is beyond disgusting. It?s as if someone were attempting to demonstrate the most misogynist idea that could possibly be conceived, in an attempt to satirise the ghastly trend. A text book example of the most extreme ends of misogynist fantasy, a woman reduced to nothing but her tits, her wounds hideously depicted in gore, jutting bones, and of course barely a mark covering her globular breasts.

Others go on to argue otherwise in the comments.

So, thoughts? Do you find this misogynistic? Do you think it was deliberately misogynistic, in an attempt to gather some attention via shock? Do you think a hacked up female torso with a pneumatic bosom is just a tried and true horror convention, and they're just playing to their audience? Do you think the statue is neat? Do you think it's ugly? Would you buy this thing?

 

[Full]

I think it might be cool for horror memorabilia fans, but I would never touch the thing.

 

[PsychicTaco115]

I think it's stupid

It has nothing to do with zombies, it's just a women in a bikini, which frankly, you can find online for free >.>

I'll just not get this, thankyouverymuch

 

[Tohuvabohu]

I think it might be cool for horror memorabilia fans, but I would never touch the thing.

Also what I think. Seems like a horror/slasher-movie fanatic's sort of thing. That's what I'm reminded of when I see this.

Beyond that, I also think people are making a big deal outta this. Especially RPS.

Now excuse me, I must get indoors before the shitstorm hits.

 

[Sixcess]

As I said in the news thread, I'd be embarassed to have that thing in my house.

I get the same rather creepy feeling from it that I got from that Skyrim vid that showed up on youtube of the guy who decorated his in-game house with the severed heads of NPCs - all female NPCs, or the fascination the first trailers for the new Tomb Raider had with Lara-in-peril, Lara-tied-up, Lara-in-pain, Lara-being-sexually-threatened...

All in all I can't disagree with RPS's impressions. At best it's tasteless, at worst it only reinforces the image of gamers as sexually frustrated basement dwellers who may have serious issues with women.

And I kind of hope it was a deliberate attempt to stir up some controversy/publicity, otherwise it just reinforces my opinion that too many game developers are so lacking in basic social skills and sensibilities they should never be let out of their coding cubicles, because it's just embarassing for the rest of us when they are.

 

[D Moness]

does indeed reminds me of the 80's slasher movies. If the statue was a tad flatter i would be more interested(personal opinion).

Didn't think someone would try to 1-up the special edition of f.3.a.r

that was one scare as heck figurine

 

[Tom_green_day]

Misogynistic is a word thrown about too often these days, and I don't think this model looks down on women. Objectifies them maybe, but then it is aimed at the target audience for these games. If you disagree, maybe you aren't the target audience (I don't know you), but I don't think this is stupid. I don't think it'll sell a HUGE number of extra copies of the game, but some people are looking too eagerly for 'controversy' these days.

 

[Misiok]

The CE edition is called Zombie BAIT. What's a good bait to lure away zombies from a location you don't really want them to be in? Usually some dead body parts, or, like in this case, a dismembered torso. It does make sense - the name and the game the sculpture is sold with is about zombies, dismembering them and gore. Them apologizing just means they're saving face cause' they didn't expect such an outcry from non-fans/anyone that haven't played the game (cause' if you had you'd know the context of it).

 

[Cavan]

It's not misogynistic, don't think that's even arguable to be honest. Go look up what misogyny is if you think it is.

What it is, is a rather blunt call to the theme of the game; that being a place of playboys and associated bunnies in bikinis having all gone to hell. Was it appalling when I hacked through those same bikini clad zombies in the game itself? No.
It's kinda crude in how it goes about it but it's trying to capture the theme of dead island in a nutshell. It's not meant to be sexual or degrading..it is exactly what the game is about..all this 'beauty' and excess having been literally ripped apart and turned upside down.

People will always overreact.

That being said..I would find owning the thing repulsive, I don't need to see half a corpse as I walk through my house to go to bed.

 

[smearyllama]

It might not be entirely misogynistic per se, but it's a pretty unpleasant thing to own.
There's not even anything particularly compelling about it. It's not like it's an action figure you can play with or anything.
It's just a, well, bust.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

It's not misogynistic, don't think that's even arguable to be honest. Go look up what misogyny is if you think it is.

Misogyny (pron.: /mɪˈsɒdʒɪni/) is the hatred or dislike of women or girls. Misogyny can be manifested in numerous ways, including sexual discrimination, denigration of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification of women.

There's obviously a cogent argument that can be made that this was misogynistic.

Of course, it was RPS who flat out said "It's misogynistic". I'm just asking everyone what THEY think of it. I haven't taken a position on it one way or the other. And since Deep Silver has already issued an apology for it in what has to be record time, I'm guessing whether I decide it's offensive or not is ultimately irrelevant.

There's not even anything particularly compelling about it. It's not like it's an action figure you can play with or anything.

It's just a, well, bust.

Sounds like SOMEONE never got to play Cowboys and Busts while growing up.

 

[Mikejames]

As I said in the news thread, I'd be embarassed to have that thing in my house.

All in all I can't disagree with RPS's impressions. At best it's tasteless, at worst it only reinforces the image of gamers as sexually frustrated basement dwellers who may have serious issues with women.

And I kind of hope it was a deliberate attempt to stir up some controversy/publicity, otherwise it just reinforces my opinion that too many game developers are so lacking in basic social skills and sensibilities they should never be let out of their coding cubicles, because it's just embarassing for the rest of us when they are.

Have to second this. I'm not entirely sure who the target audience for it are, but I'd consider it a fairly shameless decoration.

I get the same rather creepy feeling from it that I got from that Skyrim vid that showed up on youtube of the guy who decorated his in-game house with the severed heads of NPCs - all female NPCs

The bloody hell?

 

[Sixcess]

I get the same rather creepy feeling from it that I got from that Skyrim vid that showed up on youtube of the guy who decorated his in-game house with the severed heads of NPCs - all female NPCs

The bloody hell?

Here it is. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHvx0l_tVEw] It's one of these things where you hope they were joking or trolling, but... you can never be sure.

 

[The Lunatic]

Well, it has to be a torso of -something- at the end of the day.

Male, female, buff, buxom, does it really?

I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a strange item, but, it being male, or female, doesn't make a difference in this.

 

[Cavan]

It's not misogynistic, don't think that's even arguable to be honest. Go look up what misogyny is if you think it is.

Misogyny (pron.: /mɪˈsɒdʒɪni/) is the hatred or dislike of women or girls. Misogyny can be manifested in numerous ways, including sexual discrimination, denigration of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification of women.

There's obviously a cogent argument that can be made that this was misogynistic.

Of course, it was RPS who flat out said "It's misogynistic". I'm just asking everyone what THEY think of it. I haven't taken a position on it one way or the other. And since Deep Silver has already issued an apology for it in what has to be record time, I'm guessing whether I decide it's offensive or not is ultimately irrelevant.

Could you please quote my whole post next time, I did go on to explain that I don't feel it is degrading or sexual and what I felt it was actually trying to do.

While I guess I should try to not seem as if I am eliminating other opinions, I still do not think it is misogynistic or that there is much of an argument for it being. Nothing it does is because it wants to promote violence or negativity towards women, it is more intended to shock than anything else.

 

[Darquenaut]

And I kind of hope it was a deliberate attempt to stir up some controversy/publicity, otherwise it just reinforces my opinion that too many game developers are so lacking in basic social skills and sensibilities they should never be let out of their coding cubicles, because it's just embarassing for the rest of us when they are.

This was pretty much my initial reaction when I saw the thing. Although it's mostly going from what I've seen from their marketing and clips I've seen about their games on YouTube, DeepSilver seems to rely heavily on garnering attention for their games by using unsettling imagery. Case in point: the first Dead Island trailer. Although in the end it wasn't at all what the game was about, the trailer got people to pay attention to the game. I wouldn't doubt there was some of the same mindset when they brought out this thing.

Personal opinion otherwise: I think it's completely dumb. I suppose that once you play the game, perhaps this torso has some significance to the plot, but insofar, it is completely out of context and in all regards really not well thought out.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Could you please quote my whole post next time, I did go on to explain that I don't feel it is degrading or sexual and what I felt it was actually trying to do.

Why on earth? It's not like what I quoted was horribly out of context or cast you in a villainous light. We have the ability to selectively quote for a reason. Very rarely do I want to slog through an entire post and respond to every possible talking point. I don't even do that with emails from my friends.

Your post is still there, for everyone to read, if they feel a refinement of your position is necessary.

 

[Rawne1980]

That is just downright disgraceful.

That is the most disturbing thing i've ever seen.

I mean, what woman in her right mind would wear a Union Jack bikini?

I know us English folk usually feel like tits but come on.