rbstewart7263 said:
nightwolf667 said:
You know, it's trailers like this make me want to go to every game development studio on the planet and make all the men there spend a few days tip toeing around in stilettos. They can run, jump, and attempt to play sports in them too! Maybe after a few twisted/broken ankles they'd finally get the hint that as nice as they make a girl's rump look, it's not suitable combat footwear. Actually, let's include comic book companies, TV and movie studios in that equation too. It's one of the many reasons why I won't be seeing Catwoman in the new Batman movie.
Honestly, I'd kill for more games to show women dressing practically for the situations they're approaching and not dressing them for titillation. As many people have said: that's what makes this sexist. Honestly, that's the part about sexualization of violence/majority of action girls that really bugs me. It always assumes that the woman in question will A) use her looks to succeed and B) will dress for eye candy. It handicaps the characters themselves and the viewer will automatically assume that they are bad at or less capable than the men surrounding them because of the way they are dressed. Super skin tight clothing usually means one is less capable of fluid movement, especially when they're teetering around on tiny spikes with the balls of their feet arched way up.
All that said, good comic!
Captcha: Age before beauty... Applicable?
Not all media is meant to evoke hyper realism alot of games end up appearing bland and boring because of this. The battle nuns(lmao god that word) evoke a very kill billesqueness to me. And dont tell me that style has not been apart of the hitman series I dont see the hitman wearing a guilly suit when hes in the jungle i see him in a badass tux cause its a videogame not a navy seals documentary.
Hyper realism? How about we just settle for average realism? The problem is not about what Hitman is wearing, he's fine. He's wearing flats, a clean shirt and tie, it's meant to evoke mob imagery or at least our general view of an assassin. A business man. He's a professional. What he's wearing defines who he is for the viewer, you can see it and so can I. As you said, it's part of the series. But the way they've dressed those women in the trailer is wrong and it is very sexist.
Sure, it may be the Frank Miller kind of sexism where dressing women up like prostitutes and making them kill people in lingerie is supposed to be considered empowering. But the truth is, it's not. But some say: "They're action heroes! Look how well they can prance around on those teeny tiny stilettos and still kick people's asses!" I don't know, apparently they're so awesome needed a handicap? Or maybe they're just totally lacking in self-respect. In the real world stillettos will get a person killed in a combat situation. A woman can't even run in them or if she does, she runs very badly. If someone is in the fight of their life, they're going to kick off the shoes. They need the balance and they need the mobility. You go and say: but you don't need realism! No, but from a competency perspective, from a character perspective, and from a story perspective, these women can't possibly be competent at their jobs. And there were seven of them.
The Hitman is ultimately about a business man and he dresses like a business man. His clothing defines him as being in a position of power. He's getting dressed, these women as they go into battle are getting undressed. He came dressed for business, they came for a bondage spree. He's one, they are many. His outfit makes sense for his job, theirs, well, it's a stripper porn magazine spread.
Their existence serves no purpose other than to titillate and be killed, possibly being killed for their titillation. The Hitman is handing it out to those dirty naughty nuns, those bad, bad nuns. They deserve what's coming to them, is what the game is saying. It's not even subtext. From the way their dressed, we as the audience know that we were never supposed to take them seriously as. The only value they have is in the way they look and their only purpose is to be killed off. The trailer is the worst kind of casual sexism, it emphasizes over and over again that the only value women in media is their looks. A woman can't be competent unless she's sexy, her only worth is defined by the few brief seconds she's on camera and how much the male viewer enjoys watching her walk. She can only be dangerous if she's beautiful. Tits, feet, then face. Humanize the Hitman, watch him beat up plasticine dolls.
You can say, but it's just a trailer. It doesn't mean any harm. It's always been part of the imagery in the past. There's nothing to be angry about. Then, frankly, you're wrong. It's disgusting. It's offensive. It's annoying and it's everywhere. Me? I'm tired of this trope. Over and over, me and thousands of women like me are hit over and over, every day with these images. You're only worth is your looks, buy our cosmetics. You want to be the hero of your own story? Haha, you can't! That's a man's job, baby! Your husband's brutalizing you? Don't worry it's all okay, you deserve it. Remember, you can't get anywhere in life unless someone (a man) finds you attractive. (Insert very slim, miniscule, media defined version of female beauty here.) Don't be too intelligent sweetheart, if you are, no one will want you.
Hence my comment: I wish I could make all men who draw, insist, film, write about action women in stilettos. It's about respect. About treating women, across the board, as characters, as people, and not sexual gratification for violence. Yeah, I get it, it's "sexy". But you know what, you go to the shooting range in strapped on stilettos and make a few attempts at firing a handgun, maybe even a rifle. Go on, I'll wait.
TLDR: Don't put women in stilettos because it's silly, sexual gratification over violence isn't cool. Let's have the Hitman perform the whole game in them, he can sashay too, it'll be fun!