Moloch Sacrifice said:
As anyone who has been here for any length of time will have noticed, debates on gender equality and depiction in media flare up quite frequently on this forum. One of the key points raised is that whilst female characters (such as Mileena in Mortal Kombat, or Lara Croft in Tomb Raider) are manipulated in order to be sexually appealing to young men, male characters (such as Kratos in God of War, or Marcus Fenix in Gears of War) are manipulated so that they reflect ideals of what said young men want to be. Therefore, I felt it might be worthwhile actually gathering some actual data on the subject.
So, male gamers, let's test you with an example: do you find the character, actions, or appearance of Kratos personally aspirational, or are expressions of characteristics you wish you possessed? If so, please outline what it is about him that you find appealing. If not, outline why you find him so reprehensible.
To give you some help on this, you're not quite framing this one right. It's not necessarily that these male characters represent an ideal version that someone must aspire to. It has to do with the purpose for particular characteristics, as it relates to the idea behind the character.
For instance, whether we aspire to be Kratos or not, his physical presence informs us about his capabilities - he is physically imposing and heavily muscled, so we know from even a casual glance that he is physically capable. His "war paint" style facial decor and his attire tell us that he has a certain primality to him -- this is not a man of peace. So just from that, we know that he is both willing and able to wage war.
The physical appearance of many game characters is intended as shorthand that tells us what that character is good at. Is the character wearing glasses? Probably good at "smart stuff." Wearing plate mail armor? He's good at absorbing incoming damage.
Then we look at, say, zero-suit Samus. What does her physique and clothing choice tell us at a glance? What does her general appearance tell us she's good at? Well... nothing having to do with gadget-centric space bounty hunting. Hell, not even basic marksmanship, or any sort of combat at all. She is designed to look, quite frankly, like she'd be really good for sex. The features that are highlighted are not the ones that make her character capable of the role, but rather the ones that make her sexually appealing.
That's where the line is found that borders on sexualization. Character design in games often comes down to a player being able to say, "Wow, this character looks best suited for X." And when X = "giving a twenty-something male an erection" rather than, say, whatever that character is supposed to be doing?
(Hint: Muscles are used for combat. Breasts aren't. Showing off muscles, then, is about demonstrating strength and combat capability. Showing off breasts is pretty much about sexual utility.)
