Raping Female Characters Is Not Sexist

[anthony87]

I'm suprised nobodies mad about the rape thing for the same reasons as me. I don't really care if they put it into a game as a story element but what bothers me is the fact that they are advertising the rape. They're using rape as a way to stir up useless controversy about their game.

And that is unacceptable.

I agree. They're trying to spark controversy. And they're doing it in the most tasteless way one can imagine. RAPE! Are you kiddin' me? I don't care what you put in a video game. I don't care because video games are fiction just like movies, books, comic books, TV shows etc. And I think that games have matured enough to contain more adult material. But actually using rape to advertize your product is insulting.

What makes it even worse is this week's retraction, particularly the fact that it to them a week to do it.

In other words, they were trying to use the rape as a selling point because they didn't know any better - and the worst part is that, apparently, everyone involved was so utterly clueless that not a single person in that company could figure out that people might take offense until the story blew up.

<youtube=ol_-QGlwRqc>

Please point out to me where you see rape being used as a selling point in that video. I've watched it a couple of times now and can't find anything like that.

 

[John Hagg]

It's like when these movies stirred up all that controversy. Remember the outrage??....

Bully
Frenzy
Platoon
Extremities
Apocalypto
Blue Velvet
Straw Dogs
Deliverance
Flesh+Blood
Scum
The Accused
Pariah
Stir of Echoes
Shame (1987)
Shame (1992)
Boys Don't Cry
Monster (2003)
Hannie Caulder
Buster and Billie
Thelma & Louise
The Virgin Spring
Rosemary's Baby
The Joy Luck Club
Death Wish
Murder One
When She Says No
Two Women
She Said No
A Clockwork Orange
Sudden Impact
Something Wild
Macon County Jail
The Rape of Richard Beck
Jackson County Jail
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
Untamed Heart
The Violation of Sarah McDavid
Our Guys: Outrage at Glen Ridge
Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story
West Side Story~attempted on Anita
Sin & Redemption~based on true story
The Glass House aka Truman Capote's The Glass House
Things Behind the Sun
Irreversible
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Taken

.. me neither.

 

[MaxiP62]

How is it sexist in the slightest? I think people are ignoring the fact that men can get raped too, however the fact that there is a vulnerable young girl, on an island full of bandits and pirates and it is, generally, what would happen in that situation. There is nothing wrong with it. It depends how the scene plays out in the real game which determines if it is unacceptable or not.

 

[Ragsnstitches]

EDIT: Fucking BEARS again... I keep doing that.

You had it right the first time. You bear a load, you bare skin.

Haha... oops. I need to go back to pre-school don't I.

 

[Grygor]

Please point out to me where you see rape being used as a selling point in that video. I've watched it a couple of times now and can't find anything like that.

Please tell me you realize that they've been doing more press than just that trailer...

 

[anthony87]

Please point out to me where you see rape being used as a selling point in that video. I've watched it a couple of times now and can't find anything like that.

Please tell me you realize that they've been doing more press than just that trailer...

I'm quite aware of that. The video was just the first thing that came to mind for me.

Now can you please point out to me where you see rape as a selling point? If not in the video then in some other press regarding the game.

 

[Ragsnstitches]

Please point out to me where you see rape being used as a selling point in that video. I've watched it a couple of times now and can't find anything like that.

Please tell me you realize that they've been doing more press than just that trailer...

There was a playable demo at E3 I believe, might have only been for journalist though, but we haven't seen it yet anyway. The end of the demo is not too long after the controversial scene... which we see in the trailer before it goes all explosions and guns.

So no one knows how it all impacts her from then on. Which is why there is so much bullshit and conjecture coming out of the controversy. Along with the fact they basically rewrote Laras personality (as if she had one in the first place).

Tits, ass and attitude is NOT personality.

 

[Luca72]

Original Post

Sorry to go slightly off-topic, but did they mention all the stuff with Mr. Blonde in the movie? Or were you just supposed to put that together? I don't remember any of that, but his character makes a lot more sense now.

 

[LetalisK]

How is it sexist in the slightest? I think people are ignoring the fact that men can get raped too, however the fact that there is a vulnerable young girl, on an island full of bandits and pirates and it is, generally, what would happen in that situation. There is nothing wrong with it. It depends how the scene plays out in the real game which determines if it is unacceptable or not.

Agree with this, but about the bolded part. She is clearly not simply a vulnerable young girl. People are seeing the trailer where she actually shows some fear and that she isn't invincible. Then she kicks some ass and does shit almost all of use would be too scared to do. And yet that somehow is translated by others(this isn't directed at you, btw) into "omg Lara is so wimpy now, why do they have to portray women as so weak?" Da fuck? God forbid we have more than Completely Unrelatable Emotionless Badass as a protagonist. The only "sexist" thing in this whole controversy is that if this were a male protagonist, the developers would be lauded for breaking the mold.

 

[bullet_sandw1ch]

im not surprised by this, it just makes me mad that they would take a serious thing like rape, and try to use it to make us feel bad for her. that shows weakness in the game, because they cant make us care without some form of torture, or abuse on the character.

 

[MaxiP62]

How is it sexist in the slightest? I think people are ignoring the fact that men can get raped too, however the fact that there is a vulnerable young girl, on an island full of bandits and pirates and it is, generally, what would happen in that situation. There is nothing wrong with it. It depends how the scene plays out in the real game which determines if it is unacceptable or not.

Agree with this, but about the bolded part. She is clearly not simply a vulnerable young girl. People are seeing the trailer where she actually shows some fear and that she isn't invincible. Then she kicks some ass and does shit almost all of use would be too scared to do. And yet that somehow is translated by others(this isn't directed at you, btw) into "omg Lara is so wimpy now, why do they have to portray women as so weak?" Da fuck? God forbid we have more than Completely Unrelatable Emotionless Badass as a protagonist. The only "sexist" thing in this whole controversy is that if this were a male protagonist, the developers would be lauded for breaking the mold.

You do have a strong point there actually, I didn't really think about it properly. But you could also argue that she is acting so brave due to her strong will to survive, but then her character would end up contradicting itself.

 

[Cecilthedarkknight_234]

rape happens that is fact of life nothing we can do or say will change that fact. Covering this issue in a video-game however is very, very touch issue because are you the one in-control of committing the act of "virtual rape" then you will have more issues than you can handle.

Are you playing victim trying to break free from the said rapist?? Is the said act being condemned as bad or not being shown in positive light?? Then the issue should be okay but still stir up the pot in huge sh** storm.

 

[Murmillos]

There is no rape scene; its only she gets captures, a male NPC makes his intentions known of what he plans to do with her (rape). She attempts to struggle and fight back, you either QTE your way out of the situation, killing him, or he ends up killing you - game over.

Thus no rape...

 

[Meight08]

You are being raped! Press X repeatedly and wiggle joystick to evade capture!

You have been raped! Would you like to restart from your last save point or continue with emotional trauma debuff? Kind of lacks emotional punch doesnt it?

Seriously though, come talk to me in 20 years when the most expensive game ever made doesnt have its main selling point as "story" and we can consider using hot button issues as plot devices. Games need to stick to being games and stop trying to be something more than they are.

It´s a rape attempt and the qte is about beating him off when he gets agressive after you knee´d him in the balls and tries to kill you.

 

[Biodeamon]

*wipes drool from mouth*

yeah...that totally is bullshit. tottally.
now when did you say this was coming up? oh, no reason...

 

[LordFisheh]

It can be used well and it can be used badly. Considering that video game storytelling has yet to enter its prime, I'm inclined to think that it's more likely to be done badly.

The majority of rape in fiction is a cheap shock tactic, to make the villain evil or the victim angry. You see authors do books with rape left right and centre. Most of them are completely outdone in emotional impact by a single slap, if it's told by a competent writer.

Rape is a massive issue and not something you just throw in to drive home that 'Lara is really suffering'. That they say they're treating her as a character you're meant to want to look after and protect rather than identify with is another matter.

Of course it's an issue that culture should address. But it should be addressed properly with the right amount of time, effort and skill, not used as a quick 'man, these guys are really evil' trope or a way to engender a white knight response. None of us can really say without having played the game, but it looks to me like they aren't dealing with the issue of rape at all; they're cheaply exploiting it. As people have said, just look at how they're dropping the r-word to drum up publicity. That's the amount of respect the issue is getting.