MovieBob said:
Tropes vs. MovieBob
Debunking a recurring argument.
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I think your final point is the most relevant (even though your others were equally true).
The Culture of Power (in this case, white heterosexual male) wants, perhaps subconsciously for some, to guarantee that games continue to be marketed toward them. That means every character must be "as viewed from My Cultural Frame."
The musclemen appeal to what
we (as men) culturally believe (on average) that the ideal male hero should look like. What's more, their exaggerated features serve to highlight their viability as heroes. Big muscles = stronger, and so on.
Female characters are designed to appeal to what
we (as men) culturally believe (on average) the ideal women should look like. What's more, their exaggerated features serve to highlight their viability as sexual creatures. Nice boobs are great, but have no real bearing on combat ability.
The established culture wants
everything to be built around its own archaic specifications. It really has nothing to do with some agenda to keep women down, objectify them sexually, or any kind of mustache-twiddling evil scheme. It's just plain selfishness.
Seriously, it'd be like going to a buffet restaurant and insisting that
everything on the buffet be made of chicken, because I like chicken. It has nothing to do with hating vegetables or anything... but it's clear I don't view vegetable-liking folks as equal to myself, as I'm too focused on what I like.