“Sudden
Attack”
on
feminism
Attack”
on
feminism
 |
| Candace Bailey in the trailer video for “Hostage Rescue” |
Nexon
America
“has
released
a
new
video
for
its
high-intensity
online
FPS,
Sudden
Attack,
showing
off
its
new
mode,
Hostage
Rescue,
that
features
model/gaming
media
personality
Candace
Bailey
[…]who
is
being
held
in
a
glass
cage,
surrounded
by
her
captors
and
bombs.
A
team
must
infiltrate
the
“Main
Event”
map,
where
Candace
is
being
held,
eliminate
her
kidnaper
and
disarm
the
bombs,
all
this
while
the
clock
is
ticking
toward
an
explosive
ending”.
Having
yet
to
play
the
mod,
I’ll
focus
on
the
aforementioned
video and
on
Nexon
America’s
press
release
to
show
just
how
sexist
this
is.
Note how the description points to
Candace Bailey as a model, even using a slash so as to cram it into
the description; video very clearly identifies her so that you can
get a kick out of rescuing a celebrity. They could have instead
focused on her being an Olympic-level gymnast, her going to college,
her hosting several shows, or her acting. She indeed played Skylar
Stevens, a teenager facing bravely a dystopian future in the tv
series Jericho. In other words, she could believably play
Lara Croft
– ohwait…
Candace Bailey as a model, even using a slash so as to cram it into
the description; video very clearly identifies her so that you can
get a kick out of rescuing a celebrity. They could have instead
focused on her being an Olympic-level gymnast, her going to college,
her hosting several shows, or her acting. She indeed played Skylar
Stevens, a teenager facing bravely a dystopian future in the tv
series Jericho. In other words, she could believably play
Lara Croft
– ohwait…
And
this is
no accident:
Candace wears
a strapless,
short dress
and high
heels – she
could be
going on
a date.
More damningly,
the glass
“cage” is
really just
a showcase:
in all
the indoor
scenes, this
is the
only thing
lit and
it’s even
in the
literal
spotlight,
ensuring that
we don’t
miss the
eye candy.
Even the map name “Main Event” infers that she is the main
attraction. And because eye candy should remain easy on the eye even
when in danger, her
abduction is
relatively violence-free (she
is merely
grabbed from
behind), she
wakes her in the cage without so much as a
scratch (implying
chloroform or
an equivalent,
as well
as no
fighting back
from her)
and she
is being
killed with
poison gas
(she is
already
surrounded by
armed men
and freaking
bombs: why
the overkill?).
Realistically,
all this
should rough
her up
a bit
anyway, but
hey this
isn’t a
documentary; and
the upside
is that
at least
we don’t
see any
torture porn.
this is
no accident:
Candace wears
a strapless,
short dress
and high
heels – she
could be
going on
a date.
More damningly,
the glass
“cage” is
really just
a showcase:
in all
the indoor
scenes, this
is the
only thing
lit and
it’s even
in the
literal
spotlight,
ensuring that
we don’t
miss the
eye candy.
Even the map name “Main Event” infers that she is the main
attraction. And because eye candy should remain easy on the eye even
when in danger, her
abduction is
relatively violence-free (she
is merely
grabbed from
behind), she
wakes her in the cage without so much as a
scratch (implying
chloroform or
an equivalent,
as well
as no
fighting back
from her)
and she
is being
killed with
poison gas
(she is
already
surrounded by
armed men
and freaking
bombs: why
the overkill?).
Realistically,
all this
should rough
her up
a bit
anyway, but
hey this
isn’t a
documentary; and
the upside
is that
at least
we don’t
see any
torture porn.
The
nice visuals
only accentuates
her “damsel
in distress”
antics. She
starts by
fdropping her
car keys, then
is subdued
by a
cloth on
her face,
utters in
a child-like
voice “Poison
gas – I’m
allergic” (no
kidding), and
finally taps
feebly on
the case
while coughing
up and
calling for
help – ok,
that very
last one
is believable.
Except… since
her captors
didn’t tie
her up
and even
left her
her high
heels, can’t
she grab
one of
those and
try to
pierce the
glass? Even
if her
captors then
threaten her
with guns
or the
bombs, at
least she
bought herself
(or her
rescuers) some
time. But
no, she
is completely
passive in
all of
this, only
waiting for
her rescuer.
nice visuals
only accentuates
her “damsel
in distress”
antics. She
starts by
fdropping her
car keys, then
is subdued
by a
cloth on
her face,
utters in
a child-like
voice “Poison
gas – I’m
allergic” (no
kidding), and
finally taps
feebly on
the case
while coughing
up and
calling for
help – ok,
that very
last one
is believable.
Except… since
her captors
didn’t tie
her up
and even
left her
her high
heels, can’t
she grab
one of
those and
try to
pierce the
glass? Even
if her
captors then
threaten her
with guns
or the
bombs, at
least she
bought herself
(or her
rescuers) some
time. But
no, she
is completely
passive in
all of
this, only
waiting for
her rescuer.
So, fighting
back is more
easily said
than done,
especially when
the one
talking in
not at
the heart
of the
situation – but
this plot
hole nonetheless
weakens the
narrative of
the video
and game.
On the
other hand,
it reinforces all
the negative,
sexist tropes
(damsel in
distress,
airhead, eye
candy). Besides,
this isn’t
a documentary,
but a
video game,
an escapist
entertainment!
And please,
don’t use
that last
sentence to
justify the
sexist undertones
of this
video. This
character is
most probably
not written
that way
to be
realist or
to serve
the story;
she is
most likely written
that way
to market
and capitalize
on the
“dulcinea
effect”,
on the
sex appeal
of Candace,
and on
some males’
fantasies.
back is more
easily said
than done,
especially when
the one
talking in
not at
the heart
of the
situation – but
this plot
hole nonetheless
weakens the
narrative of
the video
and game.
On the
other hand,
it reinforces all
the negative,
sexist tropes
(damsel in
distress,
airhead, eye
candy). Besides,
this isn’t
a documentary,
but a
video game,
an escapist
entertainment!
And please,
don’t use
that last
sentence to
justify the
sexist undertones
of this
video. This
character is
most probably
not written
that way
to be
realist or
to serve
the story;
she is
most likely written
that way
to market
and capitalize
on the
“dulcinea
effect”,
on the
sex appeal
of Candace,
and on
some males’
fantasies.
Speaking
of her
serving the
narrative… why
is she
abducted again?
Just to justify the mod’s scenario? Her being killed in such a
protracted way only serves as justification for the timer. We don’t
even know who her captors are or what they fighting for. At that
point, a straightforward bait could be substituted for poor Candace
and it would make more sense. So, this is just a trailer and you
don’t need a complete backstory for ever single character, but
still… Think for 2 seconds when creating a story. Think again once
it is “done”: are there any unfortunate implications? How did
this mod and this video even get a green light? Either Nexon America
just didn’t see the glaring issues, and that speaks of how ingrained
some sexist bias are in our societies; or they just decided to use
sexist tropes to create and sell a video game, either as a
straightforward macho attitude or as a “any publicity is good
publicity”.
of her
serving the
narrative… why
is she
abducted again?
Just to justify the mod’s scenario? Her being killed in such a
protracted way only serves as justification for the timer. We don’t
even know who her captors are or what they fighting for. At that
point, a straightforward bait could be substituted for poor Candace
and it would make more sense. So, this is just a trailer and you
don’t need a complete backstory for ever single character, but
still… Think for 2 seconds when creating a story. Think again once
it is “done”: are there any unfortunate implications? How did
this mod and this video even get a green light? Either Nexon America
just didn’t see the glaring issues, and that speaks of how ingrained
some sexist bias are in our societies; or they just decided to use
sexist tropes to create and sell a video game, either as a
straightforward macho attitude or as a “any publicity is good
publicity”.
Either
way, this
initially made
my blood
boiled; right
now, I’m
just tired
and jaded.
I don’t
want to
always be
harping on
sexism in
video games;
but I
know I
will again,
probably in
the very-near
future, because
games and
their marketing
campaigns keep
being plain
sexist. We,
as an
industry,
community, and
decent human beings, need to acknowledge this problem and address it
– and
this is
not a
necessarily
conflictual
discussion
either. I’m
personally a
woman, a
feminist, an
industry veteran,
and a gamer;
I love games and only want to
see them
grow, both
in reach
and into
a “mature”
entertainment.
way, this
initially made
my blood
boiled; right
now, I’m
just tired
and jaded.
I don’t
want to
always be
harping on
sexism in
video games;
but I
know I
will again,
probably in
the very-near
future, because
games and
their marketing
campaigns keep
being plain
sexist. We,
as an
industry,
community, and
decent human beings, need to acknowledge this problem and address it
– and
this is
not a
necessarily
conflictual
discussion
either. I’m
personally a
woman, a
feminist, an
industry veteran,
and a gamer;
I love games and only want to
see them
grow, both
in reach
and into
a “mature”
entertainment.
