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[Shaanyboi]

via Waypoint
With Anita Sarkeesian's Tropes vs. Women series having just come to an end the other day, it's only appropriate that some outlets use this as an opportunity to look back at the road that it took and ripples that its creation set into motion.

In 2012, the term GamerGate hadn't been coined yet, a colorful label for a phenomenon that existed long before the start of a campaign to harass and discredit a women who designed a game to help people were depressed. Women, people of color, LGBTQ folks, and others had been targeted for years, it was just that people like me didn't notice.

It took me too long to pick up on that. It took must of us too long.

There's nothing funny about what happened to Sarkeesian over the course of making her videos, but it always struck me as ironic that everyone who worked to tear her down only made her stronger, more visible, and resilient. No one knew who Sarkeesian was before a group of sensitive snowflakes decided that criticizing video games from a feminist perspective was worth attacking someone over. If it wasn't Sarkeesian, though, it would have been someone else.

Tropes vs Women wasn't a revolution in critical thinking about games but it was a revelation for many. It smartly packaged patterns that were tough to pick up without seeing them strung together. One instance of a game treating a woman poorly is easy to write off as an isolated incident, seeing a dozen games do it over several decades suggest games were ignoring a problem—and could do better. Whether or not you agreed with Sarekeesian's conclusions, it undeniably facilitated a look-in-the-mirror discussion games had needed for a long time.

If that proves to be the lasting legacy of Sarkeesian's Tropes vs Women, rather than the ugly harassment directed at a person who dared raise a few pointed questions, that's one worth being proud of.

I figured it'd also be worth ensuring all her videos in the series were shared here. Please forgive me if I missed any.

Season 1
Damsel in Distress - Part 1
Damsel in Distress - Part 2
Damsel in Distress - Part 3
The Legend of the Last Princess - Hypothetical Game Concept
Ms. Male Character
Women as Background Decoration - Part 1
Women as Background Decoration - Part 2
Women as Reward
Women as Reward - Special DLC Mini-Episode
Jade - Postive Female Characters in Video Games
The Scythian - Positive Female Characters in Video Games

Season 2
Strategic Butt Coverings
Body Language & The Male Gaze
Lingerie is Not Armor
Imperfect Dark Trailer (Perfect Dark Spoof)
Are Women Too Hard to Animate?
All the Slender Ladies: Body Diversity in Video Games
Sinister Seductress
Not Your Exotic Fantasy
The Lady Sidekick

Additionally, while these weren't officially part of FF's series, I figured I'd link to their game reviews as well. These weren't all done by Anita herself, but they still seemed relevant.

Dishonored 2
Watch_Dogs 2
Gears of War 4
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Bound
Uncharted 4
Quantum Break
Hitman (2016)
That Dragon, Cancer
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Assassin's Creed: Syndicate

How has this series changed your perspective as it went along? What had it brought to light for you, and are there areas you felt needed more examination?

 

[James Scott]

I dont think the show was particularly well done and not warning about spoilers for games was pretty upsetting, but the discussion it brought up was good.
Changed the way I see some things for the better.

 

[Vigilant Gambit]

I dont think the show was particularly well done and not warning about spoilers for games was pretty upsetting, but the discussion it brought up was good.
Changed the way I see some things for the better.

I actually thought the show was well-done, but I agree about the spoilers. It's a shame there's no way to watch it without that risk.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

I'm so grateful for her bringing this discussion to mainstream gaming news. She was incredibly effective at that.

I'm also sad that there doesn't really seem to be anyone to step up to the plate now they're done with specific games criticism. There are quite a few outlets already covering mainstream pop culture (TheMarySue etc) so it's a little disheartening that gaming will be losing such a potent voice.

 

[LFMartins86]

Well done to her for doing this. It is definitely a conversation that needed to be started and may this help video games and gamers in general to be more inclusive and respectful.

 

[Dyle]

Tropes against Women in Video Games is unarguably the most important complete work in video games criticism. It has revealed just how far the industry, from the producers of games to the consumers, have to go before an acceptable level of sex equality is achieved in the industry. Throughout the series I've come to disagree with some of the arguments advanced in the videos, particularly around debate-ably sex-positive characters like Bayonetta, but have been disappointed that the series never moved beyond being a survey of misogynistic tropes. I had always hoped that it would evolve into a deeper analysis of how sex and gender equality are informed and expressed in games, diving into how the player's relationship with the player character is fundamentally different from the same relationships in other media. But I recognize that that was always beyond the scope of the original series and was not Feminist Frequency's intent.

I look forward to seeing what Sarkeesian and company do next, because they're still a lot of work to be done.

 

[John Kowalski]

It's strange to think this but in some ways i already feel like her series is almost an anachronism today, so far has the discussion around these topics exploded in the intervening years. It's no longer the sort of conversation that's had hidden in the corners of the internet, away from prying eyes and intent on healing those seeking comfort, rather than the extroverted force of counter culture it is today.

Otherwise i feel like Anita has the talent to do a lot more and i'm eager to see it happen.

 

[Opa-Pa]

This series has been so important to me and the industry, it cannot be overstated. Just putting the conversation about the medium's terrible relationship with women was valuable enough, but the show itself is very well done too and it evolved a lot with the time.

I will always admire Anita for staying strong against the disgusting, never ending harassment that this series brought her, and for helping me see some things from a different angle and realize I was helping normalize harmful stuff without realizing. I wish her the best luck on her future projects!

 

[Garrett Hawke]

It's strange to think this but in some ways i already feel like her series is almost an anachronism today, so far has the discussion around these topics exploded in the intervening years. It's no longer the sort of conversation that's had hidden in the corners of the internet, away from prying eyes and intent on healing those seeking comfort, rather than the extroverted force of counter culture it is today.

Otherwise i feel like Anita has the talent to do a lot more and i'm eager to see it happen.

Yeah, I agree with this sentiment. The progress in such a short time has been incredible. I just hope that someone will step forward to be as focused as she was.

 

[JusDoIt]

She's done the medium and the culture a great service with this series.

 

[jdstorm]

It was an undeniable service to that games industry that treated its creators and consumers as adults to be judged against adult academic standards. That it rose to widespread mainstream attention seemingly led to a real coming of age moment for the medium.

I won't say i agreed with everything in the video's but i am greatful they existed and said things that many needed to hear.

 

[Ganon Dragmire]

Fantastic series. It will be missed and it's disappointing that she was the only one to do something like this so far.

Hopefully in the future others will take up the mantle and not only discuss the many forms sexism still in games today but other forms of bad representation that is usually ignored by the media. Especially if said games get positive reviews.

 

[UnNamed]

Didn't like her works at all.
Basically she first create her thesis, then create arguments and find flaws based on those thesis. It's an anti-journalistic way to represent a work like this.

Basically she only show what is good for her, but the real problem is she only disclose examples but you can't find a real thinking on why this things happens or what developers can do to overturn the situation.

She debate on why male so male chauvinist? Ok, good job Sarkeesian.
Ask yourself in the first place, and then tell us, why there are so few girls programming videogames, for example,

Just saying videogames are sexist is the same to complaining about that old tv series with all member of the family white or black, or why women are misrapresented in the '50 movies.
Ok, then?

You cannot help just showing how sexist is this or that subject, but you can do something when you try to understand why this things happens and how you can change the situation.

 

[The Greek Freak]

Honestly to me the legacy will be that it's much more profitable to build hype around kids in their basement being mean on social media than making actually good content. Her stuff ranged from actively bad to decent, but other women who had done the same but better, earlier, and without anti gg hype were largely ignored.

Seen it time and time again the gaming press (and honestly gaf) cares more about the GG target of the month than which women or poc are doing great work. (It does intersect from time to time).

 

[Garrett Hawke]

You cannot help just showing how sexist is this or that subject, but you can do something when you try to understand why this things happens and how you can change the situation.

considering literally nobody else was and she started that discussion I would say she very much did help by doing that.

Honestly to me the legacy will be that it's much more profitable to build hype around kids in their basement being mean on social media than making actually good content.

Seen it time and time again the gaming press cares more about the GG target of the month than which women or poc are doing great work. (It does intersect from time to time).

She makes actually good content.

If she didn't, she wouldn't have been invited to studios for discussions, asked to speak about her work, etc.

 

[The Greek Freak]

considering literally nobody else was and she started that discussion I would say she very much did help by doing that.

She makes actually good content.

If she didn't, she wouldn't have been invited to studios for discussions, asked to speak about her work, etc.

This is simply where i disagree, some of her stuff is straight up laughable but people care way more about the narrative of her working with thousands of GG clowns throwing hissy fits at her.

(I'm glad their hissy fits fueled her success I love how much of a failure their reaction was).

 

[Deleted member 17706]

This is simply where i disagree, some of her stuff is straight up laughable but people care way more about the narrative of her working with thousands of GG clowns throwing hissy fits at her.

Her work arguably served as a catalyst for the GamerGate debacle and exposing that dark side of the gaming community to the world so they could be shamed and denounced. I would say that her work has brought about some very positive results.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

This is simply where i disagree, some of her stuff is straight up laughable but people care way more about the narrative of her working with thousands of GG clowns throwing hissy fits at her.

Go on then, give us a nuanced critique of Tropes vs Women, since you obviously know better than the developers she has fooled into trusting her.

 

[Shaanyboi]

Didn't like her works at all.
Basically she first create her thesis, then create arguments and find flaws based on those thesis. It's an anti-journalistic way to represent a work like this.

Basically she only show what is good for her, but the real problem is she only disclose examples but you can't find a real thinking on why this things happens or what developers can do to overturn the situation.

She debate on why male so male chauvinist? Ok, good job Sarkeesian.
Ask yourself in the first place, and then tell us, why there are so few girls programming videogames, for example,

Just saying videogames are sexist is the same to complaining about that old tv series with all member of the family white or black, or why women are misrapresented in the '50 movies.
Ok, then?

You cannot help just showing how sexist is this or that subject, but you can do something when you try to understand why this things happens and how you can change the situation.

Where to even start with this, I don't know...

Firstly I don't know why you mention her method of argument being "anti-journalistic" when she's not a journalist, doesn't present herself as a journalist, and ask to be called a journalist. She's a commentator and a critic, with a very specific focus.

She also doesn't just say "videogames are sexist", as evidenced by the entire series I just linked to in the OP examining common tropes within games and the messages they reinforce. I'm going to assume you never watched these videos, otherwise you'd know that.

And lastly, she frequently is invited by studios to talk directly to developers about how they can better handle their female characters. These videos aren't about that - these videos are about identifying common problems within games.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

It's unfortunate that probably no one else will do this kind of work for a long time because of the harassment and antipathy.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

It's unfortunate that probably no one else will do this kind of work for a long time because of the harassment and antipathy.

yup. we literally have that "professional victim" bullshit in this very thread.

 

[The Greek Freak]

Go on then, give us a nuanced critique of Tropes vs Women, since you obviously know better than the developers she has fooled into trusting her.

I didn't say she fooled anyone. It's GG that were too stupid to not fuel their victims success.

You clearly are more interested in putting words in my mouth than anything else.

I've talked about women who did it first and better before but that isn't part of the legacy aka the topic at hand.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

I didn't say she fooled anyone.

You clearly are more interested in putting words in my mouth than anything else.

I've talked about women who did it first and better before but that isn't part of the legacy aka the topic at hand.

You said she produces poor work, but didn't give any examples, and then I said that she had been invited to studios because of her work and you just went back to how it's only because she gets harassed.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Firstly I don't know why you mention her method of argument being "anti-journalistic" when she's not a journalist, doesn't present herself as a journalist, and ask to be called a journalist. She's a commentator and a critic, with a very specific focus..

Because it's actually about ethics in journalism, friend. *wink*

 

[UnNamed]

considering literally nobody else was and she started that discussion I would say she very much did help by doing that.

I disagree.

First, if you want to start a project like this, a project with a strong value in terms of reseach or review or journalism, you have to do it right, or else is useless.

Second, i don't think we need another example of how this is a male industry for men, we already know till 1980 when you can find a seminude woman in the cover of a videogame. What's new? Will the things change only knowing there are tropes in videogames? I don't think so.

 

[Amir0x]

She debate on why male so male chauvinist? Ok, good job Sarkeesian.
Ask yourself in the first place, and then tell us, why there are so few girls programming videogames, for example,

When Women Stopped Coding

 

[The Greek Freak]

I disagree.

First, if you want to start a project like this, a project with a strong value in terms of reseach or review or journalism, you have to do it right, or else is useless.

Second, i don't think we need another example of how this is a male industry for men, we already know till 1980 when you can find a seminude woman in the cover of a videogame. What's new? Will the things change only knowing there are tropes in videogames? I don't think so.

There is value in pointing out and ridiculing stupid common tropes. Best example probably being her lingerie/armor video (also her best one imo). Ignoring them because they are obvious only continues to normalize them.

 

[AngryMoth]

Seems to me she made the industry more cognisant of representation with this series and despite not always agreeing with her arguments I found it to be valuable on a personal level too, it has definitely made me more perceptive and a have greater appreciation for the issues.

Also she's a goddam hero for standing up to the constant abuse and harassment.

 

[stephen08]

Didn't like her works at all.
Basically she first create her thesis, then create arguments and find flaws based on those thesis. It's an anti-journalistic way to represent a work like this.

Basically she only show what is good for her, but the real problem is she only disclose examples but you can't find a real thinking on why this things happens or what developers can do to overturn the situation.

She debate on why male so male chauvinist? Ok, good job Sarkeesian.
Ask yourself in the first place, and then tell us, why there are so few girls programming videogames, for example,

Just saying videogames are sexist is the same to complaining about that old tv series with all member of the family white or black, or why women are misrapresented in the '50 movies.
Ok, then?

You cannot help just showing how sexist is this or that subject, but you can do something when you try to understand why this things happens and how you can change the situation.

I don't understand what you're saying at all here. Games are sexist because of the industry that spawns them therefore they shouldn't be criticized? Is that it?

 

[Garrett Hawke]

I disagree.

First, if you want to start a project like this, a project with a strong value in terms of reseach or review or journalism, you have to do it right, or else is useless.

Clearly she did something right, because she not only was able to expand this series well beyond the scope of season 1, but she also had another successful crowdfunding project.

Second, i don't think we need another example of how this is a male industry for men, we already know till 1980 when you can find a seminude woman in the cover of a videogame. What's new? Will the things change only knowing there are tropes in videogames? I don't think so.

1) that's not what the videos do, 2) apparently it does need pointing out.

The series inspired Suellentrop to ask Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto about his frequent use of helpless "damsels" in his games; Miyamoto responded, "I haven't given it a lot of deep thought over the years."

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/arts/video-games/chris-suellentrop-on-the-year-in-video-games.html

 

[nynt9]

I think her existence and the reaction to it was a bigger eye opener than her videos. The videos themselves are ok at best, but she started the conversation and exposed the ugly parts of gaming so she deserves commendation for that. What she stands for is a bigger deal than the videos she made.

 

[Opa-Pa]

I disagree.

First, if you want to start a project like this, a project with a strong value in terms of reseach or review or journalism, you have to do it right, or else is useless.

Second, i don't think we need another example of how this is a male industry for men, we already know till 1980 when you can find a seminude woman in the cover of a videogame. What's new? Will the things change only knowing there are tropes in videogames? I don't think so.

I mean, even if her content was bad (it isn't, IMO), it still is one of the main reasons feminism is even considered something worth talking about within the industry. So there's definitely some gigantic value in what she's done, whether you like the content or not.

As for your second point. It seems obvious /now/, but for tons of people it was an unheard of concept just a few years ago. Hell, even today (on this very forum!) there are many players who are blind to the idea that the industry caters almost exclusively to men. So it's definitely worth it to keep pointing these things out as long as they're prevalent in games, which they still very much are.

 

[Crayon]

Godd bless her. Those videos were very helpful and she has handled the horrible attack on her like a genuine badass.

 

[firehawk12]

I still think this is one of those cases of the wrong person for the right message, but on the whole it was a good project if only to expose all the GG shitheads that occupy gaming.

 

[Sblargh]

It's funny because I can't get into the videos because I think they are too tame. Otoh, of course, for a lot of people they are the 3xtr3m3 feminizt revolution that should be destroyed because it is the end of civilization itself, so obviously she was doing something right. Merely pointing out sexism was obviously way too much for gg's delicate sensibilities. Anything more poignant and we would be seeing mass suicide or something.

Anyway, I am really happy for her and all her success and I hope all the best to her. The debate she helped shaped still is very important.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

It's funny because I can't get into the videos because I think they are too tame. Otoh, of course, for a lot of people they are the 3xtr3m3 feminizt revolution that should be destroyed because it is the end of civilization itself, so obviously she was doing something right. Merely pointing out sexism was obviously way too much for gg's delicate sensibilities. Anything more poignant and we would be seeing mass suicide or something.

Anyway, I am really happy for her and all her success and I hope all the best to her. The debate she helped shaped still is very important.

It is kinda hilarious that she has really REALLY moderate, mainstream feminist opinions yet she's so often painted as an extremist.

 

[Deft Beck]

I didn't particularly like her videos or the points that she made, but I give her credit for getting the ball rolling regarding discussion of various aspects of gaming that are taken for granted and ought to be examined closer.

 

[UnNamed]

Where to even start with this, I don't know...
she's not a journalist, doesn't present herself as a journalist, and ask to be called a journalist. She's a commentator and a critic, with a very specific focus.

These videos aren't about that - these videos are about identifying common problems within games.

And what's the difference?

A work of critic is based on the same things and methods of research, thinking and all the key elements you can find in journalism, There's no critic of art, music, movies, that isn't also a professionist who knows how this elements has to work.
You can't say she can't rely on those things only because "she's not a journalist".
That's why i think her work is a poor example of critic.

And identifying common problems is not enought. I don't want to say she have to solve all the problems, and somehow i think this videos are a good base to start, but these are just a base, a start, but are meaningless in this form.

 

[Wazzy]

I appreciate her videos and the conversation they raised. Do I agree with a lot of her videos? No. I think some of her criticisms are outright wrong and that's it okay to disagree with her but the reaction to her criticisms was overblown and disgustingly misogynistic because dudes couldn't handle someone calling out the gaming community.

So props to her for having the courage to continue making these videos and deal with the amount of harassment she received.

 

[5taquitos]

And what's the difference?

A work of critic is based on the same things and methods of research, thinking and all the key elements you can find in journalism, There's no critic of art, music, movies, that isn't also a professionist who knows how this elements has to work.
You can't say she can't rely on those things only because "she's not a journalist".
That's why i think her work is a poor example of critic.

And identifying common problems is not enought. I don't want to say she have to solve all the problems, and somehow i think this videos are a good base to start, but these are just a base, a start, but are meaningless in this form.

One of the basic tenets of criticism is formulating a thesis and then using examples to support your argument.

Like, that's what the academic critical structure is.

 

[old manatee]

I don't like their content, but I think they have had a positive effect on the industry overall.

 

[mieumieu]

It is a good and necessary series of videos that really doesn't break new grounds for feminist media critiques but core gamers are just not used to this.

Yeah I know some absolutely hate her with their guts. This ContraPoints video (starting from 3:50 or so) I think explains the reason pretty well:

https://youtu.be/ubc2CRwBGTk

BTW I agree. I think ContraPoints got her opinions across better because his videos are more 'fun'.

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

I think her existence and the reaction to it was a bigger eye opener than her videos. The videos themselves are ok at best, but she started the conversation and exposed the ugly parts of gaming so she deserves commendation for that. What she stands for is a bigger deal than the videos she made.

Pretty much exactly how I feel. The context surrounding the videos are a much stronger indictment of the culture rather than the content itself.

 

[Rodelero]

It's perhaps a little early to speak of legacy given that the series only just ended, but I think there is an enormous amount of evidence that gaming is making significant strides forwards when it comes to treating female characters with respect, and some of that must be due to Anita and her videos, though realistically it was an inevitable transition as gaming matured as a genre. She deserves praise, at the very least, for accelerating this process.

I didn't always think the videos themselves were great. They rarely deliver beyond being lists of problematic content. There were moments where she stated feministic conjecture as fact when trying to reinforce the critical importance of her message. There were moments where the criticisms she made of games felt a little strained. Yet, at the same time, it seems somewhat churlish to criticise a woman who put herself in the limelight to speak about something important when very few others were, and who put her head above the parapet knowing (though probably underestimating) the abuse that would come her way. As I said though, to really comment on the legacy of these videos, we will have to wait and see how much progress is made in the next few years. I am highly optimistic, it has to be said, given how far things seem to have come in a relatively short period. I'm sure there will continue to be many negative portrayals of women in games for a long time to come, but I think we are going to see a massive increase of positive portrayals of women.

 

[MoogleMan]

Didn't like her works at all.
Basically she first create her thesis, then create arguments and find flaws based on those thesis. It's an anti-journalistic way to represent a work like this.

Basically she only show what is good for her, but the real problem is she only disclose examples but you can't find a real thinking on why this things happens or what developers can do to overturn the situation.

She debate on why male so male chauvinist? Ok, good job Sarkeesian.
Ask yourself in the first place, and then tell us, why there are so few girls programming videogames, for example,

Just saying videogames are sexist is the same to complaining about that old tv series with all member of the family white or black, or why women are misrapresented in the '50 movies.
Ok, then?

You cannot help just showing how sexist is this or that subject, but you can do something when you try to understand why this things happens and how you can change the situation.

I agree, and I'm glad she's moving on to other topics. Her content was too one-sided for me to take seriously. She never saw the whole picture; just bits and pieces.

 

[HeelPower]

Really challenged me and changed the way I think of not just female characters.

It made me question what makes a good video game character in general.

 

[R_thanatos]

I think this was a good idea ..but i don't think it was done that well .

It certainly did look professionnal but it spiralled into some nonsense party with all the GG stuff ..witch is a shame because the content of the message was diluted and now i think the message , however small that could have been spread is lost.

i watched some of those vids and i learned nothing ..i can't help but think that this was a good idea , badly presented to the public with limited range for the proper message.

A shame

 

[gabbo]

It's made me more critical of games to a certain degree (taking media studies courses in the past had already lifted the veil on that somewhat.

That being said, I hope that others take her as inspiration going forward and further critique gaming and achieve greater change. I would hate to see her series eventually come to nothing in the long run

 

[Shaanyboi]

And what's the difference?

A work of critic is based on the same things and methods of research, thinking and all the key elements you can find in journalism, There's no critic of art, music, movies, that isn't also a professionist who knows how this elements has to work.
You can't say she can't rely on those things only because "she's not a journalist".
That's why i think her work is a poor example of critic.

And identifying common problems is not enought. I don't want to say she have to solve all the problems, and somehow i think this videos are a good base to start, but these are just a base, a start, but are meaningless in this form.

How? She didn't get invited to speak to developers for no reason. They got attention in no small part due to what she was shedding light on for a lot of people. Clearly they had an affect, and the members of the development community began self-reflecting on these oversights.

And the arguments posited in her videos are literally what academic criticism is supposed to be. Like... by definition.

 

[SomTervo]

I disagree.

First, if you want to start a project like this, a project with a strong value in terms of reseach or review or journalism, you have to do it right, or else is useless.

Second, i don't think we need another example of how this is a male industry for men, we already know till 1980 when you can find a seminude woman in the cover of a videogame. What's new? Will the things change only knowing there are tropes in videogames? I don't think so.

It's not that kind of project.

It's bite-sized pop critique of a popular medium.

It's not academic. It's not a 10000 word thesis that needs full referencing.

Yes, many of its arguments are flawed, but that doesn't mean the project wasn't important.