A Respectful Critique of Anita Sarkeesian’s Tropes Versus Women in Video Games (Repost)

     A (Respectful) Critique of Anita Sarkeesian’s Tropes Versus Women in Video Games

Anita Sarkeesian’s YouTube video series entitled Tropes Versus Women in Video Games takes a feminist approach to critique video games and their various representations of women. Episodes discuss topics such as the damsel-in-distress trope, the sexualization of women, and positive female role models in video games. Sarkeesian’s ideas are thought-provoking but fail to capture the full context of several video games and franchises, making many of her arguments incomplete. Some examples include her discourses on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Super Mario franchise, and Hitman: Absolution.

In her discussion on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Sarkeesian points to how Sheik becomes a damsel only minutes after revealing her true identity, Zelda. She states, “However, as soon as she [Sheik] transforms back into her more stereotypically feminine form of Princess Zelda, she is captured within three minutes. Literally three minutes, I timed it. Her rescue becomes central to Link’s [the protagonist] quest” (“Damsel in Distress: Part 1 - Tropes vs Women in Video Games,” 00:15:38-00:15:55). Sarkeesian makes a coherent point but fails to discuss how Zelda is an integral part of Link’s journey in her “more stereotypically feminine form.” In said form, Zelda gives Link several items necessary for story progression and helps him defeat the video game’s final boss, Ganon. Zelda also returns Link to his childhood after the game ends. Sending Link back in time allows him to experience the childhood he missed because of his mission. To her credit, Sarkeesian shows footage of Zelda giving Link the Light Arrows and opening doors to help him escape Ganondorf’s Castle when discussing roles Zelda has taken in the franchise (“Damsel in Distress: Part 1 - Tropes vs Women in Video Games,” 00:15:09-00:15:16). Still, she does not explain these moments in their proper context when talking about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Neglecting pertinent details misleads her audience into believing Zelda is nothing more than a damsel and object for Link to save in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Sarkeesian’s section on the Super Mario franchise has several cogent arguments. She correctly emphasizes how Princess Peach is the quintessential damsel and is kidnapped in the vast majority of mainline Mario games (“Damsel in Distress: Part 1 - Tropes vs Women in Video Games,” 00:07:40-00:07:52). Using the damsel in distress trope in most mainline games is a problem, as it only provides a lazy justification to Mario’s journey. Nintendo’s future installments in the Super Mario franchise should focus on diverse modes of storytelling that could enhance player experience and prevent stagnation. Saving Princess Peach has its place, but Nintendo recycling the same story in several iterations is an issue, even if Sarkeesian overemphasizes the point.

Despite Sarkeesian’s coherent arguments, her emphasis on plot leads her to overlook the importance of gameplay and level design in the Super Mario franchise. Most discourse on Mario games is connected to their near-perfect, sometimes innovative controls and the awe or nostalgia of certain levels, like Gusty Gardens or the original Level 1-1. The plot is secondary in most Super Mario games and less significant to the overall experience, so discussing them without acknowledging the significance of gameplay and level design leaves Sarkeesian’s argument incomplete.  

Sarkeesian uses footage of Hitman: Absolution when she focuses on female exploitation and their use as background decoration. She correctly discusses actions a player could take while in the game. Still, Sarkeesian misleads her audience by asserting, “Players are then invited to explore and exploit those situations during their playthrough. The player cannot help to treat these bodies as things to be acted upon, because they were designed, constructed and placed in the environment for that singular purpose” (“Women as Background Decoration: Part 1- Tropes vs Women in Video Games,” (00:22:16-00:22:32). Sarkeesian is correct in stating players explore spaces and situations in their respective playthroughs of a video game, but fails by not sufficiently discussing the context to her assertions on the treatment of female NPCs (non-playable characters) in Hitman: Absolution. The provided footage actively undermines her point by showing the player’s overall score reducing as they attack female NPCs, meaning that they are not encouraged to act violently towards female bodies, but are instead incentivized to sneak around them to progress. Not acknowledging something so fundamental leaves Sarkeesian’s argument incomplete and misleading. She desires her audience to believe players are supposed to assault women, but she does not discuss the consequences with enough depth to justify her argument. 

Sarkeesian presents several intriguing arguments about video games, but fails to critique the content in its proper and full context. Zelda’s role in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time goes beyond mere damsel status. The Super Mario games usually utilize plot as a secondary component to an experience, often driven by gameplay and level design. Hitman: Absolution allows players to act in potentially exploitative ways, but actively discourages these behaviors through a points system where sneaking past people is often the incentivized route. Without enough context, no argument is complete or entirely truthful, and that is the reality with Tropes Versus Women in Gaming. 

          Works Cited

Feminist Frequency. “Damsel in Distress: Part 1 - Tropes vs. Women in Video Games.” YouTube, 7 Mar. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6p5AZp7r_Q.

Feminist Frequency. “Women as Background Decoration: Part 1 - Tropes vs. Women in Video Games.” YouTube, 16 June 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZPSrwedvsg.