dystopia au where we are all assigned one of two chosen genders at birth
Thanks to ultrasounds, the genders can be assigned before birth. The people are so excited to conform they throw “Gender reveal parties” to make sure their offspring exist in a strict binary since before they can even form thoughts.
Children are color-coded according to their binary assignment.
One of the genders is seen as inherently inferior.
This all sounds really effing creepy when you put it that way
#BECAUSE IT IS
And if you deviate from the assigned gender you can be disowned by your family, fired from your job, and beaten by authorities.
So I’ve been integrating myself into this games design class for a while now and I feel like there is something I have noticed all across the board with all the male students in here: none of them have ever looked into and studied media critically, ever. I’m talking to these guys and not one of them has ever done media before - they joined the industry because a. “It’s a booming industry with lots of jobs” or b. “I like videogames”. Not one of them has ever though about the representation of people in videogames and how it affects the audience.
And while I’m not saying it’s entirely in ignorance - a lot of it is definitely deliberate, having heard from a few that they don’t see the point of analysing games so much when they’re “just a bit of fun” and pretty much absorb the opinion of other men who justify sexualisation because it’s convenient for them - I’m saying at least a part of why they create these sexualised characters, without a thought to the under representation of multiple groups, is pure ignorance. When games have constantly pandered to them from the beginning they have absolutely no reason to study or look further into what the game represents or who it represents, and so many of them go blithely into the game industry because they think it’s an easy job with - currently - lots of money. Now while I know this isn’t true for all, I am certain they definitely are not the only case and this attitude and lack of understanding about representation means that a lot of men go into the industry not caring about sexualising characters - they absorb the opinions of their superiors, being told sex sells and a bikini is justified, that no one needs POC in games unless they’re hyper sexualised or a stereotype, that MOGAI people don’t need representation in games unless there is going to be some a lesbian sex scene (cis lesbians though of course) - because at the end of the day it earns them money and doesn’t impact them one iota.
This explains video games SO MUCH.
Actually, now I’m sitting here thinking about it, there’s another thing I’ve missed: not only are men not informing themselves about representation, they’re not expected to. In my art class, another one of the students is doing concept art, like me, and is, as you’ve guessed, a straight, white cis guy and during the whole time he’s done this project he hasn’t been asked once to look further into representation.
In comparison, I have been berated by the tutors to explain my reasoning behind creating all non-binary and women characters, who are all lgbt/mogai and mostly people of colour. I’ve been asked to “justify” my misandry and hatred towards men, I’ve been told my characters are generic and bland, and that I’m not doing enough to prove my point.
Meanwhile, I haven’t heard, during the entire time this project has been on, anything from my tutors about representation to him. They haven’t said a word. And yet, in comparison he is drawing and painting women with huge tits and metal bikinis in a anime style. His work should be more controversial then mine, and yet he hasn’t had any of the pressure I’ve had, from other students or from tutors.
That’s because the onus isn’t on him. When a person of a minority (whether that be gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, etc) strives for a career in videogames, they are expected to come packaged with an in-brain textbook on representation and this is to be reflected in their work and justified at all times. For those who aren’t a minority (aka, straight, white, cis, abled men) as long as they can draw hot anime babes in titty uniform then they’re allowed on the crew.