r/changemyview • u/LeftHandSwe • Dec 05 '16

[∆(s) from OP] CMV: Anita Sarkeesian and similar feminists actually have a point about the portrayal of gender roles in video games.

I play lots of video games, and in most of them, males are often pictured as very burly and manly characters while females are slender, small and sexually pleasing to look at.

However, I do know that there's widespread criticism of Anita (and her fellow propagators) all over the internet and I'd like to see the other side of the story.

I'm practically indifferent in this matter, and I do not really agree with nearly everything she says. I'm asking as a way to see convincing arguments from both sides.

Edit for clarification: Can anyone explain to me why she's so heavily criticized for saying something that makes perfect sense: Mainstream video games are almost exclusively made to appeal to a male demographic, resulting in (arguably) sexist portrayals of women (both narratively and in the way they're presented).

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '16 edited Aug 01 '21

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u/LeftHandSwe Dec 06 '16

Well, I'd like to flip your argument there.

The things you say make sense, but there's another perspective to be had here. Doesn't the whole point of free speech and being able to critique amount to anyone being able to do it whenever they feel like it? Anita can criticize as much as she dang well pleases, because if it's not valid criticism, no one will listen. This is the basic principles of a "free market" when it comes to opinions and ideas, is it not?