Bioware’s upcoming MMORPG, The Old Republic, will allow players to create male or female characters. Gamers will have the option of slim, muscular, or fat for male characters, but only slim and muscular for female characters. Why the difference? Shouldn’t there be equity in all things? Is this sexist?
The weight of characters in video games is typically a non-issue. Games are like movies – escapism. Everything and everyone is usually pretty. However, since Bioware has allowed the creation of fat male characters, the lack of that option for female characters becomes a potential firestorm.
Why shouldn’t women get the option to play heavier characters? Is there something offensive or off-putting about overweight women, but not men? Why is creating a fat man “okay,” but a fat woman is “wrong?” Why include the overweight body type in the first place (a decision that seems to indicate a desire to represent everyone, including heavier gamers) but then exclude women? These are the questions such a disparity raises.
To date, the issue has generated forty-one pages of discussion in The Old Republic’s official forums. An associated poll, in which 792 community members voted, indicates 25% think this decision (or rather, omission) is sexist. The issue was also discussed in episode sixty-seven of the podcast, TOROcast.
Rather than being sexist, this omission says more about our culture’s ideas of gender, gender stereotypes, and body image. Western culture tells us that women shouldn’t be fat. When, since Roseanne Barr, has a television show featured a heavy woman? None that I can think of. But there are reams of sitcoms that pair heavy men – who likely wouldn’t be deemed attractive by traditional standards – with slim, pretty women. The shows According to Jim, King of Queens, and Still Standing are some examples. The opposite pairing is almost non-existent.
Or perhaps there’s something a little more, shall we say, insidious going on here. Perhaps Bioware is of the mind that The Old Republic will only appeal to male gamers, and that no male gamer would want to create a fat female character and then be stuck staring at her for hundreds of hours. In which case, wake up, Bioware. Women game. And some men find heavy women attractive.
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Comments
I agree about body image and that women can't have extra pounds without it being an issue. There seems to be more pressure on women to conform to the Hollywood/modelling industry image. And what's the first thing you see on entertainment news programs after an actress has had a baby? How she lost her "baby weight".
First off, commenter before mine is an ass who can't even back up his own insults with an identity.
Second, I don't think the lady from King of Queens is very skinny. She's actually a pretty well proportioned woman and I can't think of titles ATM but it's a bit inaccurate to say only skinny women dominate sitcom television.
Now when it comes to action shows or dramas, of course you might only see thin women. Chasing bad guys and sprinting across scenes for 30 minute intervals is highly likely to wear off calories. I would think it would be similar with any Bioware adventure game. A heavy chick just wouldn't last long...because she's lose weight flinging lightsabers and nonstop sprinting from planet to planted.
I have often wondered, however about Bioware's customization trends. In Mass Effect you can basically be in an intergalactic lesbian relationship but never a male homosexual one. Contrarily, Dragon Age offers a gay elf sex encounter. It is VERY true that men make up the majority of gamers and men love lesbians, skinny girls, and breasts more than intimate M4M yaoi, so maybe Bioware is just looking at the facts accordingly.
BTW, who really wants to create a fat male character? As a woman, even on my second playthru as an asshold man, I wouldn't want to make him fat. I mean, Twi'leks aren't picky, but I just woukdn't find it realistic for an OVERWEIGHT anyone to roam the galaxy so freely. Maybe big-boned, but not flat out huge.
I have to disagree with one point of your article. It certainly is because of a cultural bias like you said, but that bias is sexist, therefore this IS sexist.
I don't see how this is really arguable. Are they discriminating character appearance based on what gender that character is? Yes. Is there a good and rational reason for that? No.
I agree with Captain Wren that the more sensible solution would probably be to NOT have the fat male option.
Does not make sense to me. Everyone needs lovin' , even well endowed women.
Simpsons, Family Guy, King of Queens and so forth, its O.K for men to be bigger, but the wives must always be of a certain physical appeal.
It sucks that this is prevalent, and I am also disgusted by how the majority of my gender thinks/treats women, ESPECIALLY on the medium which I absolutely love, which is video games.
If you want to play a fat character, play a guy then. Problem solved. This is a petty argument.
I am fine with fat female characters as long as the game includes a bag that I can put over their head if they get to close to me.
don't forget, the game is STILL in development. They could very well add it in later.
I can understand where you're coming from but think about this: I don't know a single girl gamer who would prefer to make their avatar 'large' if there was a slimmer version available. Similarly, I can't imagine any guys that would create a female avatar with out having the intention of her be scantily clad and sexy..... I honestly just think that they took vast gamer preference into consideration, and meant no offense.
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