I consider myself a feminist and a gamer. And you know what? I love playing “Grand Theft Auto.”
But some articles calling the game misogynistic have inevitably cropped up.
Samhita, a writer at Feministing.com, thinks “GTA” promotes the idea to young men that “it is cool to be violent and kill prostitutes.” She asked, “Where does this put young women gamers? How do they feel when playing video games with such violent representations of women?”
It didn’t help matters that IGN made a video called the “Ladies of Liberty City,” which was a collection of clips showing lead character Niko Bellic having sex with prostitutes and then killing them (it was pulled down following an inquiry from Multiplayer).
I was appalled by the IGN video; I was turned off by the disturbing montage and felt it presented the game grossly out of context.
So why do I like this game?
There are a lot of reasons I enjoy “GTA IV.” I like the larger scope: its New York-inspired landscapes and vibe, its colorful characters, its story of an immigrant trying to survive in a violent new world while finding closure for his past. I like the minutiae: playing pool with friends, the jazz radio station, parodies of real-world advertisements. And oh yeah, and I can shoot people, steal cars and fly helicopters at will (things I wouldn’t normally do in real life).
As far as the sex, though I’ve played every iteration since “GTA III,” I never once had sex with a hooker. That is, until “GTA IV.”
“Out of morbid curiosity (a force that drives many of my inexplicable actions in open world games), I procured the services of a prostitute.” |
Out of morbid curiosity (a force that drives many of my inexplicable actions in open world games), I procured the services of a prostitute. After driving around for quite a while, I finally spotted a scantily-clad woman on a dark street corner. I stopped and honked the horn, and she entered the vehicle. Once in a secluded area, I chose the $50 package (versus the $20 or the $70), where she vigorously fellated me Niko. While she clearly had her head in his lap, I couldn’t see much more than that. I still found this moment to be a bit icky and uncomfortable, but it wasn’t as lengthy or as sensual as, say, the sex scene in The Matrix: Reloaded.
Then I did the deed that got people downright angry: following our intimate encounter I ran her over with my car to see what would happen. She screamed and then lay flat on the ground as I pulled away. I stopped briefly to contemplate what I had just done, but apparently I didn’t hit the gas hard enough because she came after me and tried to kill me. I sped off. I learned there are consequences for killing (and attempting to kill) sex workers.
Should prostitutes exist in the game? I’m not particularly enamored with that feature of “GTA,” but I don’t have to use and kill hookers to succeed or progress. I don’t have to use their services for health (a burger will do) or kill them for their money (the game gives me plenty of cash for car thefts, deliveries and assassinations). I also don’t have to run over 50 people, including women, to get to where I’m going, though I often do because I have a bad habit of driving on sidewalks.
Addressing what this game means for women, I don’t think the option to kill prostitutes gives young men the idea to use females as sex objects and then kill them. Perhaps something is wrong with someone who repeatedly does this in the game for sheer amusement but I’d like to give gamers more credit than that. Playing “The Sims,” I’ve done some things that could be equivalent to gratuitously murdering people in “GTA” (am I the only person to have created four solid walls around their Sim to see what happens?). “GTA” is a game of choice — albeit from a strictly male perspective — in a fantasy world of crime, giving players the option to do things that they wouldn’t do in real life like illicit sex and indiscriminate killing.
All in all, as a woman, a gamer and a feminist, I’m not offended by the game. After playing “GTA IV” and past “GTA” games, I know the fantastic game world that Rockstar has built is satirical, elaborate and just plain fun. I never got the feeling that Rockstar’s agenda is to promote an anti-female ideology, subtly or blatantly. To boot, shooting people and fulfilling missions are parts of many other games that I enjoy — most of them with male protagonists.
It should also be noted that there are female characters in the game. So far I’ve met three women: Mallory, Niko’s cousin’s girlfriend, who doesn’t do or say much except to help you get more work; a drug dealer named Elizabeta, who isn’t any different than other drug dealers in the game; and Michelle, a woman who Niko is encouraged to take on dates. Michelle is fully clothed, unlike sex workers, but like many of the random pedestrians in the game, she lacks personality. While there’s a plot point that occurs later on to explain her intentions, she still shows no emotion or depth of character. When I tried taking her to the strip club for a date to see what happened, instead of her being revolted by the atmosphere like I expected, it was as if I didn’t take her anywhere at all. I was disappointed that she had no reaction whatsover; I took her bowling instead.
Ultimately, would I like to see a female lead in a “GTA” game? Absolutely. My editor has mentioned the idea that it’d be interesting to see a “GTA” starring a woman. If it’s the vast options of an open world game that most gamers love about “GTA,” then why not have a woman that can be as violent and sexual and compelling and complex as Niko Bellic?
May 9th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
It’s funny that people blaming art for its depictions of reality, especially in the case of when it’s a true depiction. Some women are paid for sex. Sorry.
Also, like you wrote, it’s not a necessary part of the game. You even have the option of not having sex with your own girlfriend.
A GTA with a woman would not turn away a single GTA fan. If we played adventurer Lara Croft, we can do a car jacking female thug.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I had same sexual encounter in GTA4 as I did in real life. Dru Hill on the radio, crusing around, trying to find a dark spot to hide the car in.
Great times.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
One of my female games journalist friends was saying a similar thing to me the other day, about how it’s a highly misogynistic game and how it promotes violence towards women, etc. To me it’s a parody. It’s Rockstar’s parody of American culture which definitely acts horribly toward women. It’s all tongue in cheek, and to me it was obvious that it was presented as such. I’m glad that you see it as such as well. It’s easy to give a knee-jerk reaction and start to rail in typical feminist fashion against something that seems like it is anti-women, but if people actually play it and experience they will realize it’s way deeper than that.
May 9th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I am female, not a big gamer but recently played GTA IV for the first time and made it a point to run over as many people as possible. If I had found a prostitute I would have definitely payed for her services. I may have tried to killed her too, seeing as how I tried to kill everyone already - women carrying groceries, old men, policemen, etc.
I do not judge people by their behavior in games and would find it odd if someone judged me. I don’t think I would want to play a game where the sole purpose would be killing prostitutes, after a while that would probably become a little boring.
I would LOVE to play a GTA IV game starring a woman. I would even buy it. Could she pay she-johns for sex? That would be awesome and I would do it, why not?
May 9th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
@Daniela:
While the prospect of the woman paying men for sex is interesting, I think a more interesting (and controversial) step would be allow them to play the part of the stripper or the prostitute.
It would bring up some interesting questions. How many would be willing to engage in those activities from the other side of the equation? How would you protect yourself from the customers? After all, it’s not like you can hide an AK-47 in a G-String.
However, I doubt that would ever happen personally… While it would answer some interesting questions, and maybe even teach a few lessons, I think that ultimately the message would be lost on the masses. They would simply see that now their little girl can play the part of a prostitute to make a quick buck…
May 9th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I did that in first GTA 3. When I heard there were hookers in the game I just had to see it because it so ridiculous/hilarious. As soon as services were rendered and she stepped out of the car for some reason I thought to myself, what would happen if I now ran her over… money went flying so I grabbed it and I ended up making money on the deal.
The whole event was so bizarre I had to do it again and then show all my friends. It definitely wasn’t about hurting women though. Actually, if I was a women picking up male prostitutes then killing them it would’ve been even funnier. By the time I was done playing that game liberty city would’ve looked like Y: The Last Man minus Yorick.
It definitely wasn’t about killing prostitutes either. By the time I learned there were prostitutes in the game I had already killed the entire population of liberty city twice over. (Mostly because I also drive on sidewalks). It was just a funny scenario to be able to do in a game. I got just as much thrill out of the first time I maxed out my wanted level and got murdered by a tank, or when I took drugs and ran into traffic then went flying though the air in slow-mo, and there were no women or sex involved.
There’s just something fun about seeing what you can make your character do in any game. Why else would I spend 30 minutes trying to make him go all teen wolf on the top of a cargo van, or climb to the highest point I can find just so I can then jump off it, or shoot my left foot with a rocket launcher? Just to see if I can and what happens when I do, and GTA is the King of letting you explore what you can make a character do.
Also when I’m playing I don’t even think about if there men or women there just non-gender specific pixels mainly because GTA doesn’t ask you to care about the characters in the game. I mean it’s not like they’re asking me to euthanize my companion cube, then I would have to think twice about it.
May 10th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Interesting perspective. You don’t find it sexist that none of the female characters in the game have any personality? =/
“While the prospect of the woman paying men for sex is interesting, I think a more interesting (and controversial) step would be allow them to play the part of the stripper or the prostitute.”
I don’t find this interesting at all, since it plays right into roles we expect to see, and roles women already play in this series.
May 10th, 2008 at 4:47 am
A couple of other points that I haven’t seen mentioned *anywhere*.
After you have sex with a prostitute, Niko sometimes says things like “why did that leave me feeling so empty and alone?” (paraphrasing, I can’t remember the exact wording)
Then there’s the little side quest where you help out Dwayne’s ex (can’t remember her name), where Niko’s pretty much sums up the point saying “I’ll teach this guy not to be hitting women”.
I personally found that one the most satisfying mission so far. I’d love to beat the crap out of guys who abuse their women, and GTA gave we the chance to do it in a game. Whodathunkit?
May 10th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I think dismissing the sexism in this game because it doesn’t bother you personally is a little… counterproductive (? I guess). With all games it’s up to the individual to decide whether the good outweighs the bad, but that doesn’t mean the sexism is nonexistent or negligible (which is, correct me if I’m wrong, what you seem to be saying–that it’s not bad).
For example, I love the Phoenix Wright series, and they are among my favorite games. But I still have to recognize the fact that Mia Fey’s visual portrayal is sexist and Male Gaze-y. I chose that that’s something I can overlook in order to enjoy the game, but that doesn’t mean I can’t or shouldn’t criticize the game for that. From what I’ve heard about GTA, it’s not something that I would be able to enjoy given the sexist and homophobic aspects. The fact that you can get past it and enjoy the game is great–I’m actually kind of envious of that–but I hoped that wouldn’t effect giving the game due criticism.
The fact that everyone goes on and on about how amazingly detailed the game is, and yet the developers couldn’t even put in that “little detail” of a *personality* for the protagonist’s girlfriend does not sit well with me AT ALL.
““GTA” is a game of choice — albeit from a strictly male perspective”
(A straight male perspective.)
Comparing this game to the Sims seems a little silly to me. Anything a male Sim can do, a female Sim can do as well; there are no limitations based on gender. The Sims doesn’t have a storyline, let alone one that marginalizes female characters by not having any women of purpose (outside of having sex with the protagonist) or even personality.
You’re right that there’s something wrong with someone who repeatedly kills prostitutes or drowns their Sims, and that having that option will probably not make a decent person think it’s a good idea. My problem with GTA is that it enforces the sexist ideas that already pervade our culture and especially our media. GTA isn’t alone in this, for sure. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to criticize it.
May 10th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
GTA doesn’t enforce sexist ideas, it satirizes them. The game immerses you into a hyper-real, over the top America where the culture is a magnified version of every American cultural stereotype out there. From the radio commentary to even how a person walking down the street acts towards you, everything is depicted as being wholly unreal. Every person is outrageous, every TV show, every radio commentator. It’s spot on satire and funny as hell.
As for personalities of the female characters? Michelle’s personality makes sense as the game goes on. The many other women who you can meet are pretty distinctive. Carmen is awesome (in a GTA kind of way).
May 10th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Does engaging with a prostitute challenge your ideas of who a prostitute is and why she is in that situation? Does it make some sort of statement about prostitutes as people?
Or does it simply include prostitution for fun, as a game mechanic?
The game has satiric elements, but that doesn’t excuse the actual sexist and homophobic content.
May 11th, 2008 at 12:22 am
As I see it, GTA as a whole series can be interpreted as any text or film; being a video game does not limit its ability to reflect the culture that produced it. That being said, the parody and satire does not end with the funny commercials and ads strewn about the city and sprinkled on the radio. It speaks of egocentrism in that the world largely does revolve around the main character, who commits random acts of violence against the mindless masses i.e. Peds. It speaks of the justice system: you’ll see police randomly chasing a car and shooting wildly, and if your character is arrested, you’re out the next day down some cash due to the bribe you had to pay and without any weapons, unless you’re hooked-up to someone on the inside as in San Andreas. In the game, morals are of no concern. If you do something wrong, whatever consequence is merely a minor inconvenience. I think what Rockstar has given us is good and constructive.
I’m in agreement with you about those who repeatedly kill prostitutes. The fact that it’s an open world and you can choose what you do speaks more of the player rather than the game developers. You do have to commit crimes to progress in the game. For me, that violence is the same entertainment value I’d get from movies like “Lock Stock” or “Football Factory”. As for what I do between missions, sometimes I’ll cause havoc, other times I’ll just drive around digging the city, taking in how a vast and relatively realistic world can be made with technology to play around in.
By the way, I’d totally play a woman as the main character. I think it’d be awesome to get hit on by some random Ped, then shoot him in the crotch with a sniper rifle.
May 11th, 2008 at 10:58 am
@ Everyone, Thanks for commenting and providing intelligent discussion.
@ Eleniel, to answer your comments:
- Since I’m not completely done with the game, I hope to learn more about the women characters over time. Though I was very disappointed that Michelle didn’t react to the strip club, I later learned something about her later on to explain why she was like that. As my editor suggested in a previous piece, perhaps Rockstar is merely incapable of writing compelling female characters, which means maybe they could use more women writers at Rockstar. But this is an industry wide issue in general…
- “A straight male perspective.” Definitely true, and thanks for noting that. Also, I compared the game to “The Sims” in the aspect that it allows for my morbid curiosity in different settings, though you are correct about it being more gender neutral with no specific story.
- To answer your questions about prostitutes, the one encounter I had, she does say some vulgar things but she also seems… bored. Niko says that he’s “ashamed” and a “lowlife.” The message I got from that is that anyone who pays for sex is sad. To me, it wasn’t fun, but embarrassing.
- Overall, I look at “GTA” like any mob/gangster film. There’s a story to tell, but as a game there’s interactivity within the story. And there are (usually) reactions and consequences for your actions. I definitely think sexism exists and is certainly not negligible, in the real world and in our game worlds. I love the “Phoenix Wright” series as well and completely agree that Mia shows more cleavage than any lawyer I know of (save for Erin Brockavich). What I’m saying is that there can be questionable ideas in our game worlds but it doesn’t have to prevent me from enjoying them. But I also think it’s important to discuss them like we are here.
Thanks for reading,
Tracey
May 11th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Point the first: The above article and nearly all the comments in response reflect the overdose of irony in the sensibilities of both Gen X (to which I belong) and the subsequent Millenial generation. There is a general refusal in the post-post-modern world to take seriously the notion of absolute standards of ethics. Everything is relative and open to opinion. Protagoras would be pleased; modern wo/man IS the measure of all things. People are more shocked by the idea that there are things which should be taken seriously than by all the horrible suffering going on in the world around us as we type our opinions about a two-dimensional game universe. There is also a certain squeamishness about saying anything which seems to endorse political correctness. Many of us would rather leave the sanctity of human life and dignity undefended than risk sounding like Andrea Dworkin.
Second point: There is a very common error in literary vocabulary bandied about here. This is not surprising, given that reading is a dying art in this digital age. The following notion is implicit in the above text and commentary: “If a computer game, movie, or other form of entertainment/art makes a joke out of violence and sexual exploitation, it must be a satire.” Satire actually has had a moralistic aim for thousands of years. (Just so I am not misunderstood: ethics has to do with justice and what is “right” or “wrong”; morality is concerned with social norms, taboos, and cultural interpretations of right and wrong.) The Celtic bards pronounced satires upon unjust chieftains and kings to maintain the social order and prevent tyranny. The Greek comedian Aristophanes mocked aspects of Athenian life and thought that he thought were ruining the moral fabric of his city-state. Horace, Petronius, Lucian, Apuleius, Chaucer, Boccaccio, William Dunbar, Rabelais, Cervantes, Jonathan Swift, Henry Fielding, Laurence Sterne, the writers and editors of the British magazine PUNCH, Edgar Allan Poe, Ambrose Bierce, Mark Twain, G. K. Chesterton, James Branch Cabell, Alfred Jarry, Spike Milligan, Mervyn Peake, Monty Python, and Frank Zappa (to name but a few of the masters) similarly lampooned the abuses of their respective times. Here is a formal definition by Robert C. Elliott: “In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods, ideally with an intent to bring about improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be funny, the purpose of satire is not primarily humor in itself so much as an attack on something of which the author strongly disapproves, using the weapon of wit.” To claim that Rockstar had such goals when they envisioned Grand Theft Auto is ludicrously fatuous.
Third and final point: GTA, the genres of mobster films and ganagsta rap, and the “shock for shock’s sake” of South Park and the various cartoon series of Seth MacFarlane do not have a profound artistic message to convey. They simply wallow in the lowest common denominator and exploit the basest instincts of humanity.
May 11th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
@David
Two questions back at you:
1) You’ve played “GTA IV” and found nothing satirical in it? None of those dozens of bits played on the game’s talk radio meet your or the Celts’ standard?
2) Is there no middle ground between that which conveys a “profound” (to whom?) artistic message and that which simply wallows in the lowest common denominator? And never are the two aims achieved together?
You appear to be painting with a broad brush, but if, in fact, you’ve played some “GTA” and could provide some specific examples I believe you could contribute greatly to the discussion about this and other games.
Please continue to share and expand your thoughts.
Thanks for checking our blog out.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:30 am
@David,
Something tells me you haven’t played this game. Thanks for the (not truly needed) definition of satire though. Which, by the way, the game is rife with. The radio is a nonstop satire of America’s homophobia, sexism, love of violence and, probably more than anything, consumerism. Ads and billboards also push this angle. Rockstar has always used satire in the GTA series and this one particularly is quite good. So I’d suggest playing the game prior to commenting on it. If you do, then somehow defend your point that the talk shows and ads on the radio are not satire, because they very clearly are by the word’s very definition. We could go into specifics then.
As for the rest of your points? I fail to see the world you obviously see. Ethics are, by nature, malleable and organic and always have been. Unless you believe there is some a priori agent in ethics. I don’t adhere to this view. Call me a relativist if you must but I’d say my view is supported by the thousands of years of recorded human history and current nuerological studies about moral decision making. I’d call myself a realist.
May 12th, 2008 at 11:02 am
@Eleniel:
“I don’t find this interesting at all, since it plays right into roles we expect to see, and roles women already play in this series.”
Couldn’t the same be said for Niko’s character? You already have gangsters and thugs in the game, why is it interesting to actually play as one? In almost every game we play we inhabit a role similar to, if not identical to, other characters in the game.
The reason why I found it interesting to be able to play the game as a female character who can choose to be a stripper or a prostitute is specifically *because* it would allow you to experience what the “Ladies of Liberty City” experience. You would have to make the decision of whether degrading yourself was worth the cash, whether the risk was worth the reward.
May 12th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Games like GTA4 are not sexist - they allow people who are sexist to kill women or act out certain twisted actions. I think tracey is correct in her assessment and I applaud her for writing this at a time when so many people make harsh judgements about these games - like the only people that play these games are 15 year old boys that hate cops. Other people play these games too - people that think, have jobs, are not men, etc.
And I would also add that is completely offensive to feminisim as a philosophy when people try an equate everything with sexism. Is the internet sexist because people can view material that is offensive to women? Killing women is not the point of the game. And even if it was, the bottom line is that if your perceptions of women are being shaped by GTA4 then you are either an idiot or a child - and if you are a child, your caretaker’s reponsibility is to explain that the game is fanstasy and expose you to other media that shows other ways of viewing women (and make sure that you do not grow up thinking women are inferior). If you are an idiot, well, then you’re either probably working hard to let everyone know how sexist/racist video games are, think that playing a game will cause you to kill people, or already thought that women are inferior before you played GTA IV and the game probably didn’t really have that much of an impact on you anways…
May 12th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
In response to Ian:
Actually, the definition of satire (and many other words misused by people) was necessary. Your remarks clearly displayed your own ignorance of the meaning of the word. In addition, the ad hominem fallacy you made reflects your need to attend to a refresher course in logic and rhetoric.
Get real. Billboards as a source of satire? Come on! Talk shows perhaps, although most are only cul-de-sacs to control the masses and dissipate their vital energies on pointless arguments, but definitely not billboards or tv ads. There IS a difference between satire and hyper-irony. Billboards are a way of generating revenue, not a venue for moral accountability. And it is morals that are relative, not ethics (unless we are referring to situation ethics, which is an entirely different realm of discussion). Again, if you were better educated in the history of ideas and/or etymology you would know that ethos is a rhetorical term referring to the elusive notion of “good”, whereas mores refer to the expectations and social rules for a given culture.
My notions about GTA are a direct result of exposure to it. I happen to have an apparently rare reaction to it, a spiritual nausea akin to the physical variety I feel when I attempt to play immersive 3D first person shooters like Unreal Tournament, Halo, or Quake. I recognize myself as an anomaly in this decadent time. Of course, all times are decadent, for there must always be battles for the Free Companions of Our Lord Don Quixote to fight.
Cheers,
Tearlach Daibhi Mhic Fhionnlaigh nee Bryant, Clann Gillacatan agus Eastern Band of Cherokee
May 12th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Hi Tracey, thanks for responding!
“What I’m saying is that there can be questionable ideas in our game worlds but it doesn’t have to prevent me from enjoying them. But I also think it’s important to discuss them like we are here.”
My point as well
I think with the prostitutes, as a mature adult you took the experience the way you did, but many young men in their late teens–arguably the target audience for this game–are probably going to find it fun and amusing rather than shameful (of course this conjecture is only based on what I’ve heard other people saying about it). If it were good satire, that second way of looking at it would be clearly wrong. (The latest issue of Cerise has a great article about how GTA could effectively satirize gender roles.)
Something I just remembered: the phrase “You have been raped” can come up as a frag message in multiplayer. I mean, really. Gamers already use “raped” as a synonym for “owned,” and it’s really awful to legitimize the desensitization of ~~?$ in this way.
I think it’s easy to say “well, it’s a problem with pretty much all media!” and try to ignore it, but in my view ignoring it is the same as condoning it. Which is why I’m so glad to see posts like this on a major gaming site even if I might not agree with them 100%.
May 13th, 2008 at 9:28 am
For those who are saying that there are no powerful female characters in GTA4 or that the female characters have no personality, all I can say is just keep playing.
The characters you are looking for are there, you just haven’t met them yet.