William Lin Professor Cary English 120 Final Assessment Essay April 28, 2014 The damsel in distress

trope is one the most widely used gender clichs in the history of video games and has been core to the popularization and development of gaming as a mediumAs we've established the Damsel in Distress is part of long tradition of mythological narratives dating back through the ages. But those historical roots are no excuse for the continued use of a trope that perpetuates regressive and patronizing myths about womenIts long past time to disrupt the established pattern- break the cycle and create new gender paradigms. -Anita Sarkessian, from Tropes vs. Women in Video Games Video Series, Parts 1 & 3 Gender and Sexuality in Video Games: Why the damsel is a great medium in video games Plots, characters, and storylines have come a long way since the first video game was brought to the public. Each video game has its own unique characteristics, game play, or theme; but one theme in particular that has been prominent in many video games is the damsel in distress, Over the years women have mostly been portrayed in video games as the beautiful damsel in distress that needs to be saved by the male hero, who is the central character of the game (Granshaw). The damsel in distress is a core topic that has been debated over in the past years. It has been arguable if we should break the gender paradigms and stop the stereotypical myths about women always being the character in danger and in need of rescue. In my opinion, the damsel in distress is a great medium in video games because it creates an exciting storyline that gives players a sense of accomplishment and it fits gender roles that reality presents as social norms.

In comparison, video games that possess the damsel and distress trope are far more fun to play than most games that dont possess the trope. When a damsel in distress in incorporated into the storyline, gamers feel a sense of obligation to save and rescue the damsel in distress. It creates an element of accomplishment when players come close to or fully rescue the damsel in distress. Games such as Mario, where he is obligated to save Peach, makes the game more enticing to complete because a sense of reward is present. As stated by Chris Chou in a blog post from Examiner.com, The main plot of the series usually involves Mario having to defeat Bowser. In many of the games Princess Peach ends up being kidnapped with Mario, Luigi and their friends having to go and rescue her (Chou). The sense of accomplishment is what drives most players to keep playing until they reach a certain level or stage. For example, even if that means trying to beat a level over and over again despite failing multiple times. It also drives people to be somewhat attached to the game, and invest their emotions in the game to beat it. This is the excitement factor that keeps gamers coming back and back again to play their favorite games. An article from IGN written by Rick Lane showed the psychology of achievement behind videogames, He found that players often wanted to be challenged in games, only later to overcome the challenge to feel the sense of accomplishment. It is human nature to be addicted to the sense of accomplishment and when related to video games, it is what drives players to coming back and back again (Lane). The damsel in distress happens to be one of the most arguably enjoyable factors in games that give players the urge to play. Chris Chou once again stated in his article that characters such as Peach who have made games such as Mario famous are not going away anytime soon. In fact with newer consoles such as the Nintendo 3DS making an appearance, we can see big possibilities of more games to come with Peach, who portrayed throughout most of the series of games as the damsel in distress (Chou). In addition to the

excitement and accomplishment factor presented, the damsel in distress trope also conveys how it fits the role its presented in the real world today. The damsel and distress trope also conveys a sense of reality as it can be seen in the world today. Not to stereotype or discriminate that women cant fend for themselves but it supports that in times of realistic situations, a stronger male figure is most likely present to support the female in trouble. For example, in a situation in were a female is in danger of being attacked or kidnapped; most likely the ideal person to save her from danger is a masculine individual who can fight or fend off enemies to keep her safe. This is because males are more than likely to be more physically fit and strong than their female counterparts. In a study done in the US Marine Corps, an individual would have to complete a test that involves proving you were able to be strong enough for combat. This was done by completing three pull-ups, results showed that 55 percent of females could not pass the test compared to the small 1 percent of males who failed the test. This eventually led to a delay for recruitment of females in the US Marine Corps (Do Feminist). Males in videogames are more likely to present as masculine figures with their muscles and weapons, where as female characters are presented with stereotypical feminine characteristics such as a sense of being innocent and non violent. In games where characters such as Wonder Women are present, she is defined as the perfect female figure with the hourglass body figure and exaggerated female characteristics, compare this to males such as Superman is portrayed in video games where he shown to be a man with well developed muscles (Williams). These gender roles that are present in games fit the social norms in society which make the games feel as if male and female roles are what they would be in the who lived in a isolated country in south eastern Asia; she stated how men where first to eat in the household and how male figures in the household were known as the reason why the family has

food to eat and a shelter above their heads (Are Gender). This adds the sense of realism and makes the game more comparable and understandable for gamers. If gender roles were happened to be switched and the female character took the more aggressive and masculine role, more players would feel that it wouldn't fit the norms that they are used to. In conclusion, the sense of accomplishment, entertainment, and the social norms presented by games that have the theme of a damsel in distress further support why I believe the damsel and distress trope should continue on in future video games. The damsel and distress trope as been present in video games since the first game we could all remember. At this point we can all pretty much relate to it when we think back the earliest games that we have all played. To be such a prominent factor in the games that we play and why we play them should be enough to say that it should stay around and be part of the future of video games.

Works Cited "Are Gender Norms Changing? 4,000 Women and Men in 20 Countries Weigh In." News. 26 Feb. 2013. World Bank Group. 27 Apr. 2014 Chou, Chris. "Super Mario's Princess Peach - This Damsel in Distress is Always Worth Rescuing." Examiner.com. 6 Apr. 2011. AXS Network. 27 Apr. 2014 "Do feminists accept that women are physically inferior to men?" Sunshine Mary. 27 Apr. 2014 Granshaw, Lisa. "Video game concept turns the damsel in distress into the hero." The Daily Dot. 18 Aug. 2013. 23 Apr. 2014 Lane, Rick. "Why Are You Addicted To Achievements? - IGN." IGN. 10 Oct. 2011. DISQUS. 22 Apr. 2014 "News." Are Gender Norms Changing? 4,000 Women and Men in 20 Countries Weigh In. 26 Feb. 2013. World Bank Group. 27 Apr. 2014 Williams, G. C. "Mountains of Men: The Mythology of the Male Body in Video Games." PopMatters. 16 Aug. 2010. 27 Apr. 2014