When Anita Sarkeesian began the Tropes vs Women in Video Games project, two and a half years ago, she did not think it would create such furor. But since then she has been harassed on daily basis by irate gamers who are angry at her criticisms on endemic sexism in video games and gaming culture.
She has not only been faced with ugly and hateful comments, but also rape and death threats, and other kinds of abuse.
But Sarkeesian refuses to stop. Through her website Feminist Frequency, she continues to shed light on the pervasive and pernicious sexism not only in the video games world, but in pop culture and media in general.
The website offers a video webseries that explores the representations of women in pop culture narratives. Her work “focuses on deconstructing the stereotypes and tropes associated with women in popular culture as well as highlighting issues surrounding the targeted harassment of women in online and gaming spaces.”
Her videos are also freely available via Feminist Frequency YouTube channel and widely serve as educational tools in high school and university classrooms.
Check out her interview below with Stephen Colbert on why, among others, having women figures in video games with barely covered huge tits are not as harmless as you think it is.
*Illustration by Ramona.Forcella
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