CouldntThinkofaUsername

As of late there has been a lot of talk about sexism and bigotry in media. The video game and comic industry in particular. The problem I have is that people complaining about this ignore the fact that bigotry for better or worse is everywhere throughout all mediums. Women are often objectified, but men are treated as expendable and stupid. Many tv shows, commercials and movies feature stupid clueless men who can't do anything or are portrayed as sexually aggressive neanderthals. Women, while often viewed as sex objects are also in turn made more capable than their male counterparts and use their sex appeal to take advantage of the "stupid" "sex obsessed" "loser" men. Men also have body image issues as well, we often have to see good looking, charming shirtless ab loaded men, on magazines and in movies, just as women have to deal with seeing lovely "perfect" starlets in the same formats. We have to deal with being compared to Don Draper or The Twilght dudes, the Heimsworth brothers etc. However when a man says something about feeling insecure they face ridicule.

Arkham City is a prime example of a developer making a quality product that was largely overshadowed by it's controversy, Catwoman had many male gaze moments and was frequently called a bitch, Talia Al-Ghul and Harley Quinn received similar treatment. However critics ignore the fact that many male prisoners and cops in the game where brutally tortured, beaten up and murdered by the games end. Meanwhile Catwoman was every bit as capable as Batman and even saves his life, she also beats the hell out of anyone who crosses her path, even tier 1 Bat Villain Two Face. These same critics ignore the positive portrayal of the women in the game because it went against their agenda. Lastly male characters like Bruce Wayne, Jack Ryder and political prisoners are degraded and belittled every but the same as the lady characters because they're viewed as weak and non threats, not because of they're gender.

While women are often sexualized in the media, men are often vilified in media. Men are predominately the faceless bad guy goon; the pervert, the rapist, the ego maniac who wants to destroy the world, etc. even when a woman is portrayed as a villain they're often either the old and evil mother, or "The Bitch" in a romantic drama/comedy or film set in a school. Otherwise they are usually a grey area villain who can easily turn to the side of good. Critics often complain that the oversexualizing of women in media promotes unhealthy self image for women, but in real life women literally have all the power in establishing relationships. Men don't worry about the things women's make-up and hair commercials sell themselves on. In reality it's the man who has to "be perfect", be charming be attractive be cool, be flawless in hopes that the woman you're talking to does not reject you. It's men who the media force the idea of being promiscuous on. They sell a notion of "If you don't have lots of sexual partners you're a loser" or "Being a virgin and a male is a bad thing". Romantic novels strongly objectify men just as much as video media can objectify women, yet if a man where to express concern about this it falls upon mocking ears.

There is a reason why there is a significantly high suicide rate for men than there is for women. There's a reason why so many sad lonely angry men exist in the world and find a home on the internet, because while society sexualizes women, they put the different equally unfair sigmas and pressure on men, who in turn can never complain for better or for worse about it. Men need to be perfect and thus can never express depression, insecurity about their bodies, and other emotional tropes labeled towards women, however because they have no outlet to express this without mockery and thus added humiliation some turn to the internet and become the vile, bad seeds that fill comment sections on websites(not always), the monsters at back of dark alleys looking for prey and many keep it inside and suffer silently. Men are so looked down upon by certain people in the media they feel we need to get sexual satisfaction from comic books and video games, because they think we're pathetic. I personally find that insulting.

In conclusion if we just accept the fact that slander; objectification, classism, political byass, racism, bigotry, and all other negative tropes intentional or not will exist forever. If we accept that they can be found in all mediums against all sides if you look in the right place. And if we stop for a second, open up a history book and remind ourselves about what real bigotry, hatred and ignorance once was. We'd live in better less sensitive world.