How the Video Game Rust Handles Gender

Rust's logo

Rust is a multiplayer-only survival game developed for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. First released in late 2013, the game focuses on surviving against natural elements, such as animals, and other players. Originally, all player avatars were bald white men, though later updates introduced different skin tones. In 2015, the game's developer, Facepunch Studios, which included the creator of Garry's Mod, Garry Newman, decided to randomly assign an avatar's race based on a user's Steam ID. Newman explained that the decision was made in order to promote empathy, a decision which garnered both praise and backlash from the Rust community, and the gaming community as a whole. In the same year, the developers introduced female character models, assigning them exclusively to server admins at first. All of this would set the stage for a later decision based on the gender of a player's avatar.

Examples of character models from the game, with male characters on the right and female on the left

In 2016, the game's developers decided to tie an avatar's gender to a player's Steam ID, as they had done with skin color. Additionally, half of Rust's players were automatically assigned female character models. Newman stated that the decision was based on both reality and diversity. He contended that Rust was "not about identity," and that the main objective was to survive. Newman went on to say that "player customization had got a bit out of control in other games," although he also stressed that he was "happy to have the diversity" in avatars, along with the other developers and some of the player base.

Despite some negative feedback, sales for the game actually grew after the changes

Some members of the community didn't mind the change. Newman pointed out that gender and race made no difference to the actual gameplay, a message that some players agreed with. The majority of female players, according to Newman, were " more pragmatic" about the changes, as they had "already [been playing] Rust as men for the past two years." One of the recurring problems in the gaming community is related to the disparity between female playable characters and actual female players. One study found that a nearly identical share of men and women report ever playing video games despite this disparity, though the problem isn't as stark as it once was. This pragmatism is likely related to that disparity.

Other players, however, responded negatively. In his statement regarding the gender decision, Newman described several examples of negative feedback. One male player wanted to have the ability to choose their avatar's gender in order to have "a connection to the character like most other games [he played]," instead of  having "some political movement shoved down [his] throat." Another complained that this was the developers' method of forcing players to accept the studio's "feminist ideals." Although the decision was divisive, the controversy and the changes themselves lead to an increase in sales for the game unlike any Newman had seen outside of sales.

The introduction of female character models to the audience as a whole ultimately combats the "Smurfette Principle" that we discussed in class by making sure that there isn't a lack of female characters in the game. The basic models themselves have no gender signifiers outside of specific (and randomly sized) body parts, which helps to avoid stereotypical depictions of genders and gender roles. Furthermore, it echoes the possible policy ideas set forth by Elena Bertozzi in "You Play Like a Girl!," as the changes increased the number of female avatars in digital games. This could help normalize gender relations in online multiplayer games by deconstructing preconceived notions regarding female avatars, as explained by Bertozzi in her Everquest example.

There are potential downsides to the policy, however. Male players are randomly forced to experience the inability to choose to play as the gender they identify with, just as female players have had to do for decades with some games. An alternative would have been to allow both female and male players to choose which gender they wanted to play as while randomly generating an avatar. This would, however, go against the artistic vision of the game's designers. While the changes did reflect the reality of being unable to choose one's gender at birth, Newman discussed some complaints he received from transgender individuals. One transperson argued that "assigning a fixed sex was reminiscent of real-world transphobia." In response, Newman reiterated the argument that the game wasn't about identity, and the developers were "assigning gender randomly in game – not in real life." The validity of the complaint is downplayed in this instance, ignoring the very real opinions of a subset of players.

Gender and Valentine's Day Ads

    

An example of a vintage Valentine's Day ad

Valentine's Day has been tied to commercialism for centuries, and complaints about these ties are nothing new. Ads for the holiday tend to focus on promoting cultural norms related to consumerism, emphasizing that the best way you can spend your Valentine's Day is by getting your significant other a gift to make them appreciate you more--often using sexual innuendos to highlight the pros of buying specific goods.

A Valentine's Day ad from Natan, a jewelry company, with obvious sexual connotations

Ads like the one featured above rely on sexist messaging to sell products. The message in this particular ad tells male consumers that giving their loved ones expensive diamond rings will literally make them open up their legs. The use of common feminine posture and clothing reinforces this message. It not so subtly suggests that a woman's heart can be "bought," for the right price. Other ads can be a little more subtle with this theme, although such ads don't explicitly discourage the norm created by other ads.

Dairy Queen's Valentine's Day ad from 2016

Some ads, however, take a satirical approach to the holiday. In 2016, for example, Dairy Queen launched a satirical ad which ridiculed the ties between the holiday and commercialism. The ad itself starts out like a typical Valentine's Day ad, featuring a couple cuddled together near a fireplace. The man takes out a gift, giving it to his significant other, who opens it...revealing a red spoon. The ad is meant to promote a new red velvet cake from Dairy Queen. As Megan Gerber points out, the ad pokes fun at the stale, often sexist conventions of the commercialized Valentine’s Day. The ad is ridiculing the notion that buying someone a gift will make them swoon, confronting the cultural standards set by other ads. It should be emphasized that the ad is still actively trying to sell a product, however, sending a message that consumerism is still ultimately the best way to win someone over on Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day ads also tend to focus on gender and relationship norms as well, generally featuring a man and a woman. Some ads in recent years have gone against this established norm, instead featuring LGBT+ couples in their Valentine's Day ads. Lush, a cosmetics company known for its "ethical" stances, launched an ad campaign on social media for the recent holiday featuring same-sex couples. The ads, according to a spokesperson for the company, were meant to show that love transcends gender. While the ads still promoted a product, they went against traditional social norms while simultaneously focusing on couples being together, minimizing the commercial aspect of the ads.

Leia and Gender Roles in the Original Star Wars Trilogy

Leia as she appears in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

With Carrie Fisher's passing late last year, many fans of the Star Wars series reminisced about her role as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy. Fisher was lauded for her portrayal of the character, who was originally a strong female character in a series which featured more men than women in major roles. Fisher paved the way for future strong female characters as well, standing out as a role model that went beyond the general mold. Leia as a character breaks away from some gender norms, but conforms to some as well.

A New Hope begins with Leia's capture, setting the stage for the often used "rescue the princess" trope. Despite this, Leia is established as a strong female character right off the bat, defying Darth Vader's orders in spite of his menacing presence. Leia resists multiple attempts to uncover the location of the Death Star plans, establishing her as a fighter that isn't a mere damsel in distress. This trait is highlighted multiple times throughout the trilogy, such as when Leia takes the lead during the rescue mission on the first Death Star. Even though she still needs help, she's still able to take care of herself, and others.

Leia quickly formulates an escape plan

Leia's role as a leader, as shown in the aforementioned scene, is referenced multiple times in the trilogy. While Luke joins other members of the Rebellion in an attack on the Death Star, Leia remains behind, acting as one of the commanders behind the scenes. Leia continues to be a major leader in the sequel, serving as one of the main Rebellion leaders on Hoth in the beginning of Episode V. This trend continues in Episode VI, in which she personally attempts to rescue Han by posing as a bounty hunter and later leads an assault on Imperial forces on Endor.

It's also important to note that Leia's character arc extends into a romantic subplot with Han. Mary Peterson points out that Leia was a princess who fell in love without losing her identity. Leia's character still remains defiant, continuing to act as a leader without sacrificing her newfound love. Conversely, her love for Han never overtakes her other traits.

The most controversial aspect of Leia's character is her appearance in Episode VI, commonly referred to as "Slave Leia," Leia is captured while attempting to free Han, and is forced to wear an incredibly revealing bikini outfit. As Tricia Barr points out, there is no doubt Carrie Fisher was put in an outfit intended to sexualize her. Fisher revealed that the outfit itself made her extremely uncomfortable while filming Episode VI, as did the film crew's reaction to the outfit; she outright stated the outfit was intended to make Leia "more female." While Leia continues to be her rebellious self while wearing the outfit, even strangling her captor to death at one point, the outfit still attempts to titillate the audience, especially in regard to merchandising.

Although Leia's strong personality breaks through traditional gender roles and subverts audience expectations, there are still some stereotypical elements to her portrayal. While the positive elements outweigh the negative aspects, the negative aspects shouldn't be ignored.

Gender in the News Media

      

                            From left to right: Jeff Bezos, Michael Bloomberg, and Patrick Soon-Shiong
                                               
In the middle of 2016, Forbes published a list of some of the richest billionaires who own US-based news media. Included on the list were Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post, Michael Bloomberg, the founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P., Patrick Soon-Shiong, then the second largest shareholder in Tribune Publishing Company, and Rupert Murdoch, the executive co-chairman of 21st Century Fox and the chairman of News Corp. The people included in the list share one major feature: their gender. Most of the billionaires included on the list were also Caucasian, with a few exceptions like the aforementioned Soon-Shiong.

AAUW's earnings chart

The concentration of power based on gender should not come as a surprise, however, as it somewhat reflects overall societal trends. According to the American Association of University Women, in 2015, women working full time in the United States typically were paid just 80 percent of what men were paid. The AAUW states that women are expected to reach pay equity with men in 2059 if the rate in closing the gap between men and women follows the rate between 1960 and 2015. The organization also notes that if change continues at a slower rate seen since 2001, women will not reach pay equity with men until 2152. The pay gap is even worse for women of color. The distinct gap in pay, combined with past earning trends and the inheritance of old money, speaks volumes as to why men continue to exert hegemony over the news media.

Overall representation in terms of gender according to the WMC

The inequalities between gender representations in news media extend beyond higher leadership positions as well. The Women's Media Center's 2015 edition of their yearly study on the gender gap in news media (it should be noted that the data actually comes from 2014) states that, overall, men generated 62.1% of news while women generated 37.3%. This gap is a recurring theme in the study. For example, men represented 64.6% of supervisors in newspaper-based news media and 69.2% of all TV news directors. White men made up 55.59% of daily newspaper employees while white women made up 31.1%; minorities were even worse off in terms of representation. This results in men, especially white men, becoming the voice of the news media, decreasing the visibility of women and minorities in terms of the general public's perception of who makes the news. The patriarchal structure also puts news media outlets at risk of portraying androcentric viewpoints instead of concurrently relying on multiple diverse viewpoints.

Despite our society's slow progress towards gender equality, the news media is still plagued by inequality. Leadership positions in the news media are increasingly becoming concentrated in fewer and fewer, typically male, hands. As David Croteau et al. state in "The Economics of the Media Industry," this could lead to undue political and social influence. Their message can be taken a step further in light of the information covered in this post, by stating that the concentration and conglomeration of the news media in the hands of men lends undue political and social influence to men. This effect ranges from the top of the hierarchical chain to the bottom, covering positions ranging from CEOs to supervisors, reporters, and editors.