10 Most Offensive Portrayals Of Women In Gaming

By Jack Pooley /

1. The Damsel In Distress

And finally, we have the most outdated, cliched gender stereotype of all time: the damsel in distress. It's a trope that's been prevalent in movies, games and literature since inception, of an utterly helpless female who has to be set free by the rabble-rousing man. Even ignoring the rather dubious debates about Mario games being inherently sexist, isn't it a bit outdated for Princess Peach to always be the helpless, pristine little flower so often kidnapped by Bowser? By this point, I had hoped Nintendo might reinvent the character somehow, though I suppose the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" seems to be taking precedent. Peach can keep her pink dress and keep hassling Mario, but please, give her something a bit more involved to do! Are there any offensive mishaps I missed? Or is all this sexism talk just a bit ridiculous? Let me know in the comments!