8 Ugly Problems About Gender Representation The Gaming Industry Won't Admit
4. ...Unrealistic Sexualised Fantasies Aren't
Oh Metal Gear, for all your wonderful zany stories and amazing gameplay, just what is it with you and creepy sexualisation? It's almost intrinsic to the series at this point, though only for eye-roll worthy purposes. Of course Quiet kicked up a fuss (and rightly so) for being a military sniper equipped with nothing but a bikini, tights, and some boots, (a fuss amplified by Kojima's subsequent reaction to the criticism) but this isn't the first offender in the series' history. Fans of Snake Eater will recall EVA's rather hilarious 'boob reveal' where she unzipped her jumpsuit for no reason at all but to act as fan service, degrading what was until that point a revolutionary narrative experience. Quiet took this to a whole other level entirely, as Kojima and co. really struggled to find a believable excuse for her attire - or rather lack thereof. Worse still, once you get your buddy rating high enough the silent sniper will begin to pose for you in your helicopter, and specific mother base cutscenes with her present focus on nothing but her body glistening in the rain. Quite honestly I found this incredibly embarrassing. There's no other word to really describe moments like these in titles because they're so inherently tacky and obnoxious. Why do developers focus so diligently on making over the top chest physics to appease their fans, when they could be investing their time in appropriately clothed characters in combat?
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
