Abstract for Final Project

Gender Images in Video Games
In video games, a man is displayed as the big strong dominant figure, while the woman is seen as the damsel in distress. In my final project, I want to touch on how video games display gender roles. These roles and images influence the people that play them, especially the younger generations. I feel the way genders are displayed influence younger generations and make them believe that the way men and women act are norms.
When it comes to genders, the man is the main character most of the time. Most games display men as tough guys, while women needing help or flaunting their sexuality. There is also the damsel in distress scenario in games. For example in the games: Mario Brothers and Zelda, you are a male character who is trying to save a princess. Both show a strong white heterosexual male completing many tasks and fighting their way to save the women. Women are shown as skinny, model-like females who flaunt their sexuality. Games where you get to play as female characters, such as Tomb Raider and Resident Evil, you will notice that they wear clothes that appeal to a mostly male audience.
In my final project, I will include explanations on video games and relate how they display their gender roles. I want to show how a media device like video games use their fantasy worlds to influence our society. In these games, it is established that a hero is a muscular white male, so men must try to be like this. Women flaunt and act a certain way, so it pressures females to become more like these fantasy women.
I will use references from the movies Tough Guise and Dreamworlds 2. I will also use references from background stories of the games and any pictures or youtube videos that show how genders are displayed.