Sexy and Sexism are not the same thing?

[SlayerRondo]

Aielyn said:

JoeTheBro said:

Is the design of kratos sexist?

He seems to have an ideal body and is certainly showing it off, but I'd say no.

 

Is the design of this girl from MGS5 sexist?

She seems to have an ideal body and is certainly showing it off, and I'd still say no.

I don't know about the characters, but YOU are sexist. Apparently Kratos has an "ideal body" because he's strong and muscular (which makes sense - he's the god of war), while the girl's body is "ideal" because? Overly thin, big breasts? What is that ideal for? Sex?

Anyway, you claim that the two characters are equally designed. They're not. Kratos is muscular for a reason, and his outfit is designed to de-emphasise any possible sexual element. Furthermore, his outfit is perfectly suited to what he's going to do, when any extraneous clothing could get in the way or give foes something to grab. The girl's body shape is thin with big boobs... why? Which wouldn't be a big deal, if not for the fact that her outfit is clearly designed to emphasise it, with the bikini underwear, skintight leggings, etc. And why is she dressed like this, exactly? Sexism is definitely informing the design.

Let me put it another way - you could easily see a martial artist dressed in the way Kratos is dressed. Would you ever see a military woman running around in the clothes that the girl's wearing? And would that bra really afford her the kind of support she'd need given the kind of action she'd be expecting to see?

Sexism isn't about the design, it's about the reason for it. Zero Suit Samus's design isn't sexist because her clothes are designed for minimal separation between body and suit, and simultaneously maintains the kind of natural modesty that you'd expect from a confident and independent woman. On the other hand, if Zelda were outfitted in the same way, that would be sexist, because a princess who depends on magical ability when she does fight wouldn't be wearing such clothing.

I understand the points you have made between why Kratos was designed the way he was and the MGS5 character. But I see that as an appeal to certain demographics rather than a sexist depiction of what women and men should be.

I agree that the character is sexusalized but I don't see that as sexism but rather appealing to the male demographic.

Games target certain demographics in a number of ways and sex is just one of the ways they appeal to the male demographic.

Is too much sexual appeal to the detriment of some games? In my opinion, absolutely it is, but not always.