This thread made me think about this comic. http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=626
As for sexism in video games, I try not to go very broad when examining something like that. First because there are games more sexist and ones less sexist, and they shouldn't necessarily be lumped together, and second, I haven't played all games or even a majority of them to be able to accurately comment on it as a whole. As for my personal opinions, I am quite content playing a game with a male or female lead, and I have even been somewhat put off of some games because of their female models' characteristics which in some cases were supposed to attract a male audience.
I can't speak for Halo or GoW (haven't played them). DOA, I would agree with the comic, even if they were to be like that, for fighting, they would probably bind themself. GTA, guys as pimps, mosbsters, gang membes, and also bullet practice. It's not really a game you go to looking for a clean look on the world.
More varied types of guys are more often found, but at least in America, there still seems to me from what I've seen, that male leads are supposed to be more of the big, tough, silent, or unemotional (well, not particlarly showing great amounts of emotion) or some sort of combination of these.
As for consistent with pop culture, that would seem reasonable, wouldn't it? Games, movies, and anything is designed to sell, so for the most part would follow what is currently popular. I would be fine with the trend if it moved to a little less of "eye-candy" and more to fairly reasonable attractive, but as I said, there are various different types of games, and I think most anyone can find something they'd enjoy that wouldn't be really objectionable to them.
