Videogame Sexist?
By: Agustín Huambachano

This article is a follow-up to "Anime Sexist?", explaining about sexism in videogames (the males being the heroes and the ladies being the "helpless bimbos").

Let's take for example the Super Mario series: Mario and Luigi are both males, and they always have to rescue the probably usless princess of all time, Peach Toadstool. She's always whining like there isn't tomorrow and has an annoying voice that makes me think she is a sissy. Things were getting better in Super Mario 64, where Peach had a more mature voice for my delight, but unfortunately she is kidnapped again. If this kind of storyline keeps up, it'll become boring and stop attracting the public. Has Peach done someting heroic for a change? Hopefully yes, in Super Mario RPG, but she still has a sissy personality. I hope this would change for Super Smash Bros. Melee, where she will acually figth by herself.

But one series that's gotten the most is the Zelda series. Let's take for example Ocarina Of Time: During Link's absence, Zelda had to do something to defend the kingdom. She felt convinced that the males always are the worthiest and the females can't do anything and are nothing but wimps (she must have played the Mario series). So she began wanting to have a gender change, and here you have "him": Sheik. That's not good, because, What's wrong with fighting as female? And you know what she actually did? Transsexualism! How did she do it? She probably had sort of plastic surgery to alter her body shape, and an access to eye contacts. Result: A Ranma wannabe.

As you see, the males always get the action, and the females get the minimum part (doesn't it steam you that Zelda actually wanted to join the "other team"? Peach wouldn't do that!). I wish those ladies would fight by themselves without any modification and with much toughness than any would expect (think Xena). What do you think? Plese send you comments to ahuambachano@aol.com and tell me how you feel.