CENTENNIAL HONORS COLLEGE
Western Illinois University
Undergraduate Research Day 2016
PodiumPresentation
TheBeautyMythPlayedThroughinVideoGames
EmmaGoldman
FacultyMentor:BarbaraAshwood
English
ThisresearchpaperexploresthetopicofsexisminthevideogameindustrybyapplyingNaomiWolf’s
conceptofTheBeautyMyth.TheBeautyMythexplainsthatthemediaisdamagingtowardswomen
duetonegativegenderstereotypingandviolentsexualimagery.Inthispiece,Iusescholarlyresearchto
criticallyanalyzehowwellTheBeautyMythisexemplifiedintheformofvideogames.Ipresent
evidencetoshowthatthegenderstereotypedimagesinvideogamesdonotmakemenmoreviolent
andwomenmoresubmissive,but,intheend,theystillpromotesexism.Manyvideogamesutilize
genderstereotypesbyglorifyinghyper-masculinemalecharactersanddemeaningfemalecharactersby
objectifyingthem.Studieshaveproventhatmenwhoplayvideogamesthatusegenderstereotypesare
morelikelytohavepatronizingattitudestowardwomenandtobemoretoleranttothesexual
harassmentofwomen.Ontheotherhand,womenwhoseesexualizedfemalevideogamecharacters
aremorelikelytoadvocatefortheequalitywomenandarelesstoleranttosexualharassment.