Tag Archives: Lara Croft

Individual Digital Reflection

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In time I spent in this class, I came to realize that there was more then meets the eye when it came to New Media, and all of it’s various forms. More so than just websites, these were communities, with their own culture. This realization hit me in the very beginning, when we were talking about memes. While a cat meme that says “I Haz Cheezburger” may seem like any old thing you would find mindlessly surfing the web, a meme is so, so much more than that. It’s simply anything than can be replicated. Memes are everywhere, anything from a table to a style of clothing or the hairstyle on one’s head. In essence, memes are everywhere. When understanding that there was so much depth in such a small little thing is really when this class started to catch my imagination.

Being an avid watcher of YouTube, I was naturally very excited when we got to the YouTube unit. As I hoped, we discussed what it was like to be a YouTuber, to be a part of that community, and why or why not it could be perceived as a real job. After all, people do make real money from it. Considering that this, to me, is one of the most exciting facets of New Media, this was a very interesting discussion. Is YouTube the new television? Much like any sort of TV show, subscribers tune in to see their favorite personalities whenever they upload a new video. Understanding this transition of New Media was fascinating for me. It seems that the digital age has so entirely changed the world, and in regards to YouTube, it has definitely impacted the way entertainment is watched by the masses. Yes, of course, TV is still an option, and many people still watch it, but is it as popular as it once was? I distinctly remember the discussion we had when Professor Russworm told the class that she no longer had cable anymore. A Media teacher, no less. I realized then, “isn’t that simply a sign of the times?” When you can watch TV shows on such platforms like Netflix or Amazon, why pay 90 dollars for a cable package? It seems that the Internet is indeed taking over, changing entertainment one person at a time, and that discussion sticks out in my mind as the moment when I truly realized that.

Of course, Race and Gender was a large component what we learned  this semester as well. I was very excited to see that Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was going to be of the subjects to be learned, and I was not disappointed. One of the most interesting aspects of the discussion was comparing the old Lara Croft to to the Lara Croft from the 2013 game. Hypersexuality was decreased immensely in the 2013 game, much to the combined amusement and happiness of myself. I began to hope that maybe sexism is decreasing slowly, thanks to a more socially conscious and interconnected world. This may very well be the case, and it certainly was for Miss Lara Croft.

So to reflect: What did I truly learn from this class? In short, the digital world is a whole lot bigger than people might think. There are layers and nuances to this New Media Age that we’ve only scratched the surface on. I’m excited to grow up in a world that is changing so drastically technologically, and this class certainly opened up my eyes to that reality.

Hypersexualization

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Hypersexualization:

Games present an alternate reality in which its participants can challenge gender norms while allowing users greater control and freedom. Female avatars in modern games have more recently become solely employed to fulfill male ‘fantasies’;  however by sexualizing female avatars, some women were motivated to create a strong and sexy character. For instance, in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (especially the original games), Lara is deeply hypersexualized due to the focus on her prominent breasts – which has now become almost her claim to fame. Hypersexualization simultaneously sexualizes a character, while also brings down it’s humanist character by also being something to merely stare at.

2013 Tomb Raider

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In the 2013 version of Tomb Raider, Lara Croft is more athletic, wearing cargo pants instead of tiny little shorts as she did in the previous games. However, in this story, and especially deeply implied by the trailer, Lara Croft seems to be sexually assaulted. “A few months ago, executive producer Ron Rosenberg told Kotaku that scavengers on an island where Lara is trapped attempt to rape her. “She is literally turned into a cornered animal.” (Note: Likening victims of attempted rape to “cornered animals,” is the very definition of dehumanizing.) “ (Forbes).

Again, going off the executive producer’s comments, When Rosenberg spoke about Lara, he said, “When people play Lara, they don’t really project themselves into the character…. They’re more like ‘I want to protect her.’ There’s this sort of dynamic of ‘I’m going to this adventure with her and trying to protect her….’” In this, the executive producer is basically saying that it would odd for a boy to relate to a female hero – therefore, they must make them vulnerable in order to to relate to them at all. Consider this when thinking about that concept: How many people can relate to non-human characters? The answer is a lot. So why would a woman be any different?

In general however, the 2013 Tomb Raider is much less hypersexualized than the orginals. Instead of her breasts being the prominent focus, the details and intricacies (which was aided by the better processing systems, of course) of her face becomes the focal point of her character. She is strong and tough, but has moments of weakness, like any person would too. The depth of her character is better: she is much more than just a pretty face.

 

Citation: Pinchefsky, Carol. “A Feminist Reviews Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.