Tropes vs Women in Video Games examines women as background decoration

Video games are a multibillion dollar industry and a form of media in their own right. Which is precisely why it’s so important for people like Anita Sarkeesian — a media critic and the creator of Feminist Frequency — to speak out against sexism and misogyny in games.

Her web series, Tropes vs. Women in video games, is a multipart series that critically examines the representation of women and girls in games.

In her latest video “Women as Background Decoration,” Sarkeesian takes on some of the most disturbing ways that women characters have been presented in games.

From the post:

“In this episode we explore the Women as Background Decoration trope which is the subset of largely insignificant non-playable female characters whose sexuality or victimhood is exploited as a way to infuse edgy, gritty or racy flavoring into game worlds.”

You can watch the episode below, or watch it at Feminist Frequency.

There is a content warning associated with the episode: “This episode includes game footage of hyper-sexualized female characters as well as extremely graphic depictions of violence against women. As such this particular video comes with a strong content warning and is not recommended for children.”