Trying to keep abreast of machismo in gameplay

A disproportionate amount of column inches is devoted to the shape, dimension, frequency and physics of (deep breath) the female breast in computer gaming. Whether they're on the screen or off, game culture is obsessed with the mammary gland. So when I met a man named Michael at a recent conference who told me he was studying masculinity in gaming, I wanted to wrap my arms around him and give him a big wet kiss. For the sake of professional respectability, I restrained myself.

Games brim with machismo, from Duke Nukem's "Hail to the King, baby" to the bulging muscles that poke out from many a protagonist's tight shirt as he grips ever-more impressive pieces of phallic metal technology. I often feel uncomfortable playing a boob-tastic female form, so how does an army of boys feel about adopting characters who represent men with rather more significant armadillos in their trousers?

After a long look at my own psyche, I've isolated a couple of reasons why I dislike playing hypersexualised females. At a stretch, this may provide a starting point to considering how men might feel about being confronted with displays of probably clinical levels of testosterone.

First, I like to think I've come to terms with my body image after a few harrowing and angst-ridden adolescent years, but it's still disheartening to know that what I see in the mirror doesn't match what I see on billboards, in magazines, in films or in computer games. The majority of men I've met who play computer games tend not to sport the ripped bods of most male characters, so there may be some dissonance there, too.

But it goes beyond the physical. Men who play games have no choice but to adopt highly effective personas; there are no seven-stone weaklings in this space. These digital dudes may represent the notion that players could some day be as manly as the characters they choose on screen. I am envious.

Female characters are often only included for eye candy. They're usually quite dim. They aren't active players in any of the outcomes but lie in wait for men to rescue them from impending doom. How am I expected to adopt such a character, or watch as representations of my gender are minimised? Please don't mention Lara Croft. Give me another example - one who isn't a male in hypersexualised female clothing - and then I'll talk to you.

Games provide a rich dataset for research into the masculinities of the medium. But if my new friend Michael had chosen to examine femininity in gaming, he'd have had to look under a lot of digital rocks.

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