Latest ‘Tropes vs. Women’ shows how video games treat women as playthings and victims

Anita Sarkeesian’s Tropes vs. Women YouTube series continues with another look at how video games treat female characters. As in previous episodes, Sarkeesian analyzes a number of high-profile games, arguing that many depict women as “non-playable sex objects,” fulfilling the dual roles of “sexual playthings and the perpetual victims of male violence.”

Tropes vs. Women is the work of the non-profit Feminist Frequency, created by Sarkeesian and co-writer / producer Jonathan McIntosh. The crowdfunded series has seen considerable backlash, much of it in the form of personal attacks aimed at Sarkeesian herself. All of the episodes are available on YouTube, and transcripts can be found at Feminist Frequency.