Disbelieving the Dissipation of the Damsel in Distress

Burgess, Melina C. R., Steven Paul Stermer, and Stephen R. Burgess.  “Sex, Lies, and Video Games: The Portrayal of Male and Female Characters on Video Game Covers.”  SexRoles Sept. 2007: 419-33.  Academic Search Premier.  Web. 11 Nov. 13. 

The article written by Burgess, Stermer, and Burgess is an academic research paper discussing the portrayal of both men and women on the covers of video games.  Based on their findings, men are the main characters within games of all genres five times more often than women, and when women are present on a cover of a game, they are nearly always portrayed with a male.  Whenever females are present within a game, nearly half of the characters are shown as sexualized in some manner.  This article works to against my claim stating that the portrayal of women in games, despite the rise in female players, has not occurred.

  Disbelieving the Dissipation of the Damsel in Distress

 A young woman rebounds and smashes into her opponent, knocking them out with one swift kick to the head.  The player rejoices as she completes the blow in her game as a female protagonist; she has formed a connection to the character on the pixelated screen that could not have been developed with a male character.  The portrayal of women within video games has changed greatly throughout the years through the implication of strong female characters; however, some refuse to view this change as significant.  Even with these contradictory statements regarding the change of women in games, such viewpoints can be analyzed and proven to show that there has been substantial change within the genre of video games.

            Authorities on the subject of the portrayal of video games state that such change observed is not entirely present within the industry; only select games in an insignificant portion of the gaming market have adapted to display women in a positive manner.  Within the article “Sex, Lies, and Video Games: The Portrayal of Male and Female Characters on Video Game Covers,” Burgess states that women, if seen throughout a game, are involved in less action and plot, and when shown on the screen, are usually dramatically sexualized (429).  In order to prove this point, she and her fellow researchers conduct an experiment regarding images of women on video game covers.  Through her analyses, she discovered that the majority of women, who were not typically shown on the covers, were either objectified to an obese degree or were shown in conjunction with the male protagonist.  Such images, in her opinion, represented the idea that the gaming industry has not improved their outlook on the feminine identity.

            This article directly challenges my point of view that women’s roles have significantly grown throughout the last decades, but a common ground can be met between our dissenting opinions.  Burgess’s main claim that “while the call for increased representation has been heard, it is difficult to interpret the type of representation as truly a step forward” (430) displays the common mentality that has circulated through the minds of women’s advocates: not enough is being completed in order to display women in a suitable fashion.  While I can agree that that women are still being mistreated within this genre of media, I believe that the changes occurring cannot be brushed off like dust sitting on a worn console.  Because a woman is shown in an inappropriate manner on select covers of video games does not mean that the women gamers’ voices have been ignored and extinguished.  Degradation does exist, but the alteration of women’s roles is also occurring.  A researcher cannot ignore that baby steps have been taken in the right direction to right these atrocities. 

The article also states that by simply portraying women beside men on video game covers automatically shows that men are the more dominant figures within games.  Even though this would be the case for a variety of games, most of the covers showing women contain games with a strong female presence.  For example, Aqua within the game Birth by Sleep in the Kingdom Hearts series is pictured with two male characters on the game’s cover, yet she is the most powerful protagonist of the three.  A few other statements can be found as conflicting; she states that the violent nature of the men and women characters has an effect on the way that women are sexualized within games.   While this can be true in most cases, basing sexualization of a character based on their fighting capabilities does not mean that women’s roles have been abused because of the difference in violence; most women do not tend to be as violent as men.

            Even though dissenting opinions have been voiced pertaining to the change in the representation of women in video games, the information provided by this source can be incorporated into my argument.  Because I am showing the change of the portrayal as well as advocating for a larger change to be instated within the gaming community, I am able to use Burgess’s research as an example of how video games have changed their display of women through the use of video game cover art.  While I am not covering the ways in which violence within games can affect women’s opinions on this form of media, such information can be used to show that female protagonists now act in the same manner as males in order to display equality.  As the heroine rubs her hands together contently while sauntering away from her latest victory, the girl behind the controller is satisfied, for her tiny voice within the gaming industry had finally been heard.

Annotated Source

Burgess, Melina C. R., Steven Paul Stermer, and Stephen R. Burgess.  “Sex, Lies, and Video Games: The Portrayal of Male and Female Characters on Video Game Covers.”  SexRoles Sept. 2007: 419-33.  Academic Search Premier.  Web. 11 Nov. 13. 

The article written by Burgess, Stermer, and Burgress is an academic research paper discussing the portrayal of both men and women on the covers of video games.  Based on their findings, men are the main characters within games of all genres five times more often than women, and when women are present on a cover of a game, they are nearly always portrayed with a male.  Whenever females are present within a game, nearly half of the characters are shown as sexualized in some manner.  This article works to support my claim because the research shows through actual data that women’s portrayal within video games has been negative throughout all genres of games.         

Saving the Squirrely Species

Dear students of the prestigious University of Notre Dame,

            As autumn begins to creep in from the North and leaves spiral down from the branches of innumerable trees, pudgy and brash squirrels bury their sacred nuts within the chilled ground.  These tiny critters eye passing students expectantly, pleading for some more nuts or a spare chocolate bar to tubby up their body for the oncoming winter. Despite their desperate, silent plea, you must avoid feeding the local wildlife in order to perverse the environment that Notre Dame has incorporated into its campus. 

            With their adorable black eyes and orange-tinged tails, the creatures that invade the entire campus are hard to resist as they brazenly approach shocked students for a tiny bite of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.  Their limited intelligence, however, does not instruct their squirrely little minds that not all food is appropriate for their digestive system.  Squirrel stomachs are unequipped to handle excessive amounts of pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, and other human foods that end up between their tiny paws.  Partaking in the indulgences of unhealthy food will result in obesity amongst the squirrel population, and the spread of this horrendous disease could potentially lead to the extinction of the Notre Dame sub-species of squirrel.  The duty of protecting these rodents from the dangers of an incorrect diet rest on your shoulders, and through the entire community’s assistance, the mental health of these creatures can also be enhanced.

            When a tiny squirrel begs patiently for the piece of French fry hanging out of a student’s mouth, the minuscule rodent cannot calculate the harm that a greasy piece of potato will cause to its natural mentality.  As the squirrel receives food from caring students rushing to their next class from South Dining Hall, the critter begins to take the easy route in life, and it will constantly plead for food from passersby and loose its natural instincts to hunt out the hidden nuts and berries that lie within the confines of the campus.  The mentality needed to survive and thrive within an abundant squirrel population deteriorates with each bite in a thrown-away sandwich; the squirrels reliant on such food begin to die out and the ecosystem crumbles with the loss of each precious life.  By feeding the essential wildlife, you are not giving a loving hand to those who are sharing the same campus, but you are slowly destroying the ecosystem through their shear ignorance to the squirrels’ lifestyles. 

            To prevent utter catastrophe from reigning down upon the squirrel’s population, you first must steel your will when crossing paths with your fellow quad mates.  Even though a squirrel sitting with shining, hopeful eyes trained on a bagel in your hands may seem completely helpless, you must ignore this plea for the betterment of the ecosystem as whole.  By resisting the tempting stares of the brown and gray rodents, you would save an entire society of squirrels from becoming lost to the harms of human food.  Also, avoid from throwing away food products in the trash cans that line the quads that could poison these creatures that share our Alma Mater.  Squirrels have been seen digging through the trash for delicate morsels of wasted food in order to quench their cravings for human food, and by disposing of your food waste through dumpsters or simply in trash bins located inside, you can save the lives of countless squirrels who would be tempted by your waste.

            As winter approaches and the chill air rushing through the branches heralds the coming snow, the squirrels of Notre Dame scurry to dig up the nuts they had buried during the fall months, for they have not succumbed to the dangers of a human diet due to your inadvertent actions.  

The Flawed Family

Staring up at the Golden Dome in all of its splendor and majesty from the picturesque point in front of the university’s founder astounds visitors and students alike, for a building invoking such wonder and awe must symbolize the near perfection of the university.  Those who wander this campus can tend to view Notre Dame as a utopia, a haven for brilliant minds within the dark depths of the world.  The beautiful grounds combined with austere edifices display a sense of academic prowess and tradition, and complex sports arenas and homely dorms represent aspects of community and family.  From a student’s perspective, however, Notre Dame is far from a utopia; the university is a place of imperfection infused with a kaleidoscope of emotion.

            A utopia is commonly defined as an ideal society in which each individual within the community is perfect and conflict never uprises from the ranks of the oppressed.  On planet Earth, not a single utopia exists, and Notre Dame cannot be an exception to this assumption.  The university has an innumerable amount of issues that trouble the college’s caretakers, causing these rulers of the society under the Dome to shatter the university’s sliver of a chance to flawless.  Not every situation works in favor of Notre Dame, and the academics, sports, and arts that the university promotes are far from the perfection required to qualify the University as a utopia.  Each aspect of Notre Dame is pocketed with mishaps despite its Catholic name, and the false sense of utopia brought about by nostalgic alumni only increases the university’s “non-utopian” aspect. All humanity and all that humanity constructs contains errors and mishaps, and this university, while seemingly perfect, is peppered with countless wrongdoings that are caused by the people who inhabit its encompassing grasp.

            The main proponent of Notre Dame’s failure to be a utopia is the people who reside and work within the University’s walls.  Students fail to complete homework accurately and struggle to simply find the time to accomplish the tasks at hand; faculty members stumble as they attempt to convey knowledge to their exhausted students.  Roommates disagree and battle over areas of their tiny, shared space, adamant to retain a portion of their room in order feel the tiniest bit of comfort at the end of the day.  As friends work through difficult homework together, they constantly bicker and remain stalwart in their convictions in order to boost their egos.  Each student competes against the next, and the sense of community that the University brags about vanishes as classmates hurt classmates solely to better themselves and to receive the greatest “opportunities” when they graduate.  Theft and violence occur on a daily basis, and verbal abuse takes place between the closest of friends.  Discord runs rampant under the guise of tranquility, and the isolated world of Notre Dame dwells in the false pretense that the university can make a utopia in a world enveloped in imperfection.

            Despite the university not being a utopia and that evil is present among its ranks, Notre Dame still a wonderful and awe-inspiring haven to those who understand and accept its ways.  No area in the world can be a perfect utopia, without issues and strife, but a place can still be a sanctuary to those seeking a home to study and mature in mind, body, and spirit.  Notre Dame is one of those few refuges left on Earth in modern society, and for this reason, those who have experienced the magnificence of this university realize its impact of life even though the Notre Dame is not a utopia.

            Glinting brilliantly in the golden, setting sun, the picturesque Dome enshrouded the entire campus in its yellow light, displaying the true beauty that is imperfection.

Creative Humanity

A young child sits at a miniscule desk, her hand slowly swirling across the crisp sheet of paper beneath her color-coated hands.  She brings to life the wild monsters and creatures that exist in her mind with a single stroke of her crayon, and while these scribbles may not be awe-inspiring masterpieces, her artwork displays the defining aspect of humanity: the ability to imagine.  While intelligence and emotion set the human race apart from other species, the true measure of humanity is the spark of creativity that resides within every soul.   

This innate flash of creativity has been present within the human race since the beginning of time and will stay in the hearts of all as humanity boosts into the modern age.  From the invention of the wheel to the discovery of fire, humanity has been creative and resourceful in order to obtain the necessities of life such as food, water, and shelter.  The acquisition of this basic knowledge has led to the advancement of the human race as a whole; no discovered animal or other species has adapted to their surroundings and invented in the same manner as humans.  Humanity has created solutions to the world’s most pressing problems and continues to resolve greater issues. 

Creativity has allowed every human being to develop each skill that the race now possesses; without imagination and ingenuity, humanity would not be able to reason through disputes, understand the logic behind processes, and invent a new and bright future for generations to come.  Within the short story “Epicac”, the author Kurt Vonnegut shows this ability to cultivate knowledge through the expression of creativity in his character EPICAC.  Wanting readers to understand that EPICAC was instinctively human, the author gave the machine the ability to express itself through poems, and through these works, EPICAC grew to become a fully-fledged human.  Through this capability to develop into a “human” through the use of creativity, the species continues to survive despite the tragedies that have struck the society.    

Creativity, the most essential aspect of human nature, has also caused the human race to remain united despite the distinct differences that all seem to hold within themselves.  Any person, regardless of his or her background, can view creative expression in the same light; every human that walks the earth can connect with another who shares the land through the simple display of creativity.  Ingenuity can bring about unity and peace when mishaps and wrongdoings arise from the pettiest of crimes, and creativity can bond those who had never even begun to agree.  Imagination brings humans on a collective journey to another world, another reality, where they can escape the wretchedness of the world through the experience of others.  Through the simple painting of photographs, two people who hold the same passion within their hearts can be brought together; the sharing of this overflow of ingenuity is seen in the movie Catfish.  Even though the underlying circumstances are not ideal, Angela and Nev are brought together into a long-lasting relationship that originally had spawned from creativity.

  Creativity binds and shapes the human race; the expression of this human attribute is the sole aspect that all can accept as part of their lives.  Not all of those who tout that they are intellectuals preach that they can relate to others emotionally, and those who are gifted with the power of comprehending emotion will complain about not having intelligence.  These two groups, however, will usually both claim that they are creative in a certain capacity, whether that be through solving intense mathematical issues or pinpointing emotional turmoil within a person.  This collective force of creativity is the greatest power in the universe, and this aspect of life is truly what gives each human his or her own unique identity, his or her own destiny.  

True humanity is only present in an entity if the substance contains the aspect of creativity in conjunction with intelligence and emotion.  Without creativity, the human race would be extinct, deceased in the unceasing fires of chaos and destruction.  Creativity is humanity’s life force; it is the purpose of all human beings to create, invent, and design a new, better reality for all who share the Earth in which they live.  As the girl outlines another of her fantastic creations, she continues to spew her creativity onto the paper before her, innately drawing upon the most primordial instinct that lies in her heart.

Works Cited

Catfish.  Dir. Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman.  Perf. Yamiv Schulman, Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost, and Angela Wesselman-Pierce.  Rogue, 2010.  Film.

Vonnegut, Kurt.  “Epicac.”  Welcome to the Monkey House: A Collection of Short Works by Kurt Vonnegut.  Lawrence: Delacorte Press, 1968.  Print.

Humanity Through Technology

Contraptions whir and mechanics buzz within a massive room, filled to the brim with electronic devices, as a lone scientist laboriously types out code at a small desk.  The scientist, desperate to call out to someone about his woes, asks the computer what he should do, and to the man’s surprise, the machine answers back with emotion and intelligence.  This intelligent and emotional being named EPICAC shows the ignorant scientist the true basis of humanity, strengthening the man’s relationships through the use of technology.  Kurt Vonnegut, the author of “Epicac”, believes that interactions with others may be strengthened through the resource that is EPICAC, and he proves this question by presenting an argument of similar nature to his readers.

             The crucial claim made throughout the story “Epicac” is that in order for an object or person to be truly human, they must exhibit the aspects of intelligence and emotion.  To prove this implicit argument, Vonnegut guides the reader through the eyes of the nameless assistant of EPICAC, who discovers for himself whether a machine can become man.  The story commences in the form of a flashback in order persuade readers effectively; the scientist reflects upon his time spent with the machine and the impact that EPICAC has left upon his life.  “You can call him a machine if you want to.  He looked like a machine, but he was a whole lot less like a machine than plenty of people I could name” (Vonnegut 268).  As the story of EPICAC unfolds, the reader is shown that this previous statement is entirely true; EPICAC displays a beautiful collaboration between intelligence and emotion through the form of poems that awed and melted the heart of the woman to whom he wrote.  “Where the willow wands bless rill-crossed hollow, there, thee, Pat, dear, will I follow...” (Vonnegut 271).  The author imagines these antique-styled poems, commonly known for their eloquence and emotion, for EPICAC in order to display that such a machine is capable of adapting the human nature of emotional and intellectual responses to unique situations. 

After constructing eloquent poetry to woo the woman of its “dreams”, EPICAC is brought to the harsh reality that machines cannot be with humans; they are not able function in a mutual relationship because computers are not able to function in the same capacity as humans.  Realizing this awful truth, EPICAC short-circuits himself, ridding himself of the sorrow that would befall his life if he had continued to exist.  The author created this twist in order to drive home his argument that emotion is the key component of humanity; without emotion, EPICAC would have remained the functional machine that others had simply manufactured.  By learning emotion from the scientist, EPICAC was able to exhibit one last spurt of emotion before his death: the computer created thousands of poems to fulfill his unquenchable desire to express the emotion inside of its hardware.  This specific point allows almost all contradictions to disappear, for these poems show the reader that emotion and intelligence made a “human” who could reason, create, and suffer at its own shortcomings.  Even after the machine’s death, the scientist remained truthful to his established friendship; he honored the dead by preserving the poems written and retaining the relationship born out of technology.

Overall, I personally agree with the author’s statement that relationships can develop out of machines even though the honesty of the person (or machine) can never be gauged from in front of the screen.  I believe the author accurately displays the idea that relationships can develop from technology because, similar to how EPICAC’s poems drew people together, a simple post on a website can draw those together who feel passionately about the topic discussed into a relationship that can last for years to come.  Technology-based relationships are still communication in its rawest form, whether the interaction comes from using a numeric code for an alphabet or emoticons to display emotion through chat; technology itself can be the essential component of creating some of the longest-lasting relationships that exist in today’s society.

As the lone scientist taps away at the myriad of buttons and controls which protrude from various portions of the command board, the machine between his fingertips, overflowing with intelligence and emotion, prepares to establish a life-long relationship through the simple power of technology.

Arguments in Imagery

A poof of brilliant, unnatural light burst from a massive flash bulb while a joyous high school senior posed dramatically in front of the lens; her smile was perfectly in-line, her posture was comfortable and natural, and her whole look extruded confidence and genuine excitement. The majority of senior students look expectantly towards the day that they will sit in front of the camera and display their personality in the form of pictures in order record the memories and feelings experienced during this crucial time.  Each picture makes an argument and becomes an integral portion of seniors’ lives; from passing these pictures out to friends to attaching them to résumés, senior pictures are the most viewed and vital pictures that a high school or college student will take for years to come.  By examining my senior picture, implicit suggestions that attest to my nature as well as other aspects of my life can be gleaned through the tiniest of details.

            Upon viewing my photograph for the first time, the most notable aspect of the image is that the picture was printed in black and white, and this simple detail displays countless indirect assertions relating to my personality.  By the world’s standards, black and white is commonly associated with feelings of dullness and drabness, and, at times, I do seem quite dull and drab to those whom I have not conversed with on a regular basis.  The darkness of the shot when pictured in black and white seems to mask the flaws that would be present if the picture was in color. Similar to the image, I attempt to bury my shortcomings deep into the background as well; I am extremely self-conscious of my errors and will attempt to destroy them at any cost.  Because of my lack of confidence, I am also rather reserved; I prefer not to let my true colors to shine but to hide behind the safety net of strict monochrome.   Cut and dry as black and white, the image claims that I must tend towards the logical side of education that provides straight, easily obtainable answers that do not include unnecessary flourishes.  Therefore, I do wish for straightforward honesty and truth in my relationships, like the sharp lines and visuals that come from colorless pictures.  Without confusing and overwhelming colors, I am also simple and more navigable than others, and even though I can come off as plain, I am always willing to delve into new situations, such as coloring a beautiful photograph in simple monochrome.

            In the bottom left-hand corner of the image, a small insignia can be seen indicating that the photograph was taken professionally, which presents arguments pertaining who I am as a person.  When taking senior pictures, I was ecstatic to finally become a college student and begin the next portion of my life; therefore, I feel that the professional aspect of the image argues my willingness to become an integral portion of the communities I will be a part in. As I prepared to leave my high school, I wished to leave my friends with an image of myself; therefore, I chose this professional picture to instill in them the best image of my personality.  The photograph also suggests that I can look proper and proficient when expected to be, and that I am frugal because I wished to receive my money’s worth by taking a picture useful for any occasion. 

            Along with the black and white and professional aspects of the photograph, my disposition can also be portrayed through the argument of my body language.  Sitting upright but leaning comfortably to the side, my posture conveys my general feelings of being laid-back and slightly content as if I was perfectly at home in front of the camera.  While slightly strained, my smile still argues that I am usually welcome and generous.  My eyes are focused directly into the lens; the picture implicitly claims that I am concentrated and fully immersed into all tasks at hand, whether that would be studying important material or simply taking a picture.  Lastly, my slightly raised eyebrows subtly display my quirkiness and my unique sense of humor. 

            By analyzing even a simple photograph such as a senior picture, each tiny detail examined can make an argument towards someone’s unique personality.  From the monochrome setting to the professional style and the body language, my dark and serious yet proper and inviting nature was brought to the forefront through the various implicit claims present within my senior picture.  Surrounded by various apparatuses and contraptions, the young senior smiled brightly as the flash bulb exploded with light once more, capturing her distinct personality in an image that will directly state countless arguments about herself for years to come.