Stereotypes in Videogames Dividing Communities

Having stereotypes in video games and other media is a big problem for several reasons. One of the biggest reasons why it is bad is its effects on society. Having a stereotype in games can make people believe that all people who are portrayed a specific way in games due to stereotypes are really like that in real life. For instance, Leonard makes references about race in videogames. “Cuban drug dealers in Vice City; muscle-bound, violent rappers in Def Jam Vendetta; and Arab terrorists in every war game. Ready to Rumble, a boxing game, like GTA III, covers all bases, including84 Games and Culture Downloaded from http://gac.sagepub.com at UNIV OF UTAH on January 10, 2009 racialized stereotypes of virtually every community of color.” If people are playing these kinds of games, they may think that all Cuban people in California are drug dealers and gang bangers, al rappers are violent, and Arabs are all terrorists. Obviously this isn’t true, but people who play these kinds of games that have this strong of a suggestion and use of stereotypes may not see the difference.

The use of these stereotypes is more heavily influencing people more than TV. There is something about taking control of these stereotyped people, living their life, committing their crimes, and interacting with other people like them that makes these stereotypes seem real as opposed to TV. If you are playing a game and your character gets killed by someone who is a Cuban drug lord, it affects you more than watching a movie on TV where the same thing happens. Since you have more of an emotional tie with your character than your TV show, you will start to develop a hatred towards the Cuban characters, and if played enough (and if one starts to lose the ability to see the difference from reality and the game) They may start to hate everyone who is Cuban because they associate all Cubans as drug lords, just as they are in their game.

How does this divide communities? If someone has a negative thought about someone through stereotyping, they are going to treat that person badly or shun them out of society. This is very common, and everyone knows how blacks were treated badly and shunned from society before they had any rights as American citizens. Basically if there are any negative racial thoughts about someone, it will change their place in society, and will alter society’s current views about that person. If videogames are promoting such stereotypes, and people start to believe these videogame stereotypes, then it won’t be long till these newly developed stereotypes about people branch out from the videogame console and into the real world. Clearly stereotypes, especially those in videogames, and divide a community and society.

Above and belowe are screen shots from GTA: San Andreas. This is a videogame where players take on the role of a black gang member in the streets filled with gangs, hookers, and drug lords.

Below is an African American videogame character. In most ceses Blacks in videogames are either portrayed as gang members, athketes, of character with big muscles. Here the latter is shown, making a statement that all blacks are either gang members, athletes, or have big muscles making them the bad boys of videogames.

Below is a depiction of a typical male hero in a videogame. Hero's are usually attractive, fit, and resemble role models, or something that people would like to become. Oh and they always have good looking hair.

Finally, there is a picture of a female character in a videogame. Like others she is very attractive, like barbie, her boobs are too big making it impossible to stand up without falling over, she is wearing little to no clothing, and in this case is assuming some kind of warior persona making her a girl who can fight, a feature that most men find very attractive