MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
This is why the world thinks video games are all made for silly little boys.
A petition has been started – and thankfully subsequently pulled – on Change.org calling for the sacking of a GameSpot writer who in her 9/10 Grand Theft Auto V review highlighted the game’s questionable attitude towards females.
It’s deeply frustrating that, while its central and supporting male characters are flawed and complex characters, with a few extremely minor exceptions, GTA V has little room for women except to portray them as strippers, prostitutes, long-suffering wives, humourless girlfriends and goofy, new-age feminists we’re meant to laugh at,” Carolyn Petit wrote.
Characters constantly spout lines that glorify male sexuality while demeaning women, and the billboards and radio stations of the world reinforce this misogyny, with ads that equate manhood with sleek sports cars while encouraging women to purchase a fragrance that will make them ‘smell like a bitch.’
Yes, these are exaggerations of misogynistic undercurrents in our own society, but not satirical ones. With nothing in the narrative to underscore how insane and wrong this is, all the game does is reinforce and celebrate sexism. The beauty of cruising in the sun-kissed Los Santos hills while listening to ‘Higher Love’ by Steve Winwood turns sour really quick when a voice comes on the radio that talks about using a woman as a urinal.”
No one is denying that GTA V is anything other than a fantastic game, least of all Petit. But all of her observations are absolutely correct. And furthermore, they absolutely have a place in a review about the game.
Sadly everyone does not agree. Check out the comments section of the review to see for yourself, in which the fury of misogynistic analysis is mixed with an apparently furious uproar at GameSpot’s decision not to award a 10/10. Choice ‘highlights’ include:
As much as I’m fine with a 9 score and the review was pretty good in my opinion, I don’t see why misogyny is a reason to downscore it. It’s something that happens in the real world and it’s a real problem. The game’s an 18 so why can’t it show that? It’s like downscoring it for having blood.
Someone called it before that she would drop the score because of some female/inequality reasons, guess they were right.
Welp, can’t look at any review these days without seeing the weird misogyny, sad really, come on now, please be realistic. The review is fine but really?
Playing it right now, its a 10. This reviewers prejudice has clouded her opinion of what otherwise is a masterpiece.
I think its unfair to drop a score based on your own political/moral issues
i dont care about the 9, because its always subjective. Its ok if you dont find the game perfect. But i think the negative about misogynism is tottaly stupid. I find it just as stupid as saying that it glorifies violence, and it transforms people in psychos.
Some let personal opinion muddy their ability to be objective.
‘Politically muddled’
Is this serious? Have you ever played GTA before?
9 is a great score, but that’s an extremely dumb comment.
That’s it, I’m leaving. I could care less about the score. These reviewers are what’s annoying me. I wouldn’t care if this was presented as an opinion based review, but in the coming weeks all Gamespot is going to do is defend this review as inspired truth. Bleh, take all your 9/10s back. I’m gone.
"Politically muddled and profoundly misogynistic", why gamespot keeps judging games using this kind of shit? It’s a game, don’t give me a political lecture or philosophy class.
Marked down because of her personal views!? Isn’t GTA designed to piss people like that off? The whole point of the political satire. And if this is 9 then redo the GTA 4 review
hahaha, Prejudiced Review, Wouldn’t bother reading, IGN review is excellent!
Great review, detailed and very informative. But honestly, leave the "profoundly misogynistic" part out. It’s a GTA game, not a documentary on women’s problems. I care for women’s problems IRL, not in a game bout 3 bad guys doing heists.
Gone Home 9.5 Editors Choice – GTA V 9.0 so according to Gamespots own idea of the scores Gone Home is a better game than GTA V 😀
But since its a subjective view and doesnt really matter there isent really any point in reading these reviews anymore.
And Carolyn please for your own sake stop reviewing games that isent in tone with your rather extreme feminist views 😀
Since when do review games based on this sort of thing?
Keep your personal vendettas out of your reviews.
"Even though I’m being paid to unbiasly write a review, I am going to dock this game a point due to personal bias"
Its like if I docked a point because I can shoot animals and shooting animals is wrong which the game never mentions as being wrong. She has no business reviewing a game as controversial as this if she’s going to knit-pick trying to be offended like this.
That a petition entitled ‘Gamespot Staff: Fire Carolyn Petit’ was countered by one entitled ‘Gamespot Staff: Do NOT Fire Carolyn Petit’ does not lessen the tragedy that a person or persons were so incensed by these opinions that they felt it was a proper and proportionate reaction to call for an actual human being with an actual family living in the real and actual world to be fired from their job.
How on earth can the industry hope to escape the stigmas held by the wider world and media when this is how its core audience chooses to conduct itself? Perhaps the only viable strategy is to stop making games that appeal to this audience altogether in an effort to free itself from their vile influence.
