Topic: Godfather II is a very misogynistic game

[Chozo Ghost]

I started playing this game recently because it is one of those games EA is going to pull the plug on later this month. I have to say though, the game is extremely misogynistic. Its the same sort of criminal sandbox game as GTA which features prostitution and the like, but this game takes things a step further. Part of your mission involves intimidating business owners into paying you for protection money. Some of these business owners are women, and so in some cases you are not only allowed to beat the crap out of them or pop them in the knees or strangle them, but actually required to do that as part of your mission.

Then there are also the side missions where you do favors in exchange for money or whatever, which might involve beating up someone or even killing someone, and some of the time your target is women. So it was kinda shocking to me playing this game. I am familiar with GTA and I know how that game is, but generally in GTA you are only required to kill men. So this game... I don't know.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Misogyny means more then just violence against women, it is showing women as a sexual objects, and primarily a term meant to depict women being degraded as less then a man. GTA is still at the top of the list when it comes to sandbox style games when it comes to the full, true meaning of misogynist.

[ShyGuy]

Godfather II was not nearly as good as the first Godfather. It does feature topless hookers in a brothel, so maybe it ties GTA.

[Morari]

Misogyny is simply the hatred of women. It can take on many forms. Many of the supposed forms amount to little more than feminist propaganda.

[nickmitch]

Sounds like an equal opportunity game to me.

I kid, I kid.

[Ian Sane]

Killing people is wrong so does it really make a difference if your victims in the game are male or female?  The main character is a creep and a thug.  If a murderer only preys on men is he to be praised because at least he doesn't kill women?  Violent people are horrid and disgusting regardless of who their victims are.

[Chozo Ghost]

Killing people is wrong so does it really make a difference if your victims in the game are male or female?  The main character is a creep and a thug.  If a murderer only preys on men is he to be praised because at least he doesn't kill women?  Violent people are horrid and disgusting regardless of who their victims are.

That's true, and I'm certainly not saying murder or violence against men is okay. The difference is just that women are on average about 20% smaller than men and not as physically strong. If the game let you beat the crap out of children or someone in a wheelchair or the elderly it would be equally as abhorrent because these are people who can't defend themselves or fight back. So that's the issue I think. Its not so much the gender as it is that you are fighting someone who can't really defend themselves.

[ejamer]

I fail to see how violence towards women in the context described is misogynistic. Hateful and cruel and violent, sure... but not targeting women or in any way related to gender based on what you've said. Maybe there is some misogynistic aspect that you forgot to mention?


I suspect that many of your male victims in the game are also unable to defend themselves or fight back effectively.  Have you really been so desensitized to violence that shooting a (virtual) male in the knee wouldn't elicit any reaction but changing that fictional character to a female suddenly generates a deep emotional deep reaction? What does that really say about our culture, the games we play, and about you in particular?

[Ian Sane]

I think for a game to be truly misogynistic, violence against women would be a specific theme of the game, rather than just a game that requires you to beat people up, both male and female.  Though it does seem that attaching the innocent is a common theme in this game, which is disturbing.  Perhaps "sadistic" would be a better term (I think that's a great way to describe GTA).

This reminds me of the censorship for the SNES version of Final Fight when the female enemies were turned into males.  Even as a kid I thought that was silly since the women in the game attack you!  Come on!  Self-defense!  Roxy and Poison are trying to kill you!

[Morari]

Killing people is wrong [...]

According to you.

[Lithium]

well I'm not so sure if this is misogyny, i haven't played the game but it seems like the character is just supposed to be a dick to everyone. He's an equal opportunity scoundrel!

Seriously though, if you think about it a shocking percentage of games are kind of misogynist in some way.