Sexism in the Witcher Series [SPOILERS]

[rygold]

Sexism in the Witcher Series [SPOILERS]

I am praying (and I'm an atheist) that CD RED are going to seriously tone down the sexism. No slut shaming, no nude models of Triss, Yenneffer and CIri as tacky pr. I understand that it's a dark world with all that implies but still, please try and keep it classy guys - maybe take a leaf out of Tomb Raider to see how to handle woman characters.

 

[sidspyker]

Unfortunately, Witcher isn't Political Correctness: The Game nor does it shy away from such themes so the chances of that happening are nonexistent.

No slut shaming

What?

 

[GuyNwah]

Geralt takes a stand against slut shaming

Seriously, you need to look beneath the surface to see how moral The Witcher really is. Trying not to offend the easily offended by being "politically correct" would undo all of that.

 

[KingHochmeister]

I am praying (and I'm an atheist) that CD RED are going to seriously tone down the sexism. No slut shaming, no nude models of Triss, Yenneffer and CIri as tacky pr. I understand that it's a dark world with all that implies but still, please try and keep it classy guys - maybe take a leaf out of Tomb Raider to see how to handle woman characters.

Yeah ..... Because that is the WHOLE point of the Witcher books and games, right?

 

[GuyNwah]

Yeah ..... Because that is the WHOLE point of the Witcher books and games, right?

Even so.

And the writers who created Abigail and Ves need no lessons in how to handle woman characters.

 

[Sagitarii]

I am praying (and I'm an atheist) that CD RED are going to seriously tone down the sexism. No slut shaming, no nude models of Triss, Yenneffer and CIri as tacky pr. I understand that it's a dark world with all that implies but still, please try and keep it classy guys - maybe take a leaf out of Tomb Raider to see how to handle woman characters.

And what makes Lara from Tomb Raider a better character, than any other main female character in the Witcher?
The thing is - people often think that a good female characters fit the trope "hurt, but strong and independent". And that's just bullshit.
The worst thing about this? If you won't make your female character at least strong and redeemable, you will be called a sexist.

I wouldn't call fantasy of The Witcher purely a dark fantasy. It's rooted in real world, a mix between low and dark fantasy. Female characters are very varied. There are loving and caring woman, like Shani, there are serious, untrustworthy ones like Sheala, there is Rayla - strong fighter, filled with hatred for other races, there are old hags, lustful prostitutes, women who fight, women who study, women who live simple lives in some remote villages.

That is how it should be. People should understand, that not every woman is strong and independent - just like not every man is a brave warrior.

And one more thing - "no nude models of Triss, Yennefer and Ciri" - I hope you mean that Playboy session with Triss? I didn't like that as well - after sex cards, I thought CDPR learned from their mistakes. Let's hope nothing like this will happen for W3.

 

[ONLY_ONCE]

I am praying (and I'm an atheist) that CD RED are going to seriously tone down the sexism. No slut shaming, no nude models of Triss, Yenneffer and CIri as tacky pr. I understand that it's a dark world with all that implies but still, please try and keep it classy guys - maybe take a leaf out of Tomb Raider to see how to handle woman characters.

Wow an atheist that prays this is even new to me. Anyways.. most of us like the fact that we get to see nude sexy women be them strong, weak ,evil, good or whatever. The point is no other game in the world can pull it off like cdpr, this is a true game for adults and its about damn time. It's not orgasmatron dude!! lol....

 

[rygold]

Huh, seriously CD Red are good writers but don't tell me that they Witcher games are not incredibly sexist - and man oh - the whole sex cards issue and sexy nude Triss were uncalled for. BTW the witcher Novels are a lot less sexist than the games - so maybe the writers need to take a cue from the books.

 

[sidspyker]

Here we go again...
(brace for impact)

 

[Wizigard]

May I ask how exactly were sex cards and nude Triss in magazine/poster sexist ? Would it be more politically correct if Gerald could collect sex cards from both men and women, for example Jaskier/Dandelion sex card , would you then be satisfied ? Or do you want to have sex scenes completely gone ? So far I have counted 3 sex scenes in novels and I have just begun reading.

 

[secondchildren]

Huh, seriously CD Red are good writers but don't tell me that they Witcher games are not incredibly sexist - and man oh - the whole sex cards issue and sexy nude Triss were uncalled for. BTW the witcher Novels are a lot less sexist than the games - so maybe the writers need to take a cue from the books.

Define "sexist" please. Coz it might be an overused term.

 

[Kinley]

BTW the witcher Novels are a lot less sexist than the games - so maybe the writers need to take a cue from the books.

Then you're obviously reading different books than the rest of us.

A game set in a grim, unfair medieval setting and people are still surprised there is prejudice towards certain things that we now deem taboo. As far as I know the game doesn't give the impression anywhere that any of these things are right, they're just part of the world.

As for the Triss Playboy thing, why was it so wrong? It's a magazine that celebrates the female body, it doesn't look down on it. I was more weirded out about the fact that it was a CG model and not an actual person.

 

[1337Smithy]

Are you alluding to objectification, tlingel?

 

[Geralt_of_bsas]

Huh, seriously CD Red are good writers but don't tell me that they Witcher games are not incredibly sexist - and man oh - the whole sex cards issue and sexy nude Triss were uncalled for. BTW the witcher Novels are a lot less sexist than the games - so maybe the writers need to take a cue from the books.

So you say that the writers are sexist, but you don't mention any examples of what the writers do, because the cards and the triss playboy images arent their work, so what did you thought of what they actually did was sexist?

 

[secondchildren]

Then you're obviously reading different books than the rest of us.

As for the Triss Playboy thing, why was it so wrong? It's a magazine that celebrates the female body, it doesn't look down on it. I was more weirded out about the fact that it was a CG model and not an actual person.

Uhmm... actually no.
It was a marketing move and a way to tease mainly male gamers and customers. CDP maybe knows the numbers better, I think they specifically wanted to blink to that side of theri customers, male indeed.
You may like it or not but a a celebration of a female body for me is this:

 

[1337Smithy]

A celebration of a refined, airbrushed, and perfected body, perhaps. I find it a tad artificial in that respect.

(I'm referring to the CG images, of course.)

 

[dragonbird]

@tlingel - there would probably a lot of people who agree about the sex cards and about the Triss Playboy shoot, but as others have mentioned, the game generally depicts women in a wide variety of roles, most of which are strong, self-determining, neither victims nor objects. Perhaps if you gave specific examples of sexism within the game, it would be clearer on what it is you're hoping not to see in the 3rd game?

I'm also moving these posts into a separate thread, as I suspect it's going to be a topic with a fair amount of discussion, and it'll let everyone else get back to the general Wishlist.

 

[Kinley]

You may like it or not but a a celebration of a female body for me is this

Fair point, but I wouldn't call it sexist either. I wonder how people would have received it if they used an actual person to model as Triss.

 

[JackalJ]

I have to agree that the sex cards and the playboy edition of Triss was unnecessary. It was 'fun' to look at the first time but I just wanted to play the game and that's it. In the actual game I didn't find that many or any sexist situations, women who were uninteresting, no importance to the overall plot, no backstory, 'weak' and just there so the main character could sexually exploit them.

But I guess people see, what they want to see. (Meaning if someone sees, or wants to see, sexists things they see it everywhere.)

 

[Vigilance.492]

Can we just kill this thread & move on?

Just like the whole "Dethmold having his balls cut off is offensive to homosexuals issue", it's like beating a fucking dead horse at this stage. Go have a damn whinge on Tumblr or something.

This is the nature of The Witcher. If you don't like it, don't play the games. Or if you don't like the promotional material, ignore it.