Dissecting Smite #1: Oversexualization, Stereotyping, Double-Standards, and Other Misogyny in Smite

"Oh, and even if you remain silent about it, you're basically telling game developers that "sexism is okay! We don't care, keep doing it, because it'll keep giving you cash without consequence!""

Sigh. Miscommunication, again.

I'm not calling anyone sexist - or at least, consciously sexist *******s.

When I said the word "telling," I'm talking about the message you give to game developers. Silence is a message. You can send messages without meaning them, just an FYI.

Okay? I'm not calling anyone sexist here. But the message they send out to developers perpetuates sexism. Or in other words, I stand by my statement that apathy is a problem. But I'm not calling everyone who doesn't actively protest a raging misogynist.

Do NOT blow this up as me calling you guys sexist. Don't just on the "Sub is an ***" train just yet, because this is an issue of miscommunication.

Oh my goodness, the drama. This isn't sexism! Sexism by definition is disliking or discriminating against someone because of their gender. Raunchy portrayals of goddess's does not mean they dislike women! Just because Nu Wa has copious amounts of underboob, doesn't mean she is better or worse. It's just an art choice.

Secondly, this is a game about gods and godesses... which pretty much implies they are all going to be well, godlike. Hell, half the female characters in the game don't wear any clothing in their myth.

Finally, unless you are a women, how are you supposed to know if this offends women. Lets face it, boys a and girls are different, each are celebrated for different things. Men stereo-typically are celebrated for chiseled physiques and deep voices (ODIN), where as women are celebrated for beauty, finesse, and fertility. Unless you have a pair of breasts then you have no right to comment for how women feel on this issue; maybe we should get an actual opinion from the female members of the site.

^I realize you were being careful about calling people sexist.

I'd like you to know that posts like those are completely worthless and are not aiding to the cause at all. Instead, you could tell the people not to deviate to insults. That would be infinitely more productive than saying some pointless remark that doesn't aid to the discussion.

But yes, I would like to warn you guys, primarily dacoqrs with the second latest post, to not deviate to insults. The last part was out of line and part of it has been deleted.

You didn't read my thing at all, did you?

Discrimination can be the way a certain group is treated. Sexism is how women are treated. I'm talking about sexism because Smite treats - or portrays - women badly.

If I made a film about how a woman turns into a werewolf, how only women can be werewolves, and kills everyone around her once a month, that is sexist. It's talking about a fictional being using a fictional creature and a fictional affliction, but it's still sexist because it doesn't take a genius to see how I'm treating women like a ****.

And you don't see how making women all strippers while the men can look badass is sexist. *numbly* You don't see how portraying women as sex-obsessed stereotypes is sexist. You call it making drama.

You literally ignored MY ENTIRE THREAD. I ranted enough about how nothing in the lore or anything at all justifies how goddesses look like strippers, from "realism" to "lore" or "beauty." Tell me, are you saying that looking like a stripper is "godly?" Why isn't Thor wearing a codpiece and spiked nipples? Why doesn't Mercury look like a male prostitute?

GODS ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK GODLIKE, YES, WHICH IS WHY THEY'RE ALL BUFF AND BEAUTIFUL, BUT BEAUTY AND STRENGTH DOESN'T EQUATE TO LOOKING LIKE A ****ING STRIPPER! THOR LOOKS GODLY AND HE'S NOT WEARING A SPEEDO LIKE NEMESIS IS WEARING A BRA! MERCURY LOOKS GODLY AND HE DOESN'T WEAR METAL SPIKES OVER HIS NIPPLES LIKE FREYA WEARS A METAL BIKINI!

Lastly, you don't know me, or my gender, or my identity at all, and you're trying to shut me down by accusing me of not being the right gender? I "have no right" to comment because of what genitals I have? And you can't see how having 95% of goddesses looking like they want to make babies in the middle of combat as offensive at all?

You insult me, you ignore my posts AND THE ENTIRE THREAD, you dismiss this whole thing as meaningless drama, try to discredit me based on gender without even knowing me, and above all, you don't think that this oversexualization, this double standard, this stereotyping, is sexist at all.

I'm done with you.

I love you.

Edit: Whoops, almost was a worthless post.

I heavily updated the What's the Point section of the original post, to reflect on the recent discussion. I suggest people take a look, I think it's a lot clearer.

Welp. ****. Love you Buddha.

Anyhows, thanks for clarifying Sub. I understand that silence is a message, however, my problem is just people who actually agree with you but remain silent anyways. It isn't right to blame them for it. Because they aren't SUPPORTING sexism.

Apathy toward sexism may be bad, but it's not nearly as bad as them SUPPORTING it.

And just in case you are wondering what MY point is, it's not to disagree with you, because to a certain extent I do agree with you, I'm trying to defend the people who you are accusing. To blame all the players of Smite for simply not saying something seems like a rather broad accusation, and isn't entirely fair.

who was it again who said that hirez is now a big company with a ton of cash?

look saying that you find the balence is more important then the pornogrification is fine but here is the thing. why not both? hirez has enough cash to hire people so fixing stuff like this is not hard.

i mean, fixing doens't have to be done in one patch, to rehire voice actors is not cheap but like people have said they have a lot of money now. changing simple taunt animations is not very hard, it takes an hour at most to change noxes tit shaking into her waving her hand in a "come at me" fasion.

the woman body models are all quiet similar, just shurken or enlargend parts for the majority of the goddesses. changing some of their frames to be a little less similar should also not be hard.

those are very small things that can be done in one patch that can go a loooooooong way.

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changes like body armor is something that can be done in 2 patches.

it's litterly for freya remove bra, add generic chestplate.

for athena a quick fix as a temporary hold could be the same, add generic chestplate. later on they can give her an armor that fits her phalanx strategy better.

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laughs, taunt, jokes and complete body overhauls take a lot longer and would need more time. that doesn't mean you can't quick fix them temporarely.

coming up with the new jokes and taunts is not hard, sure its harder then going for generic wench in kitchens jokes or toilet humor but it's not so hard.

the making new body types is hard but since they have only one or two for woman already, i think its perfectly fair to ask for some effort on hirezes part.

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why would they not beable to fix the woman of smite while also working on the balence? is the real question.

I dunno, man. Like, Sub, holy ****. You're usually better than this.

Where's the past you that furiously talked about Smite's balance, gameplay, gods, etc. go? And now you go down talking about fkin sexualization.

As dac said, the problem of oversexualization (and by extension, misogyny and sexism, IF HiRez means such things) IN SMITE is in the back of everyone's head. I'd rather think what builds Ao Kuang should go for than think of Nox's wardrobe choice.

This is not saying that misogyny and sexism isn't a real, urgent problem in the world. But putting Smite forward as a "grand case" of sexism and sexualization? Like, wtf dude?

The only answer I have to your last question is the amount of resources, including time resources, human resources, and financial resources. I don't think Hi-Rez has enough of either of those 3 things.