Why We Identify With Lara

[LtPage1]

Wired article by Clive Thompson

a few excerpts:

I think young boy gamers... Weren't just ogling her: They were identifying with her. Playing the role of a hot, sexy woman in peril -- surrounded by violence on all sides -- was, unexpectedly, a totally electric experience for young guys... The Final Girl theory emerged in 1985, when Carol Clover -- a medievalist and feminist film critic -- was dared by a friend to see The Texas Chainsaw Massacre... As Clover sat in the theaters, she noticed something curious. Sure, the young men would laugh and cheer as the villain hunted down his female prey. But eventually the movie would whittle down the victims to one last terrified woman -- the Final Girl, as Clover called her. Suddenly, the young men in the audience would switch their allegiance -- and begin cheering just as madly for the Final Girl as she attacked and killed the psycho.

This, Clover argued, was not mere garden-variety sexism. On the contrary, it was a generation of young guys who apparently identified strongly with the situation of a woman who faced agonizing peril yet came out victorious.

I think young boy gamers loved Lara for reasons that were considerably stranger. They weren't just ogling her: They were identifying with her. Playing the role of a hot, sexy woman in peril -- surrounded by violence on all sides -- was, unexpectedly, a totally electric experience for young guys.

Interesting stuff. Am I into it because it legitimizes that poster I had on my wall in 7th grade? Maybe.

 

[Neurorelay]

That poster is somewhat disturbing.

 

[theprodigalrebel]

what's Lara's figure in that poster like? 32D-18-40???

 

[rhino56]

i loved tomb raider because it drove me mad, i hated it and loved it. not because she was hot, but because it was truly a cool game. the puzzles were so hard but when you finally mastered them it was a great feeling to have conquered it. it would have been just as cool with any decent character.
why they always gotta make it like gamers are i love you homos wacking off to cartoons, wtf have they never been online and know that there are real pictures of nude girls by the zillions?

 

[0roo0roo]

meh i never played it through more than a level or two, its control scheme was just too annoying to bother with being used to sweet precision controls of fps.i dunno how people tolerated it

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: LtPage1
I think young boy gamers loved Lara for reasons that were considerably stranger. They weren't just ogling her: They were identifying with her. Playing the role of a hot, sexy woman in peril -- surrounded by violence on all sides -- was, unexpectedly, a totally electric experience for young guys.

This woman is mislead. She sees it as some kind of feminism/empowerment issue, while the guys like her because she's hot and has big breasts.

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: Neurorelay
That poster is somewhat disturbing.

Actually very disturbing.

 

[Kelemvor]

I just like her huge breasts.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: theprodigalrebel
what's Lara's figure in that poster like? 32D-18-40???

have you seen the new tomb raider game? i played the demo over the weekend and she pretty much has no waist.

 

[0roo0roo]

so i guess its like this...if i had to be a girl i better be a pretty pretty girl.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
so i guess its like this...if i had to be a girl i better be a pretty pretty girl.

Shes fugley and so is Angelina Jolie with those big fat lips. :|

 

[PingSpike]

Those tomb raider games sucked. Fvcking jumping puzzles.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: FelixDeKat

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
so i guess its like this...if i had to be a girl i better be a pretty pretty girl.

Shes fugley and so is Angelina Jolie with those big fat lips. :|

ugly
so ugly
omg so uglies
ieee!
noes!
arghh!
lips of evil!

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: PricklyPete

Originally posted by: Neurorelay
That poster is somewhat disturbing.

Actually very disturbing.

Agreed.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Shes pretty and so is Angelina Jolie with those big red lips.

 

[purbeast0]

I just finished Tomb Raider Legends last night on the 360. Great fvcking game, although I beat it in 3 sittings. My total time was 8:30. Good thing I borrowed it from someone instead of buying it. But it's definitely worth a rental to play through atleast once, one of the better single player games on the 360.

 

[purbeast0]

Oh yea ...

The new Lara Croft model is HHOOTT!!

 

[zerolus]

Haven't played any of the new tomb raider games but I loved the first two. They weren't as hard as the 3rd or 4th one so I could actually enjoy the levels and story. It wasn't all about 'omg hot polygon woman' , the story just dragged you in, particularly in the second one.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
Oh yea ...

The new Lara Croft model is HHOOTT!!

backpack = counterweight ?

 

[0roo0roo]

true true she was a sales assistant?