the introduction of Tomb Raider video games to the world in October 1996, Lara Croft has proved to be a laudatory heroine within the world of gaming. The strong, determined, and fierce character provides her audience with the opportunity to immerse itself in an environment of mystery and daring triumph. Although traditionally Lara Croft is portrayed as an unfaltering adventurer, her most recent performance demonstrates the human and vulnerable side to her character. Tomb Raider (2013) reimagines
A Russian immigrant walks off a boat to embrace his cousin in a long awaited hug. Niko holds his breath as he notices the stench of alcohol on his cousins shirt. “Welcome to America Niko!” he exclaims as he hands Niko a freshly lit cigar. Driving peacefully through streets filled with gangs and hookers Niko embarks on a new life filled with cocaine, murder and sex. The opening credits roll : Grand Theft Auto IV. Grand Theft Auto is one of the most notorious franchises in the entire video game industry
The concept for Tomb Raider originated in 1993 at Core Design, a British game development studio.[60] One of the men most involved in its creation was Toby Gard, who was mostly responsible for creating the character of Lara Croft. Gard originally envisioned her as a man: company co-founder Jeremy Heath-Smith was worried the character would be seen as derivative of Indiana Jones, so Gard changed the character's gender. Her design underwent multiple revisions and redrafts during early development.[1][57]
Lara Croft, the idealized woman figure, with a man’s touch. In the movies, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and the sequel Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life, the main roll of Lara Croft is played by actress Angelina Jolie. She has the typical idealized look for such a role, small waist, large breasts, and overall “fit” demeanor. Angelina Jolie fits all the necessary criteria for the starring role, she is viewed by many people as a sex object, an image of their desire that they can fantasize about, but will never
Presentation of Lara Croft in the Film Tomb Raider Women have always had a certain classification in society. You can call it discrimination if you like. This discrimination went on for quite a while and as a result women were not given chances to do a lot of things from jobs to education. But now things have changed, especially in the world of films. Previously you would see a man saving a woman repeatedly from the hands of an evil monster. Yet nowadays, it's the women who are in control
On June 15, 2001, movie theaters around the globe debuted the highly anticipated movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider which was heavily based off of the Tomb Raider video game series. The movie’s cast consisted of eight to ten characters ranging from different supporting roles. The main attraction throughout the whole movie without a doubt id Angelina Jolie who plays Lara Croft along with other cast members such as Jon Voight, Chris Barrie, Lain Glen, Daniel Craig, and Noah Taylor. These characters combined
Self-Promotion and Celebrity Endorsements of Healthy Lifestyles In his book Celebrity and Power: Fame in Contemporary Culture, P. David Marshall states "The close scrutiny that is given to celebrities is to accentuate the possibility and potential for individuals to shape themselves unfettered by the constraints of a hierarchical society" (246). Therefore, celebrities are seen as role models for a lifestyle that might never be fully attainable by the average person, but can be imitated. What
games that is an increasingly popular subject to talk about is how gender is portrayed in video games for both men and women. In many video games, women are shown as having a passive role, while men hold a more dominant role. In the video game Tomb Raider, Lara Croft is a character this is being talked about because she is the main character and is a female. Previous video games have created the media representation that females are
in Gaming 2015 marks the release of the second game in the reboot Tomb Raider franchise, Rise of the Tomb Raider, staring Lara Croft on another one of her action packed adventures. Thus marking the chance to talk about the representation of females in gaming. Lara Croft is the most famous female protagonist in gaming from the last three generations of console but before her rise to fame, the gaming community had the Metroid series’ to play. Metroid defined gaming with the “original jaw-dropping
Here, Ancient Egyptian workers had toiled through scorching desert heat to create a series of tombs that would house the physical bodies of their pharaohs. The choice of isolation for this complex of wadis, their towering and mammoth architecture, as well as the detailed, colorful decoration depict the significance of the tombs to the Ancient Egyptians. Built during Ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom, there are 63 known tombs, most housing the bodies and possessions of renowned pharaohs and god-kings (Hawass
blockbuster titles have female leads; one of the exceptions being Lara Croft's Tomb Raider. Out of 36 games studied by Children Now (2003), only Tomb Raider featured exclusively female choices (The male and female populations, para. 4). Even so the character, Lara Croft, mainly exists to please the male gaze. Her appearance is overtly sexualized and several in-game camera angles act to accentuate her figure. Another popular series to include a multitude of women is The Last of Us. Although this title incorporates
The world of gaming is expanding with endless possibilities of ways to play. Gaming has advanced greatly over the years by expanding over many different platforms. Smartphones, tablets, and next generation consoles are just a few of the many possibilities to play. This expansion has broadened the demographic of players and changed the way we play today. Although the demographic has widened and the games have become more advanced, there seems to be a reoccurring theme in gaming. White males make up
K.O! The Fight for Equality in Gaming Gaming has long been considered a male-dominated activity. There have been numerous scientific studies conducted to analyze the impact video games have on an individual and vice versa, however one of the most common discussions concerning the gaming community is sexism. With today’s growing audience and the popularity of smart phone gaming, it is a mystery as to why gaming has managed to keep its male-minded stereotypes. Most games reflect the sexist gender roles
the role of the sidekick. When their the protagonist they’re reduced to nothing but sex icons to appeal to men. Often scantily dressed and a bust size within the D cup and up range. Characters like Lara Croft of the Tomb Raider Series debutting in 1996 and Bayonetta in her own series called Bayonetta which released in 2010. Yet even though they are far apart in terms of release they both feature a lead female role whom dresses in an obscene manner. Why is this? The simple truth is that sex sells
Indiana Jones: America’s favorite Archaeologist When it comes to the study of Archaeology in the media no character comes to mind like the whip-cracking, macho vigilante we all know and love. Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark has inspired a whole generation of explorers, historians and archaeologists alike but how much of his adventurous tales can we take as realistic? While most archaeologists are not out fighting the Nazis and reclaiming treasures as mystical as the Ark of the Covenant,
Even though I found solace in the female video game characters of my childhood as these icons of Amazonian womanhood, with age I have come to realize that many of these female characters often rely on dated stereotypes. So much so, that many of these female characters become walking tropes, displaying only the most basic of female stereotypes: a love for shopping, makeup, and shoes. Anita Sarkesian, a feminist blogger who critiques anti-woman tropes in video games, created the name of this particular
Some view video games as simply that, games nothing more nothing less. Highly respected game designer, famed director, and creator of the Metal Gear Solid series Hideo Kojima has been quoted as saying “ If 100 people walk by and a single person is captivated by whatever a piece radiates it is art, however videogames are not trying to capture one person. A videogame should make sure that all 100 people that
can now do is offer their audience first dibs on a highly anticipated title. This gives them an advantage over the competition while studios are not forced to limit there target audience to one console. Xbox gamers got first dibs on Rise of the Tomb Raiders before it was released on PlayStation 4 and PC. Meanwhile PlayStation gamers are going to experience the nightmare of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard in VR before
This is a trope that is often referred to as the Smurfette principle. It is very prevalent from children shows, such as the Smurfs and the Muppets, to TV series, such as the Big Bang Theory, to movies, such as Avengers, Harry Potter and Star Wars. As Katha Pollitt, a feminist poet and essayist, wrote, the Smurfette principle sends a clear message: ‘Boys are the norm, girls the variation; boys are central
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” - Joseph Campbell There are numerous heroes among us and for the most part those heroes are usually unknown to the world. These heroes just go about their day like everyone else except with one difference, they would put their lives on hold so they could help the less fortunate any way they can. Sacrifices must be made and most of the times these heroic acts go unrecognized and unheralded. Nevertheless, many of