The Bizarre Sexism in BioWare's 'Star Wars: The Old Republic'

[The Straight Story]

snip

So the inclusion of a shock-collar-wearing slave in BioWare’s Star Wars: The Old Republic, a new Star Wars MMORPG that released this past December, is not so much surprising as it is disappointing. And really creepy.

Mike Fahey explains:

Vette is my character’s slave, gifted to him by his dark master. She comes complete with a convenient high voltage shock collar, allowing me to administer harsh punishment should she speak or act in a manner unbefitting her station. I torture her. I tease her. I belittle her in front of others. On one occasion I even make her watch as I have sexual relations with the wife of a slain enemy.

If my actions seem disturbing to you, rest assured I was even more disturbed to find myself performing them.

Fahey actually didn’t play it this way the first time around. It wasn’t until he reached a higher level and ran into a bunch of other players who had used the shock collar and other forms of abuse on Vette that he decided to try it himself.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/01/03/the-bizarre-sexism-in-biowares-star-wars-the-old-republic/

[seabeyond]

1. oh, that is just sick. nt

[Ian David]

2. Can't you opt to get a male slave? n/t

[eShirl]

3. they're catering to the Goreans

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorean

good, maybe they'll all flock there and leave Second Life behind

[randome]

4. Player-controlled porn is where all games are heading.

The technology has finally reached the point where a player can realistically direct his or her own porn clip.

[Brickbat]

5. So sad that this kind of crap is considered a "game."

My son is a huge Star Wars fan -- the extended universe, way beyond my geek love for "A New Hope." Knowing that this garbage is out there, just waiting for his adolescent mind to stumble upon, makes me sick and furious.

[cyberswede]

8. My 11 y.o. has been asking for this game

He's unaware of the stuff mentioned in the OP, I'm sure, but now I'm afraid to get the game for him. (This is the one that just came out that's played online, but you need software as well, right? Sorry, I'm an idiot). We have a Mac, and the software is PC only, so I guess that's good.

[seabeyond]

11. dont get boys the game if they have prostitutes and strippers (most of them) .misogynist games feeds

the hate, disrespect, dehumanizing. i wont be a part of it and i wont mess up the boys with it. they know and hear NO often.

[arcane1]

6. Star Wars always seemed kind of sexist to me

Starting with the first movie, where Luke obsesses over his father yet never has a single word to say about his mother.

[Poll_Blind]

7. (VIDEO) Here's the video Kotaku links to. It just gets sicker and sicker- I was kind of surprsied.

That's really fucked up and really sick. And the part where you have intercourse with the other character and bring your slave along? I mean...Damn.

Wonder what the ESRB on a piece of shit like that's going to be? Ah, right here, a Teen rating. You can contact the ESRB about rating this for Teens by giving them feedback here.

PB

[GoneOffShore]

10. Consider alerting on the video on YouTube.

And giving it a thumbs down.

Kind of like the old days of "DU This Poll!"

[seabeyond]

12. wow. so glad kids are not into star wars. nt

[cyberswede]

9. Isn't this rated T (for Teen)?

The description above seems way more adult-themed than that...

[The Straight Story]

13. Perhaps, but back in my day condoms/sex ed/etc would have been rated M