The video Tropes vs. Women in Video Games, the speaker discusses the trope of the damsel in distress and how it is damaging the social status of women. There are several advantages to communicate its message as a video in place of another medium like an article.
For example, when she discussed the unreleased video game, Dinosaur Planet, the trailer was shown to compliment the point she was making. If it had been an article, not many people would see the contrast between the “hero” Krystal and the damsel in distress Krystal. This use of logos helps her argument by giving a clear example of the misrepresentation women face.
Also, I took note of her use of visual ethos when discussing her experience with playing video games. She inserts an image of her playing them as a child, which reinforces that it is something that she has been a part of for a long time. It is a great confirmation of credibility that would not be possible through just the writing of an article.
When thinking about the stereotype of gamer, an immediate image pops into my head. I imagine a pale, dedicated mountain dew drinker hunched over a computer monitor while starting his fifth raid of the night. However, when I put some thought into what it really means to be a gamer, I realized there is no formal definition. That means that the title is widely subjective and different factors could carry more weight to different people.
For example, you could consider people from very different sides of the spectrum; one who dedicates their life to one particular game and another who occasionally plays mobile games. Most people considering the stereotype for a gamer would classify the former as a real gamer and would be hesitant to give it to the latter. However, by definition they both play games so this must make them both gamers. Right?
I believe this stereotype comes from what characteristics of gamers stand out. It is more noticeable to see someone who spends thousands on a desktop set up than it is to take note of someone who plays a phone game on the bus ride home. It is also reinforced through promotional marketing i.e. energy drinks and products with “gaming” in bold text. In the past this has made it difficult for most casual gamers to express their love for games without assumptions about other aspects their lives. Now however, gaming has been more normalized and there are professional gamers getting attention from the mainstream media.
