Mad World: Is the Bayonetta Campaign Innovative Advertising or Sexual Harassment Training?
The widely popular video game Bayonetta boasts an advertising campaign that rivals the onscreen sexism of the game itself. In Tokyo, a large billboard in the subway invited passersby to literally strip off flyers to reveal Bayonetta naked underneath. The campaign perpetuates and encourages sexual and physical harassment against women, an epidemic in Japan (and many other countries, including the United States). Check it out:
Related Links and Articles:
- High Rates of Street Harassment in Korea and Japan and Video Game Allows Subway Groping and Worse from the blog Stop Street Harassment
- Harassment on Public Transportation is No Joke from Gender Across Borders
- In Anonymous Packed Train Lurk Gropers from The Japan Times
Links to Bayonetta Billboard Images:
- Ads with flyer on body: Ad 1 and Ad 2 (it appears to be a mock up of the ad campaign)
- Ads with the flyers removed and images of the cards
- Example of screen cast of Bayonetta naked
Full transcript available at www.FeministFrequency.com. This video has English subtitles on YouTube and is available to be translated at DotSub into many different languages. Please help reach global audiences by translating!
Anita Sarkeesian is a feminist media literacy advocate, pop culture critic and fair use proponent. She maintains an ongoing web series of video commentaries from a fangirl/feminist/anti-oppression perspective at her website www.FeministFrequency.com.
This project was made possible in part by a grant from Oregon Humanities (OH), a statewide nonprofit organization and an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which funds OH's grant program. Any views, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Oregon Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Bayonetta
I completely agree with all the points you make in this video, but just as a note, the in-game logic for why she has to take her clothes off to use her hair as a weapon is that the black suit she wears all the time actually is made of her hair. She unwinds it from its standard skin-tight position around her body to use it for other purposes.
The misogynistic elements of the game are particularly upsetting to me because mechanically, I find Bayonetta the most innovative and thrilling game yet this year.
So much love for this series
Anita, you fucking rule. This video series is so great. I love the fact that you made the connection between the subway poster campaign and the problem of harassment on Japanese subways. The Japanese game Rapelay, which I think has been discussed on this site already, also has scenes in subways where the player stalks and assaults female passengers, but honestly just thinking about that game makes me feel ill and detracts from thinking about how awesome your deconstruction is.
Another great job! thanks
Another great job! thanks for your critique.
Caro is right. Also, she's
Caro is right. Also, she's not a single mom. You make a lot of great points, but you don't have all the facts. These facts aren't clearly huge, and they don't defend the obvious flaws of this game. But it is a fun game, and it is one of the few games that are as well-made and have a female lead. As a woman who enjoys gaming, it was really nice being able to play as a woman. Despite the awful over-sexualization...