Poll: Would you find a male Bayonetta "uncomfortable"?

[Combustion Kevin]

wouldn't a male bayonetta basically be Dante in a more-randy-than-usual mood?
in which case, we already have that. >>

also, putting guys in sexy girl's clothes does not make the comparison valid, people who are attracted to the male form usually don't like those kind of outfits, but rather something that compliments the male form better, something that showcases the pecs, emphasizes the shoulders makes the body seem more lean and athletic.

And we have those kinda outfits, Mass effect, for example, was full of those.

 

[SeanSeanston]

wouldn't a male bayonetta basically be Dante in a more-randy-than-usual mood?
in which case, we already have that. >>

Ya, that's the exact thing that makes this such a strange proposition...

It's like how Yahtzee referred to Bayonetta (and possibly the more recent DMCs) as a God of War-clone... even though GOW in the first place was basically a Devil May Cry-clone, and Bayonetta was the spiritual successor to DMC made by the same people :|

So it's like Bayonetta is a female version of Dante, and we're being asked how we'd feel about a male version of a female version of Dante...

Alright, maybe sexualized a bit more, but Dante was hardly ugly or average or not-like-a-male-model-in-physique-or-dress-sense in the least.

 

[Dizchu]

The thing is, women in skin-tight or revealing clothes are considered "objectified".

Men in skin-tight or revealing clothes are considered "power fantasies". See Superman, Spider-man or any other male superhero.

It's a weird double-standard. I often hear that the male equivalent to women showing cleavage or thrusting their butts out is having their junk in full display and thrusting it in the viewer's face... uhh... not sure about that.

It's like... there's a much higher threshold when it comes to the point where men become "sexualised" because apparently jumping around wearing nothing but shorts (or even nothing at all... nothing at all... nothing at all...) isn't enough. Yet a woman in short shorts and a bikini top... obvious sexualisation.

I'm not trying to be facetious I am genuinely curious about this.

...by the way I find female character designs that are full clothed sexy. There is no hope.

also, putting guys in sexy girl's clothes does not make the comparison valid, people who are attracted to the male form usually don't like those kind of outfits, but rather something that compliments the male form better, something that showcases the pecs, emphasizes the shoulders makes the body seem more lean and athletic.

This. When a man is clothed in revealing "women's" attire, it's hilarious.

When a woman is clothed in revealing "men's" attire, it's considered profane. Which I kinda disagree with because after all it's an unfair double standard to censor women's chests and not men's. But still, many of the arguments that are made against the perceived sexualisation of female character designs overlook the more prominent equivalents in male character designs. It feels extremely disingenuous and they don't propose any solutions. It's not so much a gender disparity but a difference in the attitudes towards male and female bodies. Maybe that's what needs challenging, not a female character that's dressed a bit skimpily.

 

[angryscotsman93]

Offended? Uncomfortable? Like hell, I'd be a little surprised, probably somewhat amused, and then move on with my day. Generally, I like to think I can recognize when I'm not the target audience of something- I mean, I don't see a reason to complain about a movie or other thing that doesn't look like my cup of tea if I come to the realization that I wasn't the one people had in mind when designing something.

If anything, that's an idea I came up with when I was hanging out with a buddy of mine, looking at Oglaf. We were chuckling at the "Kronar, Son of Man" bits when we came up with the idea of making a DoA/Soul Calibur-style game, starring sexy dudes rather than scantily-clad women. We'd get people of all shapes and sizes and put them in utterly ridiculous outfits, then give them outlandish animations- okay, you get the idea. I thought it could actually grab some decent sales, or it would if either of us knew anything about game design.

 

[SeanSeanston]

It's like... there's a much higher threshold when it comes to the point where men become "sexualised" because apparently jumping around wearing nothing but shorts (or even nothing at all... nothing at all... nothing at all...) isn't enough. Yet a woman in short shorts and a bikini top... obvious sexualisation.

The example that comes to mind is Raiden in MGS2... cartwheeling around for a few minutes under the control of the player... LITERALLY NAKED o_o.

And it doesn't help either that to begin with he was designed with a look that you just know is some people's fetishized fantasy man >___>.

Of course, what people often say is that because it's not the "intention" for these semi-nude men to appeal to women (or anyone) sexually, that it somehow doesn't count.
i.e. It is irrelevant if a game hypothetically came from these people's idea of a utopian fantasy world where no one was ever sexualized more than anyone else, it is still a problem because they are Stalin and they get to decree the purpose behind everything without any evidence or discussion.
...while of course, complaining that games aren't targetting the female demographic enough >_<.

Which leads us to... what? Clothe all women in burkas until we have proof of a certain amount of female market saturation? Guh.

There is literally no winning with these people, presumably because they have created a situation that is designed not to be winnable, and they get to change the rules as they go along.

 

[Adam Lester]

You mean Raiden? Because he's just as acrobatic and sexualized.

And that's why people hate him.

Yes, I would be uncomfortable. But only because it wouldn't make any goddamn sense in this version of the universe. You can't just switch her gender and expect everything to make sense. Here's an example. What if Kratos was female? What if instead of the maniacal testosterone fueled bloodthirsty guy, you had a hysterically sociopathic and bloodthirsty female screaming at everything and everyone while she butchers people with giant machetes wearing nothing but a piece of cloth to cover her ass?

I happen to love Drakengard 3, thank you very much.

 

[silversnake4133]

No, I wouldn't, but it would do the story a huge disservice if she was replaced. We need more women like her, women that aren't afraid to flaunt their sexuality while kicking major butt at the same time.

 

[Recusant]

I've never actually played the game; so while my view is rather underinformed, it's one from a different, outside perspective that may make it worth considering.

I voted no. As I understand it, the grounds for objection would be over-the-top sexualization, something I don't find inherently objectionable. Even if it were redone to be more orientationally appropriate, I'd not feel uncomfortable or threatened or anything. While I don't find the (nigh)-naked male form hilarious, I do feel that people do look kinda silly naked, and I just as readily apply that to women, as a straight male. See, sexuality is really something that's just kind of there. Something can be silly and sexy, or absurd and sexy, or offensive and sexy, or horrifying and sexy, or (presumably) morally reprehensible and sexy. (In typing this, I realize there are probably people out there who've never found themselves laughing while masturbating. Pity them. Unless you are one, in which case, seek to remedy that straightaway.) In making a game (or book, movie, whatever), you can try to push that angle, pushing the usual sexuality buttons, but it's always a gamble on whether that'll even work- witness the responses in this very thread questioning how anyone can find this character attractive.

 

[Ieyke]

The answer is Bayonetta's style is just as super shitty as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure's super shitty abomination of "style".
They both fill me with loathing.

Uncomfortable, no.
Just really....unforgivably stupid.

 

[Malpraxis]

I spent a whole minute laughing my ass off while picturing a dude killing pack of monsters with tentacles made from his back and chest hair, and then hulahooping a ring made of pubes while heavily hip thrusting at the camera and saying something suggestive.

If that's attractive to anyone, more power to you, I guess. If it's a good game, I'd buy it. "Oh, man she's so hot" has never been a reason to buy a videogame for me, not even when I was a hormone fuelled teen, so maybe I'm not the target demographic.

I have to join the group of posters who say that women and men are attracted to different things, otherwise there's no earthly reason to understand why I've ever got laid.

 

[Genocidicles]

A male Bayonetta?

I might get uncomfortable from laughing too much and making my sides hurt I suppose.

 

[Plasticaprinae]

I would love it if there was a mod that replaced bayonetta with a male version. I would be much more interested in the game to be honest, simply for it breaking up the monotony. Bayonetta is good an all, but I'm used to women being sexy in that way i guess. I know a lot of people are saying that men and women are sexualized in different ways, but that doesnt mean you cant appeal to people who like muscle women or men in skintight suits made out of hair. megusta

 

[Halla Burrica]

Eh, I went for maybe. I think if I saw a guy like say, Marcus Phoenix from Gears of War running and jumping around in a suit of his own hair (which makes me realize, wouldn't a suit of your own hair be pretty uncomfortable?), sometimes half-naked or almost completely naked, fighting demons and doing weird, often sexualized poses in cutscenes I think I would be a bit put off, maybe not exactly uncomfortable but it would feel iffy.

But on the other hand, if it's like...say Nathan Drake or a JoJo character, I don't think I would mind or even really notice.


PS: How do you start threads in here? I've been looking around this place for a while but haven't really been able to find out.

 

[Deathmageddon]

The crotch shots are tasteless, but there's nothing wrong with it. From what I've seen of Bayonetta, she doesn't do anything or pose in any way Spider-Man hasn't already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB6TiRJNI-Q

 

[johnnybleu]

I think if you just swapped the character model, you'd end up with something... strange. Let's just say it would indeed make a lot of people uncomfortable, and have very niche appeal. The thing is that Bayonetta exhibits traits of feminine sexuality. Simply replacing her with a man, and having him exhibit the EXACT same traits, just wouldn't work. Just like a female character exhibiting male sexuality traits would look equally odd.

Look at sexy male calendars... How many of them are spread eagle, twirling around a pole, or striking saucy Bayonetta poses? Of course, they don't do that. They exhibit traits of male attractiveness (strength, confidence, dominance, and killer abs). To me, Dante is a pretty good parallel for Bayonetta. He's constantly flashing "male sexy calendar" poses, and in the third game he doesn't even have a shirt, on top of being charming, confident, powerful, etc. Never heard of anyone getting all up in arms over it, and I'm sure female and gay gamers appreciated it.

Asking if switching the gender of X character in any game would suddenly make it "wrong" seems silly and pointless. To me, it's apples and oranges.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

I was fine with Killer is Dead so my answer is no.

Right, because from a cursory glance it's just teeming with male sexualization

Spoiler: NSFW

Good god, CLOTHE YOURSELF MAN!

In Killer is Dead you play as a Gigolo (male prostitute).


This thread was about playing as a male Bayonetta, not about playing a game with "male sexualization" or one "without female sexualization". Just about the protagonist being the male equivalent of Bayonetta and she is basically a stripper/pole dancer who can also fight super awesomely.


That the look of a male prostitute is more modest than that of a female one doesn't have anything to do with the substance of playing as the basic equivalent of Bayonetta in that game. What you're basically doing here is moving the goal post to a different subject, one about female sexualization rather than one about players feeling comfortable playing as a male Bayonetta-like protagonist.

 

[ThreeName]

I'm a /fit/izen, if I was uncomfortable with naked men or the objectification thereof, I'd be insane by now.

But also it'd just be fucking funny. More ludicrous games with mankinis plz

 

[jhoroz]

I think my avatar and everyone else that has posted Jojo speaks plenty of what I think about the idea.

 

[Mikeybb]

I'd either find it vaguely amusing or decide it clearly wasn't for me and go do something else.

Which, incidentally, is exactly how I react to Bayonetta.

This is really my entire reaction to Bayonetta. No need to write the exact same post again.

Adding my meh to the chorus of apathy.

Got to say though, that Assvengers pic made me laugh.
Thanks Op.

 

[Tanis]

I find the FEmale Bayonetta 'uncomfortable', so, yeah...

Male version would probably bug me just as much.