Lara Croft gets a "realistic" redesign from eating disorder support group
377 replies, posted
[quote]Bulimia.com, an organization supporting people struggling with eating disorders, is calling attention to unrealistic and potentially damaging body image depictions in gaming by reverse Photoshopping some of its most famous characters.
Unrealistic body image depictions are a well established problem in fashion and advertising, where camera, makeup, and Photoshopping tricks can create an ideal that is literally impossible (and sometimes horrifying). Video games aren't scrutinized as often, but considering that game developers are overwhelmingly male, making games marketed to young men, and that the female bodies they're designing are completely malleable and don't adhere to the basic laws of physics, it's not surprising we get characters that look like Bayonetta.
"Some gaming studios boast their hyper-realistic lighting techniques, touting natural cloud movements as the latest features of their games," Builimia.com wrote in a post to its website. "And with that kind of attention to detail, it makes us wonder, why can’t they accurately portray the female body?"
After giving superheroes the same treatment back in March, the organization redesigned characters like, Halo's Cortana, Tekken 5's Christie Montiero, and Mortal Kombat's Jade to represent the average American woman's measurements.[/quote]
[t]http://www.bulimia.com/wp-content/themes/bulimia-child/assets/images/video-games-realistic/Lara-Croft-Tomb-Raider.png[/t]
Because you know, in real life, a woman that raids tombs wouldn't be incredibly fit. Here's some more of their "realistic redesigns" too.
There's more in the source
[url]http://www.bulimia.com/examine/video-games-realistic-body-types/[/url]
Women can't be thin in videogames because not all women in real life are.
[QUOTE=Hogie bear;48277829]Women can't be thin in videogames because not all women in real life are.[/QUOTE]
[t]http://www.bulimia.com/wp-content/themes/bulimia-child/assets/images/video-games-realistic/Rikku-Final-Fantasy-X-2.png[/t]
This is what a real woman looks like [sp]in America[/sp]
I like that they conveniently ignored the 2013 Lara which DOES have more realistic proportions, yet still keeps her (appropriately) in very fit shape.
What the point of "realistically" redesigning Cortana, who is literally a hologram?
I really like these not-stick-figure-thin pictures
Fucking hilarious that's all there is to say about this inane thing.
Eating Disorders are bad and all, but the idea of looking at Athletic female bodies and saying "It's bad." then modifying them are hilarious as well.
They're athletic because they're supposed to be, if they weren't they would likely die or make no sense for the way they act in certain situations.
[QUOTE=Keyblockor1;48277857]Fucking hilarious that's all there is to say about this inane thing.
Eating Disorders are bad and all, but the idea of looking at Athletic female bodies and saying "It's bad." then modifying them are hilarious as well.
They're athletic because they're supposed to be, if they weren't they would likely die or make no sense for the way they act in certain situations.[/QUOTE]
Athletic != literally thin as a stick
but nah lets continue making fun of a bulimic support group and fat people in general
[QUOTE=Velocet;48277838][t]http://www.bulimia.com/wp-content/themes/bulimia-child/assets/images/video-games-realistic/Rikku-Final-Fantasy-X-2.png[/t]
This is what a real woman looks like [sp]in America[/sp][/QUOTE]
Necks are unrealistic.
Woah woman, I'm here to play tomb raider, not pantry raider.
Of all models they chose the Angel of Darkness one...
[QUOTE=Levithan;48277862]Athletic != literally thin as a stick[/QUOTE]
Athletic people usually don't have immediately visible rolls of fat either.
[QUOTE=Velocet;48277838][t]http://www.bulimia.com/wp-content/themes/bulimia-child/assets/images/video-games-realistic/Rikku-Final-Fantasy-X-2.png[/t]
This is what a real woman looks like [sp]in America[/sp][/QUOTE]
Yeah... I don't want to say it... But that actually looks on the verge of being overweight, not to mention they completely destroyed the proportions.
I wonder if the bulimia support group organization might have a skewed view of what's actually healthy. Much like their clients.
Not saying I don't know women that look like that. I know plenty. But I also know a lot of women who are pretty much proportioned exactly like the one on the left too, and they're perfectly healthy.
[QUOTE=woolio1;48277904]Yeah... I don't want to say it... But that actually looks on the verge of being overweight, not to mention they completely destroyed the proportions.
I wonder if the bulimia support group organization might have a skewed view of what's actually healthy. Much like their clients.[/QUOTE]
That is overweight. She has more stomach than I do, and i'm a 6"3 175 pound male.
[QUOTE=Velocet;48277838][t]http://www.bulimia.com/wp-content/themes/bulimia-child/assets/images/video-games-realistic/Rikku-Final-Fantasy-X-2.png[/t]
This is what a real woman looks like [sp]in America[/sp][/QUOTE]
It's funny because Rikku is like 15 years old so her being that fat would be quite worrying.
Despite what some of these groups may have you believe, there are actually extremely fit girls out there in real life that are really thin.
It literally comes down to body mass index. Fat is not a substitute for lean muscle.
Stop kidding yourselves.
A lot of these look like they went on Garry's Mod and used the inflator tool.
[QUOTE=MissZoey;48277931]A lot of these look like they went on Garry's Mod and used the inflator tool.[/QUOTE]
Well... They did basically do just that, just in Photoshop.
[QUOTE=Levithan;48277862]Athletic != literally thin as a stick
but nah lets continue making fun of a bulimic support group and fat people in general[/QUOTE]
Avatar fits.
They didn't even touch her hands. They're so fucking tiny and out of place, holy shit.
Realistic's Definition is "having or showing a sensible and practical idea of what can be achieved or expected"
What expected, a practical idea and can be achieved is being Thin, which is the most ideal body you can have.
"representing things in a way that is accurate and true to life." Also a definition.
Also the irony here, they want more fat characters but it's an eating disorder group.
[QUOTE=Velocet;48277811][t]http://www.bulimia.com/wp-content/themes/bulimia-child/assets/images/video-games-realistic/Lara-Croft-Tomb-Raider.png[/t]
Because you know, in real life, a woman that raids tombs wouldn't be incredibly fit. [/QUOTE]
The original Lara Croft probably couldn't do a single pullup, tho. She's not fit, she's just (basic anatomy defying) thin.
" So why is it they so often opt to make these characters into unrealistically idealized versions of their human counterparts?"
Being thin is healthy is unrealistic? Woah, never knew that.
I clicked the article, and instead of comparing the thin version (what I'm used to), I covered that up and just looked at their "fixed" versions.
Some of them look needlessly overweight. Sonya, Rikku, and Lara come to mind. Others, honestly, look quite normal. Nabooru, Jade, Helena, Cortana, and Tifa. Especially for Tifa, looking at her original after seeing the "fixed" version made her look significantly underweight.
For some characters, they have a point. For some, they really don't.
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;48277948]The original Lara Croft probably couldn't do a single pullup, tho. She's not fit, she's just (basic anatomy defying) thin.[/QUOTE]
You mean pyramid boobs Lara?
Because, to be fair, you couldn't really do much with the graphics hardware at the time.
[t]http://www.gamerheadlines.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Tomb-Raider-original-game.jpg[/t]
[QUOTE=woolio1;48277958]You mean pyramid boobs Lara?
Because, to be fair, you couldn't really do much with the graphics hardware at the time.
[t]http://www.gamerheadlines.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Tomb-Raider-original-game.jpg[/t][/QUOTE]
No I meant the picture I quoted.
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;48277963]No I meant the picture I quoted.[/QUOTE]
Oh... Well, that's not really the original Lara Croft. Also, I wanted an excuse to post pyramid boobs Lara.
Lara Croft: Fridge Raider
[QUOTE=Levithan;48277862]but nah lets continue making fun of a bulimic support group and fat people in general[/QUOTE]
To be fair, photoshopping existing superheroes and video game characters to fit their standards is kind of silly, and doesn't really contribute to fighting actual eating disorders.
Also, there is a difference between making them healthy, and making them overweight, which a few of those alterations are.
Their Lara croft doesn't even look fat, she looks like when you put a normal person into a ridiculously skimpy outfit, which is exactly what it is.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.