First of all, I'd like to apologize for the fact that none of my blog entries this month have had pictures, but that's because my computer is broken and I'm using a really old one that is simply too unreliable. Sorry about that. Secondly, I know the hot topic of the day is that dumb article from the Mary Sue that talks about Tifa. (Update February 25, 2016: It has come to my attention that the article was intentionally written as a joke, which the Mary Sue, and by extension most readers, took seriously.) I've spoken my thoughts regarding issues like this before, but to sum them up: it's OK to draw sexy women and make sexy female characters in gaming, it's OK to enjoy sexy characters in gaming, and focusing on looks is wrong.
There's literally nothing else I can say about this situation because I feel like I've said it all before. However, perhaps we can benefit from a small summary regarding Tifa. To put it simply she has big boobs and she's famous for having them. There is no denying that Tifa's bust is one of her more noticeable, if not most noticeable, physical trait.
The problem then arises from the fact that some people look at Tifa and see JUST boobs. These people look at this female character and see nothing but a toy to play with, a sexual fantasy, some THING designed to please hormone addled teenagers who simply can't get it up from looking at real women. This is something that happens, and it's something that needs to be acknowledged: women shouldn't be objectified.
Now, if you've been nodding your head because you believe I was referring to teenage boys as being the objectifiers, I have news for you: I was referring to sex negative feminists like our very own Sandy Beaches.(Update February 25, 2016: Turns out, Sandy Beaches is a pseudonym for the person who wrote the article as a joke. In hindsight, it should have been obvious) See, feminists can objectify women too. Surprised? Don't be. This is just another demonstration of how the world isn't entirely black and white.
But who's Tifa, anyway? I'm hoping to do an entire blog entry on her in the future where I can go more in depth regarding her character, so I think it won't do to analyze her here today. But I don't think I even need to go to those lengths today anyway because that's not going to stop her critics. To her critics, Tifa will ALWAYS be a set of huge tatas.
There is no reasoning with people who have already made up their minds regarding an issue as hot button as female objectification, but perhaps we can all come to an agreement in regards to the notion that a person ought to be judged by character above all things, not just looks. Yes, it WOULD be nice to have a gaming culture that could hold Queen Latifah's body type as being just as sexy as Jessica Nigri's. But if you want to get there, you need to realize that you don't make yourself bigger by cutting down others.
There is no logical reason to hate on Tifa. Her body type is unrealistic? Yeah, look up Danielle Vedovelli and THEN talk to me about how unrealistic Tifa's body type is. However, notice that I am not saying you are obligated to LIKE Tifa; if you hate her, feel free to hate her. You are free to like whoever you like, and hate whoever you hate. All we're asking is for everyone to respect everyone else's right to enjoy what they like, and that, of course, includes sexy character designs.
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