Tropes Versus Women (and the Internet Backlash)

Glyph

So apparently this new Youtube personality known as Anita Sarkeesian has been stirring up quite a bit of controversy with her Feminist Frequency channel and her Tropes Versus Women kickstarter project.


http://www.youtube.com/user/feministfrequency?feature=results_main

So far the project has gotten far more in donations than it the $6,000 USD it originally set out to achieve and this is apparently only exacerbating the animosity it's receiving from much of the video gaming community, particularly among male gamers. Even internet celebrities like Tim Buckley of Ctrl+Al+Del fame have joined the fray, going as far as making disparaging pornographic images featuring Sarkeesian and so on.

I guess my question is why is this causing so much controversy? Why is someone making some fairly astute observations about the way women are being depicted in video games provoking such a prompt and vicious response from the gaming community at large?

And why does the internet care so much about how much is being donated to what cause?

People are reacting to Sarkeesian's comments as though she's making a personal attack on their religion or something.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrmRxGLn0Bk

KalTorak

http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/160823/today-in-the-war-on-women-dare-to-criticize-games-over-misogyny-get-attacked/p33

Jacobkosh

I think this is pretty redundant at this stage