Women are Having Fun with Bayonetta?

Apparently, very much so.

As a woman, I haven't often been satisfied by female character options that effectively boil down to "the same thing as a man, just with breasts and a ponytail." Thanks to its innovative approach to the idea of female power, Bayonetta is the first action game heroine that's made me directly conscious of how cool it is to be a girl.

I already know that women can do all the same things men can. This time, I get to see a woman do plenty of things men can't. And I love it.

http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/213466/bayonetta-empowering-or-exploitative/
http://www.penny-arcade.com/2010/1/11/

It's nice to see both male and female gamers are enjoying Bayonetta.

nice :)

bayonetta-empowering-or-exploitative.....its neither...its a cheesy videogame character LOL

"I already know that women can do all the same things men can"

Hahahah, gotta love the feminist BS women are fed today. Keep believing that, sweetie.

From: SeeD-LW | #001
I already know that women can do all the same things men can

Stopped reading there :p

^ Not saying much, since that is already half way through the post.

I don't know whether to dissect it line-by-line or just leave it be. .__o I mean, I'm glad that women take something with them from the game, but why oh why can't it just be "Bayonetta's an awesome game. Period." Bayonetta being a hot, kick-ass chick was the LAST thing on my mind when I saw those trailers so many months ago.

If women can do everything men can, but also things they can't (I'm excluding childbirth here, we have to give them that one, but let's see um do it alone...) That's just opposite sexism. Genders are unique, but equal. Stop being stupid...

Wherever there's a woman, there's a feminist spewing BS. Even in videogames. GOOD GRIEF.

Men ignorantly trying to comment on feminist issues they don't understand... *laughs*

This was a great little article. And I completely agree with the writer. The character of Dante is very much in the same vein as Bayonetta - they might be over the top, but that's the charm.

The lady gamers quite openly oggle Dante - he is no less an over-exaggeration of male empowerment and sexuality than Bayonetta is for women. But it's not meant to be taken seriously - enjoy the characters for what they are... wish fulfilment.

This might surprise some men here, but most women quite *enjoy* the sexualization of their own gender. Everyone likes to feel sexy, or do things that are sexy. What they don't like is when that sexualization comes as the expense of empowerment.

You can't take Bayonetta's "sexiness" too seriously though, or you're missing the point. It's not meant to be realistic, but then, neither is Dante. That doesn't mean the ladies don't love it when he takes his shirt off. And he's hardly a realistic physical representation of what most men look like.

It's all about the context.

I especially like this part.

"To prohibit a character like Bayonetta, and rush to cover her up in disapproval, is a rejection of her particular brand of femininity. Why do that? Because she makes men uncomfortable? If men feel uncomfortable with Bayonetta, maybe that means she succeeds."

If you feel uneasy and uncomfortable playing as Bayonetta, or seeing her in that way... the problem isn't with her. It's with you.

(For the record, I'm male.)