[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.24,0:00:02.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Mario!"
Dialogue: 0,0:00:03.05,0:00:04.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Ah! Help!"
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.15,0:00:30.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Welcome to our multi-part video series exploring the roles and representations of women in video games
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.08,0:00:36.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This project will examine the tropes, plot devices and patterns most commonly associated with women in gaming
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.45,0:00:39.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from a systemic, big picture perspective.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.41,0:00:43.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This series will include critical analysis of many beloved games and characters
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.08,0:00:46.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but remember, that it's both possible, and even necessary
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.46,0:00:52.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to simultaneously enjoy media, while also being critical of its more problematic or pernicious aspects.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.67,0:00:56.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, without further ado, let's jump right into the Damsel In Distress.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.13,0:01:01.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let's start with the story of a game that no one ever got to play
Dialogue: 0,0:01:01.26,0:01:08.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Back in 1999, game developer 'Rare' was hard at work on a new original title for the Nintendo 64 called Dinosaur Planet.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.66,0:01:14.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The game was to star a 16 year old hero named Krystal as one of two playable protagonists.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.19,0:01:19.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She was tasked with travelling through time, fighting prehistoric monsters with her magical staff
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.33,0:01:24.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and saving the world. She was strong, she was capable and she was heroic.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.41,0:01:27.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"And who might you be, animal girl?"
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.11,0:01:28.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"My name is Krystal"
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.21,0:01:41.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Pretty cool right?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.82,0:01:44.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, it would have been except the game never got released.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.92,0:01:49.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As development on the project neared completion, legendary game designer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.72,0:01:54.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,joked about how he thought it should be the third installment in his Star Fox franchise instead.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.77,0:01:57.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Over the next two years, he and Nintendo did just that.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.45,0:02:03.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They rewrote and redesigned the game and released it as Star Fox Adventures for the Game Cube in 2002.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.46,0:02:08.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In this revamped version, the would-be protagonist Krystal, has been transformed into a Damsel in Distress
Dialogue: 0,0:02:08.96,0:02:12.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and spends the vast majority of the game trapped inside a crystal prison
Dialogue: 0,0:02:12.50,0:02:15.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,waiting to be rescued by the new hero, Fox McCloud.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.70,0:02:19.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The in-game actions sequences that were originally built for Krystal
Dialogue: 0,0:02:19.26,0:02:21.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,were converted to feature Fox instead.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:21.80,0:02:25.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Krystal is given a skimpier, more sexualized outfit.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.47,0:02:29.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Wow! She's beautiful!!"
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.80,0:02:38.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"What am I doing?"
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.07,0:02:43.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And, yes. That is cheesy saxophone music playing to make sure it's crystal clear
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.52,0:02:47.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that she is now an object of desire, even while in suspended animation.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.82,0:02:56.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To add insult to injury, Fox is now using her magical staff to fight his way through the game to save her.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.00,0:02:59.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The tale of how Krystal went from protagonist of her own epic adventure
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.17,0:03:01.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to the passive victim in someone else's game
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.52,0:03:05.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,illustrates how the Damsel-in-Distress trope disempowers female characters
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.74,0:03:09.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and robs them of the chance to be heroes in their own rite.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.22,0:03:14.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The term 'Damsel in Distress' is a translation of the French 'demoiselle en détresse'.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.95,0:03:17.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,'Demoiselle' simply means 'young lady'
Dialogue: 0,0:03:17.36,0:03:23.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while 'détresse' means, roughly, anxiety or despair caused by a sense of abandonment, helplessness or danger.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:23.78,0:03:27.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As a trope, the Damsel in Distress is a plot device
Dialogue: 0,0:03:27.14,0:03:30.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in which a female character is placed in a perilous situation
Dialogue: 0,0:03:30.15,0:03:34.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from which she cannot escape on her own and must be rescued by a male character,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.63,0:03:38.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,usually providing the core incentive or motivation for the protagonist's quest.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.91,0:03:42.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In video games, this is most often accomplished via kidnapping
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.23,0:03:46.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but it can also take the form of petrification or demon possession for example.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:46.48,0:03:51.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Traditionally, the woman in distress is a family member or a love interest of the hero -
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.49,0:03:56.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,princesses, wives, girlfriends and sisters are all commonly used to fill the role.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:57.46,0:04:01.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course the Damsel in Distress predates the invention of video games by several thousand years.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.98,0:04:06.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The trope can be traced back to Ancient Greek mythology with the tale of Perseus.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.58,0:04:10.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,According to the myth, Andromeda is about to be devoured by a sea monster
Dialogue: 0,0:04:10.54,0:04:14.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,after being chained naked to a rock as human sacrifice.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.08,0:04:18.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Perseus slays the beast, rescues the princess and then claims her as his wife.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.93,0:04:25.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the middle ages, the Damsel in Distress was a common feature in many medieval songs, legends and fairy tales.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:25.06,0:04:28.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The saving of a defenseless woman was often portrayed as the raison d'être
Dialogue: 0,0:04:28.74,0:04:33.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or reason for existence in romance tales and poems of the era,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:33.22,0:04:38.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,involving a knight-errant, the wandering knight adventuring to prove his chivalry, prowess and virtue.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:38.86,0:04:42.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At the turn of the twentieth century, victimized young women became the cliché of choice
Dialogue: 0,0:04:43.00,0:04:48.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for the nascent American film industry as it provided an easy and sensational plot device for the silver screen.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:48.75,0:04:55.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A famous early example is the 1913 Keystone Cops short "Barney Oldfield's Race for a Life'"
Dialogue: 0,0:04:55.36,0:05:01.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which features the now iconic scene of a woman being tied to the railway tracks by an evil mustache twirling villain.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:03.56,0:05:07.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Around the same time, the motif of a giant monkey, carrying away a screaming woman
Dialogue: 0,0:05:07.43,0:05:11.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,began to gain widespread popularity in media of all kinds.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:11.61,0:05:15.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Notably Tarzan's love interest Jane is captured by a broodish primate
Dialogue: 0,0:05:15.40,0:05:20.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in Edgar Rice Burroughs' 1912 pulp adventure Tarzan and the Apes
Dialogue: 0,0:05:20.44,0:05:24.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In 1930, Walt Disney used this meme in an early Mickey Mouse cartoon
Dialogue: 0,0:05:24.28,0:05:26.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,called *The Gorilla Mystery*.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:28.90,0:05:34.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The imagery was even exploited by the US military in this recruitment poster for World War I.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:34.79,0:05:38.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it was in 1933 that two things happened, which 50 years later,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.92,0:05:45.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,would set the stage for the Damsel in Distress trope to become a foundational element in video games as a media.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:45.59,0:05:51.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,First, Paramount Pictures introduced their animated series, *Popeye the Sailor* to cinema audiences.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:51.58,0:05:58.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The formula for most shorts would involved Popeye rescuing a kidnapped Olive Oyl.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:58.85,0:06:05.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Second, in March of that year, RKO pictures releases its groundbreaking hit film King Kong
Dialogue: 0,0:06:05.08,0:06:11.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in which a giant ape abducts a young woman and is eventually killed while trying to keep possession of her.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:13.44,0:06:16.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Fast forward to 1981, when a Japanese company named Nintendo
Dialogue: 0,0:06:16.99,0:06:20.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,entrusted a young designer named Shigeru Miyamoto
Dialogue: 0,0:06:20.17,0:06:23.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the task of creating a new arcade game for the American market.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:23.80,0:06:28.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Originally, the project was conceived of as a game starring Popeye the sailor
Dialogue: 0,0:06:28.26,0:06:30.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but when Nintendo wasn't able to secure the rights
Dialogue: 0,0:06:30.68,0:06:36.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Miyamoto created his own characters to fill the void, heavily influenced by the movie *King Kong*.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:39.78,0:06:44.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The game's hero 'Jump Man' was tasked with rescuing a damsel named 'The Lady',
Dialogue: 0,0:06:44.11,0:06:47.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,after she is carried off by a giant ape.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:47.16,0:06:50.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In later versions, she's renamed 'Pauline'.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:51.91,0:06:56.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Although Donkey Kong is perhaps the most famous early arcade game to feature the Damsel in Distress
Dialogue: 0,0:06:56.62,0:06:59.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it wasn't the first time Miyamoto employed the trope.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:59.46,0:07:04.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Two years earlier, he had a hand in designing a 1979 arcade game called Sheriff.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:04.96,0:07:07.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In it, a vague female shaped collection of pixels
Dialogue: 0,0:07:07.80,0:07:12.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,referred to as 'The Beauty', must be rescued from a pack of bandits.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:12.22,0:07:17.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The hero is then rewarded with a 'smooch of victory' for his bravery in the end.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:17.85,0:07:21.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A few years later, Miyamoto recycled his Donkey Kong character designs
Dialogue: 0,0:07:21.23,0:07:25.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Pauline became the template for a new damsel named Princess Toadstool
Dialogue: 0,0:07:25.31,0:07:28.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and 'Jump Man' became a certain very famous plumber.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:39.54,0:07:45.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Princess Peach is in many ways the quintessential stock character version of the Damsel in Distress.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:45.13,0:07:50.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The ill-fated princess appears in fourteen of the core Super Mario Bros platformer games
Dialogue: 0,0:07:50.51,0:07:53.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and she's kidnapped in thirteen of them.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:01.65,0:08:05.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The North American release of Super Mario Bros 2 in 1988
Dialogue: 0,0:08:05.03,0:08:09.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,remains the only game in the core series in which Peach is not kidnapped
Dialogue: 0,0:08:09.69,0:08:12.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and also the only game in which she 's a playable character,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:12.50,0:08:16.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,though it should be noted it wasn't originally created to be Mario game at all.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:16.37,0:08:20.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The game was originally released in Japan under a completely different title
Dialogue: 0,0:08:20.12,0:08:22.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic
Dialogue: 0,0:08:22.50,0:08:27.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which roughly translates to Dream Factory: Heart Pounding Panic
Dialogue: 0,0:08:38.47,0:08:45.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Nintendo of American thought that the original Japanese release of Super Mario Bros 2 was too difficult and too similar to the first game
Dialogue: 0,0:08:45.94,0:08:51.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so they re-skinned and redesigned *Doki Doki Panic* to star Mario and Luigi instead.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:51.24,0:08:54.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, the Japanese game already had four playable characters.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:59.26,0:09:04.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the designers opted to include Toad and the Princess to fill the two remaining slots
Dialogue: 0,0:09:04.41,0:09:07.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,building directly on top of the pre-existing character models.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:07.80,0:09:12.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So really, if we're honest, Peach is kinda accidentally playable in this one.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:12.80,0:09:15.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Still, she had the awesome ability to float for short distances
Dialogue: 0,0:09:15.57,0:09:19.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which came in really handy, especially in the ice levels.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:19.74,0:09:23.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Sadly, Peach has never been a playable character again in the main franchise.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:23.60,0:09:29.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even with newer games that feature four player options like the new Super Mario Bros Wii and WiiU
Dialogue: 0,0:09:29.25,0:09:32.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Princess is still excluded from the action.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:32.06,0:09:34.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She's been replaced with another Toad instead
Dialogue: 0,0:09:34.75,0:09:39.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as to allow Nintendo to force her back into the Damsel role again and again.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:39.70,0:09:42.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Peach does of course appear in many spin offs
Dialogue: 0,0:09:42.16,0:09:45.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,such as the Mario Party, Mario Sports and Mario Kart series
Dialogue: 0,0:09:45.37,0:09:50.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as well as the Super Smash Bros Nintendo universe cross-over fighting games.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:50.24,0:09:55.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However all of these spin offs fall well outside of the core Super Mario series of platformers.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:55.66,0:10:00.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She is the star of only one adventure, and we'll get to that a little later.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:00.73,0:10:05.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One way to think about Damsel'd characters is via what's called the subject/object dichotomy.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:05.08,0:10:09.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the simplest terms subjects act and objects are acted upon.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:09.49,0:10:13.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The subject is the protagonist; the one who the story is centered on
Dialogue: 0,0:10:13.58,0:10:15.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the one doing most of the action.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:15.35,0:10:18.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In video games this is almost always the main playable character
Dialogue: 0,0:10:18.82,0:10:21.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the one from whose perspective most of the story is seen.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:21.91,0:10:25.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the Damsel trope typically makes men the subject of narratives
Dialogue: 0,0:10:25.04,0:10:27.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while relegating women to the role of object.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:27.58,0:10:32.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is a form of objectification because as objects Damsel'd women are being acted upon,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:32.50,0:10:39.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,most often becoming or reduced to a prize to be won, a treasure to be found or a goal to be achieved.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:39.72,0:10:43.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The brief into sequence accompanying many classic arcade games
Dialogue: 0,0:10:43.02,0:10:47.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,tends to reinforce the framing of women as a possession that's been stolen from the protagonist.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:07.74,0:11:14.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The hero's fight to retrieve his stolen 'property' then provides lazy justification for the actual gameplay.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:14.29,0:11:17.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At its heart, the Damsel trope is not really about women at all.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:17.59,0:11:21.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She simply becomes the central object in a competition between men,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:21.34,0:11:23.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at least in its traditional incarnations.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:23.68,0:11:28.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I've heard it said that, in the game of patriarchy, women are not the opposing team,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:28.18,0:11:29.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they are the ball.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:29.77,0:11:33.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So for example, we can think of the Super Mario franchise as a grand game being played
Dialogue: 0,0:11:33.83,0:11:38.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,between Mario and Bowser and Princess Peach's role is essentially that of the ball.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:42.20,0:11:45.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The two men are tossing her back and forth over the course of the main series,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:45.48,0:11:48.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,each trying to keep and take possession of the 'Damsel Ball'.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:55.13,0:11:58.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even though Nintendo certainly didn't invent the Damsel in Distress,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:58.14,0:12:03.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the popularity of their 'save the princess' formula, essentially set the standard for the industry.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:03.42,0:12:07.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The trope quickly became the go-to motivational hook for developers
Dialogue: 0,0:12:07.07,0:12:11.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as it provided an easy way to tap into adolescent male power fantasies
Dialogue: 0,0:12:11.91,0:12:15.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in order to sell more games to young straight boys and men.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:15.11,0:12:16.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Help Me!"
Dialogue: 0,0:12:16.77,0:12:18.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Help Me!"
Dialogue: 0,0:12:18.14,0:12:19.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Help Me!"
Dialogue: 0,0:12:19.14,0:12:20.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Help Me!"
Dialogue: 0,0:12:20.32,0:12:21.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Save Me!"
Dialogue: 0,0:12:21.41,0:12:22.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Help!"
Dialogue: 0,0:12:22.57,0:12:25.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Please help me Blade!"
Dialogue: 0,0:12:25.08,0:12:27.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Throughout the 80's and 90's the trope became so prevalent,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:27.62,0:12:30.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that it would be nearly impossible to mention them all.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:30.41,0:12:33.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There were literally hundreds of examples showing up in platformers
Dialogue: 0,0:12:33.24,0:12:35.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,side scrolling beat-em-ups,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:35.25,0:12:36.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,first person shooters
Dialogue: 0,0:12:36.83,0:12:38.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and role playing games alike.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:45.93,0:12:49.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let's take a quick moment to clear up some common misconceptions about this trope.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:49.43,0:12:53.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As a plot device the Damsel in Distress is often grouped with other separate tropes,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:53.86,0:12:58.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,including 'The Designated Victim', 'The Heroic Rescue' and 'The Smooch of Victory'.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:58.06,0:13:01.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, it's important to remember that these associated conventions
Dialogue: 0,0:13:01.58,0:13:05.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are not necessarily a part of the Damsel in Distress trope itself.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:05.11,0:13:09.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the woman in question may or may not play the victim role for the entire game or series
Dialogue: 0,0:13:09.74,0:13:14.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while our brave hero may or may not be successful in his rescue attempts.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:16.42,0:13:19.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,All that is really required to fulfill the Damsel in Distress trope
Dialogue: 0,0:13:19.55,0:13:23.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is for a female character to be reduced to a state of helplessness
Dialogue: 0,0:13:23.00,0:13:28.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from which she requires rescuing by a typically male hero for the benefit of his story arc.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:29.34,0:13:32.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This brings us to the other famous Nintendo princess.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:32.35,0:13:36.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In 1986, Shigeru Miyamoto doubled down on his Damsel in Distress formula
Dialogue: 0,0:13:36.77,0:13:39.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the NES release of The Legend of Zelda.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:39.78,0:13:45.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This was the first in what would become one of the most beloved action adventure game franchises of all time.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:45.29,0:13:46.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Zelda!"
Dialogue: 0,0:13:46.11,0:13:48.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"The Legend of Zelda continues."
Dialogue: 0,0:13:48.31,0:13:49.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Zelda!"
Dialogue: 0,0:13:49.10,0:13:52.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Find the crystals, rescue the princess."
Dialogue: 0,0:13:52.55,0:13:53.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Zelda!" *"Zelda!"
Dialogue: 0,0:13:53.89,0:13:55.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Zelda II: The Adventure of Link"
Dialogue: 0,0:13:55.89,0:13:58.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Nintendo! Now you're playing with power."
Dialogue: 0,0:13:58.96,0:14:02.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Over the course of more than a dozen games, spanning a quarter century,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:02.32,0:14:07.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all of the incarnations of Princess Zelda have been kidnapped, cursed, possessed, turned to stone
Dialogue: 0,0:14:07.68,0:14:10.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or otherwise disempowered at some point.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:31.86,0:14:37.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Zelda has never been the star in her own adventure nor been a true playable character in the core series.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:37.29,0:14:40.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, it must be said that not all Damsels are created equal
Dialogue: 0,0:14:40.16,0:14:46.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and Zelda is occasionally given a more active or integral role to play than her counter part in the Mushroom Kingdom.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:46.16,0:14:51.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Unlike Peach, Zelda is not completely defined by her role as Ganondorf's perpetual kidnap victim
Dialogue: 0,0:14:51.93,0:14:56.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and in a few later games, she even rides the line between Damsel and Sidekick.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:56.44,0:15:00.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Remember, the Damsel in Distress as plot device is something that happens {\i1}to{\i0} a female character
Dialogue: 0,0:15:00.83,0:15:04.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and not necessarily something a character {\i1}is{\i0} from start to finish.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:04.53,0:15:08.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Once in a while, she might be given the opportunity to have a slightly more active role
Dialogue: 0,0:15:08.53,0:15:13.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in facilitating the hero's quest, typically by opening doors, giving hints, power-ups
Dialogue: 0,0:15:13.20,0:15:15.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and other helpful items.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:15.95,0:15:18.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I call this variant on the theme, The Helpful Damsel.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:18.79,0:15:24.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Indeed Zelda is at her best when she takes the form of Sheik in Ocarina of Time and Tetra in The Wind Waker.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:24.92,0:15:29.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In Ocarina of Time, Zelda avoids capture for the first three quarters of the game.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:29.76,0:15:33.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Disguised as Sheik, she is a helpful and active participant in the adventure
Dialogue: 0,0:15:33.68,0:15:36.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and she is shown to be more than capable.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:37.60,0:15:43.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, as soon as she transforms back into her more stereotypically feminine form of Princess Zelda
Dialogue: 0,0:15:43.93,0:15:45.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,she's captured within three minutes.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:45.86,0:15:49.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Literally three minutes. I timed it.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:52.29,0:15:55.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Her rescue then becomes central to the end of Link's quest.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:55.74,0:16:00.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Similarly, in the Wind Waker, Tetra is a feisty and impressive young pirate captain
Dialogue: 0,0:16:00.70,0:16:06.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but as soon as she is revealed to be, and transformed into her more stereotypically feminine form of Princess Zelda
Dialogue: 0,0:16:06.83,0:16:10.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,she's told that she's no longer allowed to accompany Link on the adventure
Dialogue: 0,0:16:10.12,0:16:13.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because it is suddenly too dangerous for her.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:13.54,0:16:15.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She's ordered to wait in the castle,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:15.39,0:16:20.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which she does until she is eventually kidnapped, while waiting obediently in the same spot.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:22.46,0:16:25.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It is noteworthy that, in the very last stage of the boss battle,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:25.43,0:16:30.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,she does help Link fight Ganondorf for a few brief minutes, which is a refreshing change.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:31.44,0:16:36.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However the next time Tetra's incarnation appears in 2007's The Phantom Hourglass
Dialogue: 0,0:16:36.16,0:16:38.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,she is kidnapped immediately during the intro.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:38.40,0:16:42.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Later she is turned to stone and then kidnapped for a second time.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:42.25,0:16:46.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s disappointing that even with her moments of heroism, Zelda is still damsel’ed
Dialogue: 0,0:16:46.50,0:16:48.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,she is removed from the action, pushed aside,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:48.54,0:16:51.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and made helpless at least once in every game she appears in.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:10.02,0:17:15.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This brings us to one of the core reasons why the trope is so problematic and pernicious for women’s representations.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:15.74,0:17:18.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The damsel in distress is not just a synonym for “weak”,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:18.70,0:17:24.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,instead it works by ripping away the power from female characters, even helpful or seemingly capable ones.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:24.91,0:17:28.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,No matter what we are told about their magical abilities, skills or strengths
Dialogue: 0,0:17:28.97,0:17:34.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they're still ultimately captured or otherwise incapacitated and then must wait for rescue.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:34.80,0:17:39.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Distilled down to its essence, the plot device works by trading the disempowerment of female characters
Dialogue: 0,0:17:39.51,0:17:42.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for the empowerment of male characters.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:50.56,0:17:53.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let’s compare the Damsel to the archetypal Hero Myth,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:53.52,0:17:57.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in which the typically male character may occasionally also be harmed,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:57.69,0:18:02.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,incapacitated or briefly imprisoned at some point during their journey.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:05.42,0:18:12.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In these situations, the character relies on their intelligence, cunning, and skill to engineer their own escape
Dialogue: 0,0:18:12.11,0:18:13.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"That's better"
Dialogue: 0,0:18:17.35,0:18:20.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,— or, you know, just punching a hole in the prison wall works too.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:20.72,0:18:24.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The point is, they're ultimately able to gain back their own freedom.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:24.10,0:18:26.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact that process of overcoming the ordeal
Dialogue: 0,0:18:26.52,0:18:31.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is an important step in the protagonist's transformation into an heroic figure.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:31.16,0:18:35.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A Damsel'd woman on the other hand, is shown as incapable of escaping the predicament on her own
Dialogue: 0,0:18:35.69,0:18:39.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then must wait for a savior to come and do it for her.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:39.12,0:18:41.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In this way, the Damsel's ordeal is not her own,
Dialogue: 0,0:18:41.78,0:18:45.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,instead it's framed as a trial for the hero to overcome.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:45.92,0:18:51.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Consequently the trope robs women in peril from the opportunity of being the architects of their own escape
Dialogue: 0,0:18:51.08,0:18:55.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and therefore prevents them from becomig archetypal heroes themselves.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:55.79,0:19:01.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Today, many old school Damsel games are being resurrected for modern platform services and mobile devices
Dialogue: 0,0:19:01.38,0:19:05.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as publishers are in a rush to cash in on gaming nostalgia
Dialogue: 0,0:19:05.10,0:19:08.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and capitalise on any recognisable characters from years gone by.
Dialogue: 0,0:19:08.81,0:19:14.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For example, Sega's 1993 platformer, Sonic CD, featuring a Damsel'ed Amy Rose
Dialogue: 0,0:19:14.16,0:19:19.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has been enhanced and made available for download on a wide variety of modern platforms.
Dialogue: 0,0:19:19.61,0:19:22.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Jordan Mechner's famous {\i1}Karateka{\i0} and *Prince of Persia* games,
Dialogue: 0,0:19:22.83,0:19:26.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,originally released for the Apple II home computer in the 1980's,
Dialogue: 0,0:19:26.66,0:19:29.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have both seen modern HD remakes.
Dialogue: 0,0:19:36.96,0:19:40.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the 1983 animated laser disk game, *Dragon's Lair*,
Dialogue: 0,0:19:40.05,0:19:45.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with ditzy Princess Daphne has been ported to just about every system imaginable.
Dialogue: 0,0:19:45.05,0:19:47.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Please save me!"
Dialogue: 0,0:19:47.38,0:19:50.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"The cage is locked. With a key."
Dialogue: 0,0:19:50.90,0:19:53.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"The dragon keeps it around his neck."
Dialogue: 0,0:19:53.85,0:19:57.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"To slay the dragon use the magic sword."
Dialogue: 0,0:19:58.36,0:20:02.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Remember Pauline? Damsel of the classic Donkey Kong arcade?
Dialogue: 0,0:20:02.58,0:20:04.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well she's also been revived.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:04.44,0:20:07.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,First in 1994's Donkey Kong for the Game Boy
Dialogue: 0,0:20:07.71,0:20:11.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and later in the Mario versus Donkey Kong series for the Nintendo DS.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:11.58,0:20:14.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Each game features a rehashing of the old excuse plot
Dialogue: 0,0:20:14.63,0:20:19.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with Pauline being whisked away by the giant ape during the opening credits.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:19.43,0:20:23.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,*"Mario! Please help me!"*
Dialogue: 0,0:20:23.58,0:20:28.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The now iconic opening seconds of the 1987 beat-em-up arcade game *Double Dragon*
Dialogue: 0,0:20:28.58,0:20:33.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has Marian being punched in the stomach, thrown over the shoulder of a thug, and carried away.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:33.28,0:20:37.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In several versions, her panties are clearly shown to the player while she's being abducted.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:38.19,0:20:43.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The game has been remade, released, and ported to dozens of systems over the past 25 years
Dialogue: 0,0:20:43.36,0:20:48.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ensuring that Marian will be battered and Damsel'ed for each new generation to enjoy.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:48.44,0:20:55.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Most recently Double Dragon Neon in 2012 reintroduced new gamers to this regressive crap, yet again
Dialogue: 0,0:20:55.04,0:20:56.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this time in full HD.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:00.88,0:21:06.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The pattern of presenting women as fundamentally weak, ineffective or ultimately incapable
Dialogue: 0,0:21:06.10,0:21:11.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has larger ramifications beyond the characters themselves and the specific games they inhabit.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:11.81,0:21:14.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We have to remember that these games don't exist in a vacuum.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:14.77,0:21:20.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They are an increasingly important and influential part of our larger social and cultural ecosystem.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:20.19,0:21:23.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The reality is, this trope is being used in a real world context
Dialogue: 0,0:21:23.58,0:21:26.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where backward, sexist attitudes are already rampant.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:26.70,0:21:31.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It is a sad fact that a large percentage of the world's population still clings to the deeply sexist belief
Dialogue: 0,0:21:31.92,0:21:36.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that women, as a group, need to be sheltered, protected, and taken care of by men.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:36.87,0:21:40.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The belief that women are somehow a "naturally weaker gender"
Dialogue: 0,0:21:40.17,0:21:45.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is a deeply ingrained, socially constructed myth, which is of course completely false
Dialogue: 0,0:21:45.26,0:21:50.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but the notion is reinforced and perpetuated when women are continuously portrayed
Dialogue: 0,0:21:50.10,0:21:53.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as frail, fragile and vulnerable creatures.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:53.77,0:21:57.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Just to be clear, I'm not saying that all games that use the Damsel in Distress as a plot device
Dialogue: 0,0:21:57.86,0:22:00.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are automatically sexist or have no value.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:00.53,0:22:04.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it is undeniable that popular culture is a powerful influence in our lives
Dialogue: 0,0:22:04.20,0:22:12.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the Damsel in Distress trope as a recurring trend does help to normalize extremely toxic, patronizing and paternalistic attitudes about women.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:13.14,0:22:18.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now I grew up on Nintendo. I've been a fan of the Mario and Zelda franchises for most of my life
Dialogue: 0,0:22:18.58,0:22:23.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they'll always have a special place in my heart, as I'm sure is true for a great number of gamers out there.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:23.75,0:22:28.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it's still important to recognize and think critically about the more problematic aspects
Dialogue: 0,0:22:28.01,0:22:31.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,especially considering many of these franchises are as popular as ever
Dialogue: 0,0:22:31.75,0:22:34.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the characters have become world wide icons.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:34.75,0:22:38.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The good news is that there is nothing stopping developers from evolving their gender representations
Dialogue: 0,0:22:38.75,0:22:41.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and making more women heroes in their future games.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:41.98,0:22:47.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It would be great to finally see Zelda, Sheik and Tetra as the protagonists of their own games.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:47.08,0:22:51.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And not just mobile DS games, I'm talking full-on console adventures.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:52.34,0:22:58.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,OK, so we've established that the Damsel in Distress trope is one of the most widely used gendered cliches in the history video games
Dialogue: 0,0:22:58.29,0:23:02.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and has been core to the popularisation and development of gaming as a medium.
Dialogue: 0,0:23:02.58,0:23:06.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But what about modern games? Has anything changed in the past 10 years?
Dialogue: 0,0:23:06.63,0:23:12.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well stay tuned for Part Two, where I'll be looking at more contemporary examples of the Damsel in Distress trope.
Dialogue: 0,0:23:12.22,0:23:17.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We'll look at all the dark and edgy twists and turns and see how the convention has been used and abused right up until today.
Dialogue: 0,0:23:17.97,0:23:22.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then we'll check out some games where developers have tried to 'flip the script' on the Damsel.
Dialogue: 0,0:23:23.65,0:23:27.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I would like to extend a big thank you to all of my backers on Kickstarter
Dialogue: 0,0:23:27.16,0:23:31.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who have continued to support me and helped make this video series a reality.