The Great Race And Gender Debate Of Grand Theft Auto V

It is funny to me that some people are up in arms that you cannot play as a female, but let me take a ONE random scenario from Grand Theft Auto V, and change the lead’s gender. This is not a spoiler, as it is a random event some gamers won’t even ever see in their playthrough, but here we go.

You are Trevor, you are jumped, drugged, and you wake up on train tracks in your underwear, mumbling “not again” as you move out of the way of an oncoming train. This scene was messed up, but elicited a genuine chuckle from me. Now, let’s switch the gender. You come to in your bra and panties, after being jumped, robbed, and drugged. Do you see the MAJOR difference in the tone of that?

As Trevor, you come to, and it’s a funny, albeit jarring moment. Now imagine, if instead of Trevor, you were someone named Tammy in that scene. You come to, half-naked and drugged, left out in the desert. What will be one of the FIRST things you think? Maybe no one will say it, but sadly, that scene would make us wonder if that character had been assaulted in some way. You would wonder what awful things you didn’t see.

With Trevor, you are just grateful you didn’t see it and you move on. GTA V is satirical and funny, but make no mistakes about it, it is a VERY dark game. Wondering why females are not cast as leads in a GTA is a silly question. I don’t think the world, as a whole, is ready to see them like that. I may be, and you may be, and the fact that most may not be could be a reflection of a sadly patriarchal society, but regardless, if the world was ready for that, wouldn’t they have it by now? Why is it Rockstar’s job to bring that to us?

Is it silly to wonder why the females in the game are so one dimensional?

No, that seems more fair to ask. But wouldn’t you think Rockstar is making note of this, and working on it? Think about Bonnie McFarlane from Red Dead? Hasn’t Rockstar already hinted that they may give us one of the best female characters ever by already giving us a NPC that rivals most male characters? They are a company who very much takes their fans into consideration, so I would not be surprised if this hot-button issue got addressed in the next GTA game we get, whenever that may be. In the meantime, when you are attaching jumper cables to man’s nipples in Grand Theft Auto V, realize how grateful you are that this ISN’T a woman.

Okay, now on to the race thing. Please hear me out before you tar and feather me. Yes, I just used that term to make a point. The point? I am an asshole.