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Jocelyn Hernandez
Professor Derohanessian
English 113B
6 May 2015
The Truth Behind Grand Theft Auto V
Violent video games are well known for their method on giving the audience the option of
choosing which victims to eliminate and the choice of weapon they can use for that purpose, but
behind most of these games the second reason becomes clear as to why they are so popular to the
public. Sexism has been recognized as early as the 1982 Custers Revenge game, created by the
company Mystique, which was categorized as an adult video game. From that period of time, the
game industry has emerged women to become more realistic in body features, leading minors to
find ways in purchasing the games. Due to this issue of women looking more vivid, Gamergate
was created. Gamergate is an argumentative claim involving the video game culture created by
Zoe Quinn, Brianna Wu, and Anita Sarkeesian. Once analyzing several games, Gamergate came
to the conclusion on the top five sexist video games, including the famous game Grand Theft
Auto V. The video game Grand Theft Auto V depicts sexism towards women by exposing their
physical appearances for advertisement, manipulating the players into thinking that it is
acceptable to act violent and to show any signs of disrespect towards females.
A method the game industry uses to raise their profits when selling their games is to create
this illusion of women having a perfect body, displaying them on the cover of the CD and how
they present the womens physical appearances throughout the game. The article Women In

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Video Games: A Critique, by Jen Larsen, clarifies Anita Sarkeesians position with the issue as to
why women are advertised when the percentage of players in the game industry does not
accumulate with the marketing method. Recently, the Entertainment Software Association
released a study showing that adult women actually make up 36 percent of the gamer populationwhile adult and teenage boys surprisingly lag behind at 35 percent and just 17 percent(Larsen,
1). Due to this statement, the discussion continues as to why women are seen with small, tight
clothing throughout the game and what the purpose was for including a strip club that allows
players to decide on which female they want watch strip and receive lap dances from.
Violent video games are recognized for their method of giving players a mission to
complete then proceed to the next level. However, Grand Theft Auto V gives extra bonus points
when the players lure women into their vehicles, have sex and eliminate them afterwards.
Although many might argue that these are just games and they understand the difference when
behaving towards the fictional world and reality, it can affect the younger group of players since
they are going through the phases of understanding the ways in becoming adults. Research on
exposure to television and movie violence suggests that playing violent video games will
increase aggressive behavior and feelings (Anderson & Bushman). This quote is introduced by
authors Craig Anderson and Brad Bushman in the article Effects of Violent Video Games on
Aggressive Behavior, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Affect, Physiological Arousal, and
Prosocial Behavior proving how video games can affect peoples actions. Due to the
meaningless bonus points given to players when they mistreat women and eliminate them at
the end, issues can cause players to believe that these actions are acceptable to do in reality. This
could induce sexual assaults, rapes, and domestic violence or worse outcomes.

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In G.T.A V, the characters have the ability to speak on their own and have phrases that they
say depending on the situation they are in. While the characters are being controlled on which
women to physically harm or kill, they have the ability to say phrases like thats right b*tch or
f*ck you!. Though the players dont have the fault of these comments being placed to the
characters, the exposure to these repulsive words towards women can lead to verbal abuse
without the players knowing it. The article When words inflict welts on the psyche verbal abuse
has long lasting effects, published by Louise Continelli, explains how a man called his girlfriend
and said the most foul words to her while she was with her friend watching a play. He may be
repeating his childhood scenarios. It's learned behavior, explains Western New York counselor
[Sharon Sisti]. We fall back on what we know.(Continelli). This quote introduces a new reason
as to why the game industry should not mistreat women in video games. It is plain to see that
young adolescents would do anything to get video games which can lead to the action this man
had towards his girlfriend. Once children are exposed to these actions or words it might effect
their future relation with women without meaning to do it.
Though GTA V is rated 18 years and older, minors have this method of manipulating their
parents into buying these games without them knowing what the games are about. Another way
adolescents are able to receive these types of games is by asking adults who are either entering or
passing by the video game store if they take the money and purchase the games. I had
experienced this moment when I was in the car and saw a young teen handing my father money.
My father went into the store and soon came out handing the adolescent the video game. Though
he had bought the game, my father did not have the blame for this action since he did not know
what it was about until my brother explained the overall concept once he heard the name.

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Teenagers are becoming more clever when it comes to tricking adults to buying games without
their knowledge of how awful they are and the negative messages they give to these players.
Children are being exposed to verbal abuse in an early age which can effect their future. Verbal
abuse has been viewed as a joke to those who are not aware that this issue can lead to violent
crimes and affect someones life.
Grand Theft Auto V is known not only for the violence but also how women are portrayed
throughout the game. It exposes sexism by putting women, half naked, as advertisement,
allowing the players to act violent towards women and receiving bonus points as the outcome
for this action and bringing out the exposure to verbal abuse by giving characters comments
towards them. The purpose of video games should not be to demean women but to bring
amusement to the audience. Video games can still be popular if they remove this issue, all the
industry needs is to understand the misusage of women and portray them the same way as men.

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Work Cited
Reporter, by Louise Continelli- News Staff. When words inflict welts on psyche verbal abuse
Had long-lasting effects. Buffalo News, (1992): C.1. N.p., Web 15 Feb.2015.
Bushman, Brad J., and Craig J. Anderson. Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive
Behavior, Aggressive Cognition,Aggressive Affect, Physiological Arousal, and Prosocial
Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Scientific Literature.
Http://pss.sagepub.com/content/12/5/353.short. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2015.
Larsen, Jen. Women in Video Games: A Critique | JSTOR Daily. JSTOR Daily. N.p., 16 Sept.
2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2015.