Study: Buff game characters give males negative body image

by Justin McElroy { Dec 30th 2008 at 11:15AM }

Hey, it's-a me, Mario. You know, mah life, it's-a not fire flowers and princesses. Sometimes, it can be-a downright depressing. I see that Marcus Fenix walking around with his big muscles and I staht to feel a little silly about-a my tummy. It's-a getting worse too. Yesterday, I was wearing my racoon suit, and some lady thought I was a koala bear, if-a you can believe that.

And I'm not the only one! Researchers at Kansas State University say that 15 minutes of viewing extreme body images in games were enough to give both males and females a negative impression of-a their own body image. Me, I'd love to slim down, but I'm not really sure what else I can do. I'm-a freaking fungotarian, for-a crying out loud.

Tags: mario, research

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

YonGibbeynater @ Dec 30th 2008 11:21AM

Umm... duh?

Pureshooter @ Dec 30th 2008 11:45AM

Shutup preppy.

WRE @ Dec 30th 2008 11:50AM

No! Saved by the Bell flashback!!!

MikeO. @ Dec 30th 2008 12:22PM

That would explain why all the Nintendo fanboys are so rabid about defending Mario games.

I kid, I kid!

Markez (Anti-Panda Death Murder Squadron) @ Dec 30th 2008 1:02PM

Ugh god, I just remembered how he always called Jessie "mama"... *shudders

Well, that memory makes me feel like my dick is going to fall off, somebody get a crack research team together and we'll see if others are similarly emasculated on a generalizable basis.

I think the link they're drawing here is pretty tenuous since the only thing they're seemingly going off is survey responses. It'd easy to say this was likely from a 1st year sociology course, except one was a professor and the other a grad student.

Sigh.

Graham Wellington (formerly tyrone washington, or marsha goldberg) @ Dec 30th 2008 6:06PM

here you go brodo...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pXfHLUlZf4

John Z @ Dec 30th 2008 11:22AM

This is baloney. I've played Square-Enix games for decades now, and they haven't given me a complex at all.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go vomit into this wastebasket and get fitted for vaguely androgynous clothing.

MowDownJoe @ Dec 30th 2008 11:26AM

No, playing any JRPG (mainly, ones made by Squeenix) makes you feel more secure about your masculinity.

LaughingTarget @ Dec 30th 2008 11:33AM

Squeenix games have led me to spend a fortune and run up huge debts buying hair gel.

Brodo @ Dec 30th 2008 12:29PM

They really will do studies for anything now a days wont they...
What was that one about gamers ejaculating premature? That was a good one, so random

PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Dec 30th 2008 11:26AM

Tanooki suit FTW!!!!!!!!!!

WRE @ Dec 30th 2008 1:38PM

Man. I hope that your avatar is an actual picture of you, because you would look like one mean son of a bitch in a Tanooki suit.

PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Dec 30th 2008 3:08PM

ROFLMAO!!!!!!

Mr Khan @ Dec 30th 2008 11:31AM

Never been a problem with me, but i don't really play those kinda games often.

Though one must think that the disbelief factor would help negate any kind of insecurities. Like if a flat-chested woman got insecure watching, well, pretty much any anime ever. Sure they put you to shame, but they're not real

offday @ Dec 30th 2008 11:31AM

Stupid.

Yeah. Macrus Fenix has big muscles. He also has one of the ugliest faces I've ever seen.

I can understand girls getting depressed because of magazines, television, or even video game chicks. But if a guy starts to feel depressed after playing Gears of War or Halo, then I'm sorry but you are GHEY.

Snowblind @ Dec 30th 2008 11:34AM

Exactly what I was thinking. The characters in Gears don't look even remotely realistic, particularly Cole. Anyone who plays that and thinks they should have arms like tree trunks has problems.

Easo @ Dec 30th 2008 11:42AM

"The characters in Gears don't look even remotely realistic, particularly Cole."

Actually, Cole and Tai are the only Gears that don't look realistic. Pop the game in and play a round of submission. You'll notice that even with the armor on, your almost the exact same size as Chap and Franklin (the meatflags)

Cal @ Dec 30th 2008 2:59PM

Cole is pretty realistic... He's basically Lester Speight in body armour with more vascularity

chispito @ Dec 30th 2008 3:11PM

I really don't think idealized images are as much of a problem for men as they are for women. Of all the problems that men and women face, men are more likely to reinforce the unrealistic images of women than women are to reinforce the unrealistic images of men.

Put more simply: if you can find a great girl who isn't especially fixated on the ideal male physique, then why sweat it? Women don't all have it as easy.

Julian @ Dec 30th 2008 11:31AM

Good Job Cliffy B, making your main audience feel worse about themselves 15 minutes at a time! lol, only game i can really think of for females would be Dead or Alive, of course dunno how many girls play that

WiredKnight @ Dec 30th 2008 4:43PM

Cliff doesn't do the character models, stupid.
The man you're looking for is Kevin Lanning, I believe.

mr mobius @ Dec 30th 2008 11:37AM

Let us examine this post in a bit more depth shall we:

Can Marcus jump higher than 3 times his height?
Can Marcus lift a giant bomb many times his size and which no doubt weighs at least a few tonne?
Can Marcus then proceed to throw said bomb at least 5m in distance?
Can Marcus grab a giant lizard which must also weigh at least a few tonne?
Can Marcus then proceed to throw said lizard a large distance?

In conclusion Mario is more manly than Marcus Fenix.

Strategy_Panda (The Sandwich Poisoning Crew) @ Dec 30th 2008 11:53AM

Mario also tames dinosaurs, flies through space, throws fire and (presumably) nails a princess

guidedbyvoip @ Dec 30th 2008 12:33PM

Still has the physique of Ron Jeremy so your just wrong...oh wait.

LuiginDaisy @ Dec 30th 2008 2:28PM

Who could compare this to a panda?

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i225/LuiginDaisy/mariorealistic.jpg

Hyams @ Dec 30th 2008 11:38AM

I wish I looked more like Old Snake...

... wait, what?

Brucie_K @ Dec 30th 2008 11:49AM

Who wouldn't want a tight ass like that?

''Feels like I'm wearing nothing at all!''

xGeneral DEATHx @ Dec 30th 2008 11:55AM

:-|

PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Dec 30th 2008 11:57AM

^^ROFLMAO!!!

hell Nathan Hale was even cut in that Sentinel Suit......

Zertoss @ Dec 30th 2008 12:12PM

Stupid sexy Snake!

Wiinterfang @ Dec 30th 2008 12:46PM

http://fc35.deviantart.com/fs20/f/2007/277/f/7/Stupid_Sexy_Snake_by_maddoxfanx.gif

Zertoss @ Dec 30th 2008 12:51PM

Stupid sexy Samus!

Hyams @ Dec 30th 2008 12:54PM

It's the moustache that does it for me.

aristokrat @ Dec 30th 2008 12:55PM

That picture is made of so much win!

xGeneral DEATHx @ Dec 30th 2008 1:31PM

Nice try, Zertoss.

"Beautiful naked big-tittied women just don't fall outta the sky, y'know!"

Superstar90 @ Dec 30th 2008 11:40AM

Marcus Fenix is ugly as sin. Not even a mother could love that face. When I play Gears, I genuinely feel bad for him and wonder what kind of harsh childhood he must have had.

mecharine @ Dec 30th 2008 11:42AM

I dont think theres a single guy on the planet that wants to look like Marcus Phoenix. What kind of guy would want to look like 5 pieces of sausages strung together into a meat popsicle?

WRE @ Dec 30th 2008 11:43AM

This is bullshit. If you want to look like any of these manly video game characters all you need is a little hard work. I looked up to Mario when I was a kid, so instead of developing a complex like some kind of pussy, I went to work. Now I have a mustache AND a pot belly. Did I have to eat a little more than was probably safe for me at times? Of course. But do I resemble my role model? Absolutely.

Ludwig Kietzmann @ Dec 30th 2008 11:45AM

I'm not worried -- I have Chris Redfield's arms, Kratos' pecs and Nathan Drake's half-tuck.

Also, Isaac Clarke's delusion.

WRE @ Dec 30th 2008 11:46AM

Poor Isaac Clarke...

DBuck_Eye @ Dec 30th 2008 11:48AM

Never write a paragraph like that again. Lord knows how many brain cells died doing that stupid Mario impersonation in my head.

ZapDash @ Dec 30th 2008 3:52PM

In your head?

I did it OUT LOUD!!!

(But not too loud, I didn't want my dad to overhear and think I was nuts.)

AwesomeTown @ Dec 30th 2008 11:49AM

Why do they still do these kinds of studies? Shouldn't they know the answer by now?

Strategy_Panda (The Sandwich Poisoning Crew) @ Dec 30th 2008 11:56AM

grant money needs justification.

xGeneral DEATHx @ Dec 30th 2008 11:58AM

It won't spend itself.

AwesomeTown @ Dec 30th 2008 12:02PM

Must be nice to be a professional money waster.

Ben @ Dec 30th 2008 11:52AM

Suggestion for people with a negative body image:

- Eat less and exercise more

Lots of people have a negative body image because they look bad and have unhealthy habits. Let your negative body image motivate you towards better choices.

Jess Q. @ Dec 30th 2008 6:31PM

Eat *right*, not less. Well, depending on who you are. I barely eat anything but it's obviously the wrong stuff because I'm not very thin right now. If I eat the right stuff, the weight pours off.

Yes, that's right. Pours.

Ben @ Dec 30th 2008 7:20PM

Less. Over time, eating less works. If it's not working over time, it's still too much.

There's lots of diet mumbo-jumbo about what's "right" and what's not. But less is less. You can measure it.

Rapid weight changes are usually related to water-weight and are limited and unsustainable. The storage of energy as body fat changes slowly over the course of weeks.