REPRESENTATION: Gender in the media

OVERWATCH

VIDEO GAME (2016)

Overwatch is an online-multiplayer video game that pits one team against another in a battle for the most kills. Users play as set characters (known as 'heroes') that have abilities specific to a certain type of combat. For example, the hero Ana is a sniper and a healer so she would be suited to those who prefer to stay further away from the action, while Tracer specialises in fast and close-combat which is useful for players who like a bit more excitement. 24 heroes are currently available to play in Overwatch, with 11 of those being female. A common stereotype in these online-multiplayer games is that female characters will often be pushed into a support role, such as a healer, who does not take much part in combat. While Overwatch has its fair share of female support heroes, there are plenty of other roles that the women take that defy these stereotypes. For example, the hero Zarya is a large, muscular character from Russia and has abilities that classify her as a tank. This means that she has a lot of health and can withstand more damage before dying. This role is often reserved only for male characters due to its connotations of masculinity, but the amount of female tanks in the game is exactly equal to the number of male ones.
One issue that this game has in terms of gender representation is the skimpy and figure-hugging attire of some of the heroes such as Widowmaker and Tracer, however this is balanced out by the majority of female heroes being dressed in more realistic armour.

THE REVENANT 
MOVIE (2015)

The Revenant was a film made in 2015 that takes inspiration from a man named Hugh Glass who fought for his survival after being gravely injured by a bear on a fur trading expedition in the 1820's. One of the movie's main plotlines is the theme of men doing whatever's necessary to protect the thing they cherish most in the world and dying in the process. Glass, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, risks life and limb to avenge his son's death at the hands of his coworker Fitzgerald before he finally succumbs to his wounds. Tom Hardy's portrayal of John Fitzgerald is so desperate for money and wealth, only to meet the same fate as those he murdered in order to achieve said wealth. Finally, Domhnall Gleeson's Andrew Henry seeks to deliver justice against Fitzgerald for his crimes but meets an untimely end from the very man he was seeking. This same need for justice prompted Henry to feel reluctant about leaving Glass to die after he was attacked by a bear. These three stories represent different paths that people of the same gender took that all lead to death.

It could be argued that, since this movie was set in the 1820's, it would be factually inaccurate to include any multi-dimensional female characters in The Revenant. This being said, the only female characters that exist in this movie are solely to advance the plot of the main male characters. Glass's deceased wife acts as a guide and encouragement to him during his difficult journey through his memories of her. The practice of killing off, or otherwise severely harming, characters for the advancement of another character is known as fridging, and is often reserved for females. Another example of this in The Revenant is when Glass finds Powaqa being raped by French hunters. Her rape is an excuse to show Glass's humanity and compassion when he kills her attacker. The only bit of agency she has is when she threatens to cut her rapist's testicles off, but only after Glass has freed her. Even when it's revealed to the audience that Powaqa has come home safe to her family, she is still shown as under the instruction of her father.