In the virtual world of the Sims, there are a
number of neighbors your Sim(s) encounter throughout the game. Most of the time
when you start up the game and load your property, neighbors come and welcome
you. The dominant group of the people who show up at your door would be the
heterosexual families with a husband, wife, and kids. Another dominant
masculine role would be the single male who tries to flirt instantly with your
female Sim. Although, the Sim world is not judgmental when it comes to
sexuality; Sims accept all in their community as long as they are respected.
Homosexual couples are rare in the game, which makes them less dominant
compared to a heterosexual couple.
To
begin with, developers of the Sims included real human traits that make each
Sim have human feeling and characteristics. One characteristic a male Sim has
and uses in the game is the male gaze. Hodkinson states “cinema reflects ‘the
unconscious of patriarchal society’ and reinforces the subjugation of women to
heterosexual male control and desire.” We all know in society today that
heterosexual males seem to be confident in what they want and how they portray
it.
Another aspect of the Sims
everyday life is their style. Unlike in the real world where people make fun of
each other for a guy looking too girly or a girl looking like a boy; Sims
accept everyone just as long as their personality is good, take care of their
bodies, and stay clean. Hodkinson states, “Gay men have probably been more
frequently represented in mass media than lesbians and other sexual minorities,
[…] they show to express clear expressions of their sexuality in lyrics,
imagery, interviews or public appearance.” With this being said, homosexual
Sims aren’t afraid to show who they really are to the public. For instance, a
male Sim would feel comfortable and be accepted by other Sims for wearing
bright colors, tight clothes, colored hair, and make up on their face. If a
person in real life dressed like this, they would probably be labeled unlike in
the Sims.
To conclude, the Sims is very
much like what we experience in real life. Males do gaze at beautiful women for
how they dress and act on the Tv and in public. The Sims also shows it’s ok to
show off who you really are through style and dress such as a person being
girly or boyish. However, the Sims does
seem to dominate the world with heterosexual families as when you visit the
neighborhood you see many families spending time with their kids and spouces.
