A feminist icon or a male fantasy? Tomb Raider’s representation of Lara Croft in popular culture

By Zoë Dales

Edited by Austin Steele and Symran Annika Saggar

Figure 1: PC Gamer, 4/8, 1997

Since her appearance in Tomb Raider in 1996, Lara Croft has unquestionably left her impact

on global popular culture. Lara was not the first female protagonist in digital games, but her

influence and impact on the video game world are undeniably significant. Until the emergence of Lara Croft, female protagonists in video games were often submissive, sweet or

oversexualised. [1] In this sense, Lara Croft dramatically transformed the scene in emerging as a physically strong, independent, and capable woman. As stated by Esther MacCallum-Stewart, Lara Croft’s “body and her gender have been seen as indistinguishable” and was, therefore, tied to her portrayal in a cultural context. Lara Croft is widely debated in academic

conversations, with many scholars attempting to place her within the “feminist icon” or “action babe” categories. This paper recognises her as both, yet within different realms. Within the game, it is unquestionable that Lara Croft poses as a feminist icon of the 1990s, particularly one that fits within the scene of the “Riot Grrrl” feminist movement. [2] Lara Croft was a self- governing, highly intelligent woman, thus an extraordinary representation of female empowerment. Though, it was her marketing that distorted this image beyond the realms of the game; rather than being viewed and celebrated as a revolutionary feminist icon in video games, Lara Croft’s character and abilities were merely reduced to her appearance and what profit could be made of her body. Thus, the following essay will examine the representation of Lara Croft in media, placing a particular focus on four magazine issues published in the years subsequent to the release of Tomb Raider’s first three editions, Tomb Raider I (1996), II (1997), and III (1998). In doing so, this paper will argue that the character of Lara Croft was ultimately created to satisfy male fantasies through her sexual objectification. Such magazines are crucial to the understanding of Lara Croft due to their ability to relay information regarding the larger context of Core Design’s marketing strategies, target audiences, and trends.

Toby Gard designed Lara with the intention of creating “a female character who was a heroine – cool, collected, in control” rather than a “‘page three’ girl”, one that appealed to a widespread market. [3] Therefore, Lara had to be viewed as an “empty sign”, which would have allowed “diverse, often contradictory inscriptions and interpretations”, meaning that Lara was a character open to being shaped by the consumers to suit their desires. On the one hand, Lara encompassed all the features of empowerment in an advanced capitalist society, from her wealthy background to physical fitness to her intelligence and independence, thus

encompassing the characteristics of a feminist icon for some. Yet, on the other hand, Lara was equally open to being viewed as another hypersexualised woman that required male protection and support, one that required the control of a man (through controlling her in the game) to obtain success and adhere to their demands. [4]

Lara’s character was created with the intention of being controlled, creating a sense of “self”

and “other”; “subject” and “object”. This relationship was open to romantic sentiments and

attachments for heterosexual male players through the intimate connection provided by the

single-player game. This is further reinforced when the player is invited to Lara’s private space - her family’s mansion, a real-life privilege only obtained by family, friends, and lovers. [5] Adrian Smith, Core Design’s Operations Director, even stated that Lara is “frail, someone you want to protect and nurture... a real woman, someone you could sit next to on the bus”. [6] This formed the premise for players to connect with Lara, making her a cyber lover, which the players could connect with and be eager to build a relationship with. Following the later release of the Tomb Raider game The Angel of Darkness (2003), which welcomed a new male character, Kurtis Trent, who was also controlled by players, Lara’s fans voiced concerns surrounding this new role, stating: “He better not take over too much of the game, cause I need to spend some quality time with Lara, as I haven’t talked to her in ages”. [7]

Despite Gard’s intentions, his avatar was created on the basis of damaging ideas that adhered

to the male gaze and what was considered “consumable”. What remained central to the

conversation of Lara Croft in the 1990s were her abnormally large “polygons”. Despite

intentions to introduce Croft as a relatable female avatar, the impracticality of her proportions chiefly reflects a lack of male understanding of the female body. This shows that Lara Croft was created by male designers to satisfy the male gaze. Nonetheless, Gard did not agree with the image Core Design had created of his avatar through their marketing strategies, and the means in which she was exploited, thus resigned prior to the release of the sequel.

What Core Design did not achieve was the creation of a female avatar to which female players

could relate to. As Teresa Lynch states: “Women don’t like to be seen as sex objects... when

they don’t feel like game content positively reflects [their sex], they’re not interested”. [8] This is evident through the experiences of scholar Rhianna Pratchet who stated that “As a young female gamer, I’ll admit that I was put off by that kind of marketing of Lara. It was very much like, ‘Hey I’m being sexy for boys here.’ I thought ... I’ll go and play another game, then”. [9] What further exacerbated this divide was the difficulty of the players to view themselves as Lara Croft in the first person - Croft could not be impersonated whilst having her body in full view, where the players had little control over camera angles.

Tomb Raider’s marketing team, aware of the aforementioned factors, wanted to maintain and profit from this image that had been created. Gard recognised that to be able to create a sequel, people must be interested enough to do so “if they haven’t had enough of the first one”. [10] To do this, the company resorted to the notion that “sex sells” and, therefore, adopted sexualisation as a marketing strategy. [11] Lara Croft was the subject of numerous magazines worldwide in the years following Tomb Raider’s first release in 1996 and was exploited to both the company and the media’s advantage. The magazines adopted a Playboy-style approach, where they modelled Lara according to male preference and perspective. Playboy created poses, contexts and standards for female attractiveness which were later used by the following magazines and applied to Lara Croft. The magazines represented Lara in a manner that reflected the male gaze and promoted the idea that her primary concern was attracting and satisfying men. [12] In this sense, Lara was objectified and merely reduced to her physical attractiveness as the magazine covers focused heavily on her body and genitals, rather than her face. This is particularly evident in PlayStation’s official magazines globally, PC Gamer, Loaded and Electronic Gaming Monthly, all of which starred Lara on the front covers of their issues. There is a variation in the means in which Lara was displayed, yet they all have one thing in common: they were all done to satisfy the male gaze.

One of the first magazines that sexualised the character of Lara Croft was PC Gamer, published in the United States and Canada in August 1997 prior to the release of Tomb Raider’s sequel in November. The magazine cover (Figure 1) displays a scarcely dressed Lara Croft in a bikini looking back, holding a gun, accompanied by the title “Lara’s Back!”. Lara was strategically placed at a familiar angle to the players, who predominantly see Lara from behind during gameplay. This positioning is important as it is also inviting to consumers, encouraging them to follow her on her next adventure in the sequel. Given that PC Gamer was a magazine used to inform the gaming community of updates, changes, and new releases, it was almost out of character for them to place Lara on the cover like this. Yet, it ultimately reveals the intentions of the media and Core Design to exploit this image that they had created. Their aims are further evident through the text, where it states in italics “with plenty more pictures”, proposing that there may be more explicit images of Lara Croft within the edition, encouraging consumers to purchase their product as well as the upcoming game.

Just a month later, Electronic Gaming Monthly (also released in North America) featured Lara on their front cover. The cover (Figure 2), also advertising the release of the sequel, had a bent over Lara Croft emerging from water in a tight-fitting shorty wetsuit. Pose and position are particularly important to consider in this illustration, given that they intentionally imitate sexual positions. This positioning also emphasises the size of Lara’s breasts, whose cleavage is distinctive despite being dressed in a shorty wetsuit that goes up to her neck. Despite being less revealing, the wetsuit is tight-fitting, emphasising the shape of her body. Bodies of water seem to be a trend in the sexualisation and objectification of Lara, primarily due to its ability to create a sheen on the character, highlighting surface and masking depths. When so heavily displayed as a sexual object, Lara Croft holds the look, plays to and signifies male desire. [13] This is further evident in the use of “Tomb Raider 2: Lara Croft Gets Wet and Wild”, further suggesting her sexual desires and enthusiasm.

The Official PlayStation magazines globally played a significant role in reinforcing this

hypersexualised image of Lara Croft in popular culture. In November 1998, following the

release of Tomb Raider I and Tomb Raider II, the Official U. S. PlayStation Magazine featured Lara on their front cover (Figure 3). Here, Lara is seen kneeling nude with her hair tied up, covering her breasts with her arms. The background of the cover is black, fading to darkness below Lara’s arms to her upper thighs, covering her breasts and genitalia. [14] The darkness suggests the presence of secrets, which have a possibility of being “exposed” in the magazine and the sequel. This also personalises the experience of the consumers that had established a connection with Lara, allowing them to believe that Lara had in turn transgressed the boundaries of their private lives. Regarding the colour scheme, the darkness behind Lara emphasises the red and white text on the cover, which effectively work together to reassert the cover’s sexual undertones. On the black background, the white text is emphasised, drawing attention to “NAUGHTY” and “Tomb Raider III... Learn all the dirty details”; the colour red is largely suggestive of passion, romance, and sexual desire.

In 1999, Croatia’s Official PlayStation magazine released an edition with Lara Croft on the

front cover, once again. The cover (Figure 4) illustrates Lara standing in a body of water

clothed in a white tank top and underwear. Unlike the issues of PC Gamer and Electronic

Gaming, Lara is not dressed in water-resistant attire, which could easily turn transparent upon exposure to water as it would at a “wet t-shirt contest” (a highly fashionable college ritual in the 1990s). [15] The clothing itself is tight-fitting, emphasising the shape of her body, including her genitals, and her wet hair clings to her face. This emphasis on her physical appearance once again shows the sexual objectification of Lara, where she is merely reduced to her assets. The colour of the underwear and top are notable as the colour represents innocence, fragility, and, thus, a woman submissive to control. [16] Lara is the cover’s main feature, drawing in the consumers to purchase the magazine, and subsequently fulfil their desires after purchasing the game. In Croatian, the caption states “The top girl returns! Is the last revelation the best tomb raider so far?”, inviting the consumer to explore the magazine containing exclusive insider information on the new game, and further images of Lara.

The above analysis presents the different ways in which Core Design and popular culture

exploited and sexually objectified Lara Croft. Though Lara had initially emerged as a character open to interpretation, for the first decade of her existence her image was often associated with her physical appearance and her sexual attraction, rather than being celebrated for her capabilities and what she represented for women. Core Design failed at creating a relatable female avatar and instead created a figure they could exploit, suppress, and abuse in their pursuit of capitalist power. The company and these various magazines merely reduced Lara to her physical appearance, sexually objectifying her, and made her into an item whose duty it was to fulfil male fantasies. Hence, the story of early Lara Croft is yet another one of male domination, rather than one of female empowerment, where she was solely created to satisfy the male gaze.

Figure 2: Electronic Gaming Monthly, 1997

Figure 3: Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, 2/2, 1998

Figure 4: Official Croatian PlayStation Magazine, 1999

Notes

[1] Mildred F. Perreault, et al., “Depictions of Female Protagonists in Digital Games: A Narrative Analysis of 2013 DICE Award-Winning Digital Games”, Games and Culture, 13/8 (2016), p. 5.

[2] Chris Priestman, “Tomb Raider and the Riot-Grrrl Feminism of the ‘90s”, Kill Screen, (2015) <https://killscreen.com/previously/articles/tomb-raider-and-riot-grrrl-feminism-90s/> [Accessed on 13 May 2021].

[3] “Interview with Toby Gard.” Gamasautra: The Art & Business of Making Games, (1998 <https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3292/interview_with_toby_gard.php [Accessed on 27 April 2021]. 4 Maja Mikula, “Lara Croft, Between a Feminist Icon and Male Fantasy” in Rikke Schubart and Anne Gjelsvik (eds.), Femme Fatalities: Representations of Strong Women in the Media (Gothenburg: Nordicom, 2004), p. 62.

[5] Maja Mikula, “Lara Croft, Between a Feminist Icon and Male Fantasy”, p. 59.

[6] Scott Steinberg, “Lara Croft a Living Person to Creator”, Los Angeles Times, (2000)

<https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-oct-26-tt-42072-story.html> [Accessed on 28 April 2021].

[7] Mikula, “Lara Croft, Between a Feminist Icon and Male Fantasy”, pp. 62-63.

[8] Lora Strum, “Study Tracks 31-year History of Female Sexualisation in Video Games”, PBS News Hour, (2016) <https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/study-tracks-31-year-history-of-female- sexualization-in-video-games> [Accessed on 28 April 2021].

[9] Dan Crawley, “The Sexualisation of Lara Croft is a Thing of the Past, says Rise of the Tomb Raider Writer”, VentreBeat, (2015) <https://venturebeat.com/2015/11/09/the-sexualization-of-lara-croft-is-a-thing-of-the-past-says-rise-of-the-tomb-raider-writer/> [Accessed 28 April 2021].

[10] Interview with Toby Gard (1998).

[11] Teresa Lynch, et al., “Sexy, Strong, and Secondary: A Content Analysis of Female Characters in Video Games across 31 Years”, Journal of Communication, 66/4 (2016), p. 569.

[12] Hannah Regan, “Playboy and Pornification: 65 Years of the Playboy Centrefold” Sexuality and Culture, 25/1 (2021), pp. 1060-1062.

[13] Laura Mulvey. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”, Screen, 6/3 (1975), p. 364.

[14] For more on “explicitness” see Regan, “Playboy and Pornification”, pp. 1065-1066.

[15] Jenny Kutner, “The Short, Sexist History of the Wet T-Shirt Contest, a Symbol of Spring Break Debauchery”, Mic.com, (2016) <https://www.mic.com/articles/138633/the-short-sexist-history-of-the-wet-t-shirt-contest-a-symbol-of-spring-break-debauchery> [Accessed on 13 May 2021].

[16] Mulvey, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”, p. 362.

Bibliography

Magazines

Electronic Gaming Monthly, 1997

PC Gamer. 4/8, 1997

Official U. S. PlayStation Magazine. 2/2, 1998

Official Croatian PlayStation Magazine, 1999

Interviews

“Interview with Toby Gard”. Gamasautra: The Art & Business of Making Games. 1998,

<https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3292/interview_with_toby_gard.php> [Accessed on 27 April 2021]

Secondary Sources

Crawley, Dan. “The Sexualisation of Lara Croft is a Thing of the Past, says Rise of the Tomb Raider Writer”. VentreBeat. 2015, <https://venturebeat.com/2015/11/09/the-sexualization-of-lara-croft-is-a-thing-of-the-past-says-rise-of-the-tomb-raider-writer/> [Accessed on 28 April 2021]

Kutner, Jenny. “The Short, Sexist History of the Wet T-Shirt Contest, a Symbol of Spring Break Debauchery”. Mic.com. 2016, <https://www.mic.com/articles/138633/the-short-sexist-history-of-the-wet-t-shirt-contest-a-symbol-of-spring-break-debauchery> [Accessed on 13 May 2021]

Lynch, Teresa, et al., “Sexy, Strong, and Secondary: A Content Analysis of Female Characters in Video Games across 31 Years”. Journal of Communication. 66/4, 2016

Mikula, Maja. “Lara Croft, Between a Feminist Icon and Male Fantasy” in Rikke Schubart &

Anne Gjelsvik (eds.) Femme Fatalities: Representations of Strong Women in the Media.

Gothenburg: Nordicom, 2004

Perreault, Mildred F, et al., “Depictions of Female Protagonists in Digital Games: A

Narrative Analysis of 2013 DICE Award-Winning Digital Games”. Games and Culture.

13/8, 2016

Priestman, Chris. “Tomb Raider and the Riot-Grrrl Feminism of the ‘90s”. Kill Screen. 2015,

<https://killscreen.com/previously/articles/tomb-raider-and-riot-grrrl-feminism-90s/>

[Accessed on 13 May 2021]

Regan, Hannah. “Playboy and Pornification: 65 Years of the Playboy Centrefold”. Sexuality

and Culture. 25/1, 2021

Steinberg, Scott. “Lara Croft a Living Person to Creator”. Los Angeles Times. 2000,

<https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-oct-26-tt-42072-story.html> [Accessed on 28 April 2021]

Strum, Lora. “Study Tracks 31-year History of Female Sexualisation in Video Games”. PBS News Hour. 2016, <https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/study-tracks-31-year-history-of-female-sexualization-in-video-games> [Accessed on 28 April 2021]