How Not to Wear Bodysuits in 2077
Following the impressions of Cyberpunk 2077 over the last month has been fascinating. Obviously rushed out the door, the game’s been widely torn apart the user community for overpromising and a plethora of game-breaking bugs, but is still getting high critical ratings despite practically unprecedented nuclear events like PlayStation pulling it from their store.
Unsurprisingly for a genre with deep themes around body modification, it plays with gender. When building their characters, players don’t just choose their look, but can customize every detail right down to genitalia. But proving a modern trend established by the likes the The Last of Us 2 that no amount of progressivism in games is enough progessivism, one in-game billboard featuring a transgirl has been getting an inordinate amount of attention.
Predictably, games media fell all over themselves in a mad dash to be offended. It doesn’t matter that not a shred of ill will was intended by the artist. It doesn’t matter that it’s no more sexualized than an ad with a non-trans man or woman in it. It doesn’t matter that it’s not unflattering. It has a trans person, and it’s edgy, so kickstart the internet hate machine – someone must be destroyed for the sake of Twitter likes.
Personally, what I find most objectionable about the ad is lack of taste. Hot transgirls in the future? Perfect. Sci-fi bodysuits with cobra collars as everyday fashion? Love it. In fact, let’s backport that style to 2020. Mid-thigh boots and ridiculous eyeliner? Yes, please. But not using futuristic cybernetic technology to tuck properly? COME ON. I can do that with crappy 2010s tape and shapewear, no implants or nanobots in sight.
A little more subtlety and this gal is living the dream of perfect passability with just the subtlest hint of some extra gear down under. I can’t wait for my 2077 bodymods to arrive, because that’s what I’ll be doing first thing.
December 26, 2020 (4 years ago) by