There’s a new academic paper up, as presented at Wiscon 31: Idealizing Fantasy Bodies.
Abstract:
Through fantasy anything, no matter how far-fetched, can become real. And yet, despite the elf ears or red skin, fantasy characters in video games still manage more often than not to fit into the idealized body types for humans. This paper explores the rationale behind making fantasy creatures conform to narrow standards of beauty/strength in games such as World of Warcraft, and examines what this may imply for our conception of fantasy as a genre.
