Who is Anita Sarkeesian? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Age: 41 Years, 41 Year Old Females

Born Country: Canada

Bloggers American Women

Height: 5'5" (165 cm), 5'5" Females

Ancestry: Armenian Canadian, Iraqi American, Canadian American

Notable Alumni: York University

More Facts

education: York University, California State University, Northridge

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1

What is Anita Sarkeesian known for?

Anita Sarkeesian is known for her work as a media critic and feminist cultural commentator, focusing on representations of women in the media, especially in video games.
2

What is the controversy surrounding Anita Sarkeesian?

Anita Sarkeesian has faced backlash and harassment for her critiques of video games and the gaming industry, particularly from certain groups who feel threatened by her feminist perspective.
3

What is the significance of Anita Sarkeesian's Tropes vs. Women in Video Games series?

Anita Sarkeesian's Tropes vs. Women in Video Games series examines and critiques common stereotypes and tropes used to portray female characters in video games, shedding light on issues of sexism and representation in the industry.
4

How has Anita Sarkeesian influenced the gaming industry?

Anita Sarkeesian's advocacy for better representation of women in video games has sparked important conversations within the gaming industry about diversity, inclusivity, and the portrayal of female characters.
5

What are some of the challenges Anita Sarkeesian has faced in her career?

Anita Sarkeesian has faced online harassment, threats, and attempts to discredit her work due to her outspoken criticism of sexism in the gaming industry, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by women in male-dominated spaces.

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Childhood & Early Life

Anita Sarkeesian was born in 1983 in Canada. Not much is known about her family except for the fact that her parents are Armenians from Iraq who emigrated to Canada in the 1970s. She later moved to California, USA. She pursued a bachelor's degree in communication studies from California State University, Northridge, before enrolling in the York University for her master's degree in social and political thought. Interested in issues of gender equality from a young age, she launched her website ‘Feminist Frequency’ in 2009 to share articles and videos on feminist media criticism. She graduated in 2010 with her thesis titled ‘I'll Make a Man Out of You: Strong Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy Television.’

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Career

Anita Sarkeesian originated the idea of creating a video series ‘Tropes vs. Women’ to analyze common tropes in the depiction of women in media with a particular focus on science fiction. For this, she partnered with ‘Bitch’ magazine and planned to launch a six-video series covering troupes like the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Women in Refrigerators and the Smurfette Principle. She initially thought of launching the series in 2012, but later changed her idea as she first decided to raise enough funds to create a series that would be truly meaningful from the feminist context.

In May 2012, she began a Kickstarter campaign to fund the ‘Tropes vs. Women in Video Games’ series. The campaign reached its initial funding goal of $6,000 within 24 hours. The final amount raised amounted to almost $160,000! Motivated by the response, she released the first video of the series on March 7, 2013. The series proved to be a massive hit and earned Sarkeesian much appreciation. Soon she gained international fame and started getting invited to speak at feminist events.

As a public speaker, she has spoken on sexual violence and gender equality at several high profile conferences, such as TEDxWomen, XOXO Festival, and the United Nations' Broadband Working Group on Gender. She has also appeared on ‘The Colbert Report’ where she talked about her personal experiences of online harassment and discussed how gender inclusivity in gaming culture and the media can be improved.

Harassment

While Anita Sarkeesian’s ‘Tropes vs. Women’ series was mostly met with positive reception, her growing stance as a feminist media critic did not go well with certain sections of the society who launched a bitter online harassment campaign against her. She was sent rape and death threats, and her webpages and social media accounts were hacked. This situation received wide-spread media coverage, bringing to fore the rampant online abuse and harassment that many women suffer at the hands of anti-social elements. The way she bravely tackled the situation added to her popularity and cemented her identity as a courageous and outspoken feminist and a perfect role model for other women to look up to.

Awards & Achievements

Anita Sarkeesian is the recipient of several awards and honors. In 2013, she received an Honorary Award from the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers (NAVGTR) for her ‘Damsel in Distress’ videos. She received the Ambassador Award at the 14th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards for her work on the representation of women in video games in 2014. The same year, ‘The Verge,’ named her as one of "the 50 most important people at the intersection of technology, art, science, and culture." In 2015, ‘Cosmopolitan’ included her in its list of the "50 Most Fascinating People on the Internet."

Facts About Anita Sarkeesian

Anita Sarkeesian is a Canadian-American media critic and feminist who is known for her work analyzing the portrayal of women in popular culture, particularly in video games.

She founded the website Feminist Frequency in 2009, where she creates videos and articles that examine the representation of women in media through a feminist lens.

Sarkeesian has faced significant backlash and harassment from online trolls and critics for her feminist critiques, but she continues to advocate for gender equality in media.

Sarkeesian is also a sought-after speaker and has given talks at various conferences and events on topics related to feminism, media representation, and online harassment.

Anita Sarkeesian Biography

You wanted to know

What is Anita Sarkeesian known for?

What is the controversy surrounding Anita Sarkeesian?

What is the significance of Anita Sarkeesian's Tropes vs. Women in Video Games series?

How has Anita Sarkeesian influenced the gaming industry?

What are some of the challenges Anita Sarkeesian has faced in her career?