Uploaded January 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Is Portal a fight against the patriarchy?

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↓ More info and sources below ↓

Many would agree that there are strong feminist themes throughout Portal, but to name a masterpiece is a daunting task. Sure, the main character is a badass female using her intelligence and courage to break free of oppression. But is the entire plot really a comment on women's equality, or something else entirely? As always, discuss your interpretations in the comment section!

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ASSET LINKS:

0:41 Square Enix & Kim Swift Preview Quantum Conundrum
youtube.com/watch?v=hqGR6Fwtmu8

0:43 Kim Swift's call to arms: 'We need to change the makeup of our industry'
polygon.com/2013/1/3/3830728/kim-swifts-call-to-arms-we-need-to-change-the-makeup-of-our-industry

0:56 Monsterpiece Theater - The 39 Stairs
youtube.com/watch?v=jzjM67rS9ZM

1:01 Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) trailer
youtube.com/watch?v=m3JjyvQzSJI

1:02 The Handmaid's Tale - Official Trailer (1990)
youtube.com/watch?v=SWQ4xnyLy1U

1:34 SAUSAGE FEST
youtube.com/watch?v=-uKy1iku5ig

2:08 Feminist Classics Book Club: A Room of One’s Own
gender-focus.com/2011/05/12/feminist-classics-book-club-a-room-of-ones-own

2:18 Identifying the Misbehaving Woman in 'Portal 2'
popmatters.com/post/140585-her-name-is-caroline-naming-the-misbehaving-woman-in-portal-2

2:32 The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories
goodreads.com/book/show/99300.The_Yellow_Wallpaper_and_Other_Stories

2:35 GlaDOS2
creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/File:Glados2.jpg

3:15 Cave & Caroline 70s
half-life.wikia.com/wiki/File:Cave_caroline_70s.png

4:21 Is Portal A Girls’ Game?
m-v-b.tumblr.com/post/53572449053/is-portal-a-girls-game

4:28 Lucille Bluth Wink
youtube.com/watch?v=-Zb1lZgN9OE

5:16 Luke Confronts Darth Vader - Return of the Jedi
youtube.com/watch?v=en8bh60K7m8

5:20 Absalom, Absalom!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absalom,_Absalom!

5:46 Portal 2 - Turret Opera Translated to English
youtube.com/watch?v=P4_WSMEQiiY

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MUSIC:

""Oh Damn!"" by CJVSO
https://soundcloud.com/downpitched/cj...

""Digital Sonar"" by Brink

""Mindphuck"" by Known To Be Lethal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-cyr...

""After Hours""

""Lakes"" by Chooga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8hns...

""Beautiful Days"" by Extan
https://soundcloud.com/extandnb/beaut...

""Spectrum Subdiffusion Mix"" by Foniqz
https://soundcloud.com/subdiffusion/f...

""Good Way Song"" by Electronic Rescue

""Alice y Bob"" by Javier Rubio and Parsec
https://archive.org/details/escala19_...

""Sleet"" by Kubbi
soundcloud.com/kubbi/kubbi-sleet

""Toaster"" by Kubbi
soundcloud.com/kubbi/toaster

""Patriotic Songs of America"" by New York Military Band and the American Quartet
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/New...

""Lets Go Back To The Rock"" by Outsider
https://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/440...

""Run"" by Outsider
https://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/440...

""Fame"" by Statue of Diveo
https://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/352...

""Freedom Weekends"" by Statue of Diveo
https://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/352...

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Hosted by Jamin Warren (@jaminwar)

See more on games and culture on his site: killscreendaily.com

Made by Kornhaber Brown (http://www.kornhaberbrown.com)