Grand Theft Auto V is an open world, action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar North in 2013. The game is set mainly within the fictional state of San Andreas (based on Southern California) and affords the player the ability to freely roam the world's countryside and the fictional city of Los Santos (based on Los Angeles). The game features three main characters who each come from different walks of life and who are diverse in their living and in their ideologies. This game and the series overall is known for expressing the faults and flaws present in today’s society. In order to do so, the developers create a satire-like spin to the events and people in the game. The way that Grand Theft Auto V presents the issues of race/ethnicity, gender gap, and wealth and income is very significant to how our country’s political culture can be described today.

First, the issue of race and ethnicity is a constant theme throughout the game’s story. One of the three main characters is an African American man named Franklin Clinton. Now, Franklin was raised in the urban areas of the city as a child. He was given little education opportunities because of the influence of drugs and alcohol. He dropped out of High School and started a career in the drug dealing business. After being busted and spending 10 years in prison, he began a job stealing expensive and luxurious automobiles from the rich population in the city. The rich consisted of white males with opulent houses next to those in the shantytowns of the city. The game developers chose to create this black character with a troubled past and lack of resources during his growth to show America’s perception of African Americans growing up without many prospects. Some black people can be viewed as having little hope for higher education or a solid career, and that is what the developers are trying to demonstrate: the stereotypical perceptions of society from little to no evidence to back up the claim. A few more examples of racial issues in the game include the fact that Asian Americans are working the cash registers at gas stations and that Irish males are the only ones that occupy the bars and saloons in the city. All these racial prejudgments are how the developers of the series are conveying their message of a just irrational society who judges people’s attributes and actions just by their race.

The next issue addressed in Grand Theft Auto V is that of gender gaps. Gender gap can be defined as the discrepancy in opportunities, status, and attitudes, between men and women. In the game, women only possess the jobs of secretaries or prostitutes. There is no other option for women in that city. For men, however, their jobs can range from being a lawyer, construction worker, athlete, or military pilot. The men in the game have many more opportunities than the women who are, at times, oppressed by the men. The other difference in gender between males and female in game is their perception of each other. Women view men as dogs, or they just regard them as “creepy” or “dangerous”. The women in Grand Theft Auto V are almost afraid or disgusted by men in the game. The men, on the other hand, view women as objects for desire. They think that the women are just things that are useful for their pleasure. The entire concept of love is lost between both genders.

And finally, the dispute over wealth and income in Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most important and significant issues throughout the entire game. The wealth distribution is extremely accurate in the game in relation to America today. Over 80% of the wealth is owned by 10% of the people in the city. 20% of the wealth is shared by 90% of the people. And because of this shocking statistic, over 90% of the city in the game is populated by lower middle class families. The one portion of the city with all the wealth is ridiculously lavish. Each millionaire has a penthouse suite, a yacht, and a 10-car garage filled with luxury sports cars. The spreading of the wealth in the city of Los Santos is directly equivalent to that in reality. Some of the cities that are seen as “rich” are realistically mostly underdeveloped. This game speaks volumes about the current distribution of wealth and how that money is used to create a false reality that a city is prospering.

All in all, Grand Theft Auto V is a solid game with subliminal messages behind the threshold that is the city. This game truly exemplifies what America’s political culture is viewed as by the media and others.