evil_ash_xero wrote:This is a huge post, that no one will probably read all of. But hey, here goes...
I don't know how most GamerGate people feel, but I've basically been pissed off for a few years now by sites like Kotaku/Gamesutra/Rock Paper Shotgun, basically insulting games I like (petty, yeah), and gamers in general. And that would be one thing, but it has slipped into other sites. When Dragon's Crown and then GTA V came out, you heard lots of rumblings about it.
They seem to want to mold gamers and the industry into some kind of non-sexual PC universe.
I find it really odd, because with their attitudes, shows like Game of Thrones would be "bad", because of the nudity. But in the real world, people would laugh that off, because we had a sexual revolution and all. It isn't 1955 anymore. We can show tits. And yes, men like to see them. But they actually want us to feel like we're "bad" people, because of it.
I still cannot wrap my head around their ideas that if you like to look at scantily clad women, you are misogynist. You hate women, because you like to see them nude. That's what many of them are saying, basically. I guess EVERY man I know is a misogynist. Except for the gay ones, I guess.
And it even blows my mind, when games are so shockingly violent today. But if you point that out, gamers of all types will have a hissy fit. But fan service in a game, is a horrible wrong that must be corrected?
And you can make fun of NeoGAF all you want, but it's the most important game forum on the net. And it's hive mind. And it's SJW hive mind. So, you cannot speak, or be a member, if you don't agree. They banned Boogie, for fuck's sake. And they are a good idea of who we're dealing with. As many many journalists are members of this site.
And it was quite an eye opener at how all these sites deleted all the Quinn posts, when it first happened. That's a great way to make people more interested and angry.
It almost gives you the impression that there are all these mods and journalists how are connected, who will basically stamp out what they don't want to hear you say. I may have to put my tin foil hat on.
It's not that I don't agree there isn't sexism in games, it's the extremes they take it to. They are genuinely like the Tumblr freaks that you hear about. I'm not even sure what Anita Sarkeesian wants in games. What type of woman she wants in games is hard to make out, as she doesn't like "men with tits". So, perhaps Samus sucks, I don't know?
But the other side is shameful as well. When she had her Kickstarter, and got mega funded, I just rolled my eyes. I thought "White Knights". But then of course, a bunch of nuttos start giving her death threats. Same as when the transexual reviewer at IGN gave GTA V some grief over it's portrayal of women. And she got death threats as well.
But are we to take that so seriously? Death threats on the net mean almost next to nothing. Boogie got doxxed, but nobody seems to give a fuck.
And I do have major problems with the attacking of games like Bayonetta and Dragon's Crown. They really want to people to hassle the companies so much, that they tone this stuff down. They are basically trying to push censorship. And it's not even the gamers that have the problem! That's the biggest issue.
It is a handful of journalists, and maybe a very small percentage of gamers.
This little group of hard left leaners want to shape what we can and cannot have in games.
It's a debate that I find hard to fully back on either side. But in this instance, I'll just have to be pro-GG. There's some crazy right wing, women hating fruit cakes in there. But at the end of the day, if we can push this feminist agenda out of fucking video game reviews, I'll be happy.
And about Sarkeesian.... What to say about her? She wasn't a gamer. However, she decided to make these vids. From these vids, she gives lectures, and has consulted with game companies on their upcoming games. So, this is her JOB.
I see no difference between her and the lady who started the hashtag #CancelColbert. And for the record, Sarkeesian supported that cause.
But all this boils down to is "you hate women", "you're afraid of change". It's more that we're sick of being insulted and having this agenda pushed in article after article.
I actually gave up on this a long time back. I just thought "this is how it's gonna be". But the GG backlash has actually surprised me quite a bit. At the same time, I REALLY hate it's origins. I don't care about Zoe Quinn, and who she fucked. And this does make GG look misogynistic.
But you can't change how it started now. But it's been building for a long time.
I dunno. I would like to see Gawker hurt pretty bad financially, and game sites to stop pushing politics into everything.
I guess saying "gamers are over" and "gamers are dead" isn't the best thing to put on a game site. Who knew?
Good post. I appreciate the basic common sense in it.
Of course this is really what most people are thinking - the sane non-feminist ones anyway.
Personally I only stand with Sarkeesian in her right to express a view. I wouldn't forbid a student from writing an essay on anything, no matter how poor or innacurate. But then Sarkeesian and co. also have to accept they could be goddamned wrong, and are on many counts. But SJW people don't seem to have much in the way of intelligence or common sense, hence the fact they promote 'causes' or righteousness without actually examining the underlying human behaviours pertaining to those perceived worldly injustices. They have a right to create an argument or criticism, but those with a counter have an equal right to return fire, and that's the way it has to be. Personally I thought Sarkeesian's early videos were appallingly bad, but the latter ones had a better focus in outlining the childishness of current gen. That said I level similar criticisms at Hollywood on an almost daily basis, but not because of mammaries on show, but because they could do so much better.
Coming away from the examination of sexist video games on the other hand, she has most certainly negatively impacted the industry and what people feel comfortable looking at or creating, and I'm disgusted by that - a creative medium can really do anything it wants, just like film, as you pointed out. So if games want to be dumb and provocative, they have every right to be so. To me that really is social justice.
Lastly, the whole term 'mysoginist' will need redefining - its misuse thanks to this debacle is frankly obscene. As you correctly asserted, wanting to look at naked hot women does not mean I hate women. Quite the fucking opposite, in-fact, fucking being the operative word.
Nothing is going to change those biological or physical circumstances unless I have my DNA and hormones redefined through genetic tampering, and since I quite enjoy the sensation of liberating sperm, I won't be queuing up for any such procedure any time soon.
The antidote: just ignore it. Actually engaging in nonsense gives the nonsense a platform and amongst idiots, some false sense of credibility. And look where that's got us.
