This kind of social bullshit doesn’t belong in videogames

[larch]

Seriously, this ongoing trend of bashing video games for unethical or unmoral tendencies has to stop somewhere. This kind of social bullshit doesn’t belong in videogames, it has no real basis other than bias or at the most, extreme sexism. Both genders are victims of “casual cruelty” in videogames because on average, there are at least 1000 times more men being killed in videogames than there are women, and that’s not even an exaggeration if anything, it could be an understatement…Why is it that casual violence against woman in videogames has now all of a sudden become a problem? Why is no one losing their shit over the fact that men are disproportionately more likely to be victims in videogames than women?

[video=youtube;5i_RPr9DwMA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i_RPr9DwMA[/video]

Is it because we have gotten so used to men basically being cannon fodder in 99.9% of videogames we play for the past 20 years? I really don’t get why people are suddenly outraged about women being victims in videogames a lot more now. In the remake of Tomb Raider you slaughtered hundreds of men, without even blinking an eye, but everyone loses their minds when Assassin’s Creed rather historically accurately omits female soldiers from the French Revolution. Which is one of many historical settings where women were not allowed to take up arms or fight in the army. And gamers despite playing and enjoying these horribly filthy and objectifying games manage to go on and treat each other with love and respect in real life.

My problem with this debate is that Anita Sarkeesian feminist theories tends to take things like these and then brutally twist them into some sort of psycho-societal phenomena so it fits her narrative for her videos. And because of that it is hard to take her seriously. Women want equality but the true definition of that means being willing to accept the possibility of all the types of situations that happen to men, not just the ones they want to deal with. Instead of turning this discussion into another train smash, how about we fight it as a unisex problem? Men also get similar if not same treatments in a lot of works of fiction and even in real life situation, so why causally ignore that and not look at the bigger picture?

Violence against women is a problem, but not allowing it to be accurately portrait in videogames would set back the gaming industry many years. As long as violence against women happens in real life, it needs to be presented in all forms of media including videogames. Showing violence against women is not only about reflecting the reality of any given situation, but also realistically reflecting human behaviour. Just casually sweeping it under the carpet, would be misleading and ruin any credibility of a story. Not to mention being a great injustice to those who have had violence perpetrated against them. I do believe that it would be good if games handled the topic better, but I also believe videos like this harm a healthy discourse in the discussion.

But having said that, a lot of people (a minority of the gaming community) are reacting out of anger to Anita’s latest video. And is threatening her with physical harm including her family members, I cannot condone such vile anger and hatred currently aimed at her. And it cannot in no way be justified in any form or manner even if her videos and opinions are terribly skewed. This not only makes the gaming community look bad but it re-enforces everything the media and people like Anita Sarkeesian is saying about our favourite past time. So let’s just stop the knuckle dragging mentality that seems to prevail whenever the subject is being touched on.

Via: Suitably Bored | Bored. You weren't doing anything else anyway…

 

[jasong]

You realise that every single art form has at some point come under feminist critique, and that such analysis is crucial for the evolution of the art? Why are you so enraged when someone turns the tools of Western dialectic on your precious games - which btw are absolutely replete with distasteful representations of women, that provide no useful value and alienate female gamers.

 

[larch]

You realise that every single art form has at some point come under feminist critique, and that such analysis is crucial for the evolution of the art? Why are you so enraged when someone turns the tools of Western dialectic on your precious games - which btw are absolutely replete with distasteful representations of women, that provide no useful value and alienate female gamers.

I am not enraged? Why if someone counters her arguments they are trolls or enraged? What about the distasteful representations of blacks, gays, lesbians, Chinese, Japanese, Africans ect ect. If you are going to cherry pick on issues then you should view the entire industry's current problems, no just a single issue to advance your own agenda.

 

[jasong]

I am not enraged? Why if someone counters her arguments they are trolls or enraged? What about the distasteful representations of blacks, gays, lesbians, Chinese, Japanese, Africans ect ect. If you are going to cherry pick on issues then you should view the entire industry's current problems, no just a single issue to advance your own agenda.

If she's a feminist critic then the purview of her speaking should really just focus on representations of women. If there are issues of racism in games - and I tend to think that racial depictions are much better in games than gender - that is also a legitimate area of study. What you're trying to do is deligitimize any critical analysis of games claiming that it's unhealthy, but the only unhealthy behavior is shutting down criticism.

 

[SilvRav]

If they stop feeding her attention she will move on.

Stop feeding the troll! Stop feeding the troll!Stop feeding the troll!Stop feeding the troll!Stop feeding the troll!

 

[larch]

If she's a feminist critic then the purview of her speaking should really just focus on representations of women.

Even if she lies and bends the truth to her own ends to make her point? Would you blindly jump into the fire for someone like her? I would recommend watching these two videos:

[video=youtube;cj29-hepBiA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj29-hepBiA[/video]

I am all for looking critically at one of my past times, but I have an issue if the person looking at these issues is less than honest about her intention.

 

[ian_stagib]

How about this: I don't care if there's discrimination in games. I'm not gonna moan if I'm the target of discrimination. People should just harden the f up.

 

[Esea]

Haai oe blommie ek sukkle met al daai groot woorde in daai girly se bewegende prentjie.

 

[jasong]

How about this: I don't care if there's discrimination in games. I'm not gonna moan if I'm the target of discrimination. People should just harden the f up.

Really? So games can just be racist and sexist and say whatever they want and people should just harden up about it? Yes there is freedom of speech, and yes technically anybody can say anything at any time to anyone, but they are also selling to a mass market and therefore opening themselves up to critique. There is a ton of feminist writing out there - why get sanctimonious when someone turns a critical focus towards video games?

 

[ian_stagib]

Really? So games can just be racist and sexist and say whatever they want and people should just harden up about it? Yes there is freedom of speech, and yes technically anybody can say anything in a game, but they are also selling to a mass market and therefore opening themselves up to critique. There is a ton of feminist writing out there - why get sanctimonious when someone turns a critical focus towards video games?

Yes. Cry me a river.

 

[jasong]

Yes. Cry me a river.

You're the ones whining because of a YouTube video.

 

[ian_stagib]

You're the ones whining because of a YouTube video.

I wasn't whining

 

[jasong]

I wasn't whining

Well, no... larch is though.

But honestly though - people just need to harden up - you could also harden up about a bit of online criticism.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

The nice thing about giving a crap is you don't have to when it comes to this stuff

 

[larch]

Well, no... larch is though.

But honestly though - people just need to harden up - you could also harden up about a bit of online criticism.

It is a big slice of irony when people can complain about sexism in games, but when we counter with our own arguments we need to harden up and stop complaining. So I am guessing the same should apply to the people like you no?

 

[jasong]

It is a big slice of irony when people can complain about sexism in games, but when we counter with our own arguments we need to harden up and stop complaining. So I am guessing the same should apply to the people like you no?

The one who said we should harden up was ian, in relation to Anita. I was the one who turned it back on him. Now it's just becoming rhetorical ping-pong.

 

[SilvRav]

The one who said we should harden up was ian, in relation to Anita. I was the one who turned it back on him. Now it's just becoming dialectic ping-pong.

Uhm, you ping-ponging between Larch and ian....just saying. Stick with one story...

 

[jasong]

Uhm, you ping-ponging between Larch and ian....just saying. Stick with one story...

Yep me ping-ponging between Larch and Ian. That's right. Thanks for keeping track of the conversation though.

 

[Sickman]

Really? So games can just be racist and sexist and say whatever they want and people should just harden up about it? Yes there is freedom of speech, and yes technically anybody can say anything at any time to anyone, but they are also selling to a mass market and therefore opening themselves up to critique. There is a ton of feminist writing out there - why get sanctimonious when someone turns a critical focus towards video games?

Yes yes yes, that is correct.
Regtig wie de fok gee om......

 

[jasong]

Yes yes yes, that is correct.

Then people can also say whatever they want on YouTube about the games, and you should also just harden up about it. /shrugs.

All this emo sensitivity over a bit of textual criticism really, it's babyish.

 

[Jack_Bauer_ZA]

Personally i think she needs a good spanking (yes in the naughty way).... ai nou dink ek alweer aan tiete. Sies.

 

[jasong]

Good grief haha

 

[SantaMuerte]

Personally i think she needs a good spanking (yes in the naughty way).... ai nou dink ek alweer aan tiete. Sies.

Ek dink nie sy kry genoeg nie en met 'n gesig soos daai en dan nog die bad attitude en retarded brein, wie soek die ding.
Kom ons koop vir haar 'n mannequin sodat sy net haar bek kan hou

 

[SantaMuerte]

Article contains images that is not safe for work. Can she just go senile already she is annoying as hell

Critic Anita Sarkeesian receives online death threats after latest Feminist Frequency video on games | GamesBeat | Games | by Jeff Grubb

Bitch clearly twists points to suit her argument as has been previously said

[video=youtube;WuRSaLZidWI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuRSaLZidWI[/video]

 

[Joshua_Weiss]

Article contains images that is not safe for work. Can she just go senile already she is annoying as hell

Critic Anita Sarkeesian receives online death threats after latest Feminist Frequency video on games | GamesBeat | Games | by Jeff Grubb

Bitch clearly twists points to suit her argument as has been previously said

[video=youtube;WuRSaLZidWI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuRSaLZidWI[/video]

*eye starts twitching*

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[noobtest]

And wouldn't you know it...Tropes vs Women in Video Games creator driven from her home by online threats and abuse | PC Gamer.

Really...what passes off as news these days...

 

[BlitZig]

The fact that she is getting all the attention , bad and good is exactly what she wants. My advice would be for everyone to just ignore her. As long as she has her followers you cant really win an argument against her.
And all those horrible threats she gets is almost worst than the stuff she has said. People that make such threats normally don't have the intellect to think of anything better to say.

 

[Gouhan]

Anytime there's such a strong reaction to anything that somebody highlights in society it almost always means there's a problem there. It's rather simple really as this is analogues to rap/pop culture that repeatedly portrayed and continues to portray women as property/ objectifies in one form or another. Be it in music, movies, games or any other medium there is. If it in anyway reflects our society these issues are bound to come up. There's nothing sacred about gaming, it's an art form and entertainment. Art has always been part and parcel of social commentary. Games are not exempt from this in any way especially because they now eclipse all other forms of pop culture in the world in numbers. Thus all issues tackled in all other mediums must and will be tackled herein as well. Threats of violence against someone because we don't like or agree with what they say or represent; now where have we seen that before?

 

[jasong]

Anytime there's such a strong reaction to anything that somebody highlights in society it almost always means there's a problem there. It's rather simple really as this is analogues to rap/pop culture that repeatedly portrayed and continues to portray women as property/ objectifies in one form or another. Be it in music, movies, games or any other medium there is. If it in anyway reflects our society these issues are bound to come up. There's nothing sacred about gaming, it's an art form and entertainment. Art has always been part and parcel of social commentary. Games are not exempt from this in any way especially because they now eclipse all other forms of pop culture in the world in numbers. Thus all issues tackled in all other mediums must and will be tackled herein as well. Threats of violence against someone because we don't like or agree with what they say or represent; now where have we seen that before?

Exactly correct. I am not even particularly a fan of Mz Sarkeesian, but I find it very disturbing that gamers can't take the same kind of basic criticisms that every other art form is subjected to without ranting on, disparaging her, and taking it to some very dark extremes which do nothing but prove the issues she highlights. Games are not some sanctified artform. They feature a ton of lazy, socially-influenced writing that deserves to be called out as it alienates and offends, and the only way to improve that is by allowing it to be analysed and discussed openly.

 

[Damin]

I have found that people often get defensive on issues if there is some truth to the allegations being made. I myself, fall victim to this.

Facts:
1. Gaming is predominately a male pass time - even though some guys pick girly avatars.
2. The majority of men have at some point or other been accused of being a sexist.
3. The majority of the accused men were guilty of said allegations but due to the "but everyone does it" mentality got away with it.

Therefore we men (me included) feel a little guilty and defensive when this topic comes-up.

The truth however is far less sinister...

The truth:
1. Men and woman are not equal, we never will be... deal with it. (not saying one is better than the other, just saying we ain't equal... cause ain't now way I can go through child birth, but at the same time woman are far to emotional and sensitive to deal with a lot of what men have to);
2. Men and woman need each other to balance the equation;
3. Pushing for gender equality is about as useful trying as bridging the income gap between the ultra poor and the ultra rich... it ain't gonna happen.

(for interest the equation is MAN + WOMAN = HAPPY. Therefore we can proof with mathematically certainty that MAN + HAPPY = - WOMAN and WOMAN + HAPPY = - MAN)

Having a closer look at these activists one usually finds they had been subjected to either:
- bad fathers, who failed as men leaving a deep seeded resentment against the rest of us;
- bad mothers, who were excessively vocal about gender inequality thus causing, you guest it, deep seeded resentment towards men.

Usually the case is a combination of both thus compounding the problem.

Now knowing this, should we not rather put our energy into being better fathers and mothers and preventing these social mishaps, instead of pointing fingers and making stupid threats.

I say let her have her rant, how many hits has this thread netted her vid and how much cash will she receive as a result of it... we all know how an AdSense account works... we are just feeding (in this instance literally) her cause.

Anyhow, just my 2 cents, let the debate continue.
Cheers
D