Achievement Hunter's Geoff and Gavin slip up.

[Zydrate]

On Achievement Hunter?s last Let?s build ?Portal House?, Geoff and Gavin introduced us to a game they play called ?Connect the Hots?. Where they literally stop what they?re doing and actually follow an attractive woman around for a few minutes in their car. Presumeably they slow down to match walking speed.

Oddly enough, this didn?t hit me immediately. I continued watching the show and this little ?game? of theirs didn?t register in my brain.

Until I went out that night. I was in a car with my family and I just happened to see a jogging woman with two of her dogs. It clicked for me there. Holy shit, I thought. What if this car just started following her. Our windows are slightly tinted. It?s a Jeep Wrangler. It?s a beast of a car. If we did that, this innocent woman just talking her dogs for a little walk, would be scared shitless.

So many scenarios could have happened with my families Jeep. This vehicle could have crushed those dogs, even -her-. What if in this Jeep were three lunatics with horrible thoughts, instead of a family going to see their mother?

Are they completely ignorant of how threatening this is for women in this society? Do they have no idea how utterly frightening the prospect of being STALKED like this is?

They don?t even look at it from their own perspective. Couple dudes walkin? down the street, maybe on their way to Gamestop. Maybe a dark SUV starts following them a little ways back. Turn the same corners as you. There, now you have a similar fear that women do. If this happened to you, you?re not thinking ?Oh they?re joking around?, you?re thinking ?Holy shit is this person going to do something? Kidnap me? Jump me? Rape me even??

This is not funny. Until I see some kind of apology, my respect for Gavin and Geoff just tanked.

I?m glad to see Youtube is not blind to this. Some of the top comments are the best summaries (Since I can?t post this entire thing in the space it gives) that can be given.


There are common arguments I'm seeing cropping up.

"boys will be boys", ha, please. Men are not sharks roaming around for pieces of meat. Women are not meat.

"I'd let them follow me any day" or "They're just having fun".
Sure, because you know them somewhat directly. We've all heard their banter and know that indeed, they're probably not predators.
However the people they're following... don't. I read on Tumblr that this game can be frightening, cause flashbacks, and disrupt their day in a multiple of ways.

This is wrong.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

Its difficult because the guys are not actually stalkers nor are they as guilty as an actual stalker. We know, because we know them, that they don't intend and never would even dream of harming another person. So their actions are totally hollow. The thing is the people they are following dont know this. So from our side it might appear harmless because we have access to all the information, we know its two people who are eccentric and stupid and are trying to have a laugh and that makes it seem more harmless. No actual harm would ever actually happen to anyone.

The thing to really consider is that the woman being followed down the street at slow walking pace (they did admit they did that, Gavin said he felt like a creeper when Geoff slowed down) has no fucking clue that its a bouncy early 20s english bloke giggling with his best friend. He might be a grizzled leering douche following them for any amount of reasons. The fear would be real. Being followed by an unknown car is creepy as fuck. I dont freak out easily but ive felt followed before and ive felt uneasy. Its not a nice feeling, it really rattles you. You have to imagine if your mother came home and was distressed that two blokes followed her slowly for 4 blocks what would you say. "They were just havin a laugh mum get over it" or "Thats creepy dudes shouldnt follow you in a car".

Micheal RIPS them apart on the next podcast btw. Its beautiful. Geoff also apologised in an email saying the events were "Exaggerated greatly" for "Comedic effect". I can provide links for both.

Im certain all manor of feminist baggage will come into the thread and start a flame war. Im lucky to be the second post so i can state: THE ONLY OPINION THIS THREAD IS ABOUT IS IF ITS OK TO FOLLOW PEOPLE IN A CAR FOR FUN EVEN IF IT MAKES SAID PERSON FEAR FOR THEIR WELLBEING. Tada.

 

[smithy_2045]

Geoff also apologised in an email saying the events were "Exaggerated greatly" for "Comedic effect".

That's what I'd assumed when I was watching. Good to hear that they apologised for it though.

 

[Zydrate]

Not intending to spark a flame war. I thought the Escapist community was a bit better than that.

Then again, I may have misjudged the maturity levels.

THE ONLY OPINION THIS THREAD IS ABOUT IS IF ITS OK TO FOLLOW PEOPLE IN A CAR FOR FUN EVEN IF IT MAKES SAID PERSON FEAR FOR THEIR WELLBEING. Tada.

Think that'll work?

Captcha: gone fishing
Might as well.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

Geoff also apologised in an email saying the events were "Exaggerated greatly" for "Comedic effect".

That's what I'd assumed when I was watching. Good to hear that they apologised for it though.

Apparently the ACTUAL game is that whenever a corner comes up you turn toward the hottest girl then keep going. You dont follow her, she just dictates the direction you turn during regular driving and you see where you end up. At least thats what the podcast lead me to think. This is far more harmless since the girl is totally unaware.

Think that'll work?

Captcha: gone fishing
Might as well.

One can only try

 

[Lieju]

Micheal RIPS them apart on the next podcast btw. Its beautiful. Geoff also apologised in an email saying the events were "Exaggerated greatly" for "Comedic effect". I can provide links for both.

Please do.

Im certain all manor of feminist baggage will come into the thread and start a flame war. Im lucky to be the second post so i can state: THE ONLY OPINION THIS THREAD IS ABOUT IS IF ITS OK TO FOLLOW PEOPLE IN A CAR FOR FUN EVEN IF IT MAKES SAID PERSON FEAR FOR THEIR WELLBEING. Tada.

Not necessarily even fear. Basically, my rule is, it's okay to look at attractive/interesting/etc people, but as soon as you're making them uncomfortable, you're overstepping boundaries.

 

[Zydrate]

Geoff also apologised in an email saying the events were "Exaggerated greatly" for "Comedic effect".

That's what I'd assumed when I was watching. Good to hear that they apologised for it though.

Apparently the ACTUAL game is that whenever a corner comes up you turn toward the hottest girl then keep going. You dont follow her, she just dictates the direction you turn during regular driving and you see where you end up. At least thats what the podcast lead me to think. This is far more harmless since the girl is totally unaware.

They actually said they follow in a "creepy and slow pace".
Egh.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

Please do.

http://yellowcrayonwillow.tumblr.com/post/52751631627/michael-telling-gavin-off-about-connect-the-hots

Best i can do is this tumblr post, it has the direct recording in it though. Slightly damning. But less damning.

This is the email.

http://flamboyantgentleman.tumblr.com/post/52734521119

Also a tumblr post and admittedly not hard proof the email exists. Think what you will.

They actually said they follow in a "creepy and slow pace".
Egh.

The best case scenario is that was either accidental or one time and they just exaggerated. Its still weird that they WANT people to think they did that often but better than actually doing it.

 

[Lieju]

Please do.

http://yellowcrayonwillow.tumblr.com/post/52751631627/michael-telling-gavin-off-about-connect-the-hots

Best i can do is this tumblr post, it has the direct recording in it though. Slightly damning.

That makes him sound like a total douche who thinks it's okay to do whatever because he finds a woman attractive.
Yeah, it's not about whether you find someone hot or not, it's whether you act like an adult who knows how to control his impulses or if you drool over people even if it makes them uncomfortable and possibly scared.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

That makes him sound like a total douche who thinks it's okay to do whatever because he finds a woman attractive.
Yeah, it's not about whether you find someone hot or not, it's whether you act like an adult who knows how to control his impulses or if you drool over people even if it makes them uncomfortable and possibly scared.

I thought it was marginally better because it clarified that he didnt actually make the women uncomfortable by directly following them, just that he was shitty and attempting to justify it. But better than actually doing it which hopefully he did not. I agree totally with you that its fine to like and appreciate hot women, but if that makes you act in an unusual way that makes people uncomfortable then its an issue you should probably try and solve.

 

[Zydrate]

That makes him sound like a total douche who thinks it's okay to do whatever because he finds a woman attractive.
Yeah, it's not about whether you find someone hot or not, it's whether you act like an adult who knows how to control his impulses or if you drool over people even if it makes them uncomfortable and possibly scared.

I thought it was marginally better because it clarified that he didnt actually make the women uncomfortable by directly following them,

How the hell did they know that? Did they get out of their car and ask "hi, we were following you because you're hot. Did that make you uncomfortable?"

That'd kinda freak me out, too.

 

[Lieju]

That makes him sound like a total douche who thinks it's okay to do whatever because he finds a woman attractive.
Yeah, it's not about whether you find someone hot or not, it's whether you act like an adult who knows how to control his impulses or if you drool over people even if it makes them uncomfortable and possibly scared.

I thought it was marginally better because it clarified that he didnt actually make the women uncomfortable by directly following them, just that he was shitty and attempting to justify it. But better than actually doing it which hopefully he did not. I agree totally with you that its fine to like and appreciate hot women, but if that makes you act in an unusual way that makes people uncomfortable then its an issue you should probably try and solve.

I'm just sick and tired of guys jusitfying being douchebags with 'well, it's totally natural to find women hot'.

It's not about your feelings, it's about how you act on them.
It's like me taking food from other people's plates and going 'well, I was hungry! It's totally natural to want food!'

(And before anyone gets annoyed with me, I'm sure there are women who also justify making men uncomfortable like that, but I can't say I've run into that as much.)

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

How the hell did they know that? Did they get out of their car and ask "hi, we were following you because you're hot. Did that make you uncomfortable?"

That'd kinda freak me out, too.

Because according to Gavins explanation in the soundbite i linked he doesnt follow them, he just uses the hotness of girls to determine if he goes left or right at a junction then keeps driving normally until he gets to the next junction where he decides again based on the women in the immediate area. Apparently theres no following involved. Which contradicts what he said earlier true. What i was saying is "If his newest version of events is true its not as bad".

 

[Zydrate]

How the hell did they know that? Did they get out of their car and ask "hi, we were following you because you're hot. Did that make you uncomfortable?"

That'd kinda freak me out, too.

Because according to Gavins explanation in the soundbite i linked he doesnt follow them, he just uses the hotness of girls to determine if he goes left or right at a junction then keeps driving normally until he gets to the next junction where he decides again based on the women in the immediate area. Apparently theres no following involved. Which contradicts what he said earlier true. What i was saying is "If his newest version of events is true its not as bad".

Not as bad, but if only barely.
Either way, they really fucked up.
Thus, my youtube video. To add what little levity I could to the situation.

 

[sky14kemea]

Oh wow, I didn't even think of it like that. Of all the really weird stuff they say in their Let's Plays, I guess I've just gotten used to it and didn't notice when something actually bad popped up.

I still like them, and I'll continue to watch, 'cause they're hilarious, but at the same time, that is a pretty creepy thing to do.

This is why Ray is my favourite. 8D

 

[Zydrate]

Oh wow, I didn't even think of it like that. Of all the really weird stuff they say in their Let's Plays, I guess I've just gotten used to it and didn't notice when something actually bad popped up.

Yea, I didn't notice it at first either, as per my anecdote.

I won't stop watching AH either, but I am trying to urge people to show their displeasure with their wallet and stop buying any of their products. If possible.

My respect for Michael also spiked, because in the Lets Play he calls him out.
LOVE that it didn't go ignored even in their office.

Also, the video was taken down.

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

Well to be honest, I know it's wrong. It's a horrible thing to do, but come on guys. Do any of you really think Geoff or fuck, even Gavin would do those types of things? They were saying it as a joke. I mean, didn't they apologize?

*facepalm* I hate when things like this get blown out of proportions...

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

I won't stop watching AH either, but I am trying to urge people to show their displeasure with their wallet and stop buying any of their products. If possible.

Ok.really? You can't make people not buy their products. No offence, but that is fucking stupid. They slipped up. it was a mistake. if I heard that just before spending $100 on their website (which I've done before) I would have still given them that $100

That is such a wrong way of dealing with this problem. They apologized. deal with it

 

[Zydrate]

I won't stop watching AH either, but I am trying to urge people to show their displeasure with their wallet and stop buying any of their products. If possible.

Ok.really? You can't make people not buy their products. No offence, but that is fucking stupid. They slipped up. it was a mistake. if I heard that just before spending $100 on their website (which I've done before) I would have still given them that $100

That is such a wrong way of dealing with this problem. They apologized. deal with it

It's a way of dealing with the problem. Perhaps not the best? Sure, I'll admit that. But it's a good way to change things. Companies always react when they have a dip in revenue.

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

I won't stop watching AH either, but I am trying to urge people to show their displeasure with their wallet and stop buying any of their products. If possible.

Ok.really? You can't make people not buy their products. No offence, but that is fucking stupid. They slipped up. it was a mistake. if I heard that just before spending $100 on their website (which I've done before) I would have still given them that $100

That is such a wrong way of dealing with this problem. They apologized. deal with it

It's a way of dealing with the problem. Perhaps not the best? Sure, I'll admit that. But it's a good way to change things. Companies always react when they have a dip in revenue.

So you plan on making them loose money? That's even worse. The company runs on their fans supporting them, so you plan to try to make people stop that? Sorry, I just don't find that the best way to stop this problem, even after they apologized and got called out on it.