Controversial Tropes vs. Women in Video Games Series Comes to an End

Ogoid

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totheendofsin said:
except for the part where all the articles written about her when her kickstarter launched were primarily about the needlessly hostile response to her

Possibly, but when her videos did come out, I think one could reasonably expect supposed gaming "journalists" to take her to task for the ungodly amount of cherry-picking, misrepresentations and outright falsehoods contained therein; yet that sort of criticism was - still - nowhere to be seen.

Presumably, I guess, out of respect for grueling effort of putting out one hour a year of video on a budget larger than that of some actual feature films, while being told "you suck" over Twitter.
 

Kingjackl

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It wasn't the feminist critique of gaming we needed, but it was the one we deserved.

In all seriousness, this is like a lot of left vs right debates on the internet where however much I dislike the left viewpoint (represented here by Anita), I like the reaction to it 100 times less. In an ideal world she could've done her own thing supported by the people interested in it while the people who aren't can ignore it in safety. The way discourse blew up around this whole thing just goes to represent the immaturity of our culture.
 

DrownedAmmet

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Ogoid said:
totheendofsin said:
except for the part where all the articles written about her when her kickstarter launched were primarily about the needlessly hostile response to her

Possibly, but when her videos did come out, I think one could reasonably expect supposed gaming "journalists" to take her to task for the ungodly amount of cherry-picking, misrepresentations and outright falsehoods contained therein; yet that sort of criticism was nowhere to be seen.

Presumably, I guess, out of respect for grueling effort of putting out one hour a year of video on a budget larger than that of some actual feature films, while being told "you suck" over Twitter.
How the fuck do you talk about a subject and not "cherry-pick? Like if I made a youtube series about all the Starbucks baristas that spit in my coffee, would you give me shit for not mentioning all the ones who don't?

That one criticism I see a lot just ticks me off for some reason.

As to her video series, I enjoyed the first few but stopped watching about halfway through because it became too much of a "preaching to the choir" type of thing. It truly baffles me the lengths people go to paint her in this evil devilish light, when all she did was make youtube videos
 

Erttheking

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LostGryphon said:
It's neat, because after 5 years of this shit, you can get a feel for, if not out right guess, what certain people are going to say about this subject just by seeing their avatar/user name.

Very few surprises here.

Come on, guys.

Why aren't you tired of this song and dance yet?
Let's be frank. You and I can be snarky about people being too attached to this stuff, but in a way we're contributing to the song and dance.
 

Padwolf

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I feel sorry that her videos are not what they could have been. She takes so many situations and female characters out of context and it drives me insane. There are tons of female characters that are really bad ass, and do a hell of a lot behind the scenes and have a lot of depth to them and are so vital to plots. But she seems to ignore most of this. It's a shame because while I do disagree with a lot of her points, I feel it's a subject that should be explored, just not by her way of doing so.
 

Dreiko_v1legacy

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Phasmal said:
Honestly it's been years and the level of hate is still quite surprising to me.

I mean, what does being hateful about this get anyone? Does it achieve anything? Do people enjoy being hateful about something that doesn't affect them at all?

It certainly doesn't affect, oh, I don't know- video games as I've been playing them pretty consistently over the years and as of yet no straw feminist has come to take them away from me.


I would suggest that people chill.
I would struggle to qualify anything posted in this topic as "hate", merely out of how seemingly apathetic most responses are. Visceral disgust ought not be ascribed morality, really. You know when you have a big zit on your nose and it bugs you but squeezing it doesn't somehow magically improve your life and yet you feel the urge to squeeze it anyways? Well, this story is a boil on the ass of gaming, sadly. Very annoying and you get satisfaction from undoing it's many logical fallacies but it never was particularly meaningful in any capacity.


But yeah, I dunno who the supposed person who HASN'T been playing videogames all this time is, or if they exist for that matter, but in case someone devoted their last half decade on this issue, that indeed would be horrific. I, thankfully, like you, have been primarily enjoying videogames and anime and other awesome fun stuff in this timespan, which also doesn't prevent me from watching a couple videos and posting a couple of quick responses about this topic between gaming breaks or while having lunch etc.
 

bartholen_v1legacy

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So it's finally over? We can close chapter III of the Video Game Controversy Saga?

Chapter I: The 90's. "Video games will make your children satanists!"
Chapter II: The 00's. "Video games will make your children murderers!"
Chapter III: The 10's: "Video games will make your children misogynists!"
Chapter IV: The new 20's: ???

Maybe the racism angle will start to get pushed more? Or maybe video games will start to turn children into straight up nazis. Oh, what the future holds...

Edit: fuck... I just had a vision of a future where the "gender" and "identity" have been removed from gender and identity politics, and instead it's just straight up politics. Kotaku, Polygon and all the usual suspects running articles like "We need more democrat role models in video games!", "Republican values in gaming are problematic", "Games are inherently political", "Geeks should discuss politics, it's good for us". Oh wait, the latter two already exist...
 

Ogoid

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DrownedAmmet said:
How the fuck do you talk about a subject and not "cherry-pick? Like if I made a youtube series about all the Starbucks baristas that spit in my coffee, would you give me shit for not mentioning all the ones who don't?
If you held up the ones who did as as a clear demonstration that baristas in toto had this massive coffee-spitting problem that had dire consequences for society as a whole?

I just might, yes.

As to her video series, I enjoyed the first few but stopped watching about halfway through because it became too much of a "preaching to the choir" type of thing. It truly baffles me the lengths people go to paint her in this evil devilish light, when all she did was make youtube videos
All Fredric Wertham did was write a book, yet I'm sure we're all familiar with the effect it had, to this very day, on the American comics industry.
 

Trunkage

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Gethsemani said:
Nazulu said:
Don't waste me time. If you can't even be bothered to watch the videos then I can't take you seriously.
You mean the videos where one literally has a shopped image of Sarkeesian with a joint in her mouth, "cool" glasses on and a pair of Dorito earrings and is made by Sargon of Akkad, one of the worst youtubers around? I am not intending to waste your time, but don't insult my intellect by demanding I watch hate videos that has been in circulation the past 2 years (or so), when you could quickly summarize their points so that we could have a discussion about the argument you put forth.
Sorry, I want to digress. Just checking on your opinion of Sargon. I have issues with what he says (mainly that he's a massive hypocrite) - but worst youtuber? There so much crap out there... I need to know.
 

TheMysteriousGX

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Ogoid said:
DrownedAmmet said:
As to her video series, I enjoyed the first few but stopped watching about halfway through because it became too much of a "preaching to the choir" type of thing. It truly baffles me the lengths people go to paint her in this evil devilish light, when all she did was make youtube videos
All Fredric Wertham did was write a book, yet I'm sure we're all familiar with the effect it had, to this very day, on the American comics industry.
Well, that and argue in front of congress about the harmful effects of comics on children, which is a far cry from miss "...but remember that it is both possible (and even necessary) to simultaneously enjoy media while also being critical of it?s more problematic or pernicious aspects".

But like comparisons to a Jack Thompson, us gamers never let facts get in the way of a good rage boner.
 

AzrealMaximillion

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Steven Bogos said:
AzrealMaximillion said:
American Tanker said:
Oh, good, it's finally over.

Now, the question is: When will series debunking her bullshit claims become mainstream, instead of her crap?
Well thunderf00t and Sargon did do responses earlier on that got many more views than most of the FemFreq episodes. Frankly a lot of people did. FemFreq as a series hasn't really been mainstream popular after the first insanely long break she took from making like... 3 episodes.
They should have called it "Feminist INFrequently" am i rite?
You are sir. You most definitely are.
 
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Ogoid said:
DrownedAmmet said:
How the fuck do you talk about a subject and not "cherry-pick? Like if I made a youtube series about all the Starbucks baristas that spit in my coffee, would you give me shit for not mentioning all the ones who don't?
If you held up the ones who did as as a clear demonstration that baristas in toto had this massive coffee-spitting problem that had dire consequences for society as a whole?

I just might, yes.

As to her video series, I enjoyed the first few but stopped watching about halfway through because it became too much of a "preaching to the choir" type of thing. It truly baffles me the lengths people go to paint her in this evil devilish light, when all she did was make youtube videos
All Fredric Wertham did was write a book, yet I'm sure we're all familiar with the effect it had, to this very day, on the American comics industry.
This is off-topic, I'm aware, but Wertham is actually a pretty interesting guy. He was actually completely opposed to how the Comics Code was rolled out, because Wertham never intended to get adult comic books banned. What he was trying to do was what the MPAA does currently (or PEGI, if you live in Europe, or "those backwards politicians" in Australia :p). He was trying to get a rating system established for comics. Instead, they took his ideas to implement a rating system where the only rating was PG.

He was a case of "think about the children" who legitimately did have his primary concern be about the children, as seen when his writings about the effects of racial segregation on children were used as evidence in the case of Brown vs the Board of Education, which abolished racial segregation in schools.

Now, to actually be on topic, I never really concerned myself with Anita Sarkeesian, but I did find the reactions to her quite telling. Her views may have been controversial, but how people acted when those views came around was proof that people actually think being on the Internet gives you the privilege to act in ways that would be flat-out illegal in public, but are apparently "free speech" on the Internet.
 

BadNewDingus

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She got her fame. She's done.

The hate was not needed and pretty much was the reason why she became so big. And even though I didn't agree with her opinion, I give it to her for at least finishing the series up about her opinion on said subject.

Also, I hope she knows that her next series will attract way more trolls than talking just about video games.
 

cynicalsaint1

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Does this mean I can finally stop hearing morons going on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about Anita Sarkeesian?

Please? Just say yes?
Even if it isn't true?
Just let me have this for a day or so ....
 

WeepingAngels

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cynicalsaint1 said:
Does this mean I can finally stop hearing morons going on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about Anita Sarkeesian?

Please? Just say yes?
Even if it isn't true?
Just let me have this for a day or so ....
Strange tactic, to be more annoying than those you complain about. If it works...

Don't get me wrong though, your CTRL-C & CTRL-V skills are impressive. Don't get me wrong though, your CTRL-C & CTRL-V skills are impressive.Don't get me wrong though, your CTRL-C & CTRL-V skills are impressive Don't get me wrong though, your CTRL-C & CTRL-V skills are impressive

See, I just can't do it as well as you.
 

Erttheking

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Nazulu said:
Gethsemani said:
Nazulu said:
You know, I read someones full post before making comments like this. Watch the video's next time.
I did read your whole post, but I am not wasting my time with hateboner videos on Youtube. So explain to me why I should take your argument seriously. "Go read the sources" (or "go watch this video") is not an argument.
Don't waste me time. If you can't even be bothered to watch the videos then I can't take you seriously.
Here's a thought, instead of just expecting people to dedicate twenty minutes of their time, how about you actually make an argument instead of just falling back on the arguments of others? Videos are supposed to support your argument. Not act as a substitute. You talk about people wasting your time, yet you're asking twenty minutes of their time, when writing out an argument would take you five tops.
 

WeepingAngels

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erttheking said:
Nazulu said:
Gethsemani said:
Nazulu said:
You know, I read someones full post before making comments like this. Watch the video's next time.
I did read your whole post, but I am not wasting my time with hateboner videos on Youtube. So explain to me why I should take your argument seriously. "Go read the sources" (or "go watch this video") is not an argument.
Don't waste me time. If you can't even be bothered to watch the videos then I can't take you seriously.
Here's a thought, instead of just expecting people to dedicate twenty minutes of their time, how about you actually make an argument instead of just falling back on the arguments of others? Videos are supposed to support your argument. Not act as a substitute. You talk about people wasting your time, yet you're asking twenty minutes of their time, when writing out an argument would take you five tops.
No doubt you have spent more than 20 minutes trying to avoid watching the videos.
 

Tsun Tzu

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erttheking said:
Let's be frank. You and I can be snarky about people being too attached to this stuff, but in a way we're contributing to the song and dance.
Well, sure.

We're all contributing to the mosaic of awful that surrounds this subject in our own special way.

Some just have more of a...consistent presence on the dance floor.

Now, if you'll excuse me.

 

Trunkage

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Phasmal said:
Honestly it's been years and the level of hate is still quite surprising to me.

I mean, what does being hateful about this get anyone? Does it achieve anything? Do people enjoy being hateful about something that doesn't affect them at all?

It certainly doesn't affect, oh, I don't know- video games as I've been playing them pretty consistently over the years and as of yet no straw feminist has come to take them away from me.


I would suggest that people chill.
Generally hate is used to demonise others (or group). This is useful if you are trying to make their point irrelevant without proving anything (its like is destroying the character of a witness in a trial), developing sides so you can use ethnic or political differences as leverage (and once again not dealing with any argument), becoming a victim if the "other" side "attacks you" (usually in retaliation but we can imagine that didn't happen), not wanting to actually reflect on your life and how it negatively or positively impacts others and it turns arguments into a more "religious" experience. Its a way to enforce your lifestyle onto others

Most importantly nothing is resolved, which continues and may escalate the conflict. All sides have a vested interest in keeping it going.

Also, look at happens when one side wins. Take the Capitalism/ Communism debate. The former clearly one and because of that, it cant be criticized because you just get called a Marxist. Look at the slavery debate particularly around the 1817. Because of the illegalisation of the slave trade in 1808, Americans had to find a way to justify making slavery hereditary (turning babies into slave - absolutely unheard of and would have disgusted Ancient Greeks and Romans). They took the "the aren't real humans" further. Only war could have stopped it
 

Varis

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All she did was incite discussion and bring different viewpoints to the table. Never did and still don't understand why that is deserving of all the shite-flinging apparent here and wherever. Challenging the status quo either tears it down for it's issues, or affirms it's position for it's positives. In either case, it's for the best in the long run.

Do I agree with all her opinions. No, I don't think I do. Yet, do I loathe her for expressing them, at no cost to my own well-being? Also no.

Glad that she got her project finished and despite all toxicity and malevolence aimed at her, remained hale and healthy.