Gamers Upset at Blizzcon's Slur-Ridden Speech

Greg Tito

PR for Dungeons & Dragons
Sep 29, 2005
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Gamers Upset at Blizzcon's Slur-Ridden Speech

Gamers are upset that a video with anti-gay epithets played before introducing a guest musician on the Blizzcon stage.

The members of death metal bands are not usually accused of tolerance of homosexuals. It's just not easy to pronounce LGBT in a screech, a grunt or a scream. The two groups don't usually coexist, so when Samwise Didier played a video of the lead singer from Cannibal Corpse ranting of his hatred of "Night Elf faggots," many WoW-players and Blizzard fans were stunned. Sure, most of the offensive words were bleeped out, and when George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher took the stage to play with the all-Blizzard employee band Level 90 Epic Tauren Chieftain, only normal non-offensive metal ensued. But many forum-posters on Blizzard's website have complained not only about the insulting words but also Fisher's call to arms that all Alliance should die not just in the game but in real life.


"A senior Blizzard representitive endorsed a video saying that the players of a faction should die," said Halcyón, a poster on Blizzard's community site. "We are encouraged to invest ourselves in our characters - and by extension, in our faction. And it gets hard to enjoy it when faction pride becomes anti-faction hatred, especially when it is expressed/endorsed by a Blizzard employee."

The tone of Blizzcon has been marred by the hatred that Horde players display against anyone who may be Alliance, and the Blizzard forums contain testimonials of actual violence committed by Blizzcon attendees this past weekend. "Leaving the [concert] event, two young guys probably in their early 20s came up behind us and pulled on my wife's lanyard seemingly trying to break it off and shouted 'Alliance *****' at her," recounted a Blizzard fan [http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3424466214#1]. "It did not break lose and instead my wifes' head and neck were jolted downward." The woman was not seriously hurt but her head and neck were sore for many days and the experience took an emotional toll.

Halcyon's thread has reached its post maximum three times with thousands of gamers complaining about the incident. In addition, according to Gay Gamer, gay rights group GLAAD has reached out to Blizzard to take responsibility and apologize showing a video that was so laced with anti-gay language.

In response, Blizzard employees issued a statement claiming that the whole performance and video were not meant to be taken as serious endorsements of violence. "We are sorry that we offended anyone; everything at our shows is just meant in fun. Thank you all for speaking up. We'll definitely keep this in mind for future shows," Blizzard stated [http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3424906852#1].

For those of you with morbid curiosity, here is the full un-bleeped interview with George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. Beware if you are Alliance, don't want to hear Night Elves described "emo bastards" or just dislike metal in general like I do.


Source: Gay Gamer [http://gaygamer.net/2011/10/antigay_speech_at_blizzcon_201.html]

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Thyunda

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May 4, 2009
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Well, that's okay, because nobody has ever, or will ever care what death metal 'musicians' have to say. These are people that have no concept of art, and only of controversy, so I'm really not surprised that they think they're all unique and special for talking shit like this.
 

darktheif28

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Nov 11, 2008
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I don't think it's as bad as people make it to be. The band has been singing praises of the Horde since Warcraft 3. I play the Alliance, and my main is a Night Elf, and I thought that this was funny as hell. People just need to learn not to take things so seriously. It's just a game.
 

The Imp

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Nov 9, 2009
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Oh, come on. It's a clip from a 4 year old interview, back when Motes of Air had value. But now everybody and their mom are pissed off about it because it got dragged into the spotlight at a big convention. We all know Fisher is not exactly the most eloquent person out there plus i guess he was high like Hendrix so give it a rest. We all know Fisher didnt mean to offend anyone, well, mabye Alliance players.
 

shadowmagus

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Feb 2, 2011
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The WoW forums. Where Bitches bitching about bitching bitches, and trolls trolling trolls are the orders of the day. There is literally nothing of value to be taken from there.
 

DPeteD

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May 29, 2011
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AAHAHAHHAHaha ha ahem... sorry but really wow, that stupid, cannibal corpse isnt even a good bad and I like metal AND it turns out their a bunch of butt hurt man children.
 

karloss01

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Jul 5, 2009
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sounds like alliance getting way too offended by a person's comment. people need to lighten up.
 

Zhukov

The Laughing Arsehole
Dec 29, 2009
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Riiiiiiight.

...

Watching those videos felt like an exercise in anthropology.
 

Booze Zombie

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Dec 8, 2007
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Activision's PR man (who didn't want Bobby Kotick talking) must be having a pleasant heart attack right now.
 

Macgyvercas

Spice & Wolf Restored!
Feb 19, 2009
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Oi! Bloodelves are awesome! Yeah, Corpsegrinder. I'm Horde, I play a Blood Elf, and I'M FUCKING PROUD OF THAT!
 

InsaneFool

The Dude Abides
Jan 18, 2010
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Its Corpsegrinder, not Corpseater.

That being said, the guy is the lead singer of CANNIBAL CORPSE for f***sake - did anyone honestly expect him to pull any punches when he is talking about his chosen faction?

I don't play WoW anymore, but whenever I run into anyone who does I ask them "Horde or Alliance", and if the answer isn't Horde I give them one of these: ಠ_ಠ
 

garfoldsomeoneelse

Charming, But Stupid
Mar 22, 2009
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Thyunda said:
Well, that's okay, because nobody has ever, or will ever care what death metal 'musicians' have to say. These are people that have no concept of art, and only of controversy, so I'm really not surprised that they think they're all unique and special for talking shit like this.
I really like the part where you voiced your opinion as fact, and did so on everybody's behalf.

OT: Corpsegrinder.
 

Neverhoodian

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Apr 2, 2008
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Greg Tito said:
The tone of Blizzcon has been marred by the hatred that Horde players display against anyone who may be Alliance, and the Blizzard forums contain testimonials of actual violence committed by Blizzcon attendees this past weekend. "Leaving the [concert] event, two young guys probably in their early 20s came up behind us and pulled on my wife's lanyard seemingly trying to break it off and shouted 'Alliance *****' at her," recounted a Blizzard fan [http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3424466214#1]. "It did not break lose and instead my wifes' head and neck were jolted downward." The woman was not seriously hurt but her head and neck were sore for many days and the experience took an emotional toll.
I think this is more disturbing than the performance. Death metal groups like Cannibal Corpse thrive on negativity like this for the simple reason that controversy sells. For them it's just an act that they put on to rake in the money from clueless fans who actually take them seriously.

The incidents of actual violence are more unnerving to me because it appears to stem from genuine prejudice and hatred of people that play as certain fictional characters in a video game. Back when I was still playing WoW, I started discussing the game with a co-worker. Turns out he played as Alliance while I rolled Horde. We both feigned shock and disgust for a second, then had a good laugh about it and continued our conversation.

Some people need to remind themselves that it's just a damn game.
 

Saladfork

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Jul 3, 2011
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Personally, (and yes, I am alliance), I'm not upset so much about this idiot's rant itself as I am that Blizzard not only acknowledged but endorsed it, especially when I would get banned if I repeated it toward somebody in-game or on the forums.

The lack of elequence and blatent homophobia are really just icing on the proverbial cake here.
 

jurnag12

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Nov 9, 2009
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I was pretty sure that video wasn't even meant seriously, but no, people have to take it seriously and start hurting people.
Also, 'Corpseater'? The guy's name is the title of the video literally 2 lines below.
 

-KC-

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Jul 15, 2010
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Shit just got real :O

Why do ppl (WoW players) take it for real ? Srsly how can someone "hate" somebody just 'cause he's playing other faction.

I haven't understood much from the interview as every 2nd word was "****" and "****ing" but I can tell that guy is high.

p.s.

my DK's ghoul name is "Corpseater" :O
 

orangeban

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Nov 27, 2009
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Geez, that second video was... interesting. Someone has got their knickers in a twist about something that really isn't worth the trouble. Also, homophobic slurs, not cool dude.