Mafia 2 Producer Apologizes for "Gay Space Marine" Comment

[Uber Waddles]

Nothing wrong with hyper-masculine figures, often sweaty from their day of fighting, alone, with only their partners in space traveling to their next objective.

Theres also nothing wrong if said space marines cuddle for warmth, or share a nice hot shower after a day of dispensing hot lead/plasma.

...

In all seriousness, cmon. You made a game about the MAFIA, and you're appologizing for making fun of Space Marines?

Even if he did choose the words "gay", its not that big of a deal. Its common place in the English language to use "gay" as an insult; and I happen to not see a problem with it as long as its not used as an insult towards gay people. (same with other words used to mean something is boring, stupid, etc.)

I think Micheal Scott says it best... "You dont call a retarded people retards, its just bad taste. You call your friends retards when their acting retarded"

Gamers are a certain type of people. If we dont demand an appology from Molyneux for Fable 2, we DONT need an appology for saying "the g word".

 

[BillBarilko]

In Google Reader the headline has been cut to "Mafia 2 Producer Apologizes for 'Gay Space Marine'". My first thought: A gay space marine in Mafia 2? Well, that's... imaginative.

As for Mr. Grace's comment, his point is valid. No reason for folks to get their panties in a bunch over it.

 

[Don't Poke My Bobcat]

Sad, his main point has been lost amidst knee jerk offendees.

PC culture 'wins' again.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Sad, his main point has been lost amidst knee jerk offendees.

PC culture 'wins' again.

His "main point" has been made repeatedly by people who have made it much clearer in the past. The only reason we are hearing his version is because he said it in a stupid way and his game was worse than many military shooters.

 

[zombiesinc]

I don't see why he felt the need to apologize. These days we're spending too much time tiptoeing around insulting or insensitive words...

Everybody (okay, fine... a lot of people) use the word gay, especially gay people, so why is it that as soon as someone in the media spotlight says it, it suddenly becomes an unknown and uncalled for insult? Pfft.

 

[Undead Dragon King]

I don't see why he felt the need to apologize. These days we're spending too much time tiptoeing around insulting or insensitive words...

Everybody (okay, fine... a lot of people) use the word gay, especially gay people, so why is it that as soon as someone in the media spotlight says it, it suddenly becomes an unknown and uncalled for insult? Pfft.

My thoughts exactly. I'm convinced that political correctness is destroying society.

 

[NickCaligo42]

I'm bothered less by the political incorrectness of the statement and more by the fact that he thought it was funny and that they actually put people this immature and with this lousy a sense of humor in major positions in the industry. What's next, a "poopy" joke?

I don't disagree with the man at all, and I think the knee-jerk reaction is kind of insane, but at the same time we're supposed to be looking to his studio to show us what good narrative is, and all he can do in an interview is use the kind of language that twelve-year-olds who play games about gay space marines use.

 

[Dommyboy]

People take all these comments too seriously. He obviously didn't mean to offend the gay community, but the world is filled with soccer mum-like clones.

 

[gl1koz3]

What's there to apologize for? You gotta have a problem to take THAT seriously.

Also, it's true. Why apologize for that?

 

[Michael Ellis]

What the hell? Nowadays you have to apoligise for being right???

 

[SenseOfTumour]

Not so much this, but I do think it's bad when professional comedians make a joke that then gets 'out' from their live set, into the hands of a journalist, who then takes it around to people who'd be most offended by it, then runs a story with 'Comedian's sick gag about dead babies slammed by Cot Death Society', when they'd never have heard it if it hadn't been forced on them by some fuckwit media tool. (yes I'm partly referring to Jimmy Carr's 'amputee' joke among many other examples.)

In THAT situation, I wish the comedians would all stand as one and go 'No, I won't apologise, maybe the journalist should apologise for telling sick jokes to people who'd be offended by them, whereas I tell mine to paying audiences who choose to see me. Also, I don't find dead babies funny, it's a tragedy, however, I do think a JOKE can be made funny about anything.'

As for the 'gay' comment, it's been blown out of all proportion, tho of course, if you're in the public eye you can't really say anything even slightly dubious. He wasn't saying gay is bad, he's saying that too much of a certain stereotype in gaming is bad, he phrased it badly by shrinking 'homoerotic overtones' down to simply 'gay'.

Saying there's too many gingers in Girls Aloud, that's possibly offensive. Saying there's too many generic shooters with generic cookie cutter manly heroes in gaming (for example, not saying that's exactly what he said), that's just an opinion, not an offensive one.

 

[A Pious Cultist]

Ugh. I'm disgusted.

Don't apologise. Never apologise. Have the guts to stand by your words. When you're asked a question you should give your honest answer. And if someone wants to get all uppity about it, the appropriate response is to raise your middle finger and say "I don't give a fuck."

Those of us that arn't massive misanthropes do give a fuck though.
I don't recall him apologising for his comment, only for any offensive he unwittingly caused by the use of "gay" in a slightly negative context.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

I knew what he meant...It wasn't hard to figure out.

Also, I love how "gay" has become a general insult in today's world.

Even related to objects.

Me too. It boggles the mind how supposedly liberal minded people refer to poor eventws like "I just got fired" - "Oh that's gay".

I mean I can understand that they might not have a problem with homosexuality, but when the fuck did it become okay to substitute 'gay' for 'bad' or 'horrible'?

I mean if you were to substitute it with a racist slur people would probably knock your block off.

"Oh man ... Computer got a virus."

"Dude! That's slanty eyed"

<.< Not exactly a good thing is it? Why exactly is this not extended to sexuality? o.o

 

[Jared]

All is well that ends well...though I cant disagree with what he said still heh

 

[Sebenko]

Well that's not a very appropriate image. 40K space marines are the MANLIEST MEHREENS EVER. They're not interested in men or women, just crushing the enemies of the EMPRA.

 

[archvile93]

I didn't find the comment offensive, though I still don't think he should have made it. Trying to mock something doesn't validate your point, it just makes you sound like an idiot.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

To me, and this will take some explaining, it's almost as tho 'gay' and 'gay' are two entirely seperate words!

When someone says, as before, 'I just got fired' 'oh that's so gay', in no way are they saying that to be fired is in any way a homosexual trait, and (here's where my argument is admittedly on shaky ground), apart from the actual use of the word, has no connections to being gay at all. Sure it's a silly word to use, for a wide range of negative things, like 'bad, weak, wrong' etc, but its very rare that it's meant as an anti gay comment.

To me it's not that far away from saying 'a black mark on your record' is racist. I'm sure everyone knows when it's meant as 'bad' and when it's meant as 'attracted to the same sex as yourself'.

Just to destroy my argument even further, I've posted this in a thread where he actually was linking gay to 'homoerotic overtones', then saying it's bad.

In short, yes, he's a dummy and should choose his words more carefully, BUT, in most cases, I don't think saying for instance, 'itunes is so gay, it won't update my podcast folder!' is homophobic.

EDIT: I hope I don't get modded, I feel like I'm virtually trolling and flaming myself in a single post, but there's an opinion in there somewhere!

 

[Funkysandwich]

What kind of world are we living in where you can't say "gay" in a offhand way without someone having a cry?

He didn't mean anything by it, and to be honest, he has a point.

It's not like it was a personal or hateful attack. People just need to stop nitpicking over political correctness. Suck it up, fairies.

 

[mattaui]

He didn't need to apologize for being offensive, he needed to apologize for being a hypocrite, perhaps. A guy is responsible for something as tired as a mafia-based storyline complaining about how there's not enough originality in games these days? And what's funny is that actual gay space marines -would- be something different.

It was a dumb remark no matter how you slice it and at least coming out and saying so was a step in the right direction, though he didn't really address the core of the problem most people had with his statement. I do have to laugh about all the false bravado from some of the posters here who say you shouldn't ever apologize for something you've said. I've know people like that, who claim they're 'too honest' or that they 'tell it like it is'. I generally consider them 'goddamned intolerable'.

 

[Adzma]

Yes, he could have chosen his words better. On the other hand, he shouldn't have to. It was obvious what he meant. People should have worked out what his intention was before jumping straight to getting offended and huffy. And develop some thicker skins while they're at it.

You took the words right out of my mouth. People need to harden the fuck up and learn to take a joke.