@Notch and the 'F-bomb'

[Jabberwock xeno]

*sigh*

All I know is that this reeks of a simaler situation that started over twitter....

Hopefully this will have a better outcome.

 

[Revolutionary]

While I don't think they should have sworn in front of kids I don't think that it's yogcasts problem. It's the responsibility of the event managers.

 

[Alleged_Alec]

Some quite inflamatory comments going up on the twitter page. I don't know what to believe.

I'd like to think that it might be their humour being misinterpreted, I know it's happened when I've been involved with people from other countries, but if what Persson is saying is true then consider me saddened (On egos, payments and the like. Fuck the swearing.)

I must say: I don't believe too much of what Notch has been saying about them. From what I've seen and heard, they're really nice guys. Some of those things could indeed be jokes, but shit like:

A kid wanted them to sign something I had signed, and they said they'd cross it out and put "fuck you" there instead.

I don't believe a bit about they'd say something like that in a serious manner.

 

[walrusaurus]

A. British People say fuck a lot. in general.

B. Its an internet culture convention in LAS VEGAS. Beyond questioning why you would bring your children there in the first place, why on earth would you be shocked that they saw/heard something you consider offensive while your there?

EDIT: just read notches twitter stream. bit of tirade. I'm withholding judgement till i hear both sides. But its not like its gonna stop me listening to the yogpod. those two are hilarious.

 

[Formica Archonis]

Woah, that's one hell of a salvo Notch fired on Twitter. If they were really acting like that, then he's got more than enough justification to cut them out of anything.

Unfortunately, this is just gonna turn into another he said/he said.

 

[Xan Krieger]

Having seen the video in question I see nothing wrong, when someone messes up with TNT saying "oh fuck" is perfectly normal, hell you wall in a 6 year old with TNT he'll say "oh fuck" because that's all there is to say. I said it when I went to the bathroom only to come back to find myself encased in TNT and my friend set it off. Perfect words for those situations, nothing else will really suffice.

 

[theultimateend]

Won't somebody please think of the children? Keep them closeted from stuff they probably already know!

There is no such thing as a shocked child.

At least judging by my own youth.

 

[Treblaine]

You using "that's gay" to describe things that are merely pathetic rather than of a same-sex screwing thing... that is homophobic.

Why has the black culture transformed the n-word into something that does not carry the old pejorative meaning but we can't take the homophobic out of "gay"?

I don't get mankind at all.

Don't get me started on the N-word. It's use is EXTREMELY complex and depends hugely on who uses it in what way. Black people have not transformed the word, it's meaning has always been the same, it still brings up the same associations of slavery, colonial abuses and lynching justice.

Anyway, I can't find the exact quote from Stephen K. Amos, but he said of the N-word that the difference between a black or white person saying it is you know if a black person saying it that is not a queue for violence and separations.

When a black person says it or even addresses him by it, that emphasises their similarity, a kind of racial brotherhood, an intensely strong if intangible one born though suffering and denigration. It brings up the memories of slavery and colonialism when all they had in the universe was each other.

But when a white person calls him a ******, that just emphasises how different they are in the crudest way, how that difference was exploited in slavery and lynch justice. It doesn't just separate him from the white guy but is perceived as a racist rallying cry to other racist to move in against him, this is VERY clear to any black person, the history is unavoidable and the precedent continues as racist continue to use the label "******" as a rallying cry for racist conspiracies, and uncouth black people continue to use the term ****** the reinforce brotherhood of historical (and continuing) adversity as distinct from other racial groups.

 

[ElPatron]

Double standards. They can have the N-word. [sarcasm]What if from now on, anyone who breaks into my property will get a warning or a shot depending on his colour [/sarcasm]. After that sentence double standards don't seem so good now, do they?





Also, by your logic the fact that I have an ambiguous sexual orientation allows me to use the word "gay". Because I am protected under your double standard.

 

[The Funslinger]

I'm just going to say this: the day western society gets over this ridiculous notion that certain words are inherently "bad" will be a good day indeed.

To be fair, I'm glad swear words have at least some taboo. Why? Because people associate them with that taboo, and so to swear can vent frustration and has been proven to psychologically beneficial. I doubt that effect would be there if they were just part of the everyday socially "acceptable" verbal repertoire.

 

[Treblaine]

Double standards. They can have the N-word. [sarcasm]What if from now on, anyone who breaks into my property will get a warning or a shot depending on his colour [/sarcasm]. After that sentence double standards don't seem so good now, do they?





Also, by your logic the fact that I have an ambiguous sexual orientation allows me to use the word "gay". Because I am protected under your double standard.

They don't "have it", I can say "******" I just can't call black people that. Because that is OBVIOUSLY inflammatory!

You get that? RIGHT? How things are inflammatory? Context! WHO says WHAT to WHOM! This is why words are not actually banned. The n-word is not banned, what is banned is racial threats which are up to the courts to decide, not a dictionary. The law is not so pig-headed and inflexible as you'd like to assume.

What the hell does all that have to do with breaking into people's property? What is the relation between the crime of burglary and the history of slavery and racism? REALLY! There is nothing! The way you should treat and intruder in your home should be based on the tangible and actual threat they pose, not judge by skin colour. Like if they have a weapon, or many accomplices, or if they are advancing on you threateningly.

Also, it's not a double standard because "gay" is not and offensive term as homosexuals have used it to self-indentify. However "******" is, it IS inflammatory to call a gay person a "fag" or "******" for how it incites hatred and difference. But not for one person who is unambiguously gay to say to another.

 

[Instant K4rma]

I'm just going to say this: the day western society gets over this ridiculous notion that certain words are inherently "bad" will be a good day indeed.

I could not agree more.

How we ever came to the point of deeming simple words to be "off limits" or "inappropriate" is beyond me.

 

[DSQ]

I just saw the tweets, you would think we were all in highschool still. I'm very disapointed in Notch (for handling this like a child) and Yogscast. Even if I have my doubts that YC really did act that badly I'm really disapointed in how this has been handled.

If Notch must really think of the children why didn't he think of all the kids who look up to him and YC, my brother included.I'm not gonna say somthing like he will be 'heart broken' (because thats stupid) but he will be really dissapointed to see them fighting like this.

You would think no one had heard of being discreet.

 

[dagens24]

The whole concept of curse words is horribly draconian; the context of an expression carries so much more weight then the word used.

 

[Jazoni89]

Wow, this is a issue...

My parents used to swear in front of me all the time as a child, it never hurt me.

Seriously, the amount of cotton wooling these kids are being given is insane, they are in Vegas for christ sake!

 

[ElPatron]

The way you should treat and intruder in your home should be based on the tangible and actual threat they pose (...) Like if they have a weapon, or many accomplices, or if they are advancing on you threateningly.

That is not related to my point at all but some places have what the Americans call the "Castle Doctrine".

It has nothing to do with skin because you might not be able to determine the criminal's colour or if he is armed or not, if he is facing you or not, etc. Just shoot at center mass and call an ambulance later.

 

[Alistair Crook]

I'm fairly ambivalent on the whole matter, but it doesn't seem like as much of an overreaction if certain people had been pissing around the whole time as Notch has revealed (Operative word if, I hasten to add)

 

[Crazy]

No need to swear near the kiddies. Do you people swear at your parents just because they know what swears are?

If you say yes then you should put soap in your mouth.

 

[The Funslinger]

You using "that's gay" to describe things that are merely pathetic rather than of a same-sex screwing thing... that is homophobic.

Why has the black culture transformed the n-word into something that does not carry the old pejorative meaning but we can't take the homophobic out of "gay"?

I don't get mankind at all.






Anyway, Notch probably reacted this way to save face and not be associated with people who swear in front of children.

"Gay" isn't homophobic. It was a word chosen by the gay community (as the original meaning meant happy and freespirited) because homosexual was very clinical and it was during the time when it was seen as a mental illness. Queer, on the other hand has always been pejorative, though arguably the gay community changed that with chants like "we're here, we're queer. Get used to it!"

 

[asacatman]

This is kinda of gotten complex due to the recent tweets from Notch...If they're true then the Yogscast have clearly done something wrong, but then I can't see them doing things like that as they just seem really nasty...um...

I think it was not a good move on Notch's part to post this on twitter, because he's bound to cause a shitstorm and create tension, when it should have just been handled quietly. That's one of the dangers of a platform like twitter where in a few seconds you can type something incredibly inflammatory, and there's nothing that you can do if you change your mind.

Ultimately Notch is perfectly fine (and morally right) if he doesn't want to work with the Yogscast anymore, but there's no need for this infantile tirade of insults, especially coming a few days after minecon, wich was such a great moment for Minecraft.

This exposes the need for game developers, and people who are going to give interviews in the games industry, to be properly media trained, because stuff like this shouldn't happen.