WHITE GUY DEFENSE FORCE GO!

[Ishal]

You don't find it funny? Well that is because its making fun of you, and it couldn't be any more blatant about it. The rest of us seem to think its hilarious.

Whoa now; I didn't find this funny. So it's making fun of me, you say? You mean this joke is meant to be a parody of me, specifically?

Because then it's just sad and pathetic, really. I could find the humor in it when it was making a goofy caricature of a non-existent entity, or perhaps a cynical reflection of a distant reality. As long as it wasn't pretending to represent me, that's okay. But to think that people are conflating the absurdism in the comic with myself...?

Please, tell me, enlightened one: tell me what exactly what this is parodying about me? Tell me, please.

You tell me, are you offended? Are any of those caricatures representations of you? The qualities shown in that strip are ones of a very small subset of white heterosexual males who legitimately hold the types of views they are mocking. Many posters here hold those views, and its likely they among others are the reason this strip was made in the first place. Unsurprisingly, they don't seem to find it funny, the poor souls. Wait.. just like you don't find it funny. Hmmm

 

[Sellon88]

Looking at all the post about there being a shitstorm and having none that have come up, as well as some people giving the comic great praise I say this is a fine example on how we've changed on talking about very charged topics, and it's nice we can have something like this not be shitstormed.

 

[Vegosiux]

Nope. The biggest draw to these strips is the comments. I knew this would be like poking a hornets nest, and look at it. Glorious. Simply glorious. It's the same people who always comment and argue in the gender issues and feminism threads. The same people who argue over it, gain no ground, and change nothing. Though some would say they make the forums worse by making it so other topics (potentially more fun, lighthearted ones, are eclipsed) and they may have point. After a while of perusing the topics due to my own masochistic tendencies, certain names/avatars start to stick. One of them got banned in this thread and more might well be on their way. Not bad.

The funniest part? For all the claiming that this is troll/flame bait, its those same people who comment again and again and make this thing go over 1000 posts. What's rule number 1 about trolls again? Oh... right...

See, some posters seem to think Grey is laughing at this and admiring his handy work. Dry washing his hands plotting evil schemes about he can make another one of these to incite flame wars. If he is indeed doing that, it because some of these posters have given him a reason to.

You're right, friend. Come, let us gaze at these peasants from above, and nod to each other while we gaze at our navels, contemplating the truths of the universe they are too puny and feeble to comprehend. They do not actually deserve to be graced by our presence, of course, they're much too lowly and ignorant for that, but someone needs to, in a very roundabout and self-gratifying way, tell them, how they are but mere worms, there for our amusement, and how their efforts to ascend to a higher level of intellectualism will be forever vain and hopeless.

It's a dirty task, indeed, for one needs to associate with these lesser creatures in order to relay the message to them that they are, indeed, lesser, and that greater beings take great pleasure and amusement in watching them squirm. A dirty task, but someone has to do it, and the sacrifices will not be forgotten. But please, we dally too long. We should take our leave, lest we get assimilated.

(Yes, I've been awake for 36 hours and counting, and insomnia is still going strong. AND THIS ISN'T WORKING; EITHER, so I think I need to resort to a documentary about turtles playing on half speed or something)[footnote]Still working on exploiting the "If you're upset at what I'm saying, you're proving me right" line of logic to take over the world, but my fortress of doom is still not completed so I needed to reschedule.[/footnote]

 

[Evil Smurf]

I love this strip so much. I want this on a shirt.

 

[JonB]

Hi, Staff here-

Well that a crummy system-If your going to lock systems you should be consistent on what you lock.
*SIGH*
But the Escapist has always had a bad case of double standard when it comes to contributors compared to the average Escapist user.
*SHRUG*
Still at least we get to watch a fun shit storm so I guess that's a bonus I suppose.
*Chews Popcorn*

We consistently don't lock featured content threads. That's consistency.

We consistently ask that the contributors don't break the forum rules in the forums. That's consistency. You'll note that [user]Grey Carter[/user] has been contributing to this thread, not breaking the rules, for some pages now.

Staff don't want Featured Content threads locked, most likely because it contributes to ad revenue and helps pay the content contributors.

The mods would get in trouble for locking it down, and the staff aren't going to be back in until Monday.

So in the end it comes down to a double standard based around money-contributors and their content/threads make money our's don't so we are expendable.
*EXHALE*
Well that incredibly sad and disappointing I mean I always suspected but still so sad

This is sort of paranoid and weird, folks! Featured content threads are our official commentary. They need to have a life a long time after the piece of content is gone. We don't think it's fair to take that away from users, therefore we don't let them get locked. That's the reason.

Here's a little more depth:
Yeah, they're held to a different standard than regular forum threads. That's how this works. Regular forum threads aren't attached to a piece of content on the site with a years-long lifespan. They can go away, and that's fine. It's disingenuous of us and unfair to you all if we take away the way you have of commenting on our work. We can stipulate how you do it, fine, and ask that you be constructive, sure, but taking away your avenue of speech here isn't something we think is fair.

All of this is to say, that this is precisely why the mods keep sprinkling in posts about how they're just going to warn you for breaking the rules in this thread. That post remind you that nobody's going to say "Whoa! too bad! I'll just lock this thread and hand out a last few warnings." Those posts are really polite. Hell, I made one for you on the first page. That is a special kind of courtesy.

Any other questions?

Spoiler

http://images1.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Hades-Hercules-disney-villains-1024536_720_480.jpg

 

[olza]

Oh look.
stereotypical white males are apparently murderers and racists.
Oh, and lets use an innocent man as a term for murder!
OH! AND LETS ALIENATE ALL THE GUYS THAT JUST WANT TO READ FUNNY VIDEOGAME COMICS!

For fucks sake, man. I'm sick of this shit.

 

[olza]

I don't even get it.

I mean, I get the references... Some of them...

I dunno, is it supposed to be funny or something?

Nope, it's supposed to make you, and all "Cis male scum" feel bad because of some videogame artist's design choice.
Oh, you wanted FUNNY!?
TOO BAD.
Here's an edit that explains the comic.
http://i.imgur.com/HkhEtyl.jpg
I found it funny, maybe you will too.

 

[olza]

Why is Beta a brony? That shit still confounds me.

After encountering about 3 real-life examples of White Guy Beta, I'd say the artist simply drew from reality.

Oh wow, yeah, pigeonhole people because of their interests.
stereotypes are fun right?
just so long as their only directed at white males, though.
Cant stereotype women, ethnic minorities or sexual minorities, because thats evil.
But hey, you HUGE sample size of 3 guys means you're an EXPERT, so I bow to your higher knowledge.

 

[Shadowstar38]

You don't find it funny? Well that is because its making fun of you, and it couldn't be any more blatant about it. The rest of us seem to think its hilarious.

Whoa now; I didn't find this funny. So it's making fun of me, you say? You mean this joke is meant to be a parody of me, specifically?

Because then it's just sad and pathetic, really. I could find the humor in it when it was making a goofy caricature of a non-existent entity, or perhaps a cynical reflection of a distant reality. As long as it wasn't pretending to represent me, that's okay. But to think that people are conflating the absurdism in the comic with myself...?

Please, tell me, enlightened one: tell me what exactly what this is parodying about me? Tell me, please.

You tell me, are you offended? Are any of those caricatures representations of you? The qualities shown in that strip are ones of a very small subset of white heterosexual males who legitimately hold the types of views they are mocking. Many posters here hold those views, and its likely they among others are the reason this strip was made in the first place. Unsurprisingly, they don't seem to find it funny, the poor souls. Wait.. just like you don't find it funny. Hmmm

I'm not white and I didn't find it funny.

Your worldview is broken.

Bow to me, for I am your new God.

WWSD

 

[Imp_Emissary]

I love this strip so much. I want this on a shirt.

Why can't people be more like you Smurf?
The world would be happier I think.

Hi, Staff here-

Well that a crummy system-If your going to lock systems you should be consistent on what you lock.
*SIGH*
But the Escapist has always had a bad case of double standard when it comes to contributors compared to the average Escapist user.
*SHRUG*
Still at least we get to watch a fun shit storm so I guess that's a bonus I suppose.
*Chews Popcorn*

We consistently don't lock featured content threads. That's consistency.

We consistently ask that the contributors don't break the forum rules in the forums. That's consistency. You'll note that [user]Grey Carter[/user] has been contributing to this thread, not breaking the rules, for some pages now.

Staff don't want Featured Content threads locked, most likely because it contributes to ad revenue and helps pay the content contributors.

The mods would get in trouble for locking it down, and the staff aren't going to be back in until Monday.

So in the end it comes down to a double standard based around money-contributors and their content/threads make money our's don't so we are expendable.
*EXHALE*
Well that incredibly sad and disappointing I mean I always suspected but still so sad

This is sort of paranoid and weird, folks! Featured content threads are our official commentary. They need to have a life a long time after the piece of content is gone. We don't think it's fair to take that away from users, therefore we don't let them get locked. That's the reason.

Here's a little more depth:
Yeah, they're held to a different standard than regular forum threads. That's how this works. Regular forum threads aren't attached to a piece of content on the site with a years-long lifespan. They can go away, and that's fine. It's disingenuous of us and unfair to you all if we take away the way you have of commenting on our work. We can stipulate how you do it, fine, and ask that you be constructive, sure, but taking away your avenue of speech here isn't something we think is fair.

All of this is to say, that this is precisely why the mods keep sprinkling in posts about how they're just going to warn you for breaking the rules in this thread. That post remind you that nobody's going to say "Whoa! too bad! I'll just lock this thread and hand out a last few warnings." Those posts are really polite. Hell, I made one for you on the first page. That is a special kind of courtesy.

Any other questions?

Spoiler

[img=http://images1.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Hades-Hercules-disney-villains-1024536_500_333.jpg]

Has anyone told you you're awesome today? If not, that's a shame.
Because you're awesome.

:/ But...The picture is broken....

 

[olza]

You tell me, are you offended? Are any of those caricatures representations of you? The qualities shown in that strip are ones of a very small subset of white heterosexual males who legitimately hold the types of views they are mocking. Many posters here hold those views, and its likely they among others are the reason this strip was made in the first place. Unsurprisingly, they don't seem to find it funny, the poor souls. Wait.. just like you don't find it funny. Hmmm

I'm not white and I didn't find it funny.

Your worldview is broken.

Bow to me, for I am your new God.

WWSD

It's almost as if the comic is perpetuating stereotypes!
It's almost as if...
No, bear with me here...
It's almost as if this comic is only funny to people who dislike people that disagree with them on certain
subjects!
Almost like the creator of the comics wants to cast people with differing opinions to him in a poor light!
Oh well, I'm sure that never backfired or was used wrongly.
Oh wait [http://socioecohistory.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/essence_of_propaganda.jpg] propaganda is a [http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-onuWmM-orps/Tx5WjvTGCCI/AAAAAAAAACA/dykmZIy5hV0/s1600/disunion_proslavery-blog427.jpg] disgusting thing. [http://sefershoah.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/poster-guilty-war.jpg]

 

[knight steel]

snip

Ok I really wanted to stay out of this thread but since you're a staff member and have quoted me I?m going to reply-here?s my opinion on the system and your answer please note that I'm aware that you're probably not gonna change and this just my personal take on things as I want to give you feedback this nothing personal just my observations which could be wrong:

1: Your consistent that good-still a not a nice system but you are consistent so there is that- also I didn't bring up grey carter commenting just the thread locking but since you did let?s talk about it while you do ask contributors not to break forum rules when they do they get in much less trouble than we do I?m sure aware of the Carter porn scandal yes-where he posted porn and got no warning so saying you treat contributors the same when they are on the forum is false and even if we just focus on the video?s they make showing content and the forbidding us to act like they content you show us it unfair yes those video?s make you money that still doesn't mean they should be held to different standard?s That?s not fair.

2: Taking away normal thread is also unfair just as unfair as taking away content thread would be normal threads could have a long content life if you gave them a chance-just because this is the way things work doesn't mean they should stay that way them being put away isn't fine normal thread are just as capable of being used to comment on your work and give feedback so pretending like these type of threads are the only way to do so also comes across as false.

In short this doesn't really come across as you doing this for us but more so just for yourself and trying to pass it off as otherwise-but it is your site and as such you make the rules if you want to have an unfair system that put content/contributors above user?s that your choice and your allowed to make it.

 

[The Wooster]

snip

Ok I really wanted to stay out of this thread but since you're a staff member and have quoted me I?m going to reply-here?s my opinion on the system and your answer please note that I'm aware that you're probably not gonna change and this just my personal take on things as I want to give you feedback this nothing personal just my observations which could be wrong:

1: Your consistent that good-still a not a nice system but you are consistent so there is that- also I didn't bring up grey carter commenting just the thread locking but since you did let?s talk about it while you do ask contributors not to break forum rules when they do they get in much less trouble than we do I?m sure aware of the Carter porn scandal yes-where he posted porn and got no warning so saying you treat contributors the same when they are on the forum is false and even if we just focus on the video?s they make showing content and the forbidding us to act like they content you show us it unfair yes those video?s make you money that still doesn't mean they should be held to different standard?s That?s not fair.

There was a Carter porn scandal?

 

[olza]

snip

Ok I really wanted to stay out of this thread but since you're a staff member and have quoted me I?m going to reply-here?s my opinion on the system and your answer please note that I'm aware that you're probably not gonna change and this just my personal take on things as I want to give you feedback this nothing personal just my observations which could be wrong:

1: Your consistent that good-still a not a nice system but you are consistent so there is that- also I didn't bring up grey carter commenting just the thread locking but since you did let?s talk about it while you do ask contributors not to break forum rules when they do they get in much less trouble than we do I?m sure aware of the Carter porn scandal yes-where he posted porn and got no warning so saying you treat contributors the same when they are on the forum is false and even if we just focus on the video?s they make showing content and the forbidding us to act like they content you show us it unfair yes those video?s make you money that still doesn't mean they should be held to different standard?s That?s not fair.

There was a Carter porn scandal?

oh uhh, nevermind.
Nothing to see here.
move on.

 

[Shadowstar38]

snip

Ok I really wanted to stay out of this thread but since you're a staff member and have quoted me I?m going to reply-here?s my opinion on the system and your answer please note that I'm aware that you're probably not gonna change and this just my personal take on things as I want to give you feedback this nothing personal just my observations which could be wrong:

1: Your consistent that good-still a not a nice system but you are consistent so there is that- also I didn't bring up grey carter commenting just the thread locking but since you did let?s talk about it while you do ask contributors not to break forum rules when they do they get in much less trouble than we do I?m sure aware of the Carter porn scandal yes-where he posted porn and got no warning so saying you treat contributors the same when they are on the forum is false and even if we just focus on the video?s they make showing content and the forbidding us to act like they content you show us it unfair yes those video?s make you money that still doesn't mean they should be held to different standard?s That?s not fair.

There was a Carter porn scandal?

Don't you remember? It was in the special edition of the playboy Marilyn Monroe was in.

EDIT: I just realized I got Jimmy Carter and JFK mixed up. I gotta go get some sleep bro.

 

[The Wooster]

snip

Ok I really wanted to stay out of this thread but since you're a staff member and have quoted me I?m going to reply-here?s my opinion on the system and your answer please note that I'm aware that you're probably not gonna change and this just my personal take on things as I want to give you feedback this nothing personal just my observations which could be wrong:

1: Your consistent that good-still a not a nice system but you are consistent so there is that- also I didn't bring up grey carter commenting just the thread locking but since you did let?s talk about it while you do ask contributors not to break forum rules when they do they get in much less trouble than we do I?m sure aware of the Carter porn scandal yes-where he posted porn and got no warning so saying you treat contributors the same when they are on the forum is false and even if we just focus on the video?s they make showing content and the forbidding us to act like they content you show us it unfair yes those video?s make you money that still doesn't mean they should be held to different standard?s That?s not fair.

There was a Carter porn scandal?

Don't you remember? It was in the special edition of the playboy Marilyn Monroe was in.

EDIT: I just realized I got Jimmy Carter and JFK mixed up. I gotta go get some sleep bro.

That's okay. Our policies were somewhat similar. There is one difference though, I've got more brains.

 

[JimB]

George Zimmerman is only partially Hispanic. Without bothering to look it up, I believe he's also got some Polish in him.

Whatever he is, he's hardly the model of what they're supposed to be deriding.

Uh...Maybe I missed something because of how fast this thread moves, but I don't remember anyone saying he is the model of anything other than shooting unarmed, black people.

 

[JimB]

Isn't the Zimmerman thing moot in this scenario? He's Hispanic, not the cis-hetero white fanboy/jock/hipster types you're parodying.

George Zimmerman is only partially Hispanic. Without bothering to look it up, I believe he's also got some Polish in him.

That's not really the point anyway.

True, but it bothers me when people say he's not white, because he is partially white. He has white very close to him in his ancestry. To say he's not white makes me feel uncomfortable, as if whiteness is an all or nothing thing and his whiteness doesn't count because it's not pure enough.

 

[olza]

George Zimmerman is only partially Hispanic. Without bothering to look it up, I believe he's also got some Polish in him.

Whatever he is, he's hardly the model of what they're supposed to be deriding.

Uh...Maybe I missed something because of how fast this thread moves, but I don't remember anyone saying he is the model of anything other than shooting unarmed, black people.

Unarmed, black people that were trying to beat his head in.
It's amazing how a man can still be seen as guilty after he was given an innocent ruling and then saved a family from a burning truck, sacrificing his anonymity for people he hadn't met before he saved them.

 

[JonB]

snip

I want to give you feedback this nothing personal just my observations

1: Your consistent that good-still a not a nice system but you are consistent so there is that- also I didn't bring up grey carter commenting just the thread locking but since you did let?s talk about it while you do ask contributors not to break forum rules when they do they get in much less trouble than we do I?m sure aware of the Carter porn scandal yes-where he posted porn and got no warning so saying you treat contributors the same when they are on the forum is false and even if we just focus on the video?s they make showing content and the forbidding us to act like they content you show us it unfair yes those video?s make you money that still doesn't mean they should be held to different standard?s That?s not fair.

2: Taking away normal thread is also unfair just as unfair as taking away content thread would be normal threads could have a long content life if you gave them a chance-just because this is the way things work doesn't mean they should stay that way them being put away isn't fine normal thread are just as capable of being used to comment on your work and give feedback so pretending like these type of threads are the only way to do so also comes across as false.

In short this doesn't really come across as you doing this for us but more so just for yourself and trying to pass it off as otherwise-but it is your site and as such you make the rules if you want to have an unfair system that put content/contributors above user?s that your choice and your allowed to make it.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Know that I wasn't trying to pick on you by choosing your posts - others were asking similar questions - yours were simply the latest and therefore most convenient to quote.

1: It's the nature of our relationship with staff and our content types that we don't use the forum system to talk to them about rules, correct. That's how that works and I won't explain it further. As to the behavior in videos, articles, or comics versus behavior on forums dialectic: The site doesn't have rules and isn't a place of public discourse, the forums do and are. Two different beasts, with two different purposes, and two different sets of standards and rules. I'm sure that's not something you want me to belabor explaining to you. I don't think it's unfair for the forums to have rules and moderation aimed at creating an environment of discussion, whereas site content doesn't need those rules because it doesn't have that goal.

2: I apologize if that seems like a disingenuous answer on my part, but that's the truth, and it's uncharitable - to say the least - of you to suggest otherwise. I'd lock them if I thought it was appropriate. Threads that truly deserve to have a long shelf life, that people link to years down the road, aren't filled with flaming, they're filled with valuable resources, links, and discourse. It's simply untrue that threads of flaming and polemic politics deserve to stay around unlocked so people can get into ever-escalating shouting matches and get banned from the forums. Pruning problematic threads is a core principle of forum moderation. These are forums, they require an account and have a real community, that's what separates them from the public comments. That's why we take such a heavy hand in threads like these - we choose not to prune them, so we do a lot of moderation and the mods post a lot to remind people to stay on track. If someone thinks we're doing it for financial reasons, then they severely overestimate the amount of traffic that a forum thread gets.

You can reduce that to, as you say, "Our Site Our Rules," but that's an oversimplification. These are the forums we run. They're separate from, but belong alongside of, the website we run. They're not always pretty, and the rules aren't always simple and don't always come across as "fair," but we think this community is pretty great nonetheless.