Anti-Gay Slurs at BlizzCon concert? - Page 8

On October 28 2011 13:35 McKTenor13 wrote:
Stop being offended by things. Seriously it creates more problems than if people just let it be

On October 28 2011 13:22 Brettatron wrote:
It's not hard to think that someone might have felt uncomfortable after some 15000 people just cheered when a guy on screen called you a cocksucker.

On October 28 2011 12:01 Brettatron wrote:
I've lost faith in this board. For months and months I've read fewer and fewer threads. Why? Because the quality is going down more and more. We all knew it would happen.

But now this. You are ignorant. You scan over a thread and think you know everything about it. You don't bother to think about OTHER PEOPLE or what their situation may be. No, this is not about the use of the words cocksucker or some such. Words are words, we can all agree. What this is about is alienating a group of people. Maybe it is because this is a majority Starcraft forum but the amount of ignorance displayed here is mind boggleing.

My beef is not with the word cocksucker. Not with the word gay. Not with the word faggot. My beef is for the frenzy these words, used in a certain manner can incite. It is NO secret that the horde outnumber the alliance. When you get some 25000 people together there starts to be a bit of a mob mentality. People scream and shout because others are screaming and shouting. When one person gets put on screen insulting the alliance with a stream of expletatives what do you think the rest of the horde-aligned people are going to do? Cheer, scream and insult, which is precisely what happened.

Now, at Blizzcon there is no separation by faction or game or anything like that for the people there. This means that peppered throughout the crowed were alliance only people. I imagine these people knew it was a joke. But imagine this, a girl sitting with a couple of friends, wearing a moonglade t-shirt, who plays a night elf main. All of a sudden the ENTIRE CROWD is cheering about hatred for the alliance and yelling insults. Knowing a little about mob mentality, I imagine she might get a little scared, since the crowd is predominently male. Not insulted because someone went on screen and acted immature. Scared. Scared that the frenzy created might get out of hand. Again, the crowd was predominently male, aged 18-25. That demographic isn't known for always keeping a level head.

THIS is the problem with what Blizzard did. They incited a frenzy with anti-alliance sentiments. This extends BEYOND the game. This is not "just a game" anymore. Now real people are feeling scared and alienated just for being there. Make no mistake, this is a real feeling. In atleast one case there was actual violence against a person simply for displaying alliance symbols:

Example

I believe there was another incident as well, but I do not have that link off hand. I have also heard anecdotes of people displaying alliance affiliation having random insults and jeers directed towards them.

Ultimately, the above example was the fault of the two boys. But if Blizzard hadn't evoked such emotions with their video and cheering perhaps it would not have happened. Obviously the kids were running on adrenaline (I hope, I hate to think such delinquents are apart of our humble community). Perhaps if the frenzy weren't initiated they would have run around wooping about how awesome the foo fighters were instead.

The offense is not from the guy from the video. He was immature and it was a bit ridiculous. The offence is from the fact that Blizzard did not stop to consider what this might cause. The lack of empathy shown makes me sick. You people make me sick.

Cue the trolling, I have come to expect no less around here. #MartyrForTrolling.

On October 28 2011 13:39 BoX wrote:
I was going to ask you if you're serious.. But I think that you're being serious.

I was not there so I can't really comment on whether or not someone might've gotten scared in the crowd. Maybe some people did get scared. Hell, you know what, you're probably right. I think that those people have learned not to expose themselves to such a situation in the future. Nobody died, right?

Do you suppose that there should be a disclaimer or a sign at the entrance to this general area that says "People may become excited and cheer. If this alarms you, please stay to the outer perimeter where you can exit the premises if deemed necessary"

I don't think it's okay to dumb down events so that the feeble minded individuals feel safe. I think I should excuse myself from this discussion though. I took the training wheels off my bike pretty early in life. Also, I'd crush any individual member of the Alliance whom I saw trembling in fear or standing in a puddle of urine.