This article was recently forwarded to me regarding sexism within gaming and nerd culture and I found it interesting if not a bit pretentious at times. Now I know it's from a Magic: The Gathering website (StarCityGames) but it seems to apply to gamers in general as he even mentions Sean Plott, Day[9] for supposedly not understanding the weight of some of his words.
"It's 'not gee-dot gee-dot', it's 'GG' you young bitch!"
Try to forgive Day[9] for the above quote if you can find the generosity in your little heart—like most male gamers, he doesn't understand that gendered insults are wrong and off-putting to women. Since E-Sports is even more male-dominated than Magic: The Gathering, he's probably never been encouraged to censor himself in that way.
I think we all know it's in jest and I think the author is making a big deal out of nothing personally, but it's worth thinking about. Perhaps our bias doesn't let us see it as sexist? I'd be curious to know if any females were offended by that quote.
The article seems mainly centered around the now infamous female Gizmodo writer that went on a date with MTG champion Jon Finkel fiasco (the linked article has been edited by the author a few times to make it less harsh, the SCG article details the changes) and what he considers the drastic and embarrassing overreaction from the gamer community and how we're apparently saying it out of sexism.
It is a VERY long article and I personally don't agree with all of it but I feel it was worth reading and would like to discuss it with my fellow gamers.
One thing I was really glad to have found was this article that was linked in the main article. For anyone, gamer or not, that has a passion that sometimes interferes with their significant other or that doesn't have a significant other and would like one I think this (much shorter) article is well worth your read. I think a lot of it is common sense but it's still interesting to read the other side's perspective in full. I picked up a tip or two I intend to apply to my relationship of many years.
Pretty sure he didn't say "you young bitch". I'm checking now but I watched it pretty recently and I don't recall that. I expect it's standard bullshit journalism.
Exact quote (36 mins in)
It really pissed me off, this one girl I dated, I explained to her gg, that you say good game, and she would type it to me on AIM but she would do lower case g, period, lower case g, period. I'm like "that's not how you abbreviate it, it's gg, it's this thing" and she would like do it to poke fun at me. Urghh! So glad that ended. Clearly she does not respect the important things in life.
"It's 'not gee-dot gee-dot', it's 'GG' you young bitch!"
Try to forgive Day[9] for the above quote if you can find the generosity in your little heart—like most male gamers, he doesn't understand that gendered insults are wrong and off-putting to women. Since E-Sports is even more male-dominated than Magic: The Gathering, he's probably never been encouraged to censor himself in that way.
Yeah.. Not going to read an article that long which is, probably in the same way as the Article from the MTG girl, is written just to cause drama and get hits that way, instead of actually trying to make a nonbiased and informative\interesting article.
Someone like Day9 would likely be one of the more respectful people in most communities, I really don't see why they used him as an example. Even as a journalist, why force a bad example when you could probably find better examples. Hell, go to one of the "state of females in esports" things that appear every week on here and every day on reddit and use something some idiot posted on there. It's probably just a misinformed idiot writing it.
Didn't read the article but I think that sexism clearly is a pretty big problem in gaming culture, and in western culture in general. Just look at the TL irc as soon as there is a girl on the stream. It's pretty sad imo.
Youtube clip about 2.30 - 3.30 doesn't say that at all.
So you know. my dissertation is on this subject. sloppy shitty sensationalist journalism that's all about causing crap than telling the truth, keep feeding me evidence you hacks!
Well to be fair, it really does suck being a girl in gaming. My two sisters are very big gamers and they mostly play single player games just to avoid the bullshit from the internet.
And whenever they play MMOs, they always disguise their gender because from experience, they did not receive as much mean sexism as being treated like a goddess. Guys in the guild would get up at 4 in the morning to talk to them, give them lots of gifts, and some other stuff that even I would never ever do for my best friend.
And ignore the Sean Plott thing, I do not think that was the main point of the article.
On September 17 2011 23:44 KwarK wrote: Pretty sure he didn't say "you young bitch". I'm checking now but I watched it pretty recently and I don't recall that. I expect it's standard bullshit journalism.
He did not.
On September 17 2011 23:57 Shiragaku wrote: And ignore the Sean Plott thing, I do not think that was the main point of the article.
Well... It did lose any credibility it could have had in my eyes because of it and I'm sure I'm not alone.
If anyone... and I mean ANYONE who takes a word like "bitch" out of context (implying Mr. Nine actually said that) and becomes offended should just remove themselves from the culture they heard it in.
Also, to those who take words offensively.. unless they're talking about you, or someone you know, there's no reason to get upset, mad, angry, etc. Maybe the person really is a bitch and you just don't know that.
I'm fairly sure it was dumb bitch... Which means the "journalist" has not seen the source material, completely voiding any analysis.
The language may be harsh in gaming culture, but girls are not looked down upon (except for their apparent lack of interest). Would he be sexist if he called a guy wanker or another male derogatory term?
Which he has. No. Shoo, hypocritical troll.
Edit: This was in response to that quote in the OP, since I am not going to provide hits for sensationalist mainstream media trolling.
Yeah, totally dude. If Jon Finkel was gay and his male date had published that kind of article the gaming community would have been soooooo ok with that.
The gaming culture is centralized in already highly misogynistic societies, the US and Europe. How can't there be sexism in gaming? Add to that the hypermasculine sports aura wherein we enjoy feminizing weakness such as calling the opposing players "our bitch" as well as determining cowardice as being "pussies" we end up with a culture that glorifies the masculine and attacks what we conceive to be feminine ideals.
EPT
