So straight white science fiction author dude John Scalzi has created a bit of a hubbub amongst straight white dudes on the interwebs with a blog post called Straight White Male: The Lowest Difficulty Setting There Is. The post, later reposted on Kotaku, is basically an attempt to talk to fellow dudes in their own language about the concept of privilege “without invoking the dreaded word ‘privilege,’ to which they react like vampires being fed a garlic tart at high noon.” (And they do.)
Scalzi’s thesis:
Dudes. Imagine life here in the US – or indeed, pretty much anywhere in the Western world – is a massive role playing game, like World of Warcraft except appallingly mundane, where most quests involve the acquisition of money, cell phones and donuts, although not always at the same time. Let’s call it The Real World. You have installed The Real World on your computer and are about to start playing, but first you go to the settings tab to bind your keys, fiddle with your defaults, and choose the difficulty setting for the game. Got it?
Okay: In the role playing game known as The Real World, “Straight White Male” is the lowest difficulty setting there is.
This means that the default behaviors for almost all the non-player characters in the game are easier on you than they would be otherwise. The default barriers for completions of quests are lower. Your leveling-up thresholds come more quickly. You automatically gain entry to some parts of the map that others have to work for. The game is easier to play, automatically, and when you need help, by default it’s easier to get.
Scalzi should have added “cis” to “straight white male,” but otherwise I’d say that’s fairly spot-on.
Of course, as Scalzi himself points out, life for straight white (cis) dudes is not always peaches and cream. They may have any of a number of disadvantages in life that make things difficult for them. They may have been born poor, or in a war zone; they may have been abused as children or the victim of crime or violence as an adult. Or faced any number of other problems and conditions and disadvantages.
Scalzi deals with this issue a little more obliquely than he could have, noting that some people begin the grand game of “The Real World” with more points than others, and that this can make a good deal of difference.
But do straight white cis males face disadvantages stemming from being straight white cis men? I honestly can’t think of any that have affected my life in any serious way, and these small disadvantages pale in comparison to the many advantages. Yeah, I had to register for the draft when I turned 18. Of course, when I registered there was no draft, and there still isn’t one, and the draft has virtually no chance of being resurrected in the foreseeable future, so I can’t say this requirement has affected my life in any tangible way.
As Scalzi puts it:
If you start with fewer points and fewer of them in critical stat categories, or choose poorly regarding the skills you decide to level up on, then the game will still be difficult for you. But because you’re playing on the “Straight White Male” setting, gaining points and leveling up will still by default be easier, all other things being equal, than for another player using a higher difficulty setting.
Anyway, Scalzi got a lot of responses to his post, many of them from straight white dudes outraged by his assertions. So he wrote a followup taking some of these critics to task. He was particularly amused by the criticism that by “picking on” straight white males he was being racist and sexist.
This particular comment was lobbed at me primarily from aggrieved straight white males. Leaving aside entirely that the piece was neither, let me just say that I think it’s delightful that these straight white males are now engaged on issues of racism and sexism. It would be additionally delightful if they were engaged on issues of racism and sexism even when they did not feel it was being applied to them — say, for example,when it’s regarding people who historically have most often had to deal with racism and sexism (i.e., not white males). Keep at it, straight white males! You’re on the path now!
I am sure there are many gems of obtuseosity in the comments, and in the Reddit thread on his original post. But it’s Friday night, and I have a migraine — which sucks, but it’s not because I’m a straight white cis dude — so I’m going to let you guys find them for me.
EDITED TO ADD: Thinking a bit more about Scalzi’s central metaphor here, and I don’t think it completely works: he assumes that obstacles other than racism, sexism, and homophobia can be explained as the equivalent of having started the game with fewer points. But it you have, for example, a disability, that’s something that makes you life harder every day; it’s more akin to raising the difficulty level than to starting off with fewer points. (Not to mention that you’re likely to face bigotry because of it as well.) This doesn’t erase the privileges a straight white male with disabilities gets from being straight, white, and male, of course, but it does ratchet up the difficulty.
Nanasha — sorry, I don’t really know my *superheros* — good luck finding one though.
Dracula —
“Sadly enough, in the book Arwen wasn’t involved in that scene at all. An elf named Glorfindal carries Frodo across the ford.” ARGH!!!! So really that’s only Arwen in the movies so she can meet up with Aragorn and it’s still all about Aragorn!
“It does in the book, sort of. But I don’t wanna give away too much if you haven’t read it.” — I did read the books but nearly a decade ago now, just give me a hint which army gets there? Or is it the Nazguls doing more damage than they do in the movies?
“And if it makes you feel any better, Sam does join Frodo in Valinor eventually.” — yes, it kind of does; I realize one cannot always go home, but the internet and I have been friendly since I was in grade school (I’m not that young, I’m that much of a geek) so it’s more the part where they’ll never speak again that really bothers me.
“If I remember correctly, Frodo is the orphaned son of a Baggins and a Brandybuck,” — is correct I think; but idk on — “and the Bagginses have some Took ancestry.”
And don’t apologize, I read my brother’s books and they’re 500 miles from me, as I know the movies aren’t that true to the books, I’m appreciating having your brain as a book reference 🙂
Now to try slogging through superbloop’s post…
he’s also sneering at conservatives, thus earning double-super-bonus south park libertarian stupidity points
@Sharculese
At least I can use capital letters properly. At least I use periods. At least I don’t call other people dumb when I can’t even use grammar correctly.
I also actually present this rare, interesting thing known as an “argument”.
ahahahahahaha
wait. sorry
Ahahahahahahah.
does that make you feel better?
sorry if this interrupts your rigorous glue huffing sesh, but could you point out where you did that? i mean, i see a lot of ad hoc generalization, self-righteous chest thumping and imagined victimhood, but arguments… i do not see those in that thought-like thing you extruded.
superbloop —
before the — break: we already covered that class and ability, or disability, also need mentioned, and define “terrible country” — if you mean the places without internet, are they reading the article?
the rest:
“Hell, who says being a white male is easier than being a black female?” LOL!!! *every* black female? (though I think you meant woman of color there) — at least the use of female is consistent with your use of male though.
“Males get their ass handed to them in custody battles. Males don’t make as much money as females in the typical household, at least according to some studies.” — citations needed
“White straight males also can’t blame “the system” for their failures.” — and yet you do
“And anything socialy taboo is disdained, not just transvestites and homosexuals.” — except you don’t even know why “transvestites” was not wtf you wanted to say there…
“But because these inequalities are not part of the liberal agenda, they put on their blinders, and ignore them.” — literally the only equalities you may’ve pointed out both require citations, and are only possible if you’re straight! (eg straight privilege)
Rutee — “Wow, I’m not sure how to explain to you what an asshole you are for even pretending that gender and sexual identity are just ‘taboo’, as if they’re choices. Fuck you.” — I can’t tell if he means transvestite as in cross dresser or trans* — the former kind of is a choice (in that you could just cross dress in private) — he’d really need to figure out the difference before parsing that mattered though.
(FTR, which gender I’m dressed as depends on like, whether the wind is in the west? wow too much LoTR!)
guys im adding hyperdork to superbloops list of known character traits
Actually it’s Saruman. He infiltrates and generally fucks up the Shire, and has to removed by force. Which is part the reason Sam stays behind, to repair the damage.
In the Hobbit it’s mentioned that the Bagginses are descended from Bullroarer Took, who defended the Shire when, during a particularly cold winter, (The Fell Winter) it was invaded by Warg-riding orcs who crossed the frozen solid Brandywine River.
Superbloop’s rantings are to actual arguments as the famous pink slime is to a perfect steak.
Is that so?
There’s the grammar fail.
And there’s calling people dumb. Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out.
If only your argument were as good as you thought it was.
wait or is that dork shaming. am i thinking with my liberal blinders?
“At least I can use capital letters properly. At least I use periods.” — But not commas, semicolons, or a more advanced sentence structure than a sixth grader. Seriously, are you mocking Rutee over what looks like a single typo?
“I also actually present this rare, interesting thing known as an “argument”.” — You call that an argument?
Hey guys look, superbloop said “affermitive” — clearly too stupid to work the internet!!
/snarking at typos
superbloop, where are these arguments you’re presenting? I can’t seem to find them.
Dracula — evil wizard! *grumble*
Cassandra — “Superbloop’s rantings are to actual arguments as the famous pink slime is to a perfect steak.” — and thus yet again I present you with this fine gift of +1 internet.
“Oh, and whenever or not you are transexual.” — lol our trolls make excellent typos, whenever I’m trans…that, almost works for my genderqueer self…it’s also clearly not what he was going for XD
Sharculese — only if hyperdork is always a bad thing, we were having a dorky LoTR discussion before him.
superbloops various grammar and spelling errors aside, how do you look at how i type and not conclude that its affected?
Sharculese — Fry is confused by your last post.
“Yeah, there is. IT’s called “Being a white male”. You automatically get more truck for it. There isn’t a special program because it’s the societal default.”
Legally, no. Culturally, debateable. You could present your argument, I could present mine. But there is no definate evidence that all of the problems blacks have to deal with are caused by racial oppression. Its shades of grey, but you treat it as black and white.
“You’re not good at analogies, are you? I like how you recognize that there are things that make life harder, you just refuse to acknowledge race, sex, or sexual attraction as being important, relative factors. All else being equal, whitey mcstraighterson has an easier time of it.”
I never said they were completely irrelevant. I said they existed for all sexes, races, and taboos. But other factors are FAR more important than these. I could be a gay transvestite black woman, but if I am born rich and have access to good education and health care, then my life is a breeze. Yet these factors are not accounted for in the man’s “difficulty settings”, meerly because they are not particularly Liberal issues.
“This isn’t actually true, men just don’t usually deign to fight for the custody of their kids. When they do, women are usually the primary caretaker before the divorce, but men do better than in the reverse situation.”
Citation? I’m not saying you are lying or wrong, I’m just asking.
“Those studies say who is given the task of spending it for the household, you colossal moron.”
Ah, misunderstanding then. But they do have a higher college graduation rate, and do make more money than males when single, childless, and living in metropolitan areas.
“…oh god, what a fucking horrible thing, to not have the deck stacked against you. WOE TO WHITEY MCSTRAIGHTERSON III.
Plus, you know, they do anyway, they’re just wrong in doing so.”
I’m actually bisexual in the romantic sex. Why are you making judgements about my sexuality? I think you are bigoted!
“Wow, I’m not sure how to explain to you what an asshole you are for even pretending that gender and sexual identity are just ‘taboo’, as if they’re choices. Fuck you.”
Maybe its not the exact definition, but I view anything that causes one to be hated for meerly because it is not socially acceptable as “taboo”. I.E., If 1 person out of a 100 was purple when everyone else is green, and the person was dsicriminated against because being purple is icky, then being purple would be taboo. Also, is it too much too ask for you to remain civilized?
HAAHAHAHA so far from the truth its not even funny.
From wikipedia:
It generally refers to actions not who you are.
Quick call the tone police!!
@Sharculese
The difference is that I don’t call others stupid.
“sorry if this interrupts your rigorous glue huffing sesh, but could you point out where you did that? i mean, i see a lot of ad hoc generalization, self-righteous chest thumping and imagined victimhood, but arguments… i do not see those in that thought-like thing you extruded.”
Self-rigteous chest thumping? Yeah, because you don’t constantly engage in that!
I’m not saying whites, straights, or cises are “victims.” I’m saying that they as well have to deal with social prejudice. I want to focus on striking down on all forms of prejudice, liberals only want to focus on minorities, homosexuals, and transsexuals.
@RK
“Is that so?”
I have not called anyone stupid, nor idiodic, have I? I don’t recall so.
“There’s the grammar fail.”
Which is why I don’t call others stupid.
“And there’s calling people dumb. Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out.”
Smart people can be blinded by their bigotries, too. Smart people can also be wrong, believe it or not.
“If only your argument were as good as you thought it was.”
If only your argument were as good as you thought it was.
See how pointless the statement is?
So as a bisexual person you have never faced discrimination?
I am not sure what “bisexual in the romantic sex” is suppose mean though…
@Shadow: Yeah, that phrase is hideously problematic. I used it just to mirror NWO’s rambling incoherency about creating life, and it still made me cringe.
“I could be a gay transvestite black woman, but if I am born rich and have access to good education and health care, then my life is a breeze” — THE FUCK?! No it isn’t. Expect people to hoot and holler when you leave your house/apt, and then get pissed when you don’t smile on command. And good luck if you ever get arrested, the cops might give you and extra beating (or 3) for the fun of it, trans* prisoners get a shit deal in particular though.
Not that you seem to have worked out wtf transvestite means or anything.
“I’m actually bisexual in the romantic sex. Why are you making judgements about my sexuality? I think you are bigoted!” — and you can’t work out the differences in how people respond depending on whether the current relationship is heterosexual or homosexual? Color me a confused bisexual!
“Also, is it too much too ask for you to remain civilized?” — when you start claiming the lives of people you know nothing about and can’t even use the right terms for are oh so easy? Yes, it actually is, please see the site byline.
@jumbofish: Perhaps he meant bisexual in the romantic sense? Only in terms of romantic attraction that would be biromantic.
1. Enter conversation, making points that have already been accounting for, revealing that you have not paid much attention to it.
2. Insult the people you are newly engaging by implying they are blinkered libruls.
3. Demand the other people be civil.
4. ???
5. Profit!