Yesterday I wrote about a vile online game in which players were invited to “beat up Anita Sarkeesian,” the feminist cultural critic who’s faced endless harassment because she had the temerity to ask for donations to fund a video project looking at sexist tropes in video games.
The game, which (happily) has been removed from Newgrounds.com, where it was originally posted, was put together by a young Canadian gamer named Bendilin Spurr. On the game’s page, he offered this explanation as to why he created the game:
Anita Sarkeesian has not only scammed thousands of people out of over $160,000, but also uses the excuse that she is a woman to get away with whatever she damn well pleases. Any form of constructive criticism, even from fellow women, is either ignored or labelled to be sexist against her.
She claims to want gender equality in video games, but in reality, she just wants to use the fact that she was born with a vagina to get free money and sympathy from everyone who crosses her path.
That doesn’t really explain much, as asking people for voluntary donations to a video project is a far cry from “scamming,” especially since she’d asked for far less, and that the misogynist backlash to her project began long before she’d collected anywhere near this amount.
It also doesn’t quite explain why Bendilin felt that a Sarkessian-punching game was the best format to make this, er, critique.
Last night, after learning from the comments here that young Bendilin had a profile on Steam and a Twitter account, I decided to peruse both to see if I could find more clues that might explain his foul game.
On his Steam profile, he’s set forth his basic philosophy of life, video games, and how much women suck:
I think it’s just adorable how absolutely no girls are any good at video games, just like how no woman has ever written a good novel. They are nothing but talk and no action, probably because girls are such emotional creatures and base everything they do on their current feelings and then try to rationalize their actions later. How pathetic.
You know what’s priceless? When a gamer girl posts a pic of herself looking as slutty as possible and then throws a fake fit when people talk to her like she’s a whore. What did you think was going to happen, you dumb broad? Lose thirty pounds.
Sadly, these aren’t terribly rare or original opinions for a young male gamer.
Over on Twitter, Bendilin has offered a number of conflicting explanations for why he felt so much hostility for Sarkeesian and her video project that he felt justified in creating a video game devoted to punching her in the face.
There’s the fiscal argument:
There’s the laziness argument:
There’s the rather strange argument that Sarkeesian is not taking the proper time to research the subject, although she has not yet started the project. (Also, one of the reasons she was asking for money was so that she could take the time to research the subject properly.)
The “nuh-uh you’re wrong” argument:
The “she won’t listen to me argument.” Part one: The Lego Incident
And Part 2, in which our hero explains that making a video game about punching someone in the face is a great way to open a dialogue with them:
Naturally, Bendilin, like most misogynists, fervently denies that he’s a misogynist:
Yep, that’s right. The guy whose Steam profile claims that “absolutely no girls are any good at video games” and that “no woman has ever written a good novel,” and who decided to express his criticism for a video project that hasn’t even started by making a video game in which players punch the woman behind it in the face, is angry that anyone might conclude that he hates women.
Well, Bendilin, if you wanted to defend video games and the gaming community at large from charges of sexism, you’ve done a bang-up job of it.
UPDATE: Bendilin is also an artist! Here, Virgil Texas takes a look at Bendilin’s erotically charged Sonic the Hedgehog art.
That last paragraph and the update contained
Women never wrote a good novel? He’s never heard of The Tale of Genji, one of the great classics of Japan. And a lot of people have enjoyed Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Willa Cather, To Kill A Mockingbird …. Then what does he mean by “good”? Is it all just about what he likes?
It’s true. Very few women will reach the lofty heights achieved by modern masters such as John Grisham and Nicholas Sparks. They’ve restricted themselves, by mere misfortune of their biology, to write such base fare as Harry Potter, Frankenstein, The Bell Jar, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
Isabella Allende, Laura Esquivel, Isak Dineson, Mary Shelley ….
Her tropes were debuncted? Well, I don’t see how I could possibly argue with that.
Women can’t write good novels? Apparently he lives in an alternate universe where women only write romance novels and dieting books. That can be the only explanation.
This kid and FF should get together, I bet they could put one hell of a game together. Does this kid think he’s going to to get a job after doing shit like this? If he thinks employers don’t google, he’s wrong.
I’m kind of stunned at the epic tantrums the gamer guys are throwing. The sense of entitlement is both unwarranted and staggering.
I’m going to guess the answer is Gor.
Hey, don’t be dissing romance novels.
He’s right: There are no good girl gamers like there are no good female novelists. I mean, both statements are, in fact, equally absurd.
What? He meant that seriously? What a fool.
(Seriously, I would kill to be able to write novels as poorly as J.K. Rowling. I would sell my soul to be able to write as badly as Madeline L’Engle.)
Like many misogynists, he is all about projection. He’s the one who got so angry about Sarkeesian’s project that he decided to make the game. Now he’s trying to rationalize making such a disgusting game.
I look forward to watching Sarkeesian’s video on tropes vs. women in videogames. I am in awe of her for being so brave and continuing with her project, despite all the abuse hurled at her. I don’t think I’d be strong enough to endure what she has.
Mr. Fecke, your extremist feminism, as well as your belief that women are martyrs, has cost you the right to be taken seriously.
im sure dude is just torn up that he lost the crybaby misogynist vote
i meant you steele. in this scenario (as in most scenarios) you are the crybaby.
@Steele –
Damn. I didn’t know! Can you point me to the MRA Star Chamber ruling stripping me of my right to be taken seriously by misogynists? I’d like to frame it.
As a game designer, I’m ashamed to share a passion and career (unless making games is just a hobby for him) with him.
@Steele,
I don’t think the word extremist means what you think it does.
@Jeff Fecke:
“(Seriously, I would kill to be able to write novels as poorly as J.K. Rowling. I would sell my soul to be able to write as badly as Madeline L’Engle.)”
Where do I get in line for such terrible talent?
—————-
Also, I’m surprised no one has mentioned “A room of one’s own” yet. I have a few problems with the essay, but the basic idea that it is difficult for women to achieve excellence in things they are actively discouraged from doing is bang on. Obviously, not impossible. Woolf herself wrote some damned good stuff without the college education that she craved.
A great-grandmother of mine was the only woman in her med school class, at a time when most women didn’t get BAs, let along MDs.
Not impossible, but “deck stacked against” doesn’t begin to cover it.
(my problem’s with Woolf’s essay is that she basically assumes that there would be a working class still around to support the activities of the rich. Not very highly educated servants, etc. It is a flaw with the piece, but I don’t find it to be so damning as to throw out the basic idea she had.)
“I look forward to watching Sarkeesian’s video on tropes vs. women in videogames. I am in awe of her for being so brave and continuing with her project, despite all the abuse hurled at her. I don’t think I’d be strong enough to endure what she has.”
To be honest, after seeing the backlash and after-effects, I have to wonder how many of those attacks were genuine and how many were engineered to elicit just such a response. One quick way to fame and popularity, after all, is to become a martyr. In this case, by having people be mean to you on the internet.
Right, you can go back to listing women novelists while smugly back-patting each other.
Wow, does Sarkeesian have a lot of Facebook and forum accounts. I mean like thousands. She must have a staff doing this.
Also, you think she’s a rotten liar who just wants attention, you’re saying it right here, so… OH MY GOD. YOU’RE ANITA SARKEESIAN!
@Johnny_M80:
Don’t worry, Johnny, because Kirby is here to ease your confusions. There were 0 attacks that were started by Anita in order to drum up support.
If you’re wondering about any other painfully obvious things, you know where to find me. Cheers! ^_^
“This kid and FF should get together, I bet they could put one hell of a game together. Does this kid think he’s going to to get a job after doing shit like this? If he thinks employers don’t google, he’s wrong.”
Fortunately for him, many employers aren’t rabid feminists and might even agree with him. Unfortunately, they might still pass him up for fear of the shrieking PC brigade descending on them. Such is life.
To be honest, I think you’re an asshole.
Dieting books make better novels than the Left Behind series.
Cliff: Curses! And I would’ve gotten away with it if not for you meddling kids!
kirby: Well, if you say so, alright.
Hey, you girls hurt my feelings. Can I have 160K?