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
Terry Pratchett’s dwarves read gragazines,
If you read them after flying they’re jetlagazines,
Kids on playgrounds like to play with tagazines,
For advice on smelting metal, I read slagazines,
In pants that are loose they’re sagazines.
On the (sort of) bright side, at least your anecdotes happened. It’s interesting how when men (or people he perceives as men) tell him stories, he is willing to acknowledge that the things in question happened in some form, though as evil feminist manginas you are obviously interpreting those events all wrong, but when women (or people he perceives as women) tell him stories, he just ignores their comments altogether.
Actually most misogynists will gladly admit there hatred towards women on the internet, I did say most not all but then is his how we conduct law? He is because he denies he is? Was it those pictures that did it for you? Excuse me for I did not know you where qualified for this line of work Doctor.
This article was just as weak as the game itself, you hand-picked the shit out of his twitter comments and then didn’t even follow up with any evidence you just wrote “This is what I think because there’s so many other smiler cases.”
Also that steam thing is supposedly satire but nobody cares, I’m not changing any minds with this because we all chose our sides just remember I said that we have no proof he hates women just like I have no proof he doesn’t. Now call me misogynist because I refuse to hate someone with no valid reasons to hate said person. I dislike said person and I will hate him when you give me actual evidence. TFVOR
Nah, I’m just gonna call you an idiot for not seeing what’s right before your eyes.
ಠ__ಠ
Won’t anybody talk about the institutional discrimination against yellow-haired people? The… malliakitrinodry! (kitrino=yellow in Greek, mallia=hair) kitrinody?
Now I just need to find someone who use this word, in any context, even fiction, and maybe find another anecdota and my work will be complete.
OK, can someone please explain to me why there’s such a strong connection between sexism and shitty grammar?
Well that’s another 300 pages i’m not going to read. @.@ Unless there’s something I missed that was awesome?
Sorry I’m late, I got absorbed by a quagazine.
…All the good ones were taken, okay?
@ CassandraSays – because of misandric English teachers, I guess.
Poor Kirby’s ghast has been flabbered. Snark in Peace, Kirbywarp 🙁
Just reading through the zillion comments from overnight. Its just surreal…..
All I keep thinking is the kind of joking I’ve seen go on between guys at work, guys who are my friends…and the jokes often have some very sharp edges. And they happily sling the insults and jokes back and forth. Its jokes and insults you wouldn’t hear between female friends and would be percieved as mean by women. Every once in a while, you’ll notice a guy who doesn’t participate as much, that’s probably the guy who is bothered. And the other guys will lay off.
I’ve asked why guys do this…I was told that this is just how they bond. Nothings meant by the cruelty and one upmanship of the joking and every guy expects a zinger right back.
Obviously not all men or boys are going to enjoy that kind of experience, and some of them might find it quite hurtful.
I have to say though…I find it doubtful that the teachers’ jokes even appraoched the kinds of joking that goes on between men some days.
Steele its okay to have been deeply hurt and to acknowledge that you were put off from pursuing an interest. Its not okay toi assume that every man and boy is going to have the same reaction or to blow up when other people (Kirby) says it doesn’t bother them.
“Well, yes, of course malliakitrinodry is certainly a thing free of context” — Dr. Unimaginative, Professor of Things Unrelated to Context
Go for it, Kyrie!
Here are my two favorite Steele quotes:
“I made no claim regarding institutional misandry.” 10:58.
“Well, we’ve sort of hit a wall here, because I don’t believe misogyny is all that pervasive, and I believe misandry is institutional.” 11:42.
This is some Heisenberg shit. We can acknowledge his position on misandry, and ask for evidence on his position, but not both at the same time.
Ahahahaha! Only Steele has had his dreams quashed by teachers. Oh noes!!!
Listen, when I was a kid, all I wanted to be was a great painter. I was told by my parents that there was no point because I’d starve.my brother was encouraged ( read given paints and tools and books and praise) to pursue the arts because graphic arts pays moderately well, but for me it was “just a hobby” I was really interested in Rennaissance painters and wanted to find some women painters as role models. I went to the library to research and there were NO WOMEN painters in any style to be found. (They do exist as I found out with Google many years later).
I went to art class, and continually found that the boys were given more time and attention by teachers who wanted to encourage their efforts. When I looked around, it was boys being given formal art tutoring, expensive between the cost of supplies and tuition. But their sisters who also wanted to take lessons? Sent to week long arts and crafts summer camps. Paint and clay and stone is for boys, and only men become great masters of art. And these are the only arts worth pursuing. Its never stopped me from drawing or painting.
Well, I did find a place where women are plentiful as role models. In the traditional arts of embroidery and weaving. True masters of artistic expression and a vast history of development. So that’s what I pursued. But guess what? No one teaches those arts in school, no womans name is ever mentioned for the glory of working with needle and thread, and almost no one knows how to teach those skills. Its a nearly dead art that very few mourn the passing of. I’ve been teaching myself for over thirty years, the techniques, the color theory, the fundementals of design and the history. Once I started embroidering people were willing to pay attention to my sketches, because now they’ll be put to an appropriate (feminine) use. When I started embroidering, my creativity was seen as having some merit, decorating the home. I sold my work to earn the money to continue buying the books I needed to learn and the supplies I needed to practice. I got paid a few diollars for each piece, because “its just a hobby” at craft fairs. Painters get paid a couple hundred dollars for moderately decent paintings at the local art galleries, and it probably takes them far fewer hours to complete.
I can do with needle and thread things men can do with paint and brush. My paintings are worth nothing in most peoples eyes, my embroidery is seen as better (because its a feminine hobby). But if I were to suggest to most folk that I pursue a true art form, I’d be laughed out of town.
Your teacher was full of shit Steele. And had you stopped to look around your local library it would have been blatently obvious. In fact, a great many female writers had to assume masculine pen names to get their works published, and because everyone thought they were male, their works became literary masterpieces.
I had to order books and supplies form overseas. I had to teach myself everything I know because people weren’t willing to waste time and resources on a girl. I had to sell my work and get a job to buy my own supplies and tools because what I do is “just a hobby” for decorating the house.
Where are the arts classes that teach the traditional arts of womens creativity? Where are the galleries that feature weaving, embroidery, quilting or lacemaking? Can you name even one woman who created a textile masterpiece? Do you even know the name of one style of embroidery? One technique for weaving? No?
One teacher treated you like shit Steele. And that sucks. I’ve had everyone in my life treat my work as inconsequential, time wasting, unduly expensive and unworthy of public notice. Unless of course, they want a pretty picture for their house, which I am expected to hand over free of charge. And this is the PREVALENT attitude towards women who want to pursue a career in the arts.
Things that are more interesting than “engaging” with Steele — researching when he’s actually not been posting. It seems his first appearance was July 7, 2012 at 4:22 pm (blog time), and he was around until 5:52 pm. Then took a ~6 hour break until 11:14 pm, and then a ~9 hour break until July 8, 2012 at 8:19 am. After a ~7 hour break he hit it off in this thread on July 8, 2012 at 3:09 pm, where he managed to cause 10 pages to appear before July 9, 2012 at 1:13 am. At which point he went away for ~10 hours, until July 9, 2012 at 11:32 am, and after another ~5 hour break he was back at 4:38 pm, and stayed until 11:56 pm.
In short, this is the longest he’s been gone since he got here — and either he doesn’t work/is on vacation, or doesn’t sleep; either that or he has some sort of dimensional portal that allows him to do both while posting here nearly non-stop for 10 hours. The All About Steele show is very boring, when it isn’t infuriating.
Snowy — “Is Steele a dalek?” — I don’t think a Dalek could go 10 hours without resorting to EXTERMINATE! (That dimensional portal could be a weeping angel quantum lock though…*shudder* keep watching him guys!)
And Kirby, you can’t be dead, you’re the impossible to kill character remember? Just puff up a few more times (or inhale an owl or something…omgs, please inhale Owly…)
Dracula:
The Great TS Debate alluded to upthread topped 1500. Believe me, it haunts me to this day.
VoIP: I was about to post some corrections about Antietam. You beat me to it.
The total dead for Antietam was about 3,700.
Anyone who says Vietnam was the costliest use of the Draft EVAH! has never looked at France, ca 1794-1815.
Oh we’re discussing arts now? Excellent derail!
I have no idea (besides “it’s girly”) why embroidery, lace-making, etc are not considered fine arts, they produce beautiful results — my studio art minor including sculpting a shoe out of wire, but no non-canvas fabric. I paint, and sew by hand, the former is definitely faster, and less painful, I don’t think I’ve ever even sort of injured myself painting, but I’ve definitely sewed my fingers to my fabric more than once (thimbles, I really must learn to tolerate them).
I’m pretty sure pecunium weaves btw. (And this “artist” is swooning at pillowinhell being a lace-maker, that’s just too lovely an art form to die out)
O HAI pecunium, I was typing that bit about thinking you weave while you were posting apparently. (This thread is beyond ridiculous, let’s derail it with art!)
I use embroidery to produce laces. I’ve tried tatting, but I need to see it being done..the books I have are not helping. I get the same results as crocheting..a big tangled mess!!!
Still, needle weaving, hardanger and even a simple button hole stitch can produce some very nice results.
I’d love to go to Venice, where they still produce gorgeous laces using bone bodkins!!!unbelievably fine, stunning work!!!
Also want to see Japan. And spend about a decade learning the traditional embroideries. I found a second hand Japanese embroidery book! Squeeeee! So excited to try it!! AND I found a local shop that sells silk embroidery supplies and will order anything I want!!!!!!!!
Re: Taiping Rebellion
Both sides did use conscription tactics. Taipings often went into villages to compel local people to serve. The Qing army , on the other hand, was pretty much all compulsory. Manchu noblemen served in the cavalry and the sharpshooter brigades as part of the requirements of their position, and most of their frontline infantry were Han conscripts. Most of the navies of both armies was simply stolen from private shipowners and repurposed.
However, the single most disastrous example of the draft was, by far, the Soviet Army in WWII. Universal conscription had been in effect since 1925, so there was no distinction whatsoever between volunteers and draftees. Soviet forces suffered approx. 9-10 million casaulties, beating out every other example of the draft in world history by a mile.
Steele, it you’re still reading, please, please try to make the case that Stalin’s USSR was institutionally misandrist. It would make you my most favorite troll ever.
Steele: Why, I’ll bet not one person on the forum has received a death threat for engaging in presumptuous denial of men’s experiences.
The fuck does that mean?
I’ve gotten death threats for speaking out about feminism. So, if I am parsing your general thrust, then yes, I have.
Next.
Now, if I started a major blog focused on men’s issues, you’re damn right I would expect a lot of bile. Death threats, and the like. From feminists.
Expect away. It’s not going to happen. I can pretty much guarantee no one is going to make a game of beating you up.
Do you think what happened to Anita is epically disgusting, since you think my teacher was “especially” disgusting?
Of course I do. Online harassment is never okay.
Then why, if it’s, “especially disgusting”, have you been saying it’s not such a big deal; certainly not worth our ire, because it’s, merely “whimsical”.
Do you often find especially disgusting things to be whimiscal?
VoIP, I’m not doing your research for you. Email a prominent MRA blogger. They likely keep quiet about it.
Nonsense. They have been known to take milder rhetoric, and say it’s an attempt to oppress them. More to the point, you made the claim. You have to defend it, that or accept her finding that no such actual threats took place. You can’t say, “I am sure they did, but they keep quiet about it,” and get any traction.
Any more than you would believe me if I told you Paul Elam secretly thinks women are being fucked over by the system and is trying to make the more actively misogynist men look like laughing stocks because he’s a closet feminist.
Go ahead, prove the negative.
I do not deny your experience. I’d ask that you extend to me the same courtesy, when I tell you I was emotionally damaged by a verbally abusive, misandrist female authority figure in similar (albeit probably more extreme) circumstances.
No one is denying your experience. They are disputing your conclusions.
It’s not that no one here will “admit” some men get screwed. It’s that when we do (for we have) you ignore it. The same way you ignored Kirby, and are ignoring VoIP (one death dude… you can do it…).
You don’t argue in good faith. You move goalposts, you say the examples of people who were doing things they said was exactly what you said didn’t happen don’t count and you can’t find one example of the plethora you say any man who speaks against feminism can expect.
Then you whine that no on agrees with you.
I can’t imagine why.
Ithiliana: Men as individuals can be horribly hurt–and the more they don’t fit the hegemonic masculine ideal, the more they can be hurt and harassed–and while mostly by men (gender policing is often done most intensively in the gender group),
Truth. I wear kilts. The only people who ever give me greif are males (usually in the 15-20 range). I stepped out of the house last week and a group of teens started to make fun of me. One of them going so far as to pretend he couldn’t keep his feet from the laughter. Telling them to go ahead and laugh, I didn’t care, pretty much shut them up.
I’m not in their peer group, and so they had no ability to influence me, and it stopped.
That sort of thing has been enlightening. It was harder when such people were, sort of, in my peer group, but there are advantages to having been non-conforming in a larger community, where I had outside sources of validation.
Steele: The people who ridiculed me weren’t.
They were feminists.
I’m going to hold you to the same burden of proof you demanded of Kirby (that seems fair, you established the burden, so it ought to apply to you as well).
Did you interview them? Did you ask them about their motives? Did you enquire as to the basis they used to intentionally ridicule you? Did they say that they were 1: feminists, and 2: it was feminism by which they justified ridiculing you because 3: you were male.
If you did all that (and got some records, because at this point I don’t really trust you all that much; with contact data) then you have a defensible claim that feminism induced some episodic misandry.
If you don’t… cool story bro.