So Anita Sarkeesian, who apparently didn’t run off with all her Kickstarter money to found a Misandist Gynarchy in the wilds of Canada, has released the first video in her Tropes vs Women in Video Games project. (I’ve embedded it below.)
Naturally, this is causing great consternation in certain corners of the Internet (*cough* Reddit *cough cough* everywhere else that misogynistic nerds congregate *cough*). In the Man Boobz forum, Katz has started a contest to see who can find “the whiniest, brattiest, most entitled response” to Sarkeesian’s video on the Internet. So far Katz and Myoo have found a couple classic comments from irate Sarkeeianaphobes:
[H]ow does one go about stating that genders and gender roles are social constructs? I mean is evolution nothing to her? Does the patriarchy make male peacocks dress provocatively?
Yes. Yes it does.
And:
I’m gradually losing respect for the opposite sex. I’ve unfollowed people on tumblr who talk about how great she is, because it actually causes bile to rise in to my throat.
Yeah, that’s a totally reasonable response to a woman making a video about video games.
So anyway, I’m thinking we should bring the contest over here.
See what you can find! Consider it a sort of scavenger hunt.
Here’s my contribution, from the Men’s Rights subreddit, complaining that Damsels in Distress are the truly privileged ones:
Amazingly, this acutally got called out on r/mr as being pretty damn stupid.
Also, I have another question, to add to the stack of other questions I’ve been asking lately: Just why do you think so many guys get so angry when girls and women invade what they consider a male sphere, like gaming? (Also, why do they consider gaming to belong to boys and men?)
Oh, and here’s the video that’s causing all this hubbub:
Then I guess they’ll have to invest in Reynolds aluminum like you apparently do.
Get over yourself.
@Kitteh, I’m living in York at the moment because I’m at the University of. And I’m studying History so as you can imagine I’m firmly on team York Minster when it comes to Richard III.
We actually had a lecturer have a bit of a rant about in one lecture a few weeks ago. About how Richard would never have wanted to be buried in Leicester. He had very little connection with it, but he was married at York Minster and his son is buried there.
I think Leicester are really hoping to keep him as a tourist attraction, as no offence to Leicester but they haven’t got much else going for them. York however has ALL the history and ALL the pretty buildings medival, victorian and georgian buildings and cobbled streets and city walls.
Basically everyone should visit York because it is gorgeous and full of history. However we do tend to be flooded semi-regularly because the river Ouse (pronounced Ooze) runs through it.
Also we have ALL the ducks and geese. Though they mainly live on the University campus.
Sorry Joe, it’s a nice effort but you’re just going to have to step up your game if you want to win.
So men are a violent mob that needs pacifying with fantasies about killing things or else they’ll actually start killing things.
Wow, First Joe really hates men.
Millions of people? All playing fantasy games to escape feminism? I’ve been playing fantasy games for a while now with people of all genders, but I can’t say I’ve ever heard that reason for gaming before. That’s some pretty crappy gaming motivation right there.
I didn’t know these things were mutually exclusive. So if there’s a fantasy game that doesn’t objectify women or marginalize minority groups, you can’t escape into it? Killing dragons and ancient skeleton warriors just doesn’t have any bite unless you’re allowed to be a prejudiced prick? Methinks you’re less worried about video games being “ruined” and more concerned about being allowed to be an asshat.
@the first joe
Ok, someone correct me if I’m wrong, because I don’t know what he’s talking about that happened in North Africa, but it seems kind of skeevy to be comparing something that happened in real life (that I’m assuming was more serious) to the fact he might loose his video game porn.
So I’ve learned my lesson about trying to engage First Joe, who apparently couldn’t be bothered to read the 8 responses left for him in the day between his fist comment and his second.
@ Do Re: I’ve only been aware of this site and reading it for a couple days now, and have been “enjoying” (not really enjoyable, but interesting, are the articles) myself very much. For the most part, what comments I have read have been fine enough. They haven’t so far seemed to be hijacked by bitter trolls and the like, so that’s good. And the rest of the comments have been more or less thoughtful and such. But what I’m seeing in the comments on this post is pretty disappointing. I’ve gone through four to five pages of comments, scrolled down and scanned each page, and so far, the majority of the comments seem to be a damn conversation about SHOES. Frustrating, but also kind of funny, because it’s such a cliche’! Instead of focusing on the topic at hand, which I find to be extremely interesting and even important, as I am a female gamer and have been since the age of twelve, there’s an extended back and forth about SHOES!!! Grrr.
Now, the reason for the reply being to you is because, in the midst of the mass of shoe-talk, I’ve read a few that so far seem to be you defending yourself against some lady (I assume, I mean, c’mon) who jumped on your case for using the word “female” instead of “woman”, because, to HER, it is too clinical sounding or some such nonsense. Your comments that I’ve read so far seem to be completely polite and sensible. I just scrolled up to read some more to inform myself further for this reply to you and found this:
“No need, I’ll leave, the only thing this place has done is confirm the behaviours the MRA ascribes to women. Don’t worry, I would never tar all women with the brush you provide, but obviously trying to change my ways and all it’s best not to interact with women that perfectly epitomise everything the MRA says about women. If I don’t give you special privileges I’m a misogynist, that’s ridiculous. I just hope less women share this view than the MRA would have you believe.”
That bums me out, but I don’t blame you in the least. I was thinking to myself “Geez, FEMALE, way to be a nitpicky nag and rude this guy out of here!” I would advise you, if you are trying to change your ways (unless you’re a total dickhead, why should you?), please DO NOT pay any mind to this female. I share the same gender as she but other than that I havenothing in common. Such behavior on her part is off-putting and disappointing to me as well. Sadly, yes, she DOES epitomise everything MRAs bitch and moan about, but in my experience, she’s not the norm. She’s the female equivalent of an MRA. Again, from the FEMALE team or whatever, I apologize on her behalf. It really irked me to have some stranger jump all over another stranger about the use of the word FEMALE to describe a FEMALE! SMH. Especially on a site like this, which, at least where the actual articles is concerned, is great for bringing up necessary conversations. Too bad this conversation has had page after page drowning in talk about SHOES. SHOES, people!
No, and MRA jerk didn’t hijack the conversation, but something entirely different BUT JUST AS LAME, did. Sorry, dude. Er, MALE. Sorry entire world! The internet is so often a sad irritation at least.
I’m late to the game but youtuber ” Joshua Allan spammed the shit out of the comments section of an (also bad) youtube response of this partner called MrRepzion. I was reading down trying to comment but I kept being bombarded with this nonsense about his boner and PETA. It was so annoying. And I was replied to way too quickly and aggressively with nonsensical replies that I just gave up. But at least I can share this gem with anyone who checks back
http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=la9i2np0WTU (find “Joshua Allan” for all 82 of his bizarre comments)
@Pentapus1024 Bless, did we talked about things that interested us rather than you? OMG, have we let the sisterhood down by talking about SHOES?!
As for the use “females”, go read Feminism101 before accusing one of us of being a “nitpicky nag and rude”.
In other words, weak tone trolling. Try harder.
@Jessay That is a gem – he could have summarised the whole four paragraphs of screed as “waaah, my boner!”
@titanblue there was a point where he actually devolved into, and this is a direct quote,
*delurks for a moment*
It isn`t too hard to imagine a world without video game escapism since there was in fact a world without video games in the not so distant past. What an utterly stupid troll.
@Pentapus1024 (who is probably long gone but eh):
Maybe it’s worth asking yourself why other women talking about shoes and taking pleasure from it bothers you so.
Hey Pentapus: nice case of Special Snowflake you got there.
So sorry (not really) the convo isn’t up to your high standards, but this is a community. Too bad you hate to see people getting along.
Perhaps this isn’t the place for you.
Temple and Arch, Pentapus is a special snowflake.
I suggest that you guy and lie in the sun outside, you’ll melt and leave us all alone.
Speaking of Temple and Arch, has anyone been listening to the radio dramatization of Neverwhere on BBC Radio recently?
Top anyone who hasn’t, I heartily recommend it, the cast is incredible (James McAvoy, Natalie Dormer, David Harewood, Sophie Okonedo, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, Bernard Cribbens) and the voice acting is brilliant. Benedict Cumberbathc as the Angel Islington and Sophie Okonedo as Hunter are brilliant.
Seriously this cast is just so perfect, I want a TV mini-series with them all.
You can stream it off the BBC website from anywhere in the world so you could all listen to it.
So I’m just remembering that this was a CONTEST, but David doesn’t appear to have declared a WINNER. Harumph.
Yeah, but you just know the reward was conceptual. Friendship!! (link SFW, despite being Oglaf)
historophilia, that sounds AMAZE.
This is a pretty funny conclusion to a conversation, This man apparently has an issue with reading comprehension. Oh youtube.
http://24.media.tumblr.com/de2b179db10d0b35dcab25c3f5e05eb4/tumblr_mk8nn42VvZ1qzfyf3o1_500.png
Shame on us for talking about shoes. If we were as awesome as Pentaprat we wouldn’t need shoes, since snowflakes don’t have feet.
Laughed very loud on the bus.
And shame on us for daring to suggest that calling women “females” is demeaning. Oh, the snowflakism of not needing to be included in the human species if doing so upsets the poor delicate menz!
Bagelsan it is amazing, I have now developed a major voice crush on Sophie Okonedo.
It’s just so… husky…
Did drive-by troll spend all those words whining about someone saying you use male and female or man and woman, not man and female? Seriously?
Oh right, and shoes, sorry. Should the welcome package include shoes?
If you give me a budget I will pick out perfect shoes for all newbies.