Like their identical cousins the Men’s Rights Activists, GamerGaters have a bizarre fondness for terrible graphics and “memes” and collages of blurry screenshots designed – if that’s the word for it – to spread their sometimes incomprehensible propaganda.
The graphic above, found on Twitter, is my favorite GamerGate graphic so far, I think, and not only because it looks like a famous old Windows screensaver gone wrong. No, this little graphic wins my heart because it so baldly, if inadvertently, reveals the sheer ridiculous hypocrisy of GamerGaters claims of victimhood, and the intellectual bankruptcy of their #NotYourShield campaign.
In the graphic, as you can see, GamerGate’s mascot Vivian James, the perpetually petulant girl gamer who wants to do nothing but game, tries to fend off an array of accusations and epithets swirling around her. “Cis White Male,” “Misogynist,” “Rapist,” “KKK,” “MRA.”
But Vivian James can’t be any of those things, apparently, because she’s a GIRL. NOT YOUR SHIELD!
While it’s certainly true that Vivian James is not a cis white male, or a rapist or a member of the KKK, it’s also true that she is COMPLETELY IMAGINARY.
Unlike all those GamerGaters who are indeed cis white males, misogynists, rapists, nazis and MRAs.
If you’re trying to change the perception that your movement is made up of a bunch of entitled (and, FWIW, mostly white) manchildren who feel threatened by real women with opinions different from their own, you might want to think twice about using a manic pixel dream girl whose slogan is “shut up and play” as your, yep, shield.
Oh, I know, there are real women involved in GamerGate. But aside from Vivian James and the non-gaming “based mom” Christina Hoff Sommers, and perhaps our friend Cameralady, it’s doubtful even most GamerGaters could name more than one or two, if that.
EDIT: As several people on Twitter have reminded me, I forgot to mention one of the most creepy things about Vivian J. — the color scheme of her sweater is apparently a reference to a really creepy, rapey meme called “piccolo dick.” Which you can read about here, if for whatever reason you want to.
Also: the phrase “manic pixel dream girl,” a reference to the manic pixie dream girl trope, popped into my head partway through writing this. But after posting this I decided to google it to see if anyone else had used the phrase — it seems like a pretty obvious one. And indeed people have. Here’s a cartoon called Manic Pixel Dream Girl, an account of growing up as a female video gamer.
I feel there needs to be a new D&D manual with Social Justice as a new prestige warrior class. Clearly White Knights will be a new paladin class.
Both get an extra roll on loots, where rolling higher than a 6 will enable them to take the loots off the manliest player.
And steal their precious bodily fluids.
You owe me a new monitor and a new keyboard. 😛
The White Knight has the Knight’s Challenge ability, but it only protects feeeeeemale characters.
And each party is compulsorily assigned the Mangina, a class of Bard. Ahead of each boss fight, the Magina rolls and has a 50/50 chance of taking all the intelligence and wisdom from each male character and splitting it equally across all the female characters. Female characters have their save rolls quadrupled in power. Additionally, male characters are silenced for the duration of the fight.
Does a White Knight get saving throws vs disingenuous pissing-on-your-leg-and-telling-you-it’s-raining bullshit? I feel like I could use those when dealing with Gators.
The only downside with the Social Justice warrior is that, each turn, you get a random horde of trolls turning up that you have to fight off.
Argh.
Infantilizing someone isn’t innately ableist. I don’t like it for other reasons, but no, not because of that.
And I have to admit, I feel really weird arguing against this, but the premise of this argument isn’t something I agree with and I really disagree with this being presented as an argument AT ALL, rather than a point of view.
Going to offer apologies all around, if I originally sounded like this. I was expressing an opinion, not trying to tell everyone what to do. (I probably sounded like this. Going to do my best to avoid being pompous in the future.)
Aerinea: I have presumptuously inked and colored.
http://th00.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/300/b/0/sigourney_ride_by_jewelleddragon13-d84bbdu.png
Oh katz, you are the artist I could never be. Great job on the comic. Now to use it as the initial tweet for #FreeVivian
Kirby: Glad you liked it! I was using the hashtag #FreeVivianJames.
You know you can male a fictional advocate for anything, like Beer-smash McManFuck, the straight, cis-male Ultimate Fighter who does not like GamerGate. I suppose he’s less official than Vivian James because I just made him up instead of constructing out of Manic Pixie Dream Girls.
Katz, I love your ink and color job! She looks great!
Makes me wish I had a twitter account so I could retweet. Ah well.
Katz, that is zogging brilliant. Thank you!
Thus Spake Zarastrivingally:
Sigourney Ride is awesome (because Sigourney) but I quite like Evelyn Hupp as well. 🙂
Clearly we need several — and after all, there’s more than one woman who games.
“Hey Viv, you ready for some Borderlands Pre-Sequel?”
“Oh crap. I can’t right now, I’m in a helicopter.”
“You can’t? Viv, we’ve been waiting for practically forever for this did you say helicopter?”
“Yeah, it’s been a weird day.”
“Umm… when will you not be in a helicopter?”
“They say it’s gonna be another two hours.”
“Sure, OK. Go off on a helicopter ride. I’ll just spend the next two hours planning my Athena build.”
“WHAT?!? No fucking way, I called dibs!”
“Sorry Viv, but unless you somehow find a laptop and wireless hotspot in midair, you snooze you…”
*Vivian James is now online*
“… How did you?”
“I did some convincing. Let’s do this thing.”
Is this fan fiction? Because I think I’m falling in love with writing fan fiction.
We could always start an online comic…
That could easily be another comic, kirbywarp.
I do like the name Evelyn Hupp too, and another girl gamer, who is still different from Vivian James and Sigourney Ride would be awesome.
I did post it on A Voice For Pierre.
Also, I don’t think we want to overdo it. Freeing Vivian James and stuff with her fellow gamers should be left for when inspiration strikes.
You all rock. The comic is awesome, Katz. So is Sigourney Ride.
Kirbywarp’s fan fic is great too.
Since we’re doing the SJW D&D classes again, can I be a SJW druid? Maybe Anachronist can do another episode.
http://pierre.thecomicseries.com/images/comics/75/da0451e3af6c611d615d14b31dcdbd47468248378.jpg
No capes! Absolutely positively no capes ever again!
http://media.animevice.com/uploads/3/38101/744661-nocapes_zps82c1bcc0.jpg
Loving the Vivian James rescue operation we’ve got going on here. Obviously the Furrinati have trained us SJWs well.
Personally, I headcanon her as Ace. 🙂
Wow, I merely suggested that we adopt Vivian, but I did not expect a Rainbow Six-style rescue. (Not saying this to take credit, but I see that I am not the only one with this idea)
@Katz: love the comic! hope this goes on in a web comic series.
@Kirbywarp: The fanfic idea is brilliant! can’t wait to see what happens to Vivian after the rescue.
I second Katz Idea for a #FreeVivianJames hashtag.
This is brilliant and amazing! If the #FreeVivianJames goes forward, I’ll actually get on Twitter… could be fun!
So…hypothetically speaking, what would Vivian James’ Steam handle be?
http://pierre.thecomicseries.com/images/comics/75/94a7db513f8de712cfc9976d06f07ea61288691404.jpg
😀 😀 😀
Awesome work, katz. All Sigourney needs now is a space core plushie. SPAAAAACE!
katz, you are amazeballs. The Kerbal mousepad is a nice touch, as is Sigourney’s Steam handle. 🙂
Who’s the dude on the poster?
That’s brilliant, Katz.
Creating more characters is cool, because then we can have a more varied cast.
(I really hope the comic eventually has room for Beersmash McManfuck)
@strivingally Her namesake: Sally Ride
I feel like there’s only one way this could resolve. The question is how to get there. This would probably have to be broken up in comic form.
*The next morning, Sigourney walks downstairs and pours a bowel of cereal, sitting across from Vivian, who’s playing on a handheld*
SR: … The front door was locked.
VJ: Not the window.
SR: On the second floor?
VJ: There was a ladder out back.
SR: Al [sheepdog named after Alan Shepard, first american in space] would have barked.
VJ: He really likes those weird hamburger hotdog things.
SR: *sigh* You play too much Hitman.
VJ: Whatever do you mean?
SR: Look, Viv, any other time I’d love to have you over, but I’m hosting an exchange student starting today and there isn’t enough room for a third person.
VJ: Oh, really? What’s she like?
SR: Hmm, let’s see… They didn’t tell me a whole lot. Name is Valarie, red hair, bit of a gamer, and how did you know she was a “she?”
VJ: Bonjour, je m’appelle Valarie.
SR: 😀
Great comic, Katz! And thanks for giving her the Kerbal mouse pad.
For those who don’t know, Kerbal Space Program is a space flight simulator where players get to design and test various spacefaring vehicles. The learning curve is steep because you actually have to have some understanding of orbital mechanics. It’s one of those early access independent Steam games. Both NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and Copenhagen Suborbitals have taken an interest. Perfect game for a Gamer with a love of aerospace engineering to have as a favorite.
SnortLOL!
I am appropriately chastened at my assumption of gender. That was silly of me. :/
What a kick-ass woman she was!
For some reason I’m picturing Beersmash McManfuck as a frat leader teaching a class at Mancademy about how to treat women like people.
“Gentlemen; This,” *points to a picture of a woman on a slide*, “is a person.”
“Um, excuse me, but that’s a woman.”
*sigh* “You have much to learn, young grasshopper.”
————————
Alternative universe for wrapping up Vivian’s rescue. This would also have to be broken up in comic form, probably:
SR: “Alright, I think that’s enough for tonight.”
VJ: “Aww, c’mon. One more boss run!”
SR: “It’s late Viv, and didn’t you say your helicopter trip would be over in two hours?”
VJ: “Fiiine. Guess I should give back the GPS anyway.”
SR: “Wait, what? They’ve been flying blind? Oh no, no no no, this is bad. It’s cloudy out, you could be anywhere! Why did they even”
*THWOCKKATHWOCKKATHWOCKKA*
SR: “…” *Walks over to the window and draws back the curtains*
VJ: “Yo.”
SR: “Vivian! What are you doing here!”
SJW Captain: “Are you Ms. Ride?”
SR: “Yes?
SJW Captain: “Oh good. Ms. James here listed you as someone we could contact for assistance. Luckily our pilot was familiar with the area after someone tampered with the navigation system.”
SJW Technomancer: “She was very persuasive!”
SJW Captain: “Ms. Ride, would it be possible for Ms. James to stay with you for a while until things settle down? We could always find alternate accommodations, but it might be best if she had some friends for support.
SR: “Of course, she can stay here as long as she needs!”
SJW Captain: “Wonderful. Just sign here and here. We’ll stay in contact. Alright SJWs, let’s go. Social Justice Copter, AWAY!”
*Helicopter lifts off with the captain still suspended off a rope, flying off into the sunrise.*
SR: “So… what was it like over at 4chan?”
*they strike the pose from the Woody and Buzz meme*
VJ: “Dick pics.” *waves arms* “Dick pics as far as the eye could see.”
… I love you Beersmash McManfuck.
Okay, super late comment but I have to suggest a further companion for Vivian and Sigourney. Her name is Fariq Gambhir (fake gamer) – she lives in New Delhi and loves social gaming after getting really into neopets as a kid. She might not be much into going on raids, but she’ll take on anyone at words with friends. And she isn’t particularly gracious when (not if) she wins.
(I thought straight away of Gautam Gambhir, who plays cricket for India and thought that surname was perfect for a girl-gamer avatar.)
Is that you with a new nym, WeeBoy?
Yup – whenever I post from my phone, WordPress insists on using my real name.
Eek! Want me to change it to your proper nym?
If you can, that’d be great. I’m not terribly worried about having it out there, it’s more about consistency.
Now that I’m done with Pitch Wars, you guys have to kick me in the pants periodically until I finish this, OK? I’ve got about 8 pages scripted out but people should totally throw in their own ideas. They’re going to fight the GamerGaters!
Can their weapon of choice be a labrys?
Katz, do you think you could make a kickstarter for the Free Vivian James web comic? Because I would literally throw money at it. I love this with the intensity of a thousand burning suns.
Done!
(Belatedly)