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Welcome to the first episode of MEME FAIL, a new series of posts in which I look at, well, memes that fail. It’s kind of all there in the name, huh?
Today, we look at a meme aimed at former Star Trek: The Next Generation star Wil Wheaton, who has apparently committed the egregious sin of expressing his opinion about #GamerGate on Twitter.
The MEME. (Click for a larger version.)
How it FAILS: There’s really no way in which this meme doesn’t fail.
Let’s start with the most obvious problem: Calling #GamerGaters stupid pieces of dog poop is not actually racist or sexist. Apparently, #GamerGaters feel that because there are some people in their little movement who aren’t straight cis white dudes, any insult directed at their little movement is therefore racist and sexist (and homophobic and transphobic)?
Yeah, that’s not how it works. It almost seems like #GamerGate is trying to use women and people of color (and GLBT folks) as, well, a way to shield themselves from criticism while being complete assholes and bigots?
Then there’s the whole “Eulogy” thing. Wheaton is not actually suggesting that #GamerGate should go die, literally or figuratively. He’s actually quoting from the lyrics of a song by Tool called, well, “Eulogy.”
The song in question, as best as anyone has been able to figure out, is a snarky takedown of a self-righteous, self-appointed martyr who “had a lot of nothing to say.” Tool’s drummer has suggested that it’s aimed at L. Ron Hubbard. But, as Wheaton notes, the song very well could have been written about #GamerGaters, if #GamerGaters had been a thing when it was written.
You sure could yell.
You took a stand on every little thing
And so loud.
Standing above the crowd
So loud. So very very loud.
BONUS IRONY: I ran across this meme being mocked on r/gamerghazi, but did a reverse image search to find a larger and more readable version of it. I found one in a thread on FunnyJunk.com in which one of the commenters refers to “Wil ‘Captain Mangina’ Wheaton” as “the gayest faggot in Fagtopia” and, well, let’s just say that the commenter also suggests that Wheaton enjoys anal sex.
I’ve always felt like the NotYourShield thing is ironic, seeing as it’s the Gamer Gaters who are trying to use their association with women and PoC (well, the ones that aren’t sock puppet accounts) as a defence for the horrendous things they say. This just sort of summarises it in one handy, easy-to-use graphic. Thanks, GamerGate!
Why do they always sound so angry in their memes? Wouldn’t it make more sense to make memes which shows them as a fun group to hang out with?
I guess hate is the only language they understand.
Holy cats – you couldn’t ask for a stronger statement of utter contempt for the intelligence of their target audience. I’m not saying it isn’t called for, but the sheer falsity of every aspect of this meme is truly bizarro-world astonishing.
These tactics (which Gamergaters probably think are the height of wit) basically boil down to: ‘No YOU’RE a racist misogynist!” *sticks out tongue*
Also, is “privilege racist shitlord” their best shot at mimicking SJW speak?
Also laughing at them saying landing a coveted role on a major TV show is easy and no work at all (But apparently sitting around on the internet all day terrorizing women because you’re paranoid they’re going to take your games away is a lot harder!)
If you are on the wrong side of Wil Wheaton, Felicia Day, and Joss Whedon, you should really rethink your positions.
Has everyone seen this yet?
https://twitter.com/BenKuchera/status/542549964900290560/photo/1
From now on, this is what I’m going to picture every time a GamerGate sock puppet shows up and starts defending the hate movement.
Ah, Wil Wheaton. My sister and I had the biggest crushes on him when we were 10/11, little Star Trek TNG nerds that we were. It’s always nice when the reality lives up to the fantasy. 🙂
Yeah, the whole image macro might be slightly more persuasive if #NotYourShield were not demonstrably an attempt by gamergitz to co-opt women and people of color as… wait for it… their shield.
But only slightly more persuasive, because the gamergrotz don’t really have a lot of room to complain about hyperbolic tone, either.
Idiots have titled and captioned their meme in the font used on original-flavor Star Trek, not Next Generation Star Trek.
That might work if Next Gen was this little-known show, forever lost in the shadow of its progenitor. I am fairly certain that most people on the Internet today have heard of Wil Riker.
Magnesium,
That unrealistic boob “art” really says it all, doesn’t it? It’s also telling that they couldn’t be arsed to shower and put on some decent clothes before appearing on television.
I realize that there can be an element of classism in mocking a person’s unkempt appearance. But it takes some degree of economic privilege to be a gamer. If they can spend thousands on consoles and games, they can afford to look presentable. So I think that in this case, it’s fair game.
Falconer,
They’re fake geek guys! They should be banned from cons forthwith!
Also, awww they’re throwing their little tantrum because they got dismissed by an Internet icon, but I can’t understand why they thought he’s particularly into video games.
I mean, I can’t express the validation I felt when I got a copy of Dungeon Magazine lo, more than ten years ago and discovered that Wheaton was starting a semi-regular column about how much he loved Dungeons & Dragons.
And his Table Top show gets me all excited for various and sundry board games.
But video games? I’m sure he plays, but as far as I know, he’s just not a video game presence.
Maybe they thought he’d take their side against women because of his appearances on The Big Bang Theory, which as far as I can tell has two jokes: Ha ha nerds are loser weirdos and ha ha women am I right fellas.
@WWTH:
I bet they can’t even recite all the Rules of Acquisition!
(Full disclosure: Neither can I, but since when has being unable to answer the question stopped nerd gatekeepers from asking it?)
I can’t take them seriously. I hate trowing the word “projection” around, because I believe that it’s overused. But I must state that this is textbook definition – all of this – from the refusal to accept logic and reason rationally, to complaining that women are complaining. Seriously gamergate guys and #not your shield girls – complaining without efforts at coming to a solution is called WHINING.
We normal folks are flat exhausted at having to explain acceptable behavior. We are busy. We do not have time to negotiate common courtesy and inform you that rape and threats of rape are wrong, harassing someone because of their gender is wrong, telling an entire demographic to “get over it” when we repeatedly express concern over something AND provide the proof to support concern is wrong. If you did not fall from our vaginas. then please stop acting like it is our job to collectively inform and educate you on what your mother should have taught you from the get go.
And for the poster who mentioned Joss, Felicia, and Wil – I couldn’t agree more with that statement.
So, they have Wil Memeton criticizing #notyourshield and non-white men and women specifically, but the actual tweets reproduced on the image never mention it or them? That’s… spectacular.
Gotta love that the tagline of the meme is “Gamergate is about this, don’t let this other dude tell you otherwise” when neither the tweets nor the fake message talk about what gamergate is “about.” It’s a strange non sequitor, which just highlights how not-about-ethics-in-games-journalism gamergate is.
Putting words into your opponents mouths and twisting the words they actually said, while providing blatant evidence that you have done so, is not exactly ethics.
Racism, sexism, homophobia and projection…now with moar underboob! Yeah, GamerGomers, keep climbing that ol’ grease pole. The world hasn’t seen nearly enough of your asses yet.
This would be so much more persuasive if they hadn’t featured his actual words. Especially since he’s “racist” because of critical comments he made that weren’t even made on the #notyourshield tag.
It’s another example of “failing to understand the difference between criticism/mockery based on someone’s positions and criticism/mockery based on who they are”.
I’m starting to think that these people seriously believe that “gamer” is an innate personal characteristic rather than an expression of allegience to a hobby – hence the rage at the “gamers are dead” articles. This also explains the incredibly distasteful comparisons with the civil rights movement. I just don’t understand how you get to that point? I mean, gaming is something you do. It’s an activity. How do you end up adjectiving a verb like that?
@Magnesium:
“Oh, botheration! That interview is this afternoon. Phillips, lay out my Silent Bob cosplay outfit and make sure the Underboob Lounge is tidy.”
“Very good, sir.”
“Canapes after, I think.”
Oh man, they really think this “trust fund liberal” thing is brilliant? As if there’s masses of SJWs who are going to turn their backs on someone because they realize he’s privileged?
I guess that’s what happens when you preceive criticism as attacks: you don’t listen to what is actually said and just try to parrot the attack back, and then scratch your head when it doesn’t seem to work.
Thus Spake Zaraweirwoodtreehugger:
But but but… Expecting people to maintain bare minimum standards of grooming is MISOGAMY!!!!11 Check your PERSONAL HYGIENE PRIVILEGE!!!!!11 #WarOnNerds #WarOnGamers #WarOnRancidSmellingNeckbeardsWhoHaventShoweredOrChangedClothesInAWeek
They literally think that the definition of the word “Racism” is “Well, some SJWs called us “Racist fuckheaded douchecanoes,” so it must be an insult; quick, use the rubber-glue defense and turn it around on them,” don’t they.
@maistrechat:
#gamergate is a movement who’s propaganda only convinced itself.
The “trust fund liberal SJW” thing is especially amusing coming from a movement made up entirely of people who can spend thousands of dollars a year on a luxury entertainment product.
I’ve seen people pull that “Yeah, but I can’t have white/male privilege because my parents are ‘working class’ ” many a time, but this time it’s especially silly. Judging by how unrealistic most of these kids are regarding the realities of being an indie dev or journalist (they seem to think earning a few thousand a year makes you a powerful, colluding, corrupt millionaire) I’m guessing most of them have never even had to live on their own incomes before.