It’s PLEDGE DRIVE time again! If you’re a fan of this blog, please help fund its continued existence by clicking the button below. THANKS!
By David Futrelle
Angry gamers are somehow still up in arms about the body of the character Abby in The Last of Us 2. You may recall, back in April the angriest gamers — the perpetual Gamergaters — were outraged after a studio leak revealed that the character Abby would be returning in the sequel as a newly-buff fighter with notably jacked arms.
At first the angry gamers assumed that any woman that buff had to be trans, so they accused the game studio, Naughty Dog, of pushing an LGBT+ agenda on innocent gamers. Then, when it turned out that Abby was not trans, the angry gamers got mad at Abby for a whole other reason — declaring that her body was “unrealistic” because where would she be getting enough food to bulk up like that in a postapocalyptic world and did she even lift, bro?
The game has been out for some time now and they’re still mad.
But now the angry gamers think they have found DEFINITIVE PROOF that Abby’s body is too good to be true — in the form of a workout schedule for Abby they discovered somewhere in the games assets that reveals, well, that she doesn’t lift enough to have arms like THAT.
“[A]bby is more muscular Than 90% of the Guys in the gym where i was workout,” complains another gamer on Twitter. “No girl in the gym looks as ugly as Abby.”
Other, er, critics make much of the fact that food is rationed in the dire dystopian world of the game.
“Her food is rationed,” insists one of Abby’s critics. “They SHOW that in game. She’d never be able to get the lean protein required to get that big.”
“Abby … has a muscular physique … in an environment where proper diet is so rare that food is rationed out,” another Abby non-fan grumbles. “You can say you don’t care but you can’t claim that this all about hating women.”
Like hell I can’t.
In case you’re wondering just how jacked this woman is, here’s what she looks like.
This is the body that these guys are declaring so “unrealistic”that it destroys any feelings of immersion in the game — a game that also features, yes, ZOMBIES. You know, creatures that DON’T ACTUALLY EXIST IN REAL LIFE
Come to think of it, has anyone found the zombies’ workout schedule?
More to the point, has anyone even gone looking for the workout schedules for any of the far-more-improbably buff bodies of assorted male video game heroes — say, the top-heavy soldiers in Gears of War, Batman in the Arkham series, Zangief in Street Fighter — or any of the other imaginary video game men on this handy list?
Of course not. It’s almost as if there’s a double standard. It’s almost as if Abby’s critics just can’t stand the thought of a strong women, or something. “It’s such a weird, ultra-specific way to be misogynistic while claiming to appeal to logic,” notes podcaster Jubel Brosseau on Twitter. That it is.
Apart from some things, I dont think Obama was a leader to be proud of. Especially if you were seeking asylum or live in the middle east.
‘I no longer love blue skies. In fact, now I prefer grey skies. The drones do not fly when the skies are grey.’
@Victorious Parasol
You are merely prejudiced against my prose, and I would say unfairly so; no doubt, if I happened to take your side in any of these disputes, you would go so far as to recognize the brilliance of my craftsmanship, you would find it nigh impossible not to extol the virtues of my fluency with language. But, because I have committed the unpardonable sin of having disagreed with you over some trifling matter that you cannot find it within yourself not to get all exasperated about, you snipe and make unfair remarks about my style. What makes you even think that you are qualified to speak in regards to my writing style?
@ skimmingway
On the other thread you’ve stated you believe Jesus is the son of god; so surely, to be consistent, he must do?
No skimmingway you just write pretentious
The Batman comment makes me recall this article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dark-knight-shift-why-bat/
@skimmingway
1. A degree in English.
2. Decades of reading.
3. Making my first professional fiction sale when I was only 19.
4. Approximately 30 years in a profession where written communication had to be clear and (if possible) succinct.
5. Experience in writing scripts for instructional videos (again, for which I got paid).
I haven’t had breakfast yet, so I’ll stick with the short list above.
@Alan Robertspew
I was being FACETIOUS, Alan. Are you toying with me?
@Lollipop
“could you at least avoid using the cringingly forced language of a badly written school play?”
I’ve never used such language in my life, and I never will. If you could be so kind as to point out where I did that, maybe I would take your little complaint more seriously? But you won’t, because you can’t. There’s nothing at all forced, cringe-inducing, or badly written about my comments. This is a problem of perception, and I suspect it lies on your end.
@Skimmingway
“ You are merely prejudiced against my prose, and I would say unfairly so; no doubt, if I happened to take your side in any of these disputes, you would go so far as to recognize the brilliance of my craftsmanship, you would find it nigh impossible not to extol the virtues of my fluency with language”
Even in Georgian England Mr Collins was a joke. Don’t you think it’s a bit tired by now?
One more thing:
If you were on my side in any discussion, I’d be embarrassed to have a supporter with such poor written communication skills. It’s like having a red-faced screaming toddler on my side.
> Catalpa
Yes, there are women in GoW. One is the leader of some sort of robotic empire, and there are some in the Gears ranks. Someone can correct me if i am wrong, but there is at least one main NPC in the four who is a woman, and she is promoted as a playable PC in the 5 (not during all the course of the game, thought).
And there are also woman Gears in Tactic Gears (this one i am sure cause i bought it, alas).
Anyway, their whining is just probably a way for some of them to maintain the flame of GG, as the movement slowly die of non-aknowledgement by the audience in general, and by the normal game community in particular. A bit like a god with no believer, in some settings.
@VP
1. Leftist indoctrination, ideology masquerading as education.
2. Reading what? The back of the same cereal box?
3. In some kind of lewd, low-brow rag that, no doubt, no person of civilized tastes would patronize.
4. Spelling “HELP” in stones on the beach?
5. Aimed at 5 year olds?
@all of you
I’m serious; you all need to get over yourselves.
@skimmingway
1. Nope. Try again. One of my professors preferred the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and had some really odd ideas about Darwin.
2. Only over breakfast when I was a kid, since Mom didn’t want me bring a book to the table.
3. Nope. Anthology market by a major publisher.
4. Nope. For one thing, I lived landlocked for all but about 5 years of my life.
5. Nope. Though if 5 years is the highest age group you can think of, I certainly understand.
If you are struggling to make good arguments and defend your beliefs, then you can always stop commenting. No one is forcing you to be here. Go off and enjoy your ignorance. I guess evidence is scary to you.
@skimmingway
That’s wonderful news for women around the world.
That’s nothing. This is all writing so you’re not hearing the (very justified) anger in my voice or seeing the angry look on my face. And that’s only the start.
You write like I’m supposed to think that my making a specific little written jab at you in writing here is supposed to be some kind of bad thing. I’m proud of it and if I was dealing with you it would be just the beginning. The fact is though that you probably *wouldn’t* and would just scurry away intimidated but still with a creepy obsession. I never know what any individual will do but I’m saying that’s typical of your type.
You are going on and on about women who aren’t attractive to you but I bet you are intimidated and can’t handle powerful women and being in one’s presence even if she does meet your standards of being attractive.
That reveals your true colors, jerk.
I do gush about them and love it because they’re awesome and as brilliant and creative as they are handsome and hot which is why I pick them and it’s quite the opposite of torture but incredible pleasure which I’m sure you will not understand because with your attitude you could never connect with and co-create art with anyone.
The thing is though in the comments in the other post you went on and on about strong fit men as if they are only to be found among people with your reprehensible ideas but I’m surrounded by a lot of willing male muscle every day.
Although just reading the words “satisfy both of us” when thinking about a creep like you grosses me out even more I still maybe should point out that this means you’re admitting your lack of intellect and ability to explain things which you told everyone here was unstoppable and unbeatable.
So, yeah, you just admitted you fail with your words.
Wow, looks like while I was sleeping I missed Skimmingway. I don’t have time to respond to all of his drivel, so I’ll just take apart some of the more recent parts.
Well, if it makes you feel better, I doubt any woman experiences sexual arousal from you.
Nah, I think I’d ask you to step aside and let someone else who is better at writing have a go.
It took you this long to realize that? Wow, you truly don’t understand anything.
You first. Nobody else here thinks they’re the best author ever for writing weird junk. If you’re tired of getting mocked, try going elsewhere. Nobody’s keeping you here.
Fuck that shit, I’m not wasting my time on a bunch of assholes who wouldn’t know good prose if they carried it around in them for 9 months and it strangled them with its umbilical chord. This is too fucking much. There are PLENTY of people just chomping at the bits out there, ready to make my acquaintance, desperate for some wordsmith that can put their ideas into compelling, evocative sentences. I don’t need to waste my time educating the uneducable. You should all just fuck each other. Waste of my fucking time.
@skimmingway
There are no otters here. Besides, I prefer humans, not to mention I’m both monogamous and married.
Also, it’s “umbilical cord,” not “umbilical chord.” That’s the kind of mistake that would get you a formal reprimand at my old company.
I’ll say one thing about him switching voice from pompous and dull to vulgar (and dull): the new posts are shorter and ever so much quicker to scroll past.
Victorious Parasol is right that there’s no otters here.
I also prefer human men and don’t like fucking anyway as much as enjoying other ways that they can please me.
So I guess this is his meltdown and leaving? 🙂
@Skimmingway
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!
@Occasional Reader
Oh, there are? *googles* Ah, so it was the other reason why whiny manbabies weren’t screaming about the series. Apparently men and horses become chunkier due to increased gravity, but women remain with the exact same conventionally attractive body type. Funny how that works.
Not the worst flounce, though it loses points for “chomping at the bits”.
Though it might be possible to use “champing at the bits” to suggest that one is eager to begin electronic communication.
@skimmingway
Let me set the scene. You are sat in the audience in a school hall, the smell of gym socks and body spray in the air. Observing with vague embarassment the production on stage before you, a spotty youth wearing a poorly-stitched frock coat and an approximation of a eighteenth century wig steps forward to announce:
“Not one soul in our increasingly pitiable nation elected that wench, and if they honestly considered their vote for her husband to count as such, I would say right then and there that the time for monarchy in this nation was passed due.”
To which his fellow actor replies:
“Words straight from a lewd, low-brow rag that, no doubt, no person of civilized tastes would patronize.”
As everyone in the audience quietly dies.
@Skimmingway
Then leave. Nobody is keeping you here.
Yes, there are many people who don’t know much about anything and want to read purple prose confirming all their ideas. You won’t find many here though.
Then leave. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.