Gamergate Is a Dangerous Last Gasp at Cultural Dominance by Angry White Men

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/26537-gamergate-is-a-dangerous-last-gasp-at-cultural-dominance-by-angry-white-men

The recent uproar – said to be over ethics in journalism but focused mostly on targeting outspoken women who aren’t journalists at all – is just the last, desperate gasp of misogynists facing an unwelcoming future. But this particular bitter end, while long overdue, is loud, angry and extremely dangerous.

Female game developers Brianna Wu and Zoe Quinn have fled their homes in fear after a terrifying barrage of rape and death threats. Feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian was forced to cancel a talk last week at Utah State University after the school received an email promising a “Montreal Massacre-style” mass shooting if the “craven little whore” was allowed to speak. And despite assurances from Gamergate supporters that they have no problem with women, their de facto leaders are being outed as violent misogynists. (Sample tweets: “Fat/ugly women seek out dominant men to abuse them” and “Date rape doesn’t exist”.)

It’s tempting to believe that this online row – a toxic combination of misinformation, anger and anxious masculinity – is just about one specific technology industry’s subculture, or that it will blow over. But by labeling Gamergate a “gaming problem” and attaching a hashtag to it, we’re putting unnecessary boundaries around a broader but nebulous issue: threats and harassment are increasingly how straight white men deal with a world that no longer revolves exclusively around them.

When I spoke to her by phone in San Francisco on Sunday night, Sarkeesian said Gamergate is “absolutely” an issue that goes beyond gaming:

The harassment is becoming more intense towards women and other marginalized communities, and it seems to be happening more to women in male-dominated fields, and to women who speak out or make critiques.

Sarkeesian told me that the backlash in gaming – hardly a new problem – has gotten more vicious as the conversations about women’s representations in games and their role in the industry have gained steam. “This reaction, mostly from male gamers, is to protect the status quo,” she said. The same is true more broadly, and always has been when it comes to women’s progress: the more ground we gain, the worse men react.

[BainsBane]

1. A number of us in this group

know from first-hand experience that it goes beyond gaming.

[Nay]

2. One thing it isn't is "a last gasp." From gaming or elsewhere. These type of

men are much more numerous than you might think. It's very true that "the more ground we gain, the worse men react."

[LostOne4Ever]

3. Felicia Day made a blog post today about her opinion of Gamergate

Within moments after posting they released her personal information on the internet in retaliation. These people have no shame.

[BainsBane]

4. Here is one of the attacks

After making a vulgar, misogynist insult, the guy says "gamergate is not about hating women."
http://gawker.com/felicia-day-says-shes-afraid-of-gamergate-immediately-1649790900

One of the comments is particularly spot on:

She was actually very kind and understanding. In my opinion, more so than these assholes deserve. She still got doxxed. Less than an hour after posting it.

Please stop saying both sides are equally bad. Please stop telling women to be nicer to misogynistic abusers. If Felicia Day's blog post was enough to draw the wrath of gamergaters, no amount of coddling in the world will soothe their boo-boos and convince them to stop. We can only call this out for what it is. It's hate. And it needs to stop.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

5. It's not surprising that we have Gamergate defenders on this forum.

They keep saying "It's not about Zoe Quinn!" when it was started with her.

It's not about gaming. It's about the culture that is tied to gaming, and society in general. They keep proving our theories right with every single misogynistic tweet and post they make, and yet they keep screaming it's not about that.

[ismnotwasm]

6. +1000

[nomorenomore08]

11. +2000

[shenmue]

7. For a while, I was scared to buy a new gaming system

I'm a lady person, and I like to play video games. Due to work stuff, I still don't have an X Box One, I am carrying on with my old XB 360 until Santa Claus brings me the XB One. I haven't played online in a while: usually I just pop in a disc and play my old games.

Part of the reason I did that was because the last time I did play multiplayer online things, I remember the just nonstop spew of obscenities from some players, and the threats- I'm gonna beat your ass, etc.- and after enough of that, it no longer sounded like it was just a beer-infused joke between us friends in the gaming world. It sounded like some really nasty creeps.

I know what people can do with just a little online research these days. A guy who lived close to me hacked my bank account and stole a bunch of money. I'm still trying to get back to where I was before that.

I am scared that one of these MRA whack jobs who's huffed too much homemade something will think it's fun to find out where I live.

And that sucks. Because it's illegal to threaten people, it's disgusting and it's stupid.

Dammit, we are trying to play some games and have some fun. Games, people.

I shouldn't have to be afraid just because I'm female.

That's all.

[DonCoquixote]

8. the more the little boys whine

the more we know that their era is coming to an end, and not a millisecond too damned soon. Gamers like me will trumpte the Felicia days, the Morgan Webbs, the Jessica Chobots, and oh yes, the Amy Henings. We will pop champgane as female heroines like Elizabeth, Samus Aran and others roll right over the half baked visions of what a male hero should be!