BEYOND #GAMERGATE: THE RADICAL LEFTS ASSAULT ON VIDEO GAMES

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PUBLISHED: 24th October, 2014 | By Andrea Tweedie

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When I was asked if I'd like to write an article on #GamerGate I knew immediately that I would tackle it from a broader perspective than the detailed specifics of #GamerGate itself, and my personal opinions regarding it. While it's important to discuss the collusion between gaming journalists and Devs, (game developers) and issues surrounding the recent attacks by feminists on gamers, the gaming community, and gaming culture, there is a much larger issue at hand, and I feel I'd be squandering this opportunity if I didn't dive head first into it. I'll provide links at the conclusion of this article to places where #GamerGate and what started all this can be explained if you're unfamiliar.

This current battle is simply the latest manifestation of the authoritarian left's war (yes, it is a war) on pretty much everything. When I say “everything” I'm not being dramatic; I most certainly mean everything. From the way people interact on the internet, in person, to the media you read and view, personal values (or lack thereof), behavior on college campuses, and even Halloween costumes we are berated almost constantly by a small, yet vocal, obnoxious minority. This group includes third wave feminists, social justice warriors, Cultural Marxists, “privilege” checkers and their ilk, and their goal is to fundamentally change how we interact with one another because of "feelings", and their autocratic need to control the thoughts and behaviors of others.

Their latest target is video games, but it's only the most recent in a very long line of victims. I knew things were going downhill more quickly than I had originally thought when about a month ago I saw that the Dragon Age Facebook page had posted a link to the #ItsOnUs campaign launched by Obama where you can take a pledge to “help stop sexual assault”. First I wondered what in the hell this had to do with video games, then I wondered how signing a useless “feel-good” pledge was going to stop sexual assault, and finally I shook my head realizing the timing of this being posted after Quinnspiracy and GamerGate was likely no coincidence. Of course feminists took the opportunity to continue complaining with comments like this:

“Really? So are the female characters in Bioware games still going to be drawn hyper sexualized and have armours that reveal more than protect, ya know the obligatory 'boob window' and ragged loincloth skirt? Because if your female characters are still just objectified eye candy you're still part of the problem- just sayin'."

Because non-existent characters in a game need “protection” from non existent weapons and spells.

And then there is this:

“Loving the whining. Amusing how much talk there is about misogyny not being a "real" issue in gaming, and yet post about rape being bad and a bunch of (surprised!) privileged white males start whining about having to read about rape. You go, Bioware! A solid step in the right direction.”

Not wanting to hear about a useless political campaign when you're looking on a video game page somehow translates into hating women?

But, I don't like that!

Let's forget for a moment that if a rational person is unhappy with the content of a video game they should avoid purchasing it, or put down the controller. Instead of going with that and ending this here I'll take a moment to focus on the blatant absurdity of the long list of complaints these women and their white-knights have.

I'm not sure why after so many years of seeing them in action, and the escalation of their hysteria that anything surprises me anymore, but on average I'm completely shocked by SJWs and feminists at least twice a week. Yesterday I was left astounded when a male gamer told me of an experience he had with a female in an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) called SWTOR. Apparently while playing as a female toon (character) he was advised by a female that female toons are only for women, and she told him to delete the character he had spent money and time developing. This may be an isolated incident, but I don't really believe it is, and it demonstrates the authoritarian mentality which I see constantly from these harpies. “I don't like something you're doing which isn't hurting me in any way, but change it because it bothers me.” It's the pervasive, controlling busy-body attitude which has become a hallmark of this insane movement.

After that rather ludicrous example, let us delve into the more common list of feminist complaints:

“Female game character designs put unrealistic beauty expectations on women.” - Male game characters are just as unrealistic, it's just that most men aren't affected by such nonsense. Many women aren't affected by this either. If you're affected by the appearance of an imaginary character who doesn't even exist, that's on you, and you have issues you should probably talk over with a therapist.

“Female characters in gaming are often dressed provocatively and over-sexualized.” - This is coming from the same group that embraces “Slut Power”.

“Sometimes there are rapey situations and violence towards women in games.” - There is violence and rape in real life and other media too. Including an act of violence as a story element isn't an endorsement of said act of violence.

“Many video games promote “rape culture.” - Feminists think everything promotes “rape culture”. Beyond that, if we stick to our guns in the gaming community and claim violent video games don't create violent people, how can we take seriously the feminist assertion that sexily dressed imaginary female characters promote “rape culture”?

“Male gamers don't want to play with me when they find out I'm a girl.” - Too bad, nobody is obligated to play a video game with you. Also, this hardly ever happens, it probably is just that you suck or the male who doesn't want to play with you is a nine year old boy.

“I've been sexually harassed by male gamers.” - Use the blocking or blacklisting feature for a game or for a console's online gaming system. This should be a good enough remedy but you can always go one step further and report the person if you're an “appeal to authority” type.

“There aren't enough female protagonists in video games.” - If you're bothered so much that a game's protagonist is a male then don't buy it; vote with your dollars. This also simply isn't true, many games have female protagonists or customizable protagonists that can be either male or female. Mass Effect, Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age, Destiny, and Dark Souls are all big games with customizable protagonists I can name right off the top of my head.

I'm sure I've forgotten many of their complaints, but these are the most common I see, and they're all rather entitled. “But, no, they're not entitled! Half of gamers are girls!” Alright, lets examine that.

But, we have statistics!

Lately a statistic from the Entertainment Software Association (linked below) has been thrown around to push an agenda. The statistic claims that 48% of “gamers” are female. This is completely disingenuous and misleading as they fail to define exactly what a “gamer” is. People who push this statistic to support their rhetoric always fail to mention that the report includes games on mobile devices and casual computer games as “gaming”. They also fail to mention that casual gamers are being counted among hardcore gamers. So a portion of that 48% are bored housewives entertaining themselves on their smartphone, or someone playing The Sims for five hours a week. According to their stats my mother is one of the growing demographic of female gamers over 50 because she spends a half an hour a day playing a little dragon game on her iPhone. Sorry mom, but you're not a gamer. As a female who actually is a gamer and has been a gamer for 30 years, I can attest through my own personal experience that males make up far more of the demographic than women. If I get on Xbox Live and play a AAA game definitely more than half the people I run into are not identifying as women, the demographic is overwhelmingly male. It is also overwhelmingly made up of what I would classify as actual “gamers”.

With a statistic stating 48% of gamers are female it's not hard to see why there isn't more serious backlash against Cultural Marxists and social justice warriors. I mean what can you say when almost half of the people playing games are girls and so many of them identify as “feminists” in some respect? They say things that make so much sense on the surface, who wouldn't be against sexism, and rape? Clearly, only “misogynists” and confused women brainwashed by the “patriarchy” would not agree that video games (along with all media) must be reformed because it promotes these terrible things. It couldn't just be that a lot of people don't want social issues mixing with their video games because, I don't know, maybe they just want to have fun. Although, if you dare to publicly express this opinion prepare yourself for an angry barrage of nasty comments from feminists and their white knight beta-male cohorts. It's quite likely you'll be accused of hating women and be accused of promoting “rape culture”. This is why few people are willing to commit social seppuku to counter the balderdashery of modern feminism. How can you say anything when major news outlets are giving these women a platform to play the victim card? What can you say when Playboy, yes Playboy, a mens' magazine whose fame is built on publishing nude photos of women gives these women a platform? No, I'm not linking any of these articles, they can easily be found with Google, though I highly suggest not giving them traffic.

Even in the realm of pro-GamerGate articles and tweets I rarely see anyone with the testicular fortitude to say what needs to be said. Yes, there are many people both males and females who don't want to see games morph into what these people want, and it shouldn't be taboo to point this out. I see what's coming down the pipeline if these modern day Puritans have their way; sanitized video games void of anything that could be deemed “offensive” by the whiners of society. My apologies, but the prospect of going to my local GameStop to buy a game covered in “trigger warnings” where the protagonist is a fat feminist "otherkin" in a potato sack is unappealing to me. You think I'm exaggerating? Take a good hard look at what has changed in the last twenty years since political correctness became vogue.

It's what the market wants!

A common argument I hear is “this is what the market wants”, just forget that the feminist definition of “the market” and many gamers' definition of “the market” are two completely different things. The libertarian in me is fine with this notion except for the fact that this isn't a matter of the market demanding something, and a handful of “angry privileged white cis males” crying out in their death throes that their “misogynistic scantily clad female game characters” and violence will never be taken from them; it's manipulation of the market, and manipulation of the media. This is not female game Devs being denied their “right” to make a product by a sexist male dominated industry just because they have a vagina; it's Cultural Marxists, feminists, and social justice warriors attempting to change a well established culture to fit their agenda and their vision of how things ought to be. This is entitled women-children screaming that they don't like something so nobody is allowed to have it.

These are the same people who make a hobby out of forcing “apologies” out of celebrities and anyone in the public eye who dares to say something “offensive”. Do you think a majority of the population really care about these minor snafus when they happen? They don't, it's just that SJWs are very good at being very loud and very whiny. They are bullies, plain and simple, and sometimes the only way to deal with a bully is to use their own tactics against them. And, no I don't mean sending death and rape threats (even though we know many of those are fake); I mean be loud, and fight the good fight because they're coming for everything and they're not going to stop.

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