Gamergate

[traininthedistance]

I've been staying out of this thread because I know that if I really let loose, I'd accumulate enough death points to be swiftly banned.  But I'm sure at least some of you have probably seen this comprehensive analysis/takedown of the "movement", such as it is, and those of you who haven't would do well to give it a look.  So I'll break silence to point it out.

Bottom line: Gamergate is about reactionary, misogynistic hatred.  It always was, root and branch, and the "corruption" angle is a thin fig leaf that should fool just about nobody anymore.  

Obviously I oppose it in the strongest possible terms.

[traininthedistance]

I've always thought the strange thing about Sarkeesian is the contrast between the MOR content of her videos, and the incredible emotion in the wider world they provoke. Although I normally find them interesting enough, "Tropes vs Women" strike me as very standard feminist analysis. It seems ridiculous the amount of passion is poured into attacking her or obsessively weeding out her "hypocrisies". And because of that enormous backlash, "gamers" (in reality, dweebs who inexplicably believe themselves representative of all gamers, and edgy political regressives seeking a movement to co-opt), have actually vastly increased Anita's and other SJW's influence on the industry. Which is ... quite funny I guess? I find it funny.

Some rebuttals make sense, but a lot of them are made by stupids who don't seem to understand the difference between a review and a critique. Some of them made by STEMlords dissing entire academic fields flippantly almost make me embarrassed to be a science student. 

This, this, exactly this.  It's pretty obvious that a lot of the opposition to her is not so much directed toward the specific content of her videos, but comes from a place that tries to discredit or dismiss the very idea of cultural critique.  And that's a stance that I have an incredibly hard time respecting.

[traininthedistance]

My only thoughts on the matter: hardcore gamers are psychopaths by and large, always have been, and always will be. This whole "debate" has only served to prove it to me.

This is the kind of blatant generalization that gamergate has been complaining about.

And I frankly don't give a good goddamn. If gamers really care so much about being generalized, maybe they ought to change their attitudes.

Another generalization. How can you know the attitudes of all gamers?

I never said I did. But I sure as hell know the attitude of most gamers, and that's more than enough to generalize.

Sigh... this isn't actually helping.

There are plenty of good people who also happen to be gamers.  These good people, of course, are overwhelmingly opposed to Gamergate.