[Asrathiel]

Originally Posted by Zealo

i think there's more retards using whatever insult they think might stick than actual discrimination.

Yeah, but it's normalising the language. If (random example) a gay man is insulted in a game using the same words that he heard used while his friend was being bashed, that's gonna be pretty damn hurtful, even if the person saying it isn't homophobic. It's not the intent behind it that's generally the problem, it's that this language is seen as fine and acceptable.

[ZiggyD]

Originally Posted by Asrathiel

Yeah, but it's normalising the language. If (random example) a gay man is insulted in a game using the same words that he heard used while his friend was being bashed, that's gonna be pretty damn hurtful, even if the person saying it isn't homophobic. It's not the intent behind it that's generally the problem, it's that this language is seen as fine and acceptable.

I think a good test is to think whether you would say the same thing in the outside world. Often the answer is "no" because it isn't considered normal there.

Quick Comments

Asrathiel:

Or, would you go say it to a person's face in an offline tournament?

[Apth]

Originally Posted by Asrathiel

Yeah, but it's normalising the language. If (random example) a gay man is insulted in a game using the same words that he heard used while his friend was being bashed, that's gonna be pretty damn hurtful, even if the person saying it isn't homophobic. It's not the intent behind it that's generally the problem, it's that this language is seen as fine and acceptable.

Incoming wall of text. There will be no tldr.

I think the point being made there - and this is me being presumptuous - is that there are (likely) very few people out there who are making an effort to be homophobes or racists. Most people are just dickheads.

And you're quite right, regardless of intent the language is being allowed common usage, which is a problem - but it's a problem that should be dealt with in context, ie efforts directed at the language alone, not efforts to make gaming communities less homophobic or racist.

I've deliberately left sexism out of my spiel there, because I think it's likely that there are swathes of nerds out there who are genuinely sexist, be it maliciously or no, and I think that's largely due to the social stigma attached to gaming.

Although it's changed a lot in recent years, and continues to change as console gaming becomes heavily mainstream, being a proper nerd still has negative social connotations, which has resulted in a lot of gamers bottling up anxiety and frustration at being borderline outcasts. Yes I'm making generalisations, yes there will be exceptions, but I think the assertion that being a nerd gets you teased at school is reasonably acceptable.

Similar to how bullies tend to get aggressive because there is some form of oppression or negative influence in their lives, many nerds will use sexism as an outlet for all that pent-up discontent generated from years of being mocked etc.

To summarise the sexism thing a bit, most sexist nerds will be a product of their social environment, and the social conditions conducive to producing sexist nerd-assholes are already dwindling as nerd-dom shifts from entirely left of field to an acceptable social label.

Apologies for giant rant of death. You are encouraged to pick my argument to pieces and throw it at me.

Quick Comments

	SLCN.Kez:	Couldnt agree with you more, even wrote my own thread on it ages ago hehe
	Maynarde:	Excellent post
	ZiggyD:	Pretty spot on Apth, well read and well written.

[Fourby]

People should stop calling other people "dicks/cockehead etc" too.

It implies that a penis is a bad thing, which it isnt. This type of sexism must stop.




On a serious note, this writing was awesome, and props to ziggy for putting this up

Quick Comments

	iM yang:	what about dicklu
	SLCN.Kez:	I thought calling someone a dick was a compliment since dicks are obviously better than vaginas iTroll
	Zealo:

[Thoth]

Great article Ziggy good on you for writing about the issue!