No, no, you don't understand. You get lots of page views doing this and making articles based on your own comments sections. That way you can perpetuate the views and keep everything inside the site, without the need to go out into the real world!Shouldn't they like... help themselves find something because they're like... journalists?
In my article yesterday I tried to remind people why we do what we do, and mentioned that some day soon we as a community would have to face up to our dark side. Well, it turns out that day is today, because of this piece from Kotaku. Please read their article and watch these excerpts from WNFs stream last night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=an_dIZQDOGU#at=21
So, just a day after one of the biggest scandals to hit the scene, we have guest commentators from one of our most respected groups poking fun at the whole situation and talking about what NOS girl they would hit. And theyre doing this in the most public way possible, so obviously they think this kind of behavior is acceptable.
Well, its not. I know there are a lot of good, decent people in this scene, but unfortunately there are way too many a ignorant children among us, who think its ok to poke fun at anything and everything. These people exist in all communities, but in the fighting game scene we hand them a mic, listen to them spew their trash, then blow off their hate-speech as harmless jokes. The reaction online to Kotakus story illustrates the split in the community. Some were appalled by the comments on WNF, but many continue to make excuses for what to me is clearly inexcusable.
Shirking Responsibility
The most popular excuse is, no one gets harassed at our live events or were nice people in person. That is true, but it misses the point. First of all, good behavior in one venue doesnt excuse bad behavior in another. Hate is hate. But beyond that, a live video stream is the worst possible medium for this kind of hateful talk. A few hundred people attended WNF, but over 14,000 tuned in online. Our online presence is the face of the community. It is our recruiting tool. Increasingly it will be come a source of revenue. A strong, positive online presence is critical to the growth of the scene. If anything, we should be more respectful and considerate of others online, rather than treating online communication as secondary to the offline event.
Another excuse is that were being unfairly singled out, and that these few bad apples dont speak for the community. These guys dont speak for all of us? We just let them speak for us on-stream, and many of us want to let them off the hook when someone calls them out! For those of you accusing Kotaku of over-reacting and nit-picking, Kotaku didnt invent a story here. We gave them the story with this shockingly insensitive reaction to a very serious topic.
So, its time to stand up. If we continue to let the worst elements in the scene speak for us or excuse their bad behavior, we deserve whatever criticism we get. Its everyones responsibility: the players, the content producers, the tournament organizers, and the fans. We need to be just as serious about the way we treat each other and how we reach out to others online as we are about the game. This isnt about killing the hype or white-washing the scene. We can be just as loud, excited and hype without belittling entire classes of people. Its ok, were all friends, and Im just joking arent valid excuses.
WNF, SRK, and the Evo 2012 Season
Thankfully, Level | Up is responding to the situation. You can read their full release here.
Last night on Wednesday Night Fights (2/29/2012), remarks were said by community commentators that alluded to recent events involving the Fighting Game Community (FGC) and the sexual harassment controversy that surrounds it. These remarks do not reflect the views and opinions of Level | Up or our affiliates, partners, and/or sponsors. It is not Level | Ups intention to make light of sexual harassment nor do we condone it. Level | Up and its staff feel harassment of any form is wrong and that everyone should be treated respectfully.
Marn and Christian will not be invited to speak on future Level | Up broadcasts, and are reviewing our selection process for guest commentators. Again, we sincerely apologize if anyone was offended by the remarks said on our recent broadcast.
Neither SRK nor Evo in any way condones the behavior from last night. To make this perfectly clear, we are pulling the Evo seeding points for WNFs first season in 2012, as well as SRKs sponsorship of WNF. I personally have a lot of confidence in the Level | Up team to set a new standard for themselves and hope to work with them in the future. For now though, thats not possible.
We cannot continue to let ignorant, hateful speech slide. The nasty undercurrent in the scene isnt a joke or a meme. Its something we need to fix if we expect to continue to grow, but more importantly its a moral imperative. I dont want to be a part of a group where its ok to bully or make fun of others, and I hope you dont either.
SRK said:To make this perfectly clear, we are pulling the Evo seeding points for WNFs first season in 2012, as well as SRKs sponsorship of WNF.
If we're talking worthwhile punishments or repercussions that will resonate inside and outside the community, this is much bigger and understandable than anything suggested for Aris alone.
If we're talking worthwhile punishments or repercussions that will resonate inside and outside the community, this is much bigger and understandable than anything suggested for Aris alone.
Way to ignore everything else he said.
Quicker to send a public announcement maybe, but it was resolved much sooner than that.
He's streaming live right now saying 'this wasn't a big deal 2-3 years ago when I was saying the exact same thing why is it a big deal now why am I getting thrown under the bus?'
These are not the words of a man with a firm grasp on reality. He has dived right into the sharp embrace of the Stream Monsters for comfort and reassurance that he's not wrong. It's pathetic.
That it was handled in a way where Aris wasn't asked to leave, thus forcing her to have to work with someone who harassed her for several days seems like a questionable decision at best.
Damn.
It seems like people are really going to watch every little thing they say from now on in the FGC after SRK pulled their sponsorship of WNF. I don't condone misogyny or sexism or racism, but I hope that these events don't take away from the "rawness" of the commentary. Hopefully we can have that realness without the bullshit.
"Hateful speech"? Really? Talk about an unproportional response. This all went too far, now. The issue was resolved, but Kotaku just couldn't let go. Just two dudes making silly jokes about current events, not aimed at anyone in particular. Now the whole FGC is crucified and the big streams are gonna censor themselves.
"Hateful speech"? Really? Talk about an unproportional response. This all went too far, now. The issue was resolved, but Kotaku just couldn't let go. Just two dudes making silly jokes about current events, not aimed at anyone in particular. Now the whole FGC is crucified and the big streams are gonna censor themselves.
uh-oh.
Now the whole FGC is crucified and the big streams are gonna censor themselves.
Imagine no more Rush Hour or Yipes and Chris Matrix. It's a damn shame it comes to this.
It will be a test of who can prove Aris wrong that the FGC's love of hype cannot be divorced from sexual harassment. That's why it's a good move.
Pulling sponsorship? Talk about going from one end of the spectrum to the other. Just wow.
We are all on agreement that trash talking is perfectly fine, correct?
I agree this is all horribly disproportional, but the fact of the matter is that they indeed did joke about it when tensions were already high and should've kept shut if they knew what was best. This is feeding the media what they want to twist and put out there like they did this morning."Hateful speech"? Really? Talk about an unproportional response. This all went too far, now. The issue was resolved, but Kotaku just couldn't let go. Just two dudes making silly jokes about current events, not aimed at anyone in particular. Now the whole FGC is crucified and the big streams are gonna censor themselves.
It will be a test of who can prove Aris wrong that the FGC's love of hype cannot be divorced from sexual harassment. That's why it's a good move.
Is there the chance of someone's feeling getting hurt? There is?
Then squash that shit and take away their (useless) evo points. No bullying around these parts, ya hear?
BAN SPOOKY FROM EVO 2012
"Hateful speech"? Really?
Imagine no more Rush Hour or Yipes and Chris Matrix. It's a damn shame it comes to this.
Swearing? No.Really though, if someone swears on Spooky's stream this weekend does that mean Final Round doesn't get evo points, or pot bonuses?
Imagine no more Rush Hour or Yipes and Chris Matrix. It's a damn shame it comes to this.
The end of FGC is beginning. . .?
Tell this to the people overreacting and getting worried that somehow hype will be diminished by lack of "raw" commentary.lol what?
There have been tons of hype generated from the crowd that had nothing to do with sexual harassment and everything to do with trash talking and the overall play of the players.
Have you even been to a tourney?
;_;
uh-oh.
It won't end because jackasses don't get to go on the mic. It'll end because of the jackasses. How long do you think haunts and spooky can do all this streaming and broadcasting if they can't make a decent living? I imagine it takes lots of work and hours to go to tournaments and do it on a volunteer basis.The end of FGC is beginning. . .?
Damn.
It seems like people are really going to watch every little thing they say from now on in the FGC after SRK pulled their sponsorship of WNF. I don't condone misogyny or sexism or racism, but I hope that these events don't take away from the "rawness" of the commentary. Hopefully we can have that realness without the bullshit.
Am I gonna get banned from GAF for laughing at the 16 is barely okay thing?
Am I gonna get banned from GAF for laughing at the 16 is barely okay thing?
I imagine it takes lots of work and hours to go to tournaments and do it on a volunteer basis.
... Let me say something coherent and then shove a couple fuck yous in there. Ignore them though, even though they're the problem I'm being attacked for.
Stream commentary is soooo important, man.Tell this to the people overreacting and getting worried that somehow hype will be diminished by lack of "raw" commentary.
lol what?
There have been tons of hype generated from the crowd that had nothing to do with sexual harassment and everything to do with trash talking and the overall play of the players.
Have you even been to a tourney?
Aris said:This is a community thats, you know, 15 or 20-years-old and the sexual harassment is part of a culture, and if you remove that from the fighting game community, its not the fighting game community.