I obviously realize that no one is actually saying that PC gamers are the preferred people of Hitler. That’s absurd, and it’s supposed to be absurd. It’s a joke. It just isn’t a joke worth keeping around at the expense of making people uncomfortable about the hobby we're supposed to be promoting—and, selfishly, I’d rather not look like a tasteless jackass. I’d be mortified if my friends and family thought I were part of something called the “PC Master Race.” They don’t get the context, and even if I explained it to them, a half-forgotten seven-year-old internet joke doesn’t expunge the historical meaning from the phrase, which refers to the Aryan race, which is a term still used by people with swastika tattoos. I think I’ll go ahead and distance myself from the Aryan Brotherhood, if you don’t mind.
This isn’t a plea for political correctness—not associating oneself with Nazi pastiches is just good living. It’s fun to treat our hobby like a club and build camaraderie, but I don’t think a reference to white supremacy is going to encourage club membership.
PC gaming’s image is uniquely in the hands of its community, and PC gaming as a “brand” shouldn’t be synonymous with a meme. Given the choice, would Xbox fans really want to be represented by Microsoft’s marketing? I doubt it. And yet, with 300,000 subscribers on the PC Master Race subreddit, it seems we’ve chosen advice animals and MS Paint scribbles as our ambassadors. I know there are better ways to express our enthusiasm and creativity.
