Via The Escapist, from an Anonymous writer. As the article points out early on, sexism and gender issues are not the focus of this essay. I know the chances of this thread devolving are relatively high, but I think it's something worth reading.
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On The Casual Use of the Word "Rape" in Gaming Culture
- Thread starter Jintor
- Start date
disappeared
Banned
We're just not going to let this shit go, are we?
Letting it go would mean concluding that we can't do anything about it, and I'm not sure that's the case.
CambriaRising
Member
Actually, I agree with this. However it could be my age (pushing 50). But there were other words (retard, jew) which offended me before this particular example. It's not the words, it's the entitled, uncaring attitude bolstered by anonymity which lays behind it that makes my blood boil.
Put the idiots on ignore it and be choosy about who you play with.
Put the idiots on ignore it and be choosy about who you play with.
Uhm, sadly true.
I'm sorry but who are all these discussions aimed at? The majority of the people saying rape jokes to strangers online WILL NOT read this ("this" being either NeoGAF or Escapist) nor care about it.
It's not completely useless to discuss it, as always, discussion is good, but it's kinda barking at the wrong tree.
That said: i agree it's not cool to use that kind of language with strangers or acquaintances, not entirely sure about the friends part, as it is impossible to tell what secrets another friends is witholding and many jokes can be potentially hurtful, beside rape jokes, so it would be seriously difficult to avoid all those subjects, when with close(r) friends.
disappeared
Banned
It's something that can be easily remedied, but instead we're just going to see article after article about it.
Circle Jerk
Member
Amazing how many people critize games journalism for not talking about real topics, and being a PR mouthpiece, and then when they actually talk about a real problem facing gaming culture it's just a cavalcade of people complaining about how many articles are being written on the topic.
base shagohod
Member
Yup. Kids are dumb. Especially when they can be anonymous online.
I know, right? Let's vilify them for taking up a good gaming-related cause!
It sure beats articles about entitlement, which company should go 3rd party, etc.
captmorgan
Banned
Isn`t using your dad abandon you common? Especially with people that actually had their dad abandon them.
Honest question is it the word "Rape" thats the problem or the intent/context behind it?
Instead of screaming we "raped" you 20 to 1, can I yell we "sexually assaulted" you or "surprised sexed" you?
Or even use a word completely different I`m going to "Notepad you" and your going to like it!
Would just removing the word and replacing it with something else be enough to solve the problem?
Honest question is it the word "Rape" thats the problem or the intent/context behind it?
Instead of screaming we "raped" you 20 to 1, can I yell we "sexually assaulted" you or "surprised sexed" you?
Or even use a word completely different I`m going to "Notepad you" and your going to like it!
Would just removing the word and replacing it with something else be enough to solve the problem?
disappeared
Banned
Fair enough.
Then count yourself lucky, because that probably means the people you play with are relatively mature. "I have not experienced X, therefore X is not a real problem" isn't much of an argument against these articles, though.
Ditto. The part about their friends screaming 'rape, rape, rape' at the tv sounds made up to me. Maybe I just have awesome friends.
Neither is ignoring that people have had good experiences online. How many articles are there about 'Hey, I just found 3 randoms on Left 4 Dead and we had a ton of fun. We were all different cultures, but the fun of the game brought us together. And if those do exist, who's going to read them?
MiniBossBattle
Member
Anyone else play with people that don't say those type of things? I feel like youtube comments are worse than what I hear when playing games.
It's pretty clearly the word.
Face meet palm.
Is it possible that experiences beyond your direct field of vision occur?
I play with randoms half the time and I haven't heard it. You're more likely to get some moron blasting music over his mic or talking in a stupid high pitched voice the entire match in my experience.
It wouldn't be easy to kill every teenager on the planet, though.
You tried jintor, you tried.
I think as people grow up they should show a little maturity and not throw around words carelessly. Context is key.
I'm not averse to swearing, nothing wrong with that. But obviously people using rape in that context are just being immature. They may not mean anything by it, but they are stubborn enough to assert there's nothing wrong with it. I think half the replies in this page are of that ilk, which is a shame, yet unsurprising.
I think as people grow up they should show a little maturity and not throw around words carelessly. Context is key.
I'm not averse to swearing, nothing wrong with that. But obviously people using rape in that context are just being immature. They may not mean anything by it, but they are stubborn enough to assert there's nothing wrong with it. I think half the replies in this page are of that ilk, which is a shame, yet unsurprising.
'Face meet palm' is a very mature way of dealing with someone who has had a different experience. When did I say that they don't occur? I never said the online parts didn't sound made up, but I did say that the part of yelling at the tv seemed made up, and I bring up my previous point that, if their friends are like that, it sounds like they need to talk to their friends.
But let me express myself as maturely as you, SMH SMH SMH
While I know what you're getting at, this doesn't make the subject of this article any less relevant. Is it somehow not a valid discussion just because it doesn't happen to everyone?
K
kittens
Unconfirmed Member
Don't have time for a full response now, but yeah, this trend totally disgusts me, and is totally reflective of misogyny in gaming culture.
It'd be a start. Consider that in most cases, using the phrase "you just got raped" in the context of being dominated in a video game of some sort suggests that the winning person/party wanted the loser to feel a disheartened and defeated. In that sense, the words "owned" or "whooped" just don't carry enough of an edge, the words are just too juvenile and relatively harmless. At the very least, replacing "raped" with a similarly heavy term like "killed", "murdered", "murked" would be more fitting because in most cases defeat in a competitive game means you were killed, not sexually assaulted.
I'm glad the topic is continually eating broached in any outlet. There may not be anything new to say about it (that fact elicits similarly repetitive, dejectory comments from gamers here), but there's no harm in raising the issue. Not every gamer will have heard the word used against them, but seemingly its widespread enough to garner this much attention that the topi shouldn't be downplayed.
Circle Jerk
Member
What is your point? That no one would read an article on a game working like it should? Of course not- but I'm positive there are articles online talking about grouping with randoms and having an okay time. Why is it that looking at the negative aspects of gaming should be balanced by looking at the positives? People yelling rape and ignoring how the meanings behind words, and perhaps even going as far as to attack those who do find issue with it is a much more pressing topic then I played a game with some randoms and enjoyed myself. A major issue issue with rape culture, especially in the videogame community, isn't just that people use the word as an insult, but that there are people that try to downplay the impact of the word, or question why we are talking about it.
BrokenEchelon
Banned
Overly unnecessary political correctness is more annoying than a thousand XBL teens telling me they're raping my face in.
If you're an adult who can't deal with a word with a negative, aggressive connotation to describe a negative, aggressive act (being beaten badly, dominated, etc.) then you need to look inwards to resolve your issues.
The term applies. It represents one of the ultimate ways of dominating someone and it may as well be a synonym for such an action at this point.
Words change their meanings through different cultures and over time.
If I said I had a gay old time with my friends last night, you would probably spring to a homosexual connotation, yet I could just as easily be referencing happiness and merriment.
Lighten up and get over it. There are real issues out there. This is just fodder for attention and hits.
If you're an adult who can't deal with a word with a negative, aggressive connotation to describe a negative, aggressive act (being beaten badly, dominated, etc.) then you need to look inwards to resolve your issues.
The term applies. It represents one of the ultimate ways of dominating someone and it may as well be a synonym for such an action at this point.
Words change their meanings through different cultures and over time.
If I said I had a gay old time with my friends last night, you would probably spring to a homosexual connotation, yet I could just as easily be referencing happiness and merriment.
Lighten up and get over it. There are real issues out there. This is just fodder for attention and hits.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
Slow news week?
Littlegator
Banned
people talk shit
more at 11
more at 11
Let me contradict it with my own direct experience. Oh no, we've gotten nowhere.
I just seem to recall instant doubt on your party back in the thread regarding Katie and her experiences, so forgive me if I seem a little testy.
So "rape" is okay, but racist banter is not?
It is better to confront the issue while dealing with the history and context of it, rather than sweep it under the carpet continually. The gaming culture is filled to the brim with idiots.
What modern culture still uses "gay" as anything but either a descriptive, pejorative, or slur? Does any still use it as a simile of "happy" or joyful?
Circle Jerk
Member
What the fuck is wrong with you that this is your response to an article written by a rape victim. What the fuck made you write "words change meaning" as a rape victim describes the horrific feelings and emotions brought up when the word is directed at them. Words change meaning sure, I'll accept that. Saying I raped you online did not change the meaning of the word. Rape still means rape. It doesn't mean owned. It doesn't mean better than. It means fucking rape.
thecouncil
Banned
is this a new thread about rape?... <click>... by god, this is actually a new thread.
those friends sound awful.
those friends sound awful.
Jesus. Did you even read the article? Because given the context this is an incredibly fucked up thing to say.
And if the writer wanted attention then he would have attached his name to the article rather than go anonymous.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
Well, probably because words can change meaning, I'd imagine. But I'm not the person who posted it, so I suppose I could be wrong.
did seem kinda insensitive, though.
Hasn't happened often to me. The worst was on a WoW pvp server during the time before Obama was elected president. I played for years on that server with a small group of friends and for some reason, the worst idiots came out of the woodwork during that time.
I don't play any online games on the xbox live, which is where I see most of the truly offensive message screenshots. Check out reddit's gaming page sometime.
Not sure what can be "done" about the problem except to not be a part of it. Every time I get into an argument with that type of idiot, it just goes around in a circle.