Call me naive, but I believe people can change for the better. I like Jontron's content but I honestly think what he said was horrible and stupid, specially if he truly believes that. He deserves all the shit thrown at him.
On the other hand, instead of ostracizing him from the community, a community in that he is a very big deal even now, proven by how much media attention this whole thing gave him, his friends and even his community should aspire to educate him and show him better. I don't agree with the notion that shitheads can't stop been shitheads. Some can't, of course, but I think everyone deserves a second chance if they are willing to take it.
A good example is Jim Sterling as mentioned above, he changed his mind and now he is a poster boy for favorable discussion when it comes to sexism in the gaming community. What is not to say Jon can be talked and educated to realize the errors of his ways.
I am not defending him and I sure as hell not supporting him, he is not my personal friend and I know of him are the hours I dedicated to listening to his content, but I think we all have know people who had terrible notions. At least personally I have been able to educate a few of them and be able to change their perspective, even a little bit helps.
But it really depends on him I guess and only time will tell. His response video was a non-apology for sure but that is the obvious course of action when you have fucked up so badly. I won't be surprised if we see a real apology down the line when things have calmed down and the eye is not on him, so he can really let it sink in.
America is all kinds of fucked up right now and its really hard to know who to trust, and if there is something I know is that people usually trust those who are nicer to them, even if they are huge assholes to everyone else. Its hard to see in the bigger scope of things and its hard to relate to those who have it worst than you if you don't make an effort to see them or be there.
The internet makes it specially easy to lose yourself in a single, tailored for you, mentality. And it makes you lose empathy. If something sounds weird you erase it away. If something sounds good you can find more of it, even if its not true. Its funny how the world of possibilities brought fort by the internet is so overwhelming that its just easier to find a nice, warm echo chamber and rest in it.
As a fan of Jontron's work I hope he is able to realize how much he fucked up and why and how much his ignorance has an effect in people, and I hope he has close friends that can and want to talk with him and sort it all, but of course, this is all in an ideal world. He should realize his viewpoint is wrong and misinformed, and he should keep on doing videos, because they are funny and I am one of those people that can divorce their work from their personal opinions.
And this is too long.
