So if he was just saying 'I am beating you, I am beating you', would it be a double entendre for domestic violence?
There is a point when people try too hard to force a context in a situation that really does not warrant it.
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Sooo.. that "rape joke" during the Killer Instinct demo [Microsoft apologizes]
- Thread starter onlyindreams
- Start date
- Status
So if he was just saying 'I am beating you, I am beating you', would it be a double entendre for domestic violence?
There is a point when people try too hard to force a context in a situation that really does not warrant it.
I'm not holding the person on stage accountable, I'm holding the person that wrote his scripted dialogue and all of the people that didn't realize how this phrase could be taken before he got on stage accountable.
matty2Dfraud
Banned
do I really need to explain to you how anyone can bend and twist something said to make another person look bad?
If he does not understand the implications of the language he is using then he should refrain from using it. I mean that's really all those of us who correctly understand the double-meaning of that phrase are asking.
I don't recognize anything.
You guys are not in charge of what is considered right and wrong in the world.
matty2Dfraud
Banned
i'm holding you responsible for making something out of nothing.
Pseudo judo
Member
The fact that you came to that conclusion based on my comment is great proof of the nonsensical thinking behind the "he meant rape" comment from the OP and others like yourself.
TurnipFritters
Member
that is true.
however some statements/phrases already carry connotations of sexual violence, and as such don't really need the twisting to make them look bad.
This is a good point. I was not offended but I was surprised that MS would use such a loaded phrase during a public presentation. I am sure more people would realize if they had used a more universally well know loaded phrase like "boy" while playing against a black american.
Grampa Simpson
Banned
Was totally a rape joke. Just shy of "Lay back and think of England."
May have been too subtle for some members here.
May have been too subtle for some members here.
matty2Dfraud
Banned
again, another person getting their opinion confused with fact.
My opinion? Definitely. But most of the women in my twitter feed agreed. It was a pretty good example of how prevalent rape culture is. Also the bucketloads of denial in this thread do nothing but reaffirm said opinion.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
Who's idea was it to demo a game by making it look frustrating as shit, with one of the players mentioning multiple times how fun it isn't?
How is that a great way to sell the game?
There's subtext here, and it's pretty obvious. You can argue over whether "It'll all be over soon" has any sexual subtext, sure. But even if sex is removed, it's still a statment of domination.
Microsoft decided to try to sell a game by having someone representing the player community (the woman) get beaten severely by a douchy guy with a fight stick, while that player repeatedly tells everyone how much she doesn't like it.
There's subtext there, and not just "was that a rape joke."
How is that a great way to sell the game?
There's subtext here, and it's pretty obvious. You can argue over whether "It'll all be over soon" has any sexual subtext, sure. But even if sex is removed, it's still a statment of domination.
Microsoft decided to try to sell a game by having someone representing the player community (the woman) get beaten severely by a douchy guy with a fight stick, while that player repeatedly tells everyone how much she doesn't like it.
There's subtext there, and not just "was that a rape joke."
Metroid-Squadron
Banned
Just because it CAN be interpreted in such a way doesn't mean it's the only one or the intended one. Should we just censor ourselves due to sensitive politically correct people? NO.
JimtotheHum
Member
Adversely...
Well, my response is that instead of saying, "So fucking what?" and dismissing the claims so quickly (as some have in this thread). My first thought would be, "Well, let's see why these people are offended." Maybe there is no basis in it, or maybe it underlies something else about the gaming culture and our culture at large.
Such as something Risette brought up- the fact that it is "just" "trash talk" is indicative of the problems that make gaming such a trashy subculture (ie, normalized rape culture bullshit)
It's a movie cliché that's been co-opted as a rape joke by some, and is now apparently off limits to everyone. Or maybe the rape implication has always been there, i'm honestly not sure.
I think any outrage over this is totally unnecessary, as it seemed pretty clear that it was just very poorly scripted trash talk.
But "just let it happen" can definitely be taken as a rape joke. Its actually a meme, and an urban dictionary listing as other have pointed out. Then they throw in "it'll all be over soon" which just makes it sound even more creeper.
In short, yeah it was really lame and innapropriate. But mostly harmless.
But "just let it happen" can definitely be taken as a rape joke. Its actually a meme, and an urban dictionary listing as other have pointed out. Then they throw in "it'll all be over soon" which just makes it sound even more creeper.
In short, yeah it was really lame and innapropriate. But mostly harmless.
Even outside the weird implications the demonstration was just completely bizarre. There's some guy wailing on a lady in a fighting game while she complains about the game and says she doesn't like it, and all the while he verbally torments her. It is a pretty negative reflection on the multiplayer experience in general, and it's really depressing to see that mindset brought to the stage during a major press conference.
That's a good point about it being a public presentation. It's also context. Some posters here will disagree right away with this, but I think if this happened in a behind closed doors demo it's fine. Funny even.
On stage, national media, E3, trying to build some positive press...? Wow dumb.
Angry Fork
Member
I did not think about rape at all until I saw this thread. I thought it was 'just accept the loss'. There is nothing that suggests it leans more towards rape joke rather than 'lol you suck' joke.
José Mourinho
cocknose
Honest to god, what world do some GAFers occupy?
Yeah, I can't tell if it actually went over peoples' heads or if they're just being willfully ignorant.
Thank you.
It really was just a terrible presentation all together. Nothing interesting to look forward to and just a boring fight where a better player dominates a noob.
TurnipFritters
Member
you can say whatever you like but don't be shocked when people call you out on your bullshit.
this is a good and important post that should be quoted again just in case someone decided not to read it
By referencing Rorchach test, you clearly implied that those of us who see this as a rape joke have rape on the brain. I would suggest using a different reference if that's not what you meant, because your word choice has real meaning.
Dacon
Banned
Funny, I was watching with my mom and a few of my female friends and they didn't bat an eye.
Idk, it's unfortunate that people took it the way they did but that doesnt make it a "rape joke".
Everything doesn't have some hateful subtext behind it. Intent matters more to me, and the lady in the presentation herself appeared ok with whatever level of banter they had going. I don't know man, we seem to be at the point of reactionary outrage has become common place and perhaps thats coloring my whole opinion of this situation.
I also find it kinda insulting to the chick in the presentation that people just assume the guy "let" her win, as if she wasnt capable of making a comeback on her own.
-COOLIO-
The Everyman
or it means a lot of people derive their understanding of certain phrases from memes. these people need to get out more. he wasn't making a rape joke. holy shit.
D
Deleted member 8095
Unconfirmed Member
Definitely not a rape joke. Another example of faux Internet outrage going too far. But hey, this is the same forum that has had 100's of posts stating the XB1 is going to be raping people.
Whether it was a rape joke or not depends on the guys intentions. The way it was said was pretty ambiguous. I don't pretend to know his intentions. Why do you?
Broder Salsa
Banned
Some smart marketing, I bet they were up all night planning that one.
It was maybe a bad choice of words, but I highly doubt the guy meant anything more than she should accept she was getting beaten in this game and should accept it.
QueenOfThorns
Member
It doesn't matter what his intentions were. Phrases and words mean things. It's true, he could have unintentionally said a rape joke, or intentionally, but either way that's what came out and at the very least people should talk about it.
The phrase had the rape context long before the memes appears. THough you may be trolling. One can never tell.
Adversely...
This is a pretty dumb image. Obviously people can have good reasons for being offended. I mean, I think it's a basic human right to not have hate speech directed at yourself no? Stephen Fry is some poncey comedian, he doesn't understand the realities of rape/racism/etc. If gamers can't accept that this was creepy and weird and laughable then guess what? People will continue to think gamers are creepy and weird and laughable.
Metroid-Squadron
Banned
Except there's no bullshit here. Only a bunch of sensitive people here that love to tell people what's right and wrong from their overly narrow perspective.
Domination as a theme is part of essentially every competitive game ever. If you can't handle it, don't play them. But interestingly, sexist people didn't see two playing battling each other, they saw a man dominating a woman. Pretty telling.
computers putin'
Member
I suppose it could be interpreted as a rape joke, but I didn't see it that way at all initially. I saw it more as a killer trying to coax and relax his victim type of thing; Y'know, gun to the head, he's shaking, so you're like " relax, just let it happen, it'll be over soon, you can't do nothing about it anyway". Bah, either way the joke was meant it doesn't bother me, awkward though.
I'm just speculating but I'm going to guess that "rape sloth" or whatever isn't a highly popular meme among women and they probably received their understanding of the phrase from somewhere else.
P. much.
I don't think this was purposely done either, so it's not a huge deal, just something to cringe at.
How some people in the thread can't see the connotation at all is baffling to me though.
That's because that's what it is.
These kinds of discussions are the byproduct of trying to stop that whole rape culture thing. It happens.
This is undoubtedly what the guy meant. It would have still been awkward against another guy. But, the player was a girl and the phrase can mean something else. This takes it from awkward to poor taste.
- Status