A response to some arguments in anita sarkeesians interview.

[Cheesepower5]

To me, sexism is like racism, it goes away if you stop talking about it.

And I'm sure ostriches everywhere agree with you that this is a good response to every problem.

Except Ostriches don't bury their heads like that as a defense mechanism. That would be retarded.

 

[Kahunaburger]

To me, sexism is like racism, it goes away if you stop talking about it.

And I'm sure ostriches everywhere agree with you that this is a good response to every problem.

Except Ostriches don't bury their heads like that as a defense mechanism. That would be retarded.

But apparently people on the internet do. Go figure.

 

[lowhat]

If feminism was about equality, it would have been called egalitarianism.

 

[Cheesepower5]

To me, sexism is like racism, it goes away if you stop talking about it.

And I'm sure ostriches everywhere agree with you that this is a good response to every problem.

Except Ostriches don't bury their heads like that as a defense mechanism. That would be retarded.

But apparently people on the internet do. Go figure.

I guess we don't have any real predators, so we have time for this shit.

 

[Kahunaburger]

To me, sexism is like racism, it goes away if you stop talking about it.

And I'm sure ostriches everywhere agree with you that this is a good response to every problem.

Except Ostriches don't bury their heads like that as a defense mechanism. That would be retarded.

But apparently people on the internet do. Go figure.

I guess we don't have any real predators, so we have time for this shit.

That's a good way to put it. The folks who say stuff like "racism is a solved problem" and "can we stop talking about sexism?" tend to be pretty privileged, after all.

 

[Blade_125]

To me, sexism is like racism, it goes away if you stop talking about it. Some people just try way too hard to skew things to match their particular lense. I don't actually believe there's such a thing as a modern feminist because the issues they fought for are all in the past.

Sorry that is just drivel.
Sexism doesn't magically go away if you ignore it. It persists if you ignore it because you don't challege. We didn't `ignore` racism away, so I'm not sure why you felt the need to put that there.
People count on saying `oh just ignore it!` so that they can keep getting away it. I've never `fed the trolls` on Xbox live, and thats pretty darn sexist.

Also, there are some countries where women can't drive legally. Issues in the past?

It is true that some countries are behind. It's also very true that that is none of our concern. At my workplace we have people. We don't have men and women until someone goes to the bathroom. It's not an issue. Why? Because I don't have to point out to other people that my boss is a woman who is respected in her field across North America. Well I have to point it our here, because some people want to keep sexism current, instead of a historical fact where it belongs.

It's not "ignoring something away". It's ignoring the difference between individuals, be it race, sex, disability, or ability. Once people get it through their heads that we're all human, humanity wins.

EDIT: So when Morgan Freeman says it, it's the wisest most intelligent thing ever. When I say it... drivel? Okifine.

You can't base the whole society after the one example you have of your workplace. Not enough of a sample size.

 

[rbstewart7263]

To me, sexism is like racism, it goes away if you stop talking about it.

And I'm sure ostriches everywhere agree with you that this is a good response to every problem.

Except Ostriches don't bury their heads like that as a defense mechanism. That would be retarded.

But apparently people on the internet do. Go figure.

I guess we don't have any real predators, so we have time for this shit.

That's a good way to put it. The folks who say stuff like "racism is a solved problem" and "can we stop talking about sexism?" tend to be pretty privileged, after all.

I challenge your arguement with a statement from morgan freeman.

Comments on race

Freeman has publicly criticized the celebration of Black History Month and does not participate in any related events, saying, "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history."[40] He says the only way to end racism is to stop talking about it, and he notes that there is no "white history month."[41] Freeman once said on an interview with 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace, "I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man."[40] Freeman supported the defeated proposal to change the Mississippi state flag, which contains the Confederate battle flag.[42][43

Perhaps youd like to eat your own words??

 

[00slash00]

To me, sexism is like racism, it goes away if you stop talking about it. Some people just try way too hard to skew things to match their particular lense. I don't actually believe there's such a thing as a modern feminist because the issues they fought for are all in the past.

you are aware that racism still exists right? pretending a problem doesnt exist doesnt make it go away. also, feminism isnt needed anymore, really? republicans have been aggressively attacking womens reproductive rights and some states have even started arresting women for having miscarriages. i can give you many examples of how gender equality has not yet been accomplished but instead i will just say that feminism will always have a place, as will all forms of civil rights. even if racism was completely gone, even if sexism was completely gone, even if glbt discrimination was completely gone, we would still need people to defend these causes because we have plenty of people in our government who are always trying to undo the accomplishments made by these movements

 

[rbstewart7263]

To me, sexism is like racism, it goes away if you stop talking about it.

Similarly, to relate to Ms. Sarkeesian's efforts - it is not enough to simply stop discussing gender, and to pretend the issue doesn't exist. Whether or not she makes mountains of molehills, or focuses on minutia instead of the larger scope, she is trying to discuss ways in which women are represented - and misrepresented. Whether you agree with her or not, the conversation she is trying to have is an important one, because we are not yet even remotely close to having a society where we don't have to worry about gender - where this issue is no longer important enough to talk about.

Fair enough though this depends on how you view such issues. In freemans example he seems to be of the opinion that racial supremacy in its societal form is largly done with. Racism being like a scab that would heal if you would just quit picking at it for example. I for one agree with this any true supremacy that exists in our world is no matter of race sex or color.

Microsoft and walmart dont care who fills there coffers whether they be all of the same color or as colorful as sesame street. long as there filled and they exploit without impunity. the fact that there white id argue is more in line with past social values than current.



as to the matter of sexism and whether its worth discussing?? well that depends; im largely of the opinion that most developers come from a place where such boundaries exist only as a historical pretext not even within there own vocabulary.

As to gamers being rude on halo and such well; people have been clammed up for years not allowed to say this joke or do this thing so like a boiling pot it naturally has come to such a mass extreme. So to disallow such expression however vile seems to make it worse not better.

So in essence in both examples ignoring what few bigots and idiots there are left leads to a higher growth in society and our industry.

As to the characters in games themselves well your wallet speaks louder than your mouth can to these folks.

if youl look at the sales of games like half life 2 or mirrors edge or bayonetta(Yes I think its sex outlook is positive) The more alex vances and faiths there are the more people buy so really the industry grows more organically this way. Yes there will still be a market for male power fantasys but leave those be if you must and only buy the games you feel are true to you and when you do that the more of those youl see.

Though to an extent the voices of gamers should never be truly silent though if we keep nagging and holding our developers to every nagging detail they wont be able to move this way or that with there creations out of blind fear of appearing sexist or racist. One should be free to do as they will with expression and the truth of it will be told in the sales,popularity,etc.

In how it touches you.

 

[lapan]

Uh, what? No. He explained why it's OK for the "Gravity Rush" character to wear high-high heels, thanks to the game's fiction. (Super powers and whatnot) And the fact that she just likes wearing high-heels. You know it's not sexist for a woman to dress sexily if she just likes to dress that way, right? Wouldn't it be MORE sexist if all female characters had to cover up to be considered legitimate?

I wouldn't even have noticed her wearing high heels if nobody pointed it out. I was paying more attention to the gameplay than details on her clothing. I don't really like her default costume anyways and switched it at the first possible chance.

 

[ProtoChimp]

snippy

mind pointing to me towards some of the videos you think are well done? The ones I've seen so far were rubbish. Since you feel she's hit and miss I might have just seen the misses.

Well, it was all just her personal opinion but both of her videos on the Hunger games I found to be very insightful(they convinced me to actually read the book for one thing). I also really liked her more recent video on the Bechdel Test, the one about True Grit and Mattie Ross was quite good and as I've said before I really liked the whole 'tropes versus women' series. She also did a very good video on unpleasant stereotypes against men in alchohol advertisments and I liked her arguments about 'uber Ironic sexism'. Finally quite liked, for the most part anyway, her Lego advertisements.

Like I said it's a hit and miss for me, her earlier ones were kind of sensationalist possibly because they were so short so she had to hammer in a point really fast, later on she could put more detail into them and comes across as a lot calmer. Low points for me are the ones about Iphone games (one comment goes too far and of course it's a little off topic) and the one about Christmas songs I thought was reaching a bit (though Baby it's cold outside is still just kinda fucked up if you ask me). I also think she could have talked a bit more about Suckerpunch, I agree that the movie is kind of dripping in sexism but I felt it needed more elaboration.

But hey, to each their own. I've been an avid follower for a while and while it is true I don't always agree with Sarkeesian I'm also always eager to listen to what she has to say. I wonder if she'll make a rebuttal to this. Probably not but all the same I stand by my original point, attaching 'free will' to a character that can't have free will is silly.

P.S going to bed now and I'm on holiday so is it okay if any more conversation gets put away for a while?

Sorry whats fucked up about "baby its cold outside?"

Capcha: get over it... um... er.... I... dont... know how to react...

Well, the song was written as a 'wolf' attempting to entice a 'mouse' into his den, for what reasons can only be guessed at.

There's also the line "Say, what's in this drink?" that the 'mouse' says, that some people attempt to prop up as a sign that it's about date-rape, though considering the time period the song was originally written in, the probability of that is rather low. The 'mouse' is most likely hinting at being given an alcoholic drink when previously the mouse was drinking non-alcoholic beverages.

Then there's the 'wolf' shooting down the 'mouse's' constant declarations to the effect of 'no', attempting to coerce the mouse into staying. Some people view it as the mouse only putting up a token resistance, while actually wanting to stay, while others view it as the mouse earnestly wanting to leave, but being stopped by the wolf.

... Holy Shit. I remember a man named Qutb from Egypt came over to America to teach, and among other things about the american way that disgusted him he saw an american prom and saw a pastor sing that song while the teens danced supposedly inappropriately. Qutb is now regarded as some as a sort of Godfather of Al Quada.

Okay that had nothing to do with anything and was a little inaccurate but whatever I'm going off GCSE history here, take it with mountain of salt.

 

[Kahunaburger]

To me, sexism is like racism, it goes away if you stop talking about it.

And I'm sure ostriches everywhere agree with you that this is a good response to every problem.

Except Ostriches don't bury their heads like that as a defense mechanism. That would be retarded.

But apparently people on the internet do. Go figure.

I guess we don't have any real predators, so we have time for this shit.

That's a good way to put it. The folks who say stuff like "racism is a solved problem" and "can we stop talking about sexism?" tend to be pretty privileged, after all.

I challenge your arguement with a statement from morgan freeman.

Comments on race

Freeman has publicly criticized the celebration of Black History Month and does not participate in any related events, saying, "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history."[40] He says the only way to end racism is to stop talking about it, and he notes that there is no "white history month."[41] Freeman once said on an interview with 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace, "I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man."[40] Freeman supported the defeated proposal to change the Mississippi state flag, which contains the Confederate battle flag.[42][43

Perhaps youd like to eat your own words??

Perhaps you'd like to elaborate on how the opinion of a Hollywood actor has any bearing on this discussion?

 

[aattss]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OExCdOImmVA

I find the video posted here to be very educational and informational, whilst not being misogynistic.

 

[LiquidGrape]

I challenge your arguement with a statement from morgan freeman.

Comments on race

Freeman has publicly criticized the celebration of Black History Month and does not participate in any related events, saying, "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history."[40] He says the only way to end racism is to stop talking about it, and he notes that there is no "white history month."[41] Freeman once said on an interview with 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace, "I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man."[40] Freeman supported the defeated proposal to change the Mississippi state flag, which contains the Confederate battle flag.[42][43

Perhaps youd like to eat your own words??

Perhaps you'd like to elaborate on how the opinion of a Hollywood actor has any bearing on this discussion?

Not to mention how Morgan Freeman is virtually oozing privilege anyway, being a wealthy and relatively light-skinned man of colour who works within the comfort zone of a predominantly white social sphere.

Ask a middle-to-lower class person of colour whether they think Freeman's delusional assessment is correct, and I can guarantee you'll hear a very different account of the problem.

Freeman is no authority on racism. Ignoring the problem does not make it go away.
And like racism, sexism will persist for as long as people insist on being dismissive of the endemic issues which perpetuate it.