Are you freakin' kidding me?

[In Search of Username]

I'm not gonna side with the people that are saying it wasn't a rape joke because it obviously was. I'm also not gonna side with the people who say it was wrong, because it wasn't.

It was trash-talk. Nobody means what they say when trash-talking. Because they're doing it while playing a video game, in this case a video game about BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF THE OTHER PLAYER. What part of that activity makes you think that taking everything he said seriously is a good idea, people? From non-gamers, I can understand the outrage, because they're probably ignorant of the whole idea of trash-talk. But gamers who're getting offended by this? Just stop.

 

[BlackFlyme]

Why does this whole scenario matter anyway? IIRC the entire thing was staged, the trash-talk was weightless from the beginning. Hell, in a subsequent game the guy got his ass handed to him. I don't know if the trash-talk was scripted, but if it was, it was the laziest attempt at "CONTROVERSY!" I've seen in a while.

Edit: so it wasn't scripted, at least according to those involved. I still think it was blown out of proportion, it was pointless trash-talk.

 

[Wraith]

Someone pointed out earlier that the woman in the video defended the use of the rape joke. I'm not sure how true this is, but if so I will not waste my time being offended for someone who is not offended at what was said to them personally.

 

[JimB]

If I recall correctly, the entire thing was staged.

You do not recall correctly. Everyone involved in the display says it was not scripted.

Someone pointed out earlier that the woman in the video defended the use of the rape joke. I'm not sure how true this is, but if so I will not waste my time being offended for someone who is not offended at what was said to them personally.

You're free to determine your own standards, of course, but I see no reason why I ought to agree with this woman or her standards. It's not as if her sex or her relationship to the problem make her an expert on the politics of the thing.

 

[shadowuser10141]

Oh look, people taking something completely out of context and making it about rape.

Guess we need to have atleast on rape controversy a month. Even if it has absolutely nothing to do with rape.

Nike didn't design the UCONN Huskies logo to promote rape. But sure enough somebody had to draw a comparison.

I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

 

[Something Amyss]

This is going to be 100% ignored but...

In most media where rape is depicted that line is said. Basically we're hardwired to think that line=rape.

For the record, it's not completely ignored. It's just...What can you say in response to this? There's not much to add if you agree, and it strikes me as a point that's hard to argue against.

 

[Piorn]

Bite the pillow, my super-move is charged!

But seriously, people read to much into that. if it was two females, it would obviously cater to fanboy tastes, and if it was two men, then women would be underrepresented.
They didn't even intentionally mention rape, they just did some standard, awkward trash talk.
No matter what you do, someone will find it offensive, so why even bother.

 

[DoveAlexa]

I'm just baffled on how out of hand that has gotten, considering no one said rape in the actual conference. This is just like when the news went insane over racist you-tube comments but the actual ad wasn't racist at all.

 

[RaikuFA]

This is going to be 100% ignored but...

In most media where rape is depicted that line is said. Basically we're hardwired to think that line=rape.

For the record, it's not completely ignored. It's just...What can you say in response to this? There's not much to add if you agree, and it strikes me as a point that's hard to argue against.

Mainly because it's not on the first 2 pages. I've noticed those beyond it get ignored a lot. I'm glad as well you see it that way.

 

[Entitled]

I thought it was just a joke. Yeah, rape isn't funny, but it was a joke. Just some guy trash talking while he's winning a game. And besides rape joke are all over the internet. I am not saying it's 100% okay, but why is this such a huge problem now?

No, he wasn't just "some guy", he was a video game producer on stage of an E3 conference in front of thousands of press members, advertising a product by demonstrating it's intended usage.

And apparently, they believe that trash-talking your opponents with rape references, is part of that intended usage.

Boggle.

Seriously, how is it like a rape if she voluntarily got on stage and played the game with him?

Did he force her to play? Did he make her hold the "joystick"? No, she did it willingly and chose to be there.

It's not like a rape at all, and the banter certainly doesn't make it like that. If she was offended, she could have said something. She wasn't.

People are ridiculous.

Yeah, those ridiculous people, who are claiming that this woman just got raped...

As opposed to the actual, straw-free people who consider her just as guilty as the man, not of rape, but of participating in a commercialized act of advertising rape-themed trash talking in video games as acceptable.

I'm just baffled on how out of hand that has gotten, considering no one said rape in the actual conference. This is just like when the news went insane over racist you-tube comments but the actual ad wasn't racist at all.

Yeah, like that, but with the responsible parties actually admitting that they wer making an offensive and inappropriate joke, and apologizing for it.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2013/06/microsoft-e3-rape-joke/66092/
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2013/06/microsoft-employee-rape-joke-e3-response/66132/

 

[JazzJack2]

Yeah, like that, but with the responsible parties actually admitting that they wer making an offensive and inappropriate joke, and apologizing for it.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2013/06/microsoft-e3-rape-joke/66092/
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2013/06/microsoft-employee-rape-joke-e3-response/66132/

I'd read that again if I was you because nowhere in those two articles do they say they where sorry for it, in fact Williams herself defended the joke. Plus your claims that this is a rape joke are completely unsubstantiated and like I've said a million times before you must be looking to offended if you found any insinuation of rape in the joke.

 

[Jadak]

Wait? That's what this was all about? I've been seeing mentions to this "horrible rape joke" all day but hadn't gotten around to actually looking into it until now.. And that... That's it? Fuck people, shut up. This is tame, this is boring, and that awkward 'joke' barely raises an eyebrow.

Jesus Christ, go back to whining about DRM and how the XBOne is going to be a blight on mankind or some shit.

 

[wulf3n]

Hmmm where are you most likely to hear:

"Don't worry, this will only hurt for a second",
"It'll be over soon" &
"There, that wasn't so bad now was it?"

Being raped, or being a child getting an injection or other medical procedure.

Everyone who get's offended by those lines needs to grow up.

 

[TrulyBritish]

Oh look, people taking something completely out of context and making it about rape.

Guess we need to have atleast on rape controversy a month. Even if it has absolutely nothing to do with rape.

Yeah, didn't you hear about the newly implemented "rape-thread"-quota? If it isn't met, a virgin has to be sacrificed to the servers to appease the servers.


On topic:
So there was trash-talk in a demonstration showing of a new fighting-game?

Oh, the horror, oh the unspeakable madness, woe is me for my world was shattered.

Why won't anyone stop this crazy world from spinning?

OH THE HUMANITY.

I'm sorry, but if even YOU didn't make that out as "OH THE HUE-MANATEE" something is going wrong.
OT: Can people not get upset over trivial things for even one day? I know we're giving the Microsoft PR department a hard time lately but even those brainless monkeys wouldn't go "Huh duh, I know what'll make da custoomer luv us, let's throw in some RAPE related humour". It's a poor choice of words as far as I'm concerned and nothing else. Are we supposed to scrutinise all fighting game banter now? I mean the amount of times i've said or been told "Give up, you'll never win" is practically uncountable, and I barely play fighting games.

 

[Warachia]

snip

While I like what you wrote, it wasn't exactly suited to this thread, yes, language is powerful, yes, people have to watch what they say, but this is not using rape in a casual way, this is taking something that had nothing to do with rape, and twisting it so that it does.

 

[Warachia]

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2013/06/microsoft-employee-rape-joke-e3-response/66132/

Holy Shit, what the fuck is wrong with them that they thought those pictures were good ideas? Glad to see this is from a completely unbiased news site, they even tell the reader what to think in their final paragraph, you know, in case it's too hard for you (I'm sure that line could be misconstrued as well).
It takes a special kind of person to see a cat lying next to a kitten and think "That cat's totally going to rape that kitten."
Captcha: good day. No it isn't captcha.

EDIT: Actually, re-reading the article, THEY NEVER SAID IT WAS A RAPE JOKE. The only thing saying that it was a rape joke was the incredibly biased article, the employees admitted to nothing.

 

[TallanKhan]

What I find truly mindblowing with this article is the way they have publicised what was, lets face it, a pretty minor controversy (in all likelihood this barely reached the radar of anyone not watching the E3 coverage)and have tried to talk it up as the biggest thing to happen at E3.

On a side note I grow increasingly tired of people being "offended" by various things and my response is this: So What?
We teach children not to take any notice when other children say something nasty, that words can't hurt them, when exactly does this stop being applicable to adults? Offence and the taking there of is a two person activity that requires the participation not only of the person who acts to cause offence, but the person who chooses to be offended. Yes i agree that deliberatly causing offence is wrong, but in situations where there was no intent to cause offence then it is as much (if not more so) the ofendee's problem.

 

[Product Placement]

So if I beat another guy at a fighting game, while going "Yeah... You like that? Take it like a man." then clearly it makes me a homosexual rapist, right?

 

[Quadocky]

I STILL don't get why people are so surprised or outraged that gamers are considered a target worthy of discussion in context to women and sexism. Many gamers are terrible people in some cases, and the industry does little to discourage the prevalent awfulness.