Demonization of Moviebob and other Escapist Staff

[CaitSeith]

I think they aren't fired because their opinions haven't affected the industry the same way that in others: people aren't going to stop buying games because of the crap they said (specially the gamers).

Woaaaa, just a second, let me soak that up.

That is one fucked up metrics you are using there. Employing and terminating employment of journalists should never be based on "effect" of their transgression but rather severity of their transgression. I could shame a person into depression and still not really affect anything other than that person. But I should still get my ass not only fired but labeled unemployable in the journalistic capacities.

They shouldn't, but aren't they? Ask any journalist outside the gaming industry if the journalism world is filled with corruption and they'll probably answer "yes".

 

[Ramzal]

MovieBob claimed that people who have opinions were as bad or worse than ISIS... Either he is making light of what ISIS does or he is really just delusional as to what ISIS really is or does. And honestly that's crossing a giant line. I don't think he CAN be punished for his words but he does represent The Escapist as part of it, so that's just not a good look in general. Jim doesn't really deserve much if any of the negativity he is receiving. Greg... eh. I like a few of his works, but for the most part he comes off a bit to protective of things he probably doesn't fully understand. That being said, I'm sure Greg isn't a bad person (Probably a fun guy to hang around and talk to) but not someone I'd want to her their personal philosophies from.

That being said, all of the above are talents in their trades.

Uh? I thought that was [a href="https://twitter.com/devincf/status/503647651103899648"]Devin Faraci[/a]. Do you have the link to where Bob said that?

Woops! My bad! Mixed the two up. Been a long day. I was thinking that Faraci called people subhumans and Bob said what--you get what I mean. My bad there. Far cry away from calling people ISIS. Still bad to call people subhuman. Not ISIS bad, but still bad. My bad.

 

[Lono Shrugged]

snip

They are fair points and I am not saying that feminism is the issue with my problem with him. But that said, I don't share you or Bob's opinion about that film. I don't think you can ogle a pin up of a celeb and blow the sexualisation in media trumpet. For the record Anita is not even on my radar and I don't respect her or her personal opinions.

Like I said I had a lot of respect for Bob starting out. But over time I noticed his "Us versus them" attitude. I don't think people fit into categories like he seems to. I take exception to his generalist and elitist attitude using words like "intelligentsia" which is an insult by exclusion. I think you can certainly change your mind on a subject. But not a 180 flip after people post in the comments about how misguided your opinion is. If you look closely, he has a habit of changing opinions to follow the cultural flow. He has done it so often on so many topics that I am very cynical of it at this point.

I am not pushing the semantic points. I am focusing more on general approach and attitude. I work in media and take a huge amount of love and pride in my job. I don't really feel that with Bob. There is never a discussion there. He has a habit of brushing off people who disagree with him and saying that they "don't get it" or are not a part of whatever sub culture is applicable. He is the kind of person who attacks a person or group of people rather than the argument itself. It's a pretty subtle distinction but it bugs the hell out of me. And now with the twitter shitstorm that rained down. I feel that my opinion was unfortunately backed up.

These are all personal nitpicks based off of my own experiences and I am not for a second expecting people to relate or agree. I had a similar upbringing to Bob and if I had not opened up and let go of all that bitterness I had towards my peers I might have ended up like him in many ways. When he did the big picture episode on his daily life. I truly felt pity for the guy. He seems to lead a fairly lonely and closed off existence. I had before seen him as a well adjusted and worldly and talented guy. But when I saw that all this stuff is pretty much what his career and personal growth will probably amount to I kind of stopped seeing him as a peer. Like I said, I work in Movies and so many of Bob's opinions about the business are misguided in my very humble opinion. I am not trying to convince anyone and I don't think he should be fired out of hand because I think that is not the way to handle it. But if he is supposed to represent this site, he needs to toe the party line as it were.

 

[nightmare_gorilla]

I've been a big fan of moviebob until recently. when this whole thing happened. I mean he throws in with devin faraci, and after multiple times condemning people for clouding the issue with harassment and personal insults he goes on to have a good laugh at how all the people who disagree with anita or zoe look like "NERDS!!!!" which is absurd considering what he looks like. not insulting the guy but seriously glass houses shouldn't throw stones and more specifically if you want to claim the moral high ground making fun of the way people look is a real great way to do it huh. I did accept his apology some, but he simply apologized for being rude not for supporting harassment while hiding behind a shield of not talking to the opposing side for their harassing ways. I do honestly think he owes everyone a real apology. not that he should be fired. I started this whole thing saying nobody should be forced out of their job just for having an unpopular opinion. but when someone like devin faraci acts as unprofessionally as he does and shows such utter contempt for a large section of his reader base then well we have the right to take our business elsewhere and if nobody wants to listen to him so he's just shouting his hateful spit at the wall of an empty room then hey that's life.

overall though i have to say escapist and ALL of their staff have done a far better job staying as even handed as possible while still reposting the excrement from that leigh alexander. someone who has self identified as an enemy of "nerds" and "gamers.

 

[Harry Mason]

Honestly, if this GamerGate thing is the full brunt of of butthurt MRAs come to bear, it's pretty pathetic. It reminds me a lot of Occupy Wall Street.

"WHAT DO WE WANT?"

"JUSTICE!!!"

"FOR WHAT SPECIFICALLY?"

*voices shouting hundreds of different answers*

"AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?"

*mumbling crowd walks away with hands in pockets*

 

[Zontar]

Honestly, if this GamerGate thing is the full brunt of of butthurt MRAs come to bear, it's pretty pathetic. It reminds me a lot of Occupy Wall Street.

"WHAT DO WE WANT?"

"JUSTICE!!!"

"FOR WHAT SPECIFICALLY?"

*voices shouting hundreds of different answers*

"AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?"

*mumbling crowd walks away with hands in pockets*

Everyone who supports GamerGate is an MRA? Well then, I guess that means the pro-corruption side are all radical feminists. At least, that's the only logical conclusion one can come to using that logic.

 

[firebobm173]

Like I said I had a lot of respect for Bob starting out. But over time I noticed his "Us versus them" attitude. I don't think people fit into categories like he seems to. I take exception to his generalist and elitist attitude using words like "intelligentsia" which is an insult by exclusion. I think you can certainly change your mind on a subject. But not a 180 flip after people post in the comments about how misguided your opinion is. If you look closely, he has a habit of changing opinions to follow the cultural flow. He has done it so often on so many topics that I am very cynical of it at this point.

These are all personal nitpicks based off of my own experiences and I am not for a second expecting people to relate or agree. I had a similar upbringing to Bob and if I had not opened up and let go of all that bitterness I had towards my peers I might have ended up like him in many ways. When he did the big picture episode on his daily life. I truly felt pity for the guy. He seems to lead a fairly lonely and closed off existence. I had before seen him as a well adjusted and worldly and talented guy. But when I saw that all this stuff is pretty much what his career and personal growth will probably amount to I kind of stopped seeing him as a peer. Like I said, I work in Movies and so many of Bob's opinions about the business are misguided in my very humble opinion. I am not trying to convince anyone and I don't think he should be fired out of hand because I think that is not the way to handle it. But if he is supposed to represent this site, he needs to toe the party line as it were.

Could you give me a link to the episode of the big picture in question? Or at least the name of the episode? I'd just like to see it for myself. Is it this [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-big-picture/2709-Magneto-Was-Right] episode of the show? If it is I would disagree with you on how he comes across in it. As for hypocrisy and his opinion shifting with what's popular, could you give me an example of that too? I've gone through a lot of his old stuff and he seems consistent.

 

[Harry Mason]

Honestly, if this GamerGate thing is the full brunt of of butthurt MRAs come to bear, it's pretty pathetic. It reminds me a lot of Occupy Wall Street.

"WHAT DO WE WANT?"

"JUSTICE!!!"

"FOR WHAT SPECIFICALLY?"

*voices shouting hundreds of different answers*

"AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?"

*mumbling crowd walks away with hands in pockets*

Everyone who supports GamerGate is an MRA? Well then, I guess that means the pro-corruption side are all radical feminists. At least, that's the only logical conclusion one can come to using that logic.

Didn't say that. Never said that.

Not everyone in Occupy Wall Street was a college-drop-out hippie. The actual make-up of a group is one quintillionth as important as who among them is the most vocal.

I love the term radical feminist. Someone who believes women should be treated equally, who also surfs the waves and rides and in a sweet hotrod? Sign me the fuck up!

 

[Lono Shrugged]

snip

I was specifically talking about Man Of Steel in that instance. Like I said, that not my main issue with him. It's just an indicator.

Also, try looking in his intermissions. You really feel it there.

 

[NortherWolf]

Everyone who supports GamerGate is an MRA? Well then, I guess that means the pro-corruption side are all radical feminists. At least, that's the only logical conclusion one can come to using that logic.

The majority of them seem to be. Like, the overwhelming majority. Not just...51%, but rather 99%. Because even the well-mannered ones seem to be, they're just to chicken to stand for it ^^.

As for Moviebob and such...I didn't call for him to be fired when he called me a subhuman idiot, I won't call for it when he's in the right. The GG movement needs to be shut down forcefully, as it's taken on a very hostile "You are all against us!" attitude. Not surprising considering it comes from the wretched bowels of Internet hell that is 4chan.

 

[Here Comes Tomorrow]

Honestly, if this GamerGate thing is the full brunt of of butthurt MRAs come to bear, it's pretty pathetic. It reminds me a lot of Occupy Wall Street.

"WHAT DO WE WANT?"

"JUSTICE!!!"

"FOR WHAT SPECIFICALLY?"

*voices shouting hundreds of different answers*

"AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?"

*mumbling crowd walks away with hands in pockets*

Everyone who supports GamerGate is an MRA? Well then, I guess that means the pro-corruption side are all radical feminists. At least, that's the only logical conclusion one can come to using that logic.

I love the term radical feminist. Someone who believes women should be treated equally, who also surfs the waves and rides and in a sweet hotrod? Sign me the fuck up!

Wait, I cam't tell if you actually don't know the difference between a radical feminist and a normal feminist.

 

[Uriel_Hayabusa]

The whole thing's a shame really... you'd think people wouldn't take opinions so heavily to heart- yet, here we are. Gamers so enraged by the mere thought of people speaking things that, dare say- are mere opinions that the gamers want them thrown out of the industry or anything relating to gaming as a whole.

What does it require, take, or mean to be a Gamer these days? I thought it was when you enjoyed video games.

''These days''? I really can't remember gaming culture having been anything other than hate-filled and hostile. I first started frequenting online gaming-forums well over a decade ago and even back then I remember disproportionate hostility: I've seen people sneerlingly dismiss my (and others') enjoyment of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as ''It was probably your first Zelda, LTTP is way better n00b!'' (or things along those lines). Hell, I once got flamed because I didn't know about Chrono Trigger.

There's this tendency to imagine that both games and gaming culture was better in the past, but if you ask me it's mostly revisionists trying to make themselves (and the things they like) look better.

 

[Norithics]

Yeah, I'm pretty fuckin' sick of it to be honest. Just a giant pulsating gross volcano of people who mysteriously never gave a damn about conversation before, coming out of the woodwork to demand resignations, and (infuriatingly) claim to speak "for the audience."

I just want to shout "Hey dickstapler! I've been here this whole time and I don't want what you want! You don't speak for me."

Deaf ears of course.

 

[Here Comes Tomorrow]

Yeah, I'm pretty fuckin' sick of it to be honest. Just a giant pulsating gross volcano of people who mysteriously never gave a damn about conversation before, coming out of the woodwork to demand resignations, and (infuriatingly) claim to speak "for the audience."

I just want to shout "Hey dickstapler! I've been here this whole time and I don't want what you want! You don't speak for me."

Deaf ears of course.

That could apply to both sides.

 

[Norithics]

That could apply to both sides.

Being that the 'other side' in this scenario is 'specifically me,' no, I disagree. It really could not. And as long as I am one component of "The Audience," it is pretty inappropriate for someone to claim they extoll the values of the whole.

 

[Timmaaaah]

"Social justice warrior conspiracy"? Urgh god people can be so stupid... Since when did people begin thinking it was wrong to promote social justice? Are people THAT out of touch? Are people's minds still stuck in the fucking dark ages?

 

[tyriless]

Davis Aurini, one of tje guys behind the Sarkeesian Effect (go check out please) has been a target of Moviebob and a critic of him.

This man who is allegedly an evil hateful person.

You mean the guy who thinks black people are eager to start a race war
http://www.staresattheworld.com/2012/03/poor-little-trayvon-profiteering-off-hate/
You mean the guy who believes in the "Feminization of Society " as this video demonstrates.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq5vRKiQlUQ&list=TLqAxJkmVjifnsNSB-3B3jXqx0MpUUSWZg
You mean the guy, who was chomping at the bit to prove that Anita Sarkeesian just had to be lying because she is an evil Social Justice Warrior, and thus needs to be put her in her place (and also wanted to get some of that MRA money, because intergrity)
http://www.gamerheadlines.com/2014/09/anita-sarkeesian-faked-death-threats/
(update #2 states there is a filing with the FBI)
You mean the guy, whose video you posted in another thread, which then got closed, because you failed to update the post to reflect new information that clearly contradicted what this man was trying to prove.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.860460-Guy-called-SFPD-no-record-of-Anita-reporting-her-threats#21385057
Now that's just wonderful that he is a big enough guy to not want to see Moviebob fired when the two of them have had issues in the past. I will give him that credit, but nothing else because he's pretty terrible human being on all other fronts.