Video games are an indication of a new "Man-Teen" culture....for gods sake....

[Sniper_Zegai]

After a visit to Kotaku.com I spotted the following article issued by a British...uhhh...journalist if you can call her that, about how men who play video games are putting off families and marriage becuase of a new adolescent culture of gamers who cant seem to accept growing up. And if this was more well thought out then Id be willing to be more receptive but this sounds more like an ignorant and misinformed hate speech fueled by hearsay and pure assumption that all gamers are the same and even worse that all gamers are male. She even cites gaming as a less mature activity than (and I quote) "I assumed that, after adolescence, young men put away childish things and played amateur football, got amusingly drunk, instigated punch-ups, watched Big Brother or ineffectually pursued women" of course getting into fights and getting drunk is far more mature and adult than playing video games.

Here is the article.

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article3304266.ece

Some people say that articles like this are written only to attract the attention of angry gamers and gain more attention. I dont mind this personally becuase I think gamers are one of the most unified groups today despite all the fanboy baiting and all that whenever some hack comes along threatening our medium of choice then the gap is qiuckly bridged. Some have suggested this article is satirical, but if this is the case then it is poorly wriiten and poorly executed.

My summary : Fuck this ignorant *****.

 

[Blayze]

Ah, the ever-present wail of "Men are immature if they don't marry and have children", but now with a focus on gaming. I'm so sorry I don't watch television, get involved in fights, drink alcohol, abuse drugs, smoke, go out on the town or do any of the things that she thinks we're supposed to do.

This sort of article always appears on websites like that one. Ranting at each one won't change a damn thing, although it *is* amusing to see her get what's coming to her: Righteous fury straight down her throat, hopefully causing her to choke to death on her own bile.

 

[Gigantor]

Happily the comments on the article, on the whole, do a fine job of intelligently rebutting her narrow minded agenda. I have a fondness for the honesty of the OP's summary though: 'Fuck this ignorant *****.'

 

[OneHP]

I found what I'd like to call 'the root' of the article.

"Perhaps there?s nothing to complain of about this man-teen era, unless you?re a woman with a ticking biological clock, waiting for someone ? anyone ? to grow up."

Roughly translated, "I can't find a husband and it's clearly not my fault because that isn't possible, what with me being so open minded and all."

 

[propertyofcobra]

How dare men not fall into the exact groups we should according to this one woman?!
How dare we find enjoyment in anything but drinking massive amounts of beer, having kids, punching (or tackleing) other people and going into the woods and shooting at everything not wearing blaze orange?!

The OP was right, but not quite. Let's ignore this ignorant *****, instead of fuck her. Because, looking at her insistance that all men should go out and slavishly worship at the vagina of women worldwide (ineffectually, mind you) and have loads of kids, a good screw might be just what she needs to shut the hell up. Any guys willing to take one for the team?
...anyone?

Anyone at all?

 

[Haliwali]

I'll need to see a pic first.

 

[Sniper_Zegai]

I found what I'd like to call 'the root' of the article.

"Perhaps there?s nothing to complain of about this man-teen era, unless you?re a woman with a ticking biological clock, waiting for someone ? anyone ? to grow up."

Roughly translated, "I can't find a husband and it's clearly not my fault because that isn't possible, what with me being so open minded and all."

I agree completly, lets say everything about her article is true and men are taking longer to grow up, the problem in my opinion would'nt be with the men although I personally think abandoning the culture of "grrr....weights...boobies...football" as the acceptable norm is a signifigant step forward for men as a gender but seriously, it clearly appears to be this womans personal prejudices that are getting in the way of her finding a man, she seems to want a stereotypical knight in armor who likes monster trucks to sweep her off her feet.

Again, My summary : No man gives a shit about any womans bioligical clock, if say they do....they are fucking lying.

...seriously when you are talking about that your husband is probably thinking about what haircut he could have a year from now.

 

[Haliwali]

It?s worse than grown men building Hornby 00-gauge train sets in their attics, or constructing battles with painted toy soldiers. Only a few men did that, in secret, but now everyone is celebrating their inner geek.

SHE INSULTED MY HORDES OF CHAOS ARMY. BURN HER WITH THE PURGING FIRE!
And what's wrong with my inner geek? (16 here)

 

[Mairsil the Pretender]

Ah, yes, there's nothing more sad or reprehensible than someone not doing what a semi-popular steriotype that some part of society expects of them. I'm sure that the world's police forces will have to downsize because they dont have any young men to arrest for being naughtily drunk; the temporary slump in the purchasing of artificialy-rare compressed carbon will send the world economy spiraling downwards, and all mannner of other evils will be loosed upon an unsuspecting world.

Males have always been hobbyists. We pick something we enjoy and we...enjoy it. we learn about it. we become proficient in it. we breath it. and this article seems to say that we should instantly put our joys aside and focus on pointless drinking, fighting, and chasing women?

(well, the last part is something I wish I was better at, and certainly a semi-worthwhile persuit, if you can find a girl worth chasing. but thats the key part: worth. and, willing to aknowledge your existance.)

Something about this article suggests that the writer feels threatened. If men are no longer acting like testosterone-fuled morons, how can she get them to buy her jewelry?

Gah, better people than I have already rebutted this ignorant, stodgy peice of e-trash. It's a shame that it's not in print, otherwise I would blow my nose on it. but printing it out to do this would be a waste of paper, ink, and electricity

 

[Sniper_Zegai]

It?s worse than grown men building Hornby 00-gauge train sets in their attics, or constructing battles with painted toy soldiers. Only a few men did that, in secret, but now everyone is celebrating their inner geek.

SHE INSULTED MY HORDES OF CHAOS ARMY. BURN HER WITH THE PURGING FIRE!
And what's wrong with my inner geek? (16 here)

I forgot about that, she does'nt know who shes dealing with, Warhammer 40K fanboys will firebomb your house.

I'll get to it right after Ive painted my new Eldar deathstalker sqaudron!

 

[tiredinnuendo]

Don't forget this article too. In this one, we're not even Teens.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/DN-hymowitz_27edi.ART0.State.Edition1.378ca5b.html

- J

 

[GloatingSwine]

Happily the comments on the article, on the whole, do a fine job of intelligently rebutting her narrow minded agenda. I have a fondness for the honesty of the OP's summary though: 'Fuck this ignorant *****.'

That's exactly the problem though.

She's not getting any. So she's lashing out at things she sees as distracting the male population from their true task of pandering to her needs for attention and validation and being told that she doesnn't look fat, ugly, or old.

 

[Sniper_Zegai]

Don't forget this article too. In this one, we're not even Teens.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/DN-hymowitz_27edi.ART0.State.Edition1.378ca5b.html

- J

Interesting let me break down her opening statement so we can understand it a little better.

It's 1965, and you're a 26-year-old white guy. You have a factory job, or maybe you work for an insurance broker. Either way, you're married, probably have been for a few years now; you met your wife in high school, where she was in your sister's class. You've already got one kid, with another on the way. For now, you're renting an apartment in your parents' two-family house, but you're saving up for a three-bedroom ranch house in the next town. Yup, you're an adult!

It's 1965, and you're a 26-year-old white guy because black people were'nt invented in 1965. You have a factory job you hate becuase you failed to get a real education or maybe you were lucky and forced your way into your dad's insurance company. Either way you're married, because your you met your wife in high school and got her pregnant so naturally you did the right thing and married her ass however you could'nt keep your dick in your pants and you have another kid on the way. For now, you're renting an apartment in your parents' two-family house becuase lord knows that minimum wage job is'nt enough to pay the bills without daddy's help, but you're saving up for a three-bedroom ranch house in the next town but you know this will take so long that by the time you get your foot in the door your spirit has been broken. You have 3 kids, a wife who hates you, a shitty job, a rundown house. Yup, you're an adult!

Now meet the 21st-century you, also 26. You've finished college and work in a cubicle in a large Chicago financial-services firm. You live in an apartment with a few single guy friends. In your spare time, you play basketball with your buddies, download the latest indie songs from iTunes, have some fun with the Xbox 360, take a leisurely shower, massage some product into your hair and face ? and then it's off to bars and parties, where you meet, and often bed, girls of widely varied hues and sizes. Wife? Kids? House? Are you kidding?

Now meet the 21st-century you, also 26. You've finished college and work in a cubicle in a large Chicago financial-services firm getting paid plenty becuase you were patient and worked hard. You live in an apartment with a few single guy friends becuase god forbid you should have no support or freinds when you are in your first home. In your spare time, you play basketball with your buddies, download the latest indie songs from iTunes, have some fun with the Xbox 360, take a leisurely shower, massage some product into your hair and face ? and then it's off to bars and parties, where you meet, and often bed, girls of widely varied hues and sizes but obviously its not their fault for participating you are clearly victimizing these poor girls. Wife? Kids? House? Are you Kidding? No, becuase maybe you should wait before you make life long commitments without a second thought simply becuase its what the norm was 40 years ago.

 

[vector92]

She feels that video games are stealing men away from the women. its not true, its shown us that we can have fun that does not need to include them. now if some of them would play games they like or even better spend some time with us on the ones we like (i had a gf who could kick my ass at halo, while embarsing it was a great way for us to spend sometime togher)
and even ask a few questions, like did you beat the level you were trying for? or something like that will get us to talk to them

so its not all our fault, a lot of the blame falls of people like this writing articals that make women not like us gaming that keep them from accepting that we want to do this

 

[Haliwali]

While we manly boys are ranting here, I'd be interested in a FEMALE gamers opinion on the subject. How are YOU perceived for your hobbies? Are you single? Do you also live in the US? Care to meet me sometime?
In short what do you think about this?

 

[The Q]

I like to think of myself as a Man-Beast and I'm not opposed to the less attractive moniker Man-Bat. But Man-Teen? Me thinks not.

 

[Katana314]

This is why I don't plan on marrying.

OH WAIT! NOW I CEASE TO EXIST! *pop*

 

[Mr Wednesday]

Arg, not this insidious reactionary again.

 

[sammyfreak]

I gladly join in the chorus cheering on the inner nerd in all of us.

The author of the article claims that this is backlash from feminism because of men feeling insecure when women are becoming empowered. There might be some truth in that but i think that this is being caused by a different aspect of feminism: Breaking free of gender roles.

Probably the biggest issue in modern feminism is breaking free from the gender roles, women don?t want to stay home, clean, cook, raise kids and give it to the husband whenever he wants it. They want to achieve their own goals and want to be independent. But what about the man? Isn?t he allowed to break free from his role? Isn?t the man allowed to live with his male buddies and play videogames on his spare time? Feminism says it doesn?t want hulkish brutes, but why are women complaining about guys spending their days playing Halo 3 instead of settling down? Not everyone wants to spend their lives getting a fabulous career and a big fancy house. Not everyone wants to be a traditional ?mature man?.

Fortunately it seems that we live in a world where it?s possible to be Peter Pan, where boys don?t need to grow up. I guess things like responsibility must be learned some day, but playtime I hope will never disappear with age.