Gamergate

October 29, 2014 - Jill Lepore 10/29/2014 Views: 83,186

An online debate over how women are portrayed in video games devolves into sexist bullying and violent threats. (5:49)

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]>> Stephen: WELCOME TO THE

REPORT, GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITHUS.

[CROWD CHEERING] [CHANTING STEPHEN, STEPHEN]

[CROWD CHEERING] [CHANTING STEPHEN, STEPHEN]

>> Stephen: THANK YOU SOMUCH.

THANK YOU.

YOU FOLKS, YOU FOLKS AT HOMECAN'T POSSIBLY KNOW ABOUT THE

THINGS WE'VE ALL BEEN THROUGHTONIGHT ALREADY.

[LAUGHTER]THIS IS A STRESSFUL JOB, I'M

NOT GOING TO LIE TO YOU.

SO WHEN I'M NOT OUT HERESPITTING THE TRUTH HOT AND HARD,

I RELAX BY GAMING.

I'M A HUGE GAMER, I PLAY THEMALL, MONOPOLY, GO FISH.

SAYING I'LL MEET YOU THERE BUTTHEN IT TURNS OUT I

HAVE A THING AND I DON'T SHOWUP. I WIN.

I ALSO LOVE GAMES OF THE VIDEONATURE.

I'VE SPENT HUNDREDS OF HOURSPLAYING DARK SOULS, ASSASSIN'S

CREED, CALL OF DUTY.

WHICH IS WHEN I PAUSE ASSASSIN'SCREED AND GO USE THE BATHROOM.

[APPLAUSE]HIGH SCORE.

NEW HIGH SCORE LAST NIGHT. [LAUGHTER]

AS A GAMESMAN, I AM GRIPPED BY ASCANDAL CALLED GAMERGATE THAT'S

SHAKEN THE VIDEO WORLD.

YOU PROBABLY HEARD OF THE TERMGAMERGATE.

I HAVE.

THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT IT UP JUSTNOW.

[LAUGHTER]>> WHAT IS IT ABOUT.

IT IS A SCANDAL ABOUT GAMING ANDSEXISM THAT'S NOW MADE

FRONT PAGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

ONE MILLION TWEETS AND COUNTINGTO THE GAMERGATE HASHTAG. IT'S

AN ONLINE BATTLE OF THE SEXESOVER HOW GAMERS ARE PORTRAYED

IN THE SOMETIMES VIOLENTREACTION TO WOMEN WHO SPEAK OUT.

>> Stephen: YES, GAMERGATENAMED AFTER WATERGATE WHEN A

COVERT GROUP KNOWN AS THEPLUMBERS WERE CAUGHT

SPYING FOR THE WHITEHOUSE.

AT LEAST IN GAMERGATE WE KNOWWHO THE PLUMBERS ARE.

[LAUGHTER]AS THE TV MAN SAID, GAMERGATE

INVOLVES SOME MALE GAMERSHARASSING WOMEN WHO ARE

SPEAKING OUT ABOUT THE PORTRAYALOF WOMEN IN VIDEO GAMES

PRESUMING AFTER THE INITIALSHOCK

THAT WOMEN WERE EVEN SPEAKING TOTHEM AT ALL.

[CROWD CHEERING][APPLAUSE]

LEADING THE CHARGE IS MEDIACRITIC AND WORLD OF WAR CRAFT

TRIBUTE NAMED ANITA SARKEESIAN,WHO THINKS THE CURRENT

GENDER ROLES IN VIDEO GAMESMEGA-BITE. JIM?

>> FEMINIST CRITIC ANITASARKEESIAN HAS CONDEMNED

STEREOTYPES AND ABUSE OF WOMENIN VIDEO GAMES SUCH AS DRAGON

AGE ORIGINS.>> LET GO OF ME!

>> IT'S A PARTY, ISN'T IT? GRABA WHORE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.

>> WOMEN ARE OFTEN A DAMSEL INDISTRESS, OR HELPLESS IN

SOME WAY OR HIGHLY SEXUALIZEDAND SORT OF CREATED TO BE THESE

MALE FANTASIES.

>> Stephen: YES, VIDEO GAMES ARELOADED WITH MALE FANTASY

STEREOTYPES LIKE ALL THEGIRLS IN DEAD OR ALIVE,

TIFA LOCKHART FROM FINAL FANTASY7 AND MS. PACMAN. SHE CAN

GOBBLE MY GHOST ANY TIME.

[LAUGHTER]GAMERGATERS SAY THAT THE SCANDAL

IS REALLY ABOUT SOMETHING CALLEDETHICS AND VIDEO GAME JOURNALISM

AND CLAIM COLLUSION BETWEENCRITICS LIKE SARKEESIAN, FEMALE

DEVELOPERS AND THE MEDIA TOFAVOR SOFTER MORE FEMALE

FRIENDLY GAME WHERE IN THIS ONEGAME YOU PLAY A GUST OF WIND.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT I SAY TO THATGUST OF WIND?

BLOW ME.

[LAUGHTER]NOW ACCORDING TO NEWS WEEK, THE

ORIGINAL CLAIM THAT STARTED ALLTHIS, COLLUSION BETWEEN ONE

DEVELOPER AND ONE REVIEWERWASN'T TRUE.

BUT THE FIRE WAS LIT AND THEFLAME WARS BEGAN.

>> IT IS A GROUP OF MALE GAMERSWHO ARE ATTACKING WOMEN.

>> THREATS OF DEATH AND OFSEXUAL VIOLENCE.

>> BOMB, RAPE AND DEATH THREATSFROM ON-LINE HARASSERS

>> GAME DEVELOPER BRIANNA WUWENT INTO HIDING OVER THE

WEEKEND AFTER RECEIVING DEATHTHREATS LIKE THESE.

YOU JUST MADE A BLANK GAMENOBODY LIKES.

THAT'S IT NOBODY WILL CARE WHENYOU DIE.

>> Stephen: AS OPPOSED TOON-LINE TROLLS, THEIR DEATHS

LEAD TO WIDESPREAD CELEBRATION.

BUT GAMERGATERS SAY THEY HAVEBEEN HARASSED TOO,

ESPECIALLY ONCE THE MEDIA SAWWHAT THEY WERE SAYING TO THESE

WOMEN. GAMERS HAVE COMPLAINEDABOUT

ANTI-GAMER, ANTI-NERD BULLYINGFOR FOLLOWING THEIR TRADITIONAL

GAMER LIFE-STYLE.

YES, THERE'S A TRADITIONAL GAMERLIFE-STYLE.

GOD ORDAINED IT IS ONE MAN, ONEJOY STICK.

READ YOUR BIBLE.

[APPLAUSE]READ YOUR BIBLE, FOLKS.

[APPLAUSE]IT'S RIGHT THERE IN SEGA GENESIS

.

WELL NO MATTER, NO MATTER WHATALL THESE FEMINIST CRITICS SAY,

I'M NOT ASHAMED OF MY HOBBYTHAT'S WHY I DO IT ALONE IN MY

BASEMENT.

BECAUSE NEWS FLASH WHAT I DO INA VIDEO GAME DOESN'T REFLECT THE

WAY I ACT IN THE REAL WORLD.

I LOVE MARIO KART BUT I DON'T GOAROUND THROWING BANANA PEELS OUT

OF MY CAR.

BECAUSE TURTLE SHELLS ARE MUCHMORE EFFECTIVE.