I've been doing a lot of these kinds of posts lately, but I had another debate with them about the cultural changes in video games related to recent events in the gaming industry. This one generally involves the sexualization of women in video games. Now, as we know, women generally are sexualized somewhat in games. They often have physically attractive proportions and skimpy outfits that men tend to like, since let's face it, the core gamer audience is young males between say, 13 and 30 or so. Not saying others can't enjoy games, but most people who are gamers fit largely into that, and I see no reason for that to change.
Except...a lot of what the culture wars with gaming are about, ie, the sweet baby inc controversy, etc., IS about that. Generally speaking, you got these SJWs coming into peoples' fandoms, and saying things need to change to fit THEIR comfort level. And i have to say "so...everything has to change around YOU? I can't enjoy what I've always enjoyed because YOU aren't comfortable with it and don't like it? Screw off!"
And that seems to be what this whole culture war over gaming is about. It's basically what gamergate turned into 10 years ago, and it's happening again now with sweetbaby inc, and other groups like it, and all the DEI stuff happening in games.
Generally speaking, these guys cant just let things remain as they are, EVERYTHING to them is political, and EVERYTHING must change to fit their cultural values. And they're trying to manipulate the "free market" to do it, while triumphantly shoving it down the throats of traditional gaming demographics and even antagonizing them when they push back.
Now, I'm not super hard on the pushing back. I'm not what I'd consider a "gamer gater" and I largely sat that one out. And even now, I just want to enjoy games. but I'll be blunt, I REALLY don't like the idea of these people coming into our fandoms and forcing the world to change around THEM. Some people like the world just as it is, and no, we shouldn't change, not one iota, for YOU.
If you don't like gaming as it is, and has been, then don't engage in it. No one is making you. I just dislike it when you guys have to come into stuff that i enjoy and change it to conform with your values.
Anyway, the discussion I had involved "comfort levels", like women employees in gaming companies dont feel comfortable making sexualized characters. And...if you don't, that's a YOU problem. if you're hired to work for a studio that has historically made those kinds of games, i fail to see why that should change because you're not comfortable doing it. Work doesnt exist for the worker. Work exists for the product, and if you can't do the job you were hired to do, you should find another job. And before people remind me people have to work somewhere because of wage slavery, I know, and I support a UBI so no one is forced to work in fields they aren't comfortable with. But that's the thing. If they're not comfortable with something, rather than demanding the world change around THEM, they should go off and either start their own gaming companies with their own games. Maybe make some lame "depression quest" type game. Just dont sleep with reviewers for reviews if you dont want criticism for that behavior. We all know how that worked out last time. Or maybe, just don't work in that industry at all, or work at all. Heck, if SJWs are soooo uncomfortable with the world around them, I support their right to self isolate at home and live in a safe space where their only social contact is other weirdos like them on twitter. I fully support their right to do that. You do you. Live on your terms. I don't wish to take that away from everyone.
But here's the thing. If we just let the whole world revolve around the lowest common denominator in terms of who takes offense to something, and let's face it, SJW mentality largely leads to precisely this, no one can ever enjoy ANYTHING, because it might offend SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE. And at the end of the day, people gotta suck it up if they wish to exist within normal society and NOT self isolate to extreme levels.
Heck, I'm going to be honest, I think even what's acceptable to 50% of people isn't really good enough if we care about liberty. I think that we should generally support as free of a free marketplace of ideas as possible, and only interfere if the person is actively harming or harassing others.
Like, the guy I was arguing with decided to go with the extreme example of nazis in the workplace. Under the rules of liberal democracy, and the rights granted within, nazis have the right to exist normally as everyone else, if they aren't violating the rule of law. I think they should be left alone in their job unless they're causing trouble in it or making the workplace problematic with others. but as long as they treat others courteously and professionally, I think no action should be taken against them. If others have issues with the person's private views, that is THEIR issue, not the person in question's.
But, that's the thing. Again, SJWs think there should be this informal system of holding others accountable for violating their standards, and they love the idea of exerting power over those who disagree with them. They have this deep seated idea that others who dont think like them should be PUNISHED, even if they don't call it that and they hide behind some form of "freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences." Well....if using your speech has consequences, then that is a violation of freedom of speech, and it means you don't have it. I mean, on paper you do, but in reality you don't, because you're punished for expressing it. As we know from the problem of work in society in general, private coercion is just as real as public, state mandated coercion, and they're trying to engage in it to explicitly punish people for violating their views.
And while I don't always think such behavior should be respected since to some extent it is the market in play, I don't think we should just be okay with it either, or encourage it, and we certainly should mitigate the worst aspects of so called "cancel culture."
Even if it's against "nazis". Because let's face it, if you allow it against nazis, you clearly established that there's a line somewhere and then it really comes down to where the line should be. And then you're debating on THEIR terms. And I refuse to debate on someone else's terms here. So no. I'm going to defend free speech even in the most extreme examples, and simply say that if you don't like another person's views, then that's a you problem, granted they are not taking an action to make you comfortable. If they push their views in the workplace or call you a slur, or harass you in any way, that's one thing, but that's an action that in itself can create a toxic environment against others. But again, if they just have those views and keep them separate from work, then that's a you issue.Other peoples' rights shouldnt be violated because YOU feel uncomfortable.
And to bring up another example this guy tried pushing on me. Okay, so sexualized women in video games. If making sexualized video game characters is part of the job, then you do it or you find other work. Ya know, same things I'd tell to an anti porn christian working in the porn industry, or a jewish person that works in a deli that serves pork, or a christian who specializes in making wedding cakes and doesnt wanna serve gay people. You're there to do a job, do it or get out.
But...if you're sexually harassed at work, and someone accosts you, or makes you uncomfortable, and won't leave you alone, yeah, that's making an uncomfortable work place for you and i can see action taken there.
See? Two different things. One is part of the job, and the other is not having to put up with unwanted advances made by others. i dont know why separating the two is so difficult for this person. They really are like taking uncomparable situations and blurring the lines to try to push the idea that yeah, the whole world should revolve around people and their precious little comfort levels, and I obviously don't agree.
The fact is, if you dont like something, don't engage in it. No one should be forced to engage in something, or a work place, that they feel uncomfortable with. BUT...you dont get to go in and tell everyone else they have to change to accommodate you either. And that's where my head is at. I support freedom. Everyone shouldnt have to go out of their way to appeal to you.
And heck, I'll even take an example of this for myself.
I recently bought a couple games in the last big steam sale about a week or two ago now. I got cyberpunk 2077 and starfield. Now, the offending game here is cyberpunk. like, this game is REALLY overtly sexual. Sex scenes, sexual references everywhere, parts of the story take place in strip clubs, one of the main characters you interact with is a prostitute. Another one makes "brain dances" which is basically super realistic VR porn. Yeah it's really overtly sexual. Uncomfortably sexual, even. I didnt realize this when I bought the game. But, you know what? Am I whining and demanding the entire industry change around me and my standards? No. I can either enjoy the game, refund it (if eligible, a bit too late for me at this point), or not play it. That's on me to decide what I do. It's not up to the developers to make me comfortable. They wanted to make a game like this, and a lot of people love this game. Despite the early issues with bugs its pretty critically acclaimed. Who am I to say others shouldnt enjoy a game like this? Im not expecting the world to revolve around here and my personal comfort level here. I understand that not every game has to appeal to my tastes anyway. Also, there's always starfield which seems a bit more straight laced in that sense.
The fact is, not all games have to appeal to certain people and certain standards. We're allowed to like different things. And again, if people feel like something is "uncomfortable" to them, there's the door. Stop demanding society change around you in this sense, as you're massively inconveniencing literally everyone else in the process. And that's what really seals it for me here. It really IS a freedom issue here. And it really is that any changes or deviation from my rather extreme open point of view literally does inconvenience others. People shouldnt have to change or have their freedom to enjoy what they want to enjoy restricted because YOU don't enjoy it or it doesn't make YOU comfortable. Stop trying to demand to change the world around you. You have a right to enjoy what you enjoy and I do support some changes that would increase YOUR freedom to do that. Just dont make others change to accommodate you.
No comments:
Post a Comment