I've been involved with / following the stuff going on with the Feminist Frequency Kickstarter. Apparently the latest development is that, since the scare tactics aren't working, the persons who are angry about the project started their own fundraiser to try to one-up FemFreq. Their project is called "Misandry in Videogames", and they're very explicit that they won't need the money to make their webseries, it's 'all going to charity'. The comments are predictably full of obvious attempts to deride, defame, or undermine confidence in Sarkeesian and her project, both on the actual project page and in the comments from the backers.
Here's the thing. I think that, if this project were legitimate, it would be a worthy effort. If these people were looking to improve the interpretation of men in video games by critically analyzing the way that video game companies tell us that we perceive men in their sometimes crappy representations, I'd think this was a pretty good effort. The lack of depth of character and humanity is a serious problem with the entirety of pop-culture. It is no failing of Feminist Frequency that its focus is on addressing the problems in pop-culture representations of women. It would still be great if some other organization devoted to improving the rights of some other oppressed group wanted to do projects to raise awareness and inspire conversation about the problems in pop-culture representations of men.
The fact of the matter is this though: they don't really mean to make videos that are thoughtful critiques, and it shows. They're angry, they have decided for whatever reason that Sarkeesian is false and plans to blow the money she's made on something unrelated to the project she's doing. They don't care about the reality of the situation, they don't care about whether or not they're proving her right-- that there is a problem with sexism in interpersonal relations-- every time they comment in to tell her how much they hate her in their variety of colorful ways that I have no desire to quote here.
What really sucks is actually the backlash to the backlash. The definition of peaceful protest is that it must remain PEACEFUL. If we were putting ourselves in danger to achieve peaceful protest, it would require our maintained innocence-- carrying no weapons, refusing to stoop to the violence that our enemies were waging upon us, willingly making examples of ourselves if necessary to get the message across that this problem is big, and real, and must be fixed.
In the online world, the way to maintain innocence is never to actually insult-- not even through backhanded insults-- and regrettably, Sarkeesian failed to do this from day one by calling the response 'trolls'. It's not her fault, because that is the term we apply to generalized internet harassment ('I'm being trolled'). But the word still festers and rots in the hearts of those who are called it, especially those who, for whatever reason, didn't realize that they WERE trolling, and seriously thought that Sarkeesian was demanding privilege, instead of requesting equality.
I'm not saying these guys are right to be doing such assholish stuff to anyone, ever, and I'm certainly not saying that Sarkeesian is in the wrong. However, to respond to these people by dehumanizing them, referring to them as trolls, or babies, or whiners, or otherwise making mass generalizations about them, is not even REMOTELY helpful. Trolling the trolls back is just fucked up. That is bullying the bully. And you know what? That makes you one of the people in the crowd who's pointing and laughing and doing nothing to solve the problem.
Sarkeesian here is the true victim. She didn't do anything wrong, and she's being bullied. Beyond that, her bullies are being victimized by the people who are looking on and linking their support of Sarkeesian inextricably with statements like:
"and all these 12 year olds need to shut the fuck up"
"haha, poor whiny neckbeards! get out of the basement!"
"don't worry about all those guys with tiny e-peens!"
I can't stress enough how vitally important it is to be aware that SHOWING SUPPORT does not require you to PUT SOMEONE ELSE DOWN. In fact, it severely undermines the support you show if you go out of your way to insult someone else. EVERYONE'S rights matter. This is true. Sarkeesian knows it, and we know it, and shockingly enough, even these 'trolls' know it. They are freaking out because they have the unrealistic expectation that, if Sarkeesian is successful, everyone will turn on them and start bullying them and denying them rights.
This is NOT TRUE. What we want is to be treated as equals. But we'll never be able to get that message across to these guys because instead of reaching out to them and extending patience and tolerance, the people who are supposedly supporting Feminist Frequency are reinforcing that fear every time they make another of these thoughtless, harmful comments.
It would do everyone good to remember: Every bully has probably been bullied before. That nerdy kid who's mean online? There's a chance he gets beaten up for no reason IN CLASS by his classmates, while some teacher who should care, but doesn't, sits around doing nothing. That guy who's really angry and buff, with all those tattoos about murder, who's screaming that you're a faggot in online gameplay? There's a chance he was sexually assaulted by a relative in his youth, and never reported it, let alone came to terms with it.
The reason abuse is SO AWFUL is that it is a cycle. I don't ask you to have sympathy for them-- you don't have to, I know that some people really make it hard and sometimes, that's just detrimental to solving the problem. But DON'T CONTRIBUTE TO THE ABUSE. I don't care how funny it is or how much you want to fit in to what you have perceived as the mob mentality. Abuse is abuse no matter who you are and no matter what your reasons are.
Don't poison the good thing that Anita Sarkeesian is trying to do by countering abuse with abuse.
Edited to add: Shakesville also has a good article about this:
Saying "it's just the internet" enables the abusers and harassers. That phrase is their ally, their justification. It lets them off the hook for behavior that could be considered criminal if done in person. It shifts the blame to the victim of the abuse by suggesting they just need to, say, "grow a thicker skin" because it's somehow not real because pixels and wifi and anonymous commenting ability.
Here's the thing. I think that, if this project were legitimate, it would be a worthy effort. If these people were looking to improve the interpretation of men in video games by critically analyzing the way that video game companies tell us that we perceive men in their sometimes crappy representations, I'd think this was a pretty good effort. The lack of depth of character and humanity is a serious problem with the entirety of pop-culture. It is no failing of Feminist Frequency that its focus is on addressing the problems in pop-culture representations of women. It would still be great if some other organization devoted to improving the rights of some other oppressed group wanted to do projects to raise awareness and inspire conversation about the problems in pop-culture representations of men.
The fact of the matter is this though: they don't really mean to make videos that are thoughtful critiques, and it shows. They're angry, they have decided for whatever reason that Sarkeesian is false and plans to blow the money she's made on something unrelated to the project she's doing. They don't care about the reality of the situation, they don't care about whether or not they're proving her right-- that there is a problem with sexism in interpersonal relations-- every time they comment in to tell her how much they hate her in their variety of colorful ways that I have no desire to quote here.
What really sucks is actually the backlash to the backlash. The definition of peaceful protest is that it must remain PEACEFUL. If we were putting ourselves in danger to achieve peaceful protest, it would require our maintained innocence-- carrying no weapons, refusing to stoop to the violence that our enemies were waging upon us, willingly making examples of ourselves if necessary to get the message across that this problem is big, and real, and must be fixed.
In the online world, the way to maintain innocence is never to actually insult-- not even through backhanded insults-- and regrettably, Sarkeesian failed to do this from day one by calling the response 'trolls'. It's not her fault, because that is the term we apply to generalized internet harassment ('I'm being trolled'). But the word still festers and rots in the hearts of those who are called it, especially those who, for whatever reason, didn't realize that they WERE trolling, and seriously thought that Sarkeesian was demanding privilege, instead of requesting equality.
I'm not saying these guys are right to be doing such assholish stuff to anyone, ever, and I'm certainly not saying that Sarkeesian is in the wrong. However, to respond to these people by dehumanizing them, referring to them as trolls, or babies, or whiners, or otherwise making mass generalizations about them, is not even REMOTELY helpful. Trolling the trolls back is just fucked up. That is bullying the bully. And you know what? That makes you one of the people in the crowd who's pointing and laughing and doing nothing to solve the problem.
Sarkeesian here is the true victim. She didn't do anything wrong, and she's being bullied. Beyond that, her bullies are being victimized by the people who are looking on and linking their support of Sarkeesian inextricably with statements like:
"and all these 12 year olds need to shut the fuck up"
"haha, poor whiny neckbeards! get out of the basement!"
"don't worry about all those guys with tiny e-peens!"
I can't stress enough how vitally important it is to be aware that SHOWING SUPPORT does not require you to PUT SOMEONE ELSE DOWN. In fact, it severely undermines the support you show if you go out of your way to insult someone else. EVERYONE'S rights matter. This is true. Sarkeesian knows it, and we know it, and shockingly enough, even these 'trolls' know it. They are freaking out because they have the unrealistic expectation that, if Sarkeesian is successful, everyone will turn on them and start bullying them and denying them rights.
This is NOT TRUE. What we want is to be treated as equals. But we'll never be able to get that message across to these guys because instead of reaching out to them and extending patience and tolerance, the people who are supposedly supporting Feminist Frequency are reinforcing that fear every time they make another of these thoughtless, harmful comments.
It would do everyone good to remember: Every bully has probably been bullied before. That nerdy kid who's mean online? There's a chance he gets beaten up for no reason IN CLASS by his classmates, while some teacher who should care, but doesn't, sits around doing nothing. That guy who's really angry and buff, with all those tattoos about murder, who's screaming that you're a faggot in online gameplay? There's a chance he was sexually assaulted by a relative in his youth, and never reported it, let alone came to terms with it.
The reason abuse is SO AWFUL is that it is a cycle. I don't ask you to have sympathy for them-- you don't have to, I know that some people really make it hard and sometimes, that's just detrimental to solving the problem. But DON'T CONTRIBUTE TO THE ABUSE. I don't care how funny it is or how much you want to fit in to what you have perceived as the mob mentality. Abuse is abuse no matter who you are and no matter what your reasons are.
Don't poison the good thing that Anita Sarkeesian is trying to do by countering abuse with abuse.
Edited to add: Shakesville also has a good article about this:
Saying "it's just the internet" enables the abusers and harassers. That phrase is their ally, their justification. It lets them off the hook for behavior that could be considered criminal if done in person. It shifts the blame to the victim of the abuse by suggesting they just need to, say, "grow a thicker skin" because it's somehow not real because pixels and wifi and anonymous commenting ability.
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