Sexuality, Race, and Gender in Online Gaming????

inspired by a article on IGN about sexuality in gaming


So you just got PWNed by the same guy for the 5th time in a row while playing COD online and let me guess what your go to insult is, "you fuckn faggot!" Oh not quite your slice of pie? Well lets say you hear your opponents voice in your headphones as he scores a touch down on you in Madden, and his voice could be that of a African American male, what do you say then "shut up nigger!" Or your perverted self finds out a girl is playing and you feel the need to tell her how you would fuck her. Any combination can work, insults can range from homophobic, to sexist, to racist in no particular order.

For example: You nigger, go back where you came from hoe get off xuLtImaGaMeRx's dick fuckn faggot! bold words are interchangeable feel free to mix n match for extra douche bag points

OK. Ok. Im not trying to pretend that I'm righteous and never talk shit when playing video games, but I like to think I can come up with more clever insults without being ignorant. It all goes along the lines of political correctness. And before you build your defense or resort to lame arguments like "Aww man but Ray political correctness is gay." or "Dude that's just how I talk." slow your role because your wasting your time if that is all you have to argue. I'm not trying to argue that there is a need to sensor ourselves, but are generation already gets a lot of flack for being desensitized by everything in the media, why build a better case for older generations to be more and more condescending towards us? In other words why contribute to an already negative perception of our Generation.



Many might say it really isn't a big deal and people know not to take it seriously. But kids are in those channels listening to everything we say, which adds to an already growing generation of degenerates and bigots. Not to mention a large community of people who are cowards hiding behind screens and xbox controllers screaming expletives into microphones to people they hope they know they'll never meet in real life. No wonder when real issues come up we sit on our fat asses. And if in your thick head your still saying to yourself its just how I talk and its not like I really think like that, its just video games. What's to stop you from blurting that idiocy in public. Sports for instance are a lot about repetition and in some ways certain things become second nature, for instance throwing a football becomes easier the more you do it. Well than doesn't that mean saying racist, sexist, or homophobic things in the "safe" space of online gaming becomes somewhat of second nature when given the chance in real life? The answer is yes it most definitely does. Whats to stop you from calling a black man who offends you a "fuckn nigger" in real life when you've already in a sense programmed it in your head?

The other issue in online gaming is the issue of safe spaces. Some people may think that we've taken such huge steps in the past 40 years as far as our consciousness as a nation. While this may be true, it doesn't mean we are past hate by any means. On the contrary I think that we grow complaisant because of what our forefathers have achieved and how they have paved the way for us. We like to think that we are all safe in this country, but that isn't quite true. My brown ass would still be scared to walk by some skin head motha fuckas on the street even though we have a black president.



So please lets not get it twisted their aren't any real safe spaces. And gaming is definitely isn't immune to this type of feeling. So clearly the gaming space wouldn't necessarily be any different. I'm sure I am not the only one who would like to play online without being called a chink or a faggot. Online gaming is sort of like a KKK meeting except instead of white sheets to cover your face you've got T.V. screens. Its only a matter of time before hardcore bigotry makes its way into household titles.....



NOT MARIOOOOOO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


-Just Ray