Penny Arcade On 'Think B4 You Speak'
Last week, a few headlines were made as the Think B4 you speak campaign starting calling out gamers over their use of the word gay. The guys over at Penny-Arcade have written a comic to voice their concerns over the effectiveness of this campaign.
Fruit Brute already discussed the controversy over these ads, but it's interesting to see this discussion spread out to more mainstream areas. Whether you feel the campaign is effective or not, it's still nice to see the issue get some attention.
Sgt. Sausagepants
Posted to Video Games on 17 August 2009
· Comments (8)
Other stuff like this: penny arcade, thinkb4youspeak
I'm pretty much with the Penny Arcade guys on this one (as voiced by Tycho). They're hearts are in the right place, and I really appreciate the people behind the campaign for that. However, even when it wasn't targeting gamers, I thought that the campaign's execution was lackluster.
Really, the only method I have ever found effective is just outright telling someone that you find that use of the word "gay" to be offensive. The minute most people have a face to associate with the term, they stop.
Agreed with all of the above. They're trying to educate the ignorant, which is commendable, but let's face it: You can ban every hateful word in existence, and people are still gonna find a way to be cruel and unjust towards people who are different. People are going to say whatever they want to say, and the best you can really do is state your opinion on the matter and hopefully, they'll at least consider what they have to say.
If not, crowbars work nicely too.
I think it's aimed at the demographic of people who, when really challenged, would back away from actually making a homophobic statement, yet who continue to use gay in the perjorative sense.
I think maybe where this falls down is a lot of young gaymers would feel comfortable making a homophobic statement, hence this particular part of the campaign is a little bit like wishful thinking.
However, I still think it's very much needed, and even if it only makes a tiny impact, it's a start.
The problem with the campaign is that you're trying to change the minds of people who are actively trying to be offensive with it. Because of the anonymity granted by the internet, there are no repercussions for their actions, no matter how foul, this side of a ban (which won't happen for calling someone "homo"). Therefore, the entire campaign sort of works in reverse, because it shows the gamer jerks out there that we're offended by the use of the term, and therefore they keep doing it.
You have to think on the mentality of one of the core group of people that do this, the high school bully. What was the one thing that you could do to make the bully be meaner? Ask them to stop. I'm not saying that it's not an issue or that there's no way to keep people from doing it, it is and there are. The problem is that just saying "Hey, guys, don't do that. That hurts our feelings" doesn't work in the situation.
To bring this argument full circle, I present this. The only way to change minds is to be aggressive and outrageous in some way. Not mean, hateful, or hurtful, but forceful. Rather than letting a campaign talk for us, we need to talk for ourselves. Speak up when someone uses words you find offensive, challenge them that second. A poster or banner ad is not enough, actual people making a stand and speaking their minds is a greater power than anything we can type or print.
I'm an admin on my clan TF2 server, and I DO ban people for using outright homophobic comments. But if they say "That's so gay" or something, at first I'll try to be humorous about it and say something like "You mean it's hot?" in reply. If they get belligerent about it after that, I kick, and if they come back and continue to be jerks, then the ban hammer comes out.
Also, that PA strip is totally breaking the tables on the site.
I think they just did more for this cause than the entire campaign has. They hold such a massive sway over their readership, which spans all sorts of geopolitical boundaries that they are bound to change some hearts and minds with this.
Good on them, and good luck in their continued endeavors.
I was mixed on the comic, but then I read the accompanying article and it really made a whole lot of sense what they were getting at.
I saw the gamer ad the other day and thought it was funny. But where it's humor began, it's effectiveness was cut short.
"I think they just did more for this cause than the entire campaign has."
Agreed. I liked this comic! It made the point better, ironically by criticizing it a bit.
Gamers don't like to think of themselves as part of the very same unwashed masses they profess themselves to be above. This hits them where it hurts.