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Conservative WorldNetDaily Criticizes Gay Dragon Age Sex Scene

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While the escapades of Zevran and Leliana in BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins have been featured positively in a lot of gay media, it was presumably only a matter of time before their inclusion would show up in negative depictions as well. BioWare is certainly no stranger to this, with the optional sex-scene in Mass Effect also front and center on various conservative news programs and right-wing websites.

WorldNetDaily, a popular conservative news site (taking a break from buying into conspiracy theories about President Obama's birthplace or implying that the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks were the righteous fury of God) ran an article last week with the ridiculous headline of "Players have dirty 'gay' sex in hit game".

From the irresponsible scare-language that follows, it's obvious that the extent of research Chelsea Schilling, the article's author, put into this piece began and ended with one YouTube clip online. "A popular role-playing combat video game featuring graphic homosexual sex between a man and an elf has hit store shelves just in time for Christmas," she informs in the article's opening, continuing on with the assertion that this is "secret homosexual seduction" presumably snuck into the game by those naughty programmers at BioWare. That the scene itself is hardly secret (or graphic, jeez; I saw more gay skin on MTV's Undressed in high school) and comes after a relationship has been developed between your character and Zevran seems to matter little here:

The video cuts to a scene in which the two men are dirty, naked and kissing. They are depicted in various homosexual sex positions, and the clip concludes with the two nestling together and gazing into one another's eyes.

Not content to take just this scene out of context, Mrs. Schilling brings up the depiction of demonic possession involved in one piece of the game's plot, implying somehow that this is something glorified for the player's enjoyment. While the game does indeed have this as part of its story, the scene she brings up specifically (involving a child who has been possessed by a demon, who can be killed by the player either to spare him and the people he's been tormenting while in this state, or saved through a much more complicated process that results in the child getting away unharmed), the story itself is handled with extreme delicacy, and sacrificing the child to eliminate the demon is actually the "negative" choice, with your compatriots largely reacting poorly towards if you go that route.

Rounding off the story with a selection of YouTube comments praising BioWare's inclusion of the Zevran scene for the benefit of players, she ends the article with this comment, culled from the discussion of the clip:

"I wish you could have sex with the dog."

I don't know how much time Mrs. Schilling has spent on the internet, but I'd like to invite her to the concept of "trolling," and suggest that in the future if she wishes to implicitly marginalize a group of people she put a bit more effort into the act-- highlighting random YouTube comments as some sort of example of the depravity wrought by the "homosexual agenda" is grade D work, and if I followed what people said on YouTube comments I would have had to kill Chris Crocker myself after that horrible Britney Spears video. She might also like to get a bit more timely, since this sex scene was already old news before the game even came out.

10 Comments

Snipzor said:

No need to be angry at this, this is WND. They're insane, and therefore not worth the trouble.

Mittens said:

First, let me say that I love you, Mixvio. (The wind whispers your name, biggest fan, I dress up like you when I'm alone, etc.)

BUT.

I think you played fast and loose with your reference to the "righteous fury of God" linked to that article on WND. Sure the author of that linked piece thinks that Christianity is the way to go, but his chief message is that the USA is blinded by its own arrogance and will fail to recognize the effects of its actions and omissions. The author uses lots of glib and questionable examples of our hypocrisy (and assumes we are all Christians, but that is his audience). He seems to place the blame from 9/11 on our lack of security intelligence and incompetent leadership. WND is a waste of namespace, but we should be as accurate as we expect of them. I honestly think Schilling's article is far more offensive to our intellect; after all, she reviewed Youtubes.

Besides, that press will cause LOTS of midwestern closet cases to buy the game...so....meh.

mixvio said:

Thanks Mittens. :P

The quote in particular was:

Can the remnant in America help but honestly ask themselves: Is this the fulfillment of Revelation chapters 17 and 18 (Mystery Babylon) or has God raised up Shiite Islam as a sword against America?

I suppose that could be subject to interpretation, but I walked away feeling like it was somehow suggesting that God caused the 9/11 attacks as punishment.

But yes, the Shilling article itself wasn't so much offensive as it was a poor attempt at being offensive. That a related article on the page goes to a Phyllis Schlafly piece decrying that violent video games will turn innocent Timmy into depraved hedonistic serial killer only makes the point.

Mittens said:

The site is unredeemable, no argument. The sensational idea that a jealous and vengeful deity has such insecurity that it attacks ANY human is problematic, at best, but I think he means that Christians are trying to reconcile their beliefs with their injuries...and the cracks show up unless you you go to some far flung extreme reimagining of God with his interchangeable adventure outfits (Revelations God, Islam God, Malibu Suntan God, etc.).

Obviously, I'm an optimist. I don't think he (the author, not G-d) was a psycho, though.

Back to closet midwesterners... I THINK that this article might raise awareness of the game in a crowd that could really use it. And I don't think it will hurt sales. Whatchoothink? Dragon Age: Origins as a vehicle for the education of compassion and consequence in otherwise sheltered individuals?

Ceruleanraven said:

@Mittens: Do not mock my Malibu Suntan God!
He blesses me with speedos every thursday!

Great article Mixvio. I think there is a point were one can be "brainwashed" into a religion just enough that any action of hatred is justifiable with mask of "purity."

But its true I don't think said author is quite up to the challenge of attacking a video game. Her attempts were notable but it seems she wasn't brazen enough. It almost seemed more informative then angry, homo erotic even. (Which is curious because the game itself wasn't even slightly arousing for me haha)

Anyway crazy networks like WDN tend to not get very far. So it sure doesn't worry me yet.

Karrde said:

Eh, don't let the conservative fools get to you. They're playing to a base, and most of them know exactly what they're doing to the tune of however much money they can make off of it. Everyone's looking to be the next Glenn Beck or Ann Coulter. Speaking of the Coultergeist, ironic humor for you: http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5265/gaycoulter.jpg (yes, I know, lazy resizing job) I think Gay Gamer needs better ads XD

mixvio said:

Ah, the pitfalls of Google AdSense. :P

You'd think Google would employ better metrics with their site targeting, sheesh.

Matt said:

That's just mad really. Box of frogs mad.

As for the insinuation that 9/11 was god's judgement, a bishop has stated that recent flooding in the UK is God's judgement on our 'immoral ways' (see full story here)
The religious right get everywhere - but fortunately most people read their 'articles' and have a good laugh...

Gamescook said:

I sent the author of the inflammatory article a quick and petty e-mail. "I hope you sit on a tack, because that would be the only penetration you would experience this year, you homophobic c***." Uncensored, of course.

Burr said:

Brought to you by the same website that published articles about soy making people gay..

And girls who like girls who like rumble packs!

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Burr on Conservative WorldNetDaily Criticizes Gay Dragon Age Sex Scene: Brought to you by the same website that published articles about soy making people gay.....

Gamescook on Conservative WorldNetDaily Criticizes Gay Dragon Age Sex Scene: I sent the author of the inflammatory article a quick and petty e-mail. "I hope you sit on a tack,...

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Karrde on Conservative WorldNetDaily Criticizes Gay Dragon Age Sex Scene: Eh, don't let the conservative fools get to you. They're playing to a base, and most of them know exactly...

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