Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Tag: dysfunctional human behavior Page 1 of 7

WoW: Male Chauvinism is Disgusting

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On July 26, 2021

In General Cogitation

First off I would like to begin by apologizing for my gender. If you’ve been paying attention to the various World of Warcraft media sources I’m sure you are aware of the lawsuit that has been filed against Activision Blizzard. I don’t really want to get into the details because male chauvinism is disgusting and embarrassing. I’ll be honest, I haven’t read all of the allegations because I had to stop reading. It’s so gross and uncouth that I couldn’t bring myself to finish. That kind of sophomoric behavior does NOT belong in the workplace.

I’ll admit that I can have a pretty sophomoric mind at times. I will make rather off-color remarks to my guy friends. Emphasis on guy. I may make some pretty immature statements to guys I’ve known for almost 30 years but I would never make those same comments to a female. I would never say it, think it or type it. NEVER! I don’t think its ever appropriate in ANY context. “Boys will be boys” but we should know when to be gentlemen too. If I see or hear any guy making an inappropriate comment to a female co-worker, friend, gamer, even a stranger, I’ll record you and report you.

Will I Cancel My Sub?

The short answer is No, but I thought about it. I gave it some very serious consideration. Cancelling my sub could stick it to them where it hurts. On the other hand, if we all stopped buying their games and paying their subs, then hundreds of thousands of people would be out of a job. The gaming industry and gaming community has been a male dominated culture for years so it still wouldn’t stop this kind of thing from happening.

Then I saw this tweet from former Blizzard Developer Cher Scarlett:

Cher is spearheading an effort to collect witnesses for this lawsuit. You can read more about her and other devs in this Massively OP article.

I’m one of the good guys. I don’t treat women poorly. If I leave the game; if every guy like me leaves the game, then who is left? All that remains are the toxic, disgusting male pigs and the victims. I would essentially be abandoning the victims. My wife plays this game with me. Thankfully she has not been harassed, however if she had been, I would want someone to report it and stop it. If I leave, then I’m just turning a blind eye to it.

There is the old adage “If You See Something, Say Something”. While I have not witnessed any harassment in the game you can bet I’m going to be a lot more vigilant. I will have my Alt + Print Screen fingers ready. If I see or hear any player say something remotely offensive to a female player, you will be reported. Keyboard anonymity cannot protect you. Your avatar is tied to an account. Your account has a name and that name has a credit card number. Credit Card numbers have addresses.

You. Are. Not. As. Anonymous. As. You. Think!

What Do I Expect From Blizzard?

I’m expecting Blizzard to do something to make this right. They need to take some public action. Now! It’s time to clean house. The current president, J Alan Brack, needs to step down. I think it would be a great statement if he is replaced by a female. However it would need to be a qualified, zero tolerance female; not some token female just for appearances.

Also, any Blizzard employee mentioned as part of this lawsuit needs to be fired. Any former Blizzard employee needs to be prosecuted. Any of these employees that have been immortalized as an NPC (ex: Alex Afrasiabi) in the game, needs to be replaced/removed. This can be done with a hot fix or tomorrows maintenance.

To all the victims out there, I’m sorry this is happening to you and I am praying for you. I have been a developer for 20+ years and I have never seen this kind of behavior at any of the places where I have worked. If I did, I assure you I would have reported it. This makes me sick to my stomach.

Soapbox: So Many Bad Blog Writers!

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On February 28, 2021

In Random Cogitations, Star Wars

First a few qualifying statements. I know I’m not a gifted blog writer however I just write for fun; nobody pays me. Also, this isn’t a blanket statement because there are plenty of good blog writers. Most of my observations have been various writers for Star Wars blogs, though I have seen the occasional tech writer or other cultural blog writer whose prose and research are abysmal. Bad grammar is a common offense, which is shocking. Learning basic grammar is not difficult and using it is even easier.

Grammar is so important and I cannot emphasize that enough. In a world where social media has such influential power, grammar even matters on your Facebook posts. Potential employers will research you and they will judge how lazy you are or even how intelligent you are simply based on your Facebook posts. If I were a hiring manager or if I am screening potential candidates, I will research your social media. I don’t expect people to have the grammar prowess of an Oxford English professor but I do expect people to know proper comma usage and punctuation.

By the way, I know many hiring managers and recruiters that do check social media, such as Facebook, to learn about potential applicants. If you’re not careful with social media, it can hurt your job candidacy and safety. The dangers of social media is a different topic for a different time.

Research Or Know Your Canon!

Honestly, based on most of my observations, it isn’t grammar that is the greatest offense. It’s research! This is most common in several of the Star Wars blogs I’ve seen. The inaccuracy of some of these blog writers is astounding. Sometimes I question whether the author is actually a fan or if they were just assigned a topic by their editor. Honestly I hope that’s what is happening. It would be more disconcerting if these authors really are “fans” because then I question their knowledge of Star Wars canon.

I admit that I don’t know everything there is in Star Wars canon, however I research what I don’t know before I make any assumptions or comments. These Star Wars authors are sacrificing accuracy for clicks, which is a shame because finding accurate details doesn’t require a lot of research. The other explanation is worse, however. Clickbait websites thrive on gullible and obtuse users to drive up their visitation. Websites like “We’ve Got This Covered” and “Collider” are some of the worst offenders. DO NOT TRUST ANYTHING FROM THESE SITES! Also, be careful of other blogs you read that might use these sites as “references” or “sources”.

The most sickening thing I’ve seen are blog authors taking advantage of the fan divisiveness to attract readers. Instead of reporting accurate information, they tailor facts to prey on people’s emotions simply to manipulate them to read their awful articles. This isn’t a prevalent blog but I still won’t sacrifice quality just to attract more readers. I will never manipulate the facts and I will never try to disguise my opinion as fact. I’m concerned this is a microcosm of all journalism.

If you want loyal readers then use basic grammar, do the research and know your canon.

/cheers

I Have Spoken!

 

The Fight Against Star Wars Fan Toxicity

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On April 25, 2019

In Fulmination, Star Wars

Star Wars Fan Toxicity

I absolutely cannot abide toxic fans. One of the things that really get my troll coals burning is people attacking other people because something didn’t play out the way they imagined it. I’ve been on these diatribes before that Star Wars fan toxicity is ruining Star Wars (and it’s definitely not Disney). Personally, I feel that unless Disney explicitly snubbed your fan fiction, your expressed opinions, and/or your recommendation letters then you have zero creative control over the plot of the movies. They are not your story to tell. If you disagree, that’s fine. However, resorting to toxic social media behavior doesn’t make it right. In fact, it makes you wrong and a disgusting tyrant. Actors and actresses are paid to play a role and a majority of them put a lot of work, and a bit of themselves, into their roles. Attacking a role they played is attacking the person and its asinine.

I Will Always Defend All The Movies

We need to fight against all this Star Wars fan toxicity. Nobody deserves to be lambasted for a role they are paid to play and it’s incredibly naive to think it doesn’t affect them. Daisey Ridley (Rey) and Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico) are no longer on social media. Apparently some so-called “fans” disagreed with the Rey and Rose characters so much they tormented both actresses on their respective Twitter or Instagram accounts. Now their accounts are gone; deleted because of the sexist and racist vitriol from alleged “fans”. If that isn’t egregious enough for you then let’s talk about Ahmed Best.

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Star Wars Manbabies are Ruining the Franchise (not Disney)

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On July 28, 2018

In Star Wars

It is a tumultuous year for the Star Wars franchise. The polarizing effect of The Last Jedi likely contributed to the lackluster box office of the Solo movie. This is unfortunate because the movie is actually quite good. The trolls and sniveling “fans” have been posting diatribe after diatribe that Disney is ruining Star Wars. The real fact of the matter is, these manbabies are ruining the franchise, not Disney.

Let’s Compare Actions

Disney has not only brought Star Wars into the lives of our sons and nephews but also our daughters and nieces. While I absolutely appreciate the nostalgia of the original trilogy, modern times calls for modern movies. Making new trilogies and new movies (i.e. A Star Wars Story series) is how we keep our children as excited about Star Wars as we are. Kathleen Kennedy (et al.) brought Star Wars into the context of the modern world. They do this with a more diverse cast, a female protagonist, and modern dialect (ex: Poe’s “mom” joke).

So while Disney is trying to be more progressive with Star Wars, how are the jaundiced fans responding? They bully and bigot until the stars of the movies are forced to abandon social media. They create fake accounts to drive down audience ratings, create phony online petitions, and other nefarious acts that are an embarrassment to all Star Wars fans. Their chronic bellyaching and narrow-mindedness has no place among real fans. The moniker of “manbaby” is well-earned. They are better off denouncing Star Wars (all of it, original trilogy et al), and go live under a rock or DIAF. I’m tired of reading about it.

DIY If You Think You Know Better

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. If you think you can write a better movie then write the script, hire the crew and make the movie. I look forward to seeing it in the theater. If you are unable to do any of that and you can’t be a little more open-minded, then Shut The Fuck Up!

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

 

“Manbabies” is an Accurate Description

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On June 11, 2018

In Fulmination, Star Wars

I am still fuming from the news that Kelly Marie Tran was driven off social media because of bullying. Whoever these “manbabies” are have no place among Star Wars fans (or human beings). It’s all right to like or dislike the prequels or the new movies, but it’s utterly despicable to use racist and sexist language to force someone from social media. Especially someone as charming and wonderful as Kelly Marie Tran.

“Manbabies” is an accurate description for these alleged “fans”, a label applied by Rian Johnson in a tweet. Actually there are a few tweets in which Rian Johnson and Mark Hamill shutdown all these awful haters. You can express your disagreement of the new movies without resorting to bigotry and racism.

“Give Us Legends” the Scapegoat

The group of cowards responsible for this atrocious behavior attempted to throw “Give Us Legends” under the bus. I appreciate what GUL wants to do and I am more inclined to believe they were not involved with this act of bullying. A few days after the story broke, the website “Making Star Wars” published an article that implicates “Give Us Legends” as the culprits behind the racist attacks. While I could not find any source to back up the article, I found several sources that exonerated GUL.

If you are unfamiliar with “Give Us Legends”, they are a group of avid Star Wars fans that are respectfully urging Disney to continue the Legends canon. When Disney “debunked” the Expanded Universe, they coined the debunked canon as “Legends”. The article from “Making Star Wars” is successful in skewing your perception of GUL, however, their Facebook page absolves them. I initially thought they were among the group of whiny “manbabies” wishing to stop Disney from rewriting EU canon. However, they are simply asking for Disney to continue expanding the “Legends” canon as well as their new post-Jedi canon. I support that notion!

Kelly Marie Tran is Amazing

In a more recent post I discuss how Star Wars is more gender neutral because of strong female characters. Now I’m not going to preach about gender equality. An actor or character’s gender, race, creed, color or sexual orientation are irrelevant to the story. I don’t know why any of those characteristics need to be singled out in any capacity.

Be that as it may, Kelly Marie Tran’s character is Rose Tico (if you didn’t know). Rose is a mechanic on the Raddus, the cruiser that becomes the flagship for General Leia during the evacuation of D’Qar. While a good mechanic, she stays below the radar until her sister is killed during the bombing of the dreadnaught. Rose rises up to become another strong female character in the Star Wars universe. She is a welcome addition to the likes of Daisy Ridley, Ashley Eckstein and Carrie Fisher.

Since the disgusting display of human indecency, there has been a huge outpouring of support by the actual Star Wars fans. It’s unfortunate that Kelly Marie Tran has left social media because I think she would appreciate it. I hope she sees it eventually, because I look forward to seeing more Rose in the next movie.

/MTFBWY

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

 

The Forlorn Fair Weather Fans

By

On January 17, 2018

In Geek Canon, Star Wars

Wrigley Field – 1982

I have been a Chicago Cubs fan my whole life. It’s a family legacy that has been instilled in me from my father, passed down from his father. In 2016, when the unbelievable happened, while all the life long fans were euphoric, suddenly there were all these new fans. I was literally on my knees, rejoicing while also lamenting that my grandfather didn’t live to see it happen. Devout fans know the glory whereas fair weather fans are merely impostors.

Perhaps their first World Series championship in 108 years spawned new fans, to which I say welcome to the party. However, those that gave up only to return when things are good, are pathetic. Only the most devoted of fans lived through the billy goats, black cats and Steve Bartman‘s and never let go. The true fans can endure the good with the bad. You can’t call yourself a fan only when it suits you, no matter how you try to rationalize it.

This Isn’t About Baseball (or Sports)

This isn’t a post about the Chicago Cubs, or any sports team. I’m talking to Star Wars fans. Fair weather fans do not always apply to sports teams, clearly Star Wars also has its share as well. I understand the criticism the prequels often receive but it’s hardly worth such ire. While they have their shortcomings, I think they have quite a few redeeming qualities. If you consider yourself a Star Wars fan, a true and devoted Star Wars fan, then you can find the a way to love all the movies. Otherwise, you are merely an impostor.

It’s not about the terrible acting by Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen, midichlorians or Jar Jar. It’s about the great characters (ex: Dexter Jettster, Darth Maul, Mace Windu, General Grevious). It’s about knowing the origin story and the awesome music. Watching Ewan McGregor don the Obi-Wan costume and show that he is a kick-ass Jedi was incredible. A devout fan is always the optimist and can find redemption in the valley’s.

If you’re choosing to ignore the prequels, you’re a fair weather fan. If you hold on only to old canon, and refute the new canon, you’re a fair weather fan. When you are unable to endure the low times and linger only on the past, you’re a fair weather fan. If you’re a fair weather fan, then you’re not really a fan at all.

If You Can Do Better, Then Do It

Some of the things I constantly hear from all the fair weather fans is “George Lucas should have done <this>” or “Rian Johnson shouldn’t have done <that>”. It’s as if these “fans” know more about making a movie or telling a story than the folks who have been doing it all of their lives. If you think you can do better, then write the script, hire the “right” actors, partner with a production company, and go make the movie. You’ll probably have better odds of winning the lottery (at least then you can buy a production company to “make the right version” of the films). If you can’t put up then shut up; go be a Trekkie where they argue about who is the better captain (by the way, it’s Kirk).

/MTFBWY

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

 

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