Looking back at that whole GB hiring Dan craziness.

Madness. Now that we look back at all this in hindsight, I think everyone should have a better idea of what Dan being the “best fit” meant. The majority of the content produced by the site are videos that explore the staff’s personalities, quirks, likes and dislikes and sense of humor. It never seemed (and definitely not now) the case that Dan was simply hired over others because he was a white male. It just so happens that Dan has the necessary assets (a sense of humor that jibes with the rest of the staff and an engaging persona on camera).

A lot of the applicants that vented their frustrations during that time simply did not show on a public forum (youtube, twitch, etc) that they were gregarious, laugh-out-loud funny and interesting. My general feeling is that these unsuccessful applicants swayed more towards a camp of individuals who wish to have serious in-depth discourse regarding issues surrounding the game industry.

In my opinion, Giant Bomb is not necessarily the easiest of places for individuals with mainly a writing background (note that Patrick, though primarily known for his writing, has extensive on-camera experience back G4TV) to land a job. Giant Bomb hires interesting personalities rather than games journalists.

Though I am only speaking from the perspective of a fan, I feel that applicants who want to get into these so-called “more mainstream outlets” should actually try to apply to “bigger” outlets such as a Gamespot, IGN, Gametrailers and Game Informer first. They should also have developed a portfolio of on screen appearances (be it twitch streams, youtube videos, appearances on other people’s shows) before even attempting to apply. Outlets want interesting people, not just good writers. Also, throwing a tantrum about not getting a dream job doesn’t get you the job. Dan’s persistence and and never-say-die attitude is something I’ve come to admire him for. As someone who doesn’t work in the games industry, I’ve had my fair share of stumbling blocks. You just have to shake it off and move on.

The internet will always be filled with jerks who want to hurt others. I just want to put it out there that Jeff and the gang are definitely all about the games and having a laugh. ALWAYS. I’ve been following the guys since 2001 (Let's Gamespot! Whaddup, son!). They have always begin legit.

And really, come on, only Dan Ryckert is capable of this. Devious bastard.

Do we really need to start this conversation again? The "controversy" never had anything to do with Dan, specifically. It was never about "Dan shouldn't be hired." It was about "[insert person here] should be hired." Dan just happened to be the person there instead.

Anybody hired for any position is going to be the wrong person to someone. Look at how people are reacting to the game awards show.

No, you guys are absolutely right. I just wanted to express how I've come to more and more appreciate Dan's contribution to the site. That's all.

Yeah, he's cool. He says some nutty things now and then but so does Jeff. It was a bit underwhelming at first but he proved himself a good member. Even if he can't unlock all the characters in Smash Brothers.

Most internet controversies seem completely stupid when you look back after a week.

So lets not look back and prep for the inevitable complaints that'll come with the next hire.

I didn't follow the discussion, but we're people actually complaining that Dan got the job just because he's a straight, white male, or were they simply complaining that another straight, white male was chosen? Because there's an important difference there.

Anyway, Dan is fucking amazing.

@viciousanchovy: the later

I don't want to have this discussion again. Dan was obviously a good fit to the GB staff, and it has nothing to do with all the talking points that were brought up. Let it die.

While I like Dan, it would be nice to have a new perspective on the site. The implication that one cannot bring another perspective, be aware of the industry's issues and be a cool personality at the same time is crazy.

I agree that it wasn't specifically about "Dan shouldn't be hired." I disagree that it was simply about "[Other person] should have been hired." It was about "Another white male hired?!"

The applicant will be a black lesbian alien in a wheelchair. Some knowledge of games is preferred, but not essential.

Dude sorry if it feels like I opened up a can of worms starting this topic. Just wanted to reflect on how people should consider their skill set and resumes before applying for any positions.

@arghron: @hippie_genocide: Then don't? The stance of "I'm tired of talking about this so let's stop talking about it" has to be one of the most disrespectful attitudes to exist. I watched the entire scenario unfold and managed to post no more than once. It didn't take that much effort.

To the original poster, though, I agree that looking back on it is a bit dizzying. I don't think it's as easy as simplifying it down to a couple of reasons why everything blew up, except that its human nature. People were burned that others weren't supporting their cause. There would have been just as much of an implosion had they hired a woman, African american, or any ethnicity/sexuality.

If anything, the entire situation with Dan's hire, and the controversy surrounding it, gives a great glimpse into how true the statement: "a group is only as strong as the weakest link."

I don't think anyone can watch an episode of Mario Party and honestly say Dan is exactly like the rest of the group. They did do a diversity hire.

Does the group seem a little reinvigorated lately? Maybe they brought in someone with a fresh perspective.

No one can be all things to all people. With so many people looking to project themselves onto the new hire swaths of people were going to be disappointed when all they saw Dan as was a straight white male. Turns out Dan's crazy. The best kind of crazy.

Dan clearly has a very different worldview from the rest of the staff. The implication that one cannot bring another perspective unless they belong to a different race sexuality or gender is crazy.

Can we not revisit this and keep the good vibes going?

Yeah remeber all those duders talking shit about dan's books. There still pretty terible in a good way.

You cannot please everyone. There will always be people who don't like Dan. These people will either:

a) Continue watching, hopefully get to like him eventually.

b) Continue watching, never really like him but will be able to enjoy the content anyway.

c) Continue watching and continuously bitch about him.

d) Stop watching altogether.

Groups A + B + D, that is fair enough.

If you are in group C, maybe consider migrating to D. Find some other entertainment you enjoy. It's a big wonderful world out there and on the internet.

I'm glad Dans part of the group. Vinny is still the favorite in my book, but Dan has brought a lot of (stupid) fun to the table and continues to be interesting.

Dan has been a great addition to the site and a perfect fit to the silly video content it is based around. That is what the site needed. I can't really imagine the dynamic that would have existed had they hired some super serious writer mainly concerned with critiquing games based on how they deal with gender or race. There are plenty of places to go for that sort of content and Giant Bomb doesn't need to join them.

Dan is absolutely an enthusiastic and incredibly entertaining guy, and things like Mario Party Party, Demo Derby and Metal Gear Scanlon are amazing additions to the site. For Giant Bomb as an entertainment site, he was undoubtedly a great hire.

That being said, I have yet to experience Dan adding anything interesting to a conversation about games or gaming.

@arghron

I think there are two important things to bring up here.

First, as far as what kind of person they were -actually- looking for, that should have been better conveyed. You laid out what should be expected, but that wasn't what was suggested, particularly when it came to community applications. People thought there was a real chance when, if you are right on what they were looking for, they were looking for something far, far more specific. I've loved what Dan has brought to GB, but the handling of the process and subsequent announcement caused unnecessary conflict that I imagine they never intended to see.

Beyond that, in some ways we saw the bubbling up of enduring issues here and elsewhere in the gaming community when some people questioned the hire. It was yet another precursor to what we've seen over the last few months. Initially, there wasn't that much of a critical response to the hire, but to even slight criticism, there was an explosion of indignation that anyone might ask why they hadn't found a woman or minority personality. Giant Bomb has always had a bit of an issue with diversity, especially when it comes to how people outside the norm are treated by fans. GB seems generally better than the norm on gaming sites as far as good-natured discussion and chat, but there are things that appear to consistently set many people off and bring out the worst in them. In that way, GB is a lot like many corners of the gaming community.

Criticism is a touchy subject, and dissenting views, especially regarding representation of women(in games or staff), are especially touchy. So, when a few people criticized the decision(while still often saying Dan seemed like a fine dude), people piled on them. I questioned why they went that way, and I got a lot of insults for it. So did a lot of others here and elsewhere. Someone on GB decided to threaten to rape me if I didn't shut up, and another threatened to kill me. Threads with a handful of concerned comments erupted with people acting like any resistance at all to it was a cardinal sin that was part of some evil plot to tear down GB. Women on Twitter, many of whom have since also been targeted by GamerGate in the last few months, were mocked and harassed for saying anything about the hire or talking about the continued problem of diversity in gaming.

A lot of the same people who were so angry that anyone dared to question the choice have regularly been part of past anger over things like the Tropes vs Women videos or the recent GamerGate nonsense. Many also seemed to be those who have complained a lot about review scores or have ragged on BioWare and other devs for acknowledging efforts to make their games more diverse. This isn't a problem specifically for Giant Bomb; it's a problem across much of the gaming community. We just have our own little corner of that which, at times, brings the worst out in some people.

None of it was necessary, then or now. The critical opinions of a few at the time should have been something we discussed, not something that blew up as it did. The same has happened recently. People have acted like they needed some crusade to fight an evil enemy, when really there are just a lot of people that feel differently than some others do. Dissenting opinions on this kind of thing shouldn't be targets; they should be topics of discussion as the cool gamers we are.

A lot of this craziness has driven people away this year(and well before this year), and it's not because of some silly hire. Dan is fine. A little nutty, but rather lovably so. This damn toxicity is what has hurt us. This resistance to people actually getting a chance to share their own views on games and talk about what they want to talk about without being hounded for it. Dare to be critical once in a while and not have to fear everyone turning on them. Needless to say at this point, a lot of gamers care about the social and cultural aspects of games, and we aren't going away any time soon.

I already had years of people acting like "real gamers" don't care about that kind of thing and I and anyone that felt like me should just shut up about it. That isn't all people have to accept now. Thanks to many voices speaking up more in recent years and showing that we can have a chance at discussion, people aren't going to settle for silence. It may still be relatively difficult, but for the sake of the wide variety of perspectives gamers have on games and everything around gaming, we have to find a way to try and do better.

Blow ups after things like the hire don't have to happen here or anywhere else in gaming. We don't need a couple threads raging any time a new Tropes video comes out. Someone should be able to criticize the latest games or this site without people going nuts. It's not something that can improve overnight, but it's a process we can continue with an understanding of our potential pitfalls and weaknesses. We can do better at this as gamers and Giant Bomb fans. :)

Apparently hiring someone for the job that was needed isnt the way to go anymore. Its all about hiring someone who might not be the best for the job, but as long as they are a women or not straight, its all fine.

I don't know...the last 6 months have been weird. I loved the Dan announcement (and everything he's brought), but hearing certain people just tell others that they are "mansplaining" something to them every time they are responded to is annoying me. This situation was the same. Like Jeff was supposed to put an ad in Craigslist for "Seeking game savy black/latino/asian/samoan/native american/indian woman (or transgender) for editor position".

Dumb argument was dumb from the beginning. Lots of stuff has been dumb in the last 6 months and some of it happen on, or around, this site, but not by anyone who worked for (or got hired by) this site. Well, lots of dumb stuff has happened on this site, but only the good kind. I don't blame a community member for publicly questioning such unwanted criticism or being passionate about defending the site. Some stuff went to far but it came from the right place.

@the_patriarch To be fair, there really hasn't been anything like that in years, lol. Most of the stuff on GB is just dumb fun, Patrick/Alex being negative about stuff, Brad being sleepy, and Jeff grinding on retro games. Oh and Vinny not doing enough Random PC game stuff. That's the site.

Nope