This week Bryan Safi takes a look at the evolution of homosexual content in video games. There are probably a lot more references he could make, but I thought he did pretty well for under 3 1/2 minutes. He even takes a moment to lightly touch on rancid Xbox live players by referencing the Halo 3 "gayboy" video. That clip is arguably not the best example as he picks a name that makes it easier to fish for direct insults... but by now it should be pretty hard to deny the pervasive use of derogatory language on-line.
At any rate, I thought it was pretty funny. Anyone else?
" This week Bryan Safi takes a look at the evolution of homosexual content in video games. There are probably a lot more references he could make, but I thought he did pretty well for under 3 1/2 minutes. He even takes a moment to lightly touch on rancid Xbox live players by referencing the Halo 3 "gayboy" video. That clip is arguably not the best example as he picks a name that makes it easier to fish for direct insults... but by now it should be pretty hard to deny the pervasive use of derogatory language on-line.
At any rate, I thought it was pretty funny. Anyone else?
"
Shit like this is why I have no respect for the vast majority of the gay... eh, community.
@Three0neFive: you must not know a lot of gay people if you think the "vast majority" are as irritating as that guy is.
Plus, that's a pretty dumb thing to say, in the first place. You shouldn't judge an entire group of people based on limited experiences. I believe that's called "being a dick". Also "prejudice"
" I feel compromised after watching that..... not sure how. "
good call "
How is that a good call? What, might I ask, could he have possibly expected in that video. Between the still image before you hit play, the title stamp on the video itself, the forum topic, and the text of my first post... It's not as if I could make the contents of the video any clearer without writing a full play-by-play as a preamble.
@Manhattan_Project: Alright, so it'd be cool if I recorded my friend Chris eating watermelons, talking in a southern accent, and ranting about fried chicken? Sure, it'd probably be hilarious to some, but it doesn't then justify the fact it is based out of stereotypes that are played out.
Coming from the perspective of a bisexual man, I am sick of having people from my own community reaffirm tired, old stereotypes.
" @Manhattan_Project: Alright, so it'd be cool if I recorded my friend Chris eating watermelons, talking in a southern accent, and ranting about fried chicken? Sure, it'd probably be hilarious to some, but it doesn't then justify the fact it is based out of stereotypes that are played out. Coming from the perspective of a bisexual man, I am sick of having people from my own community reaffirm tired, old stereotypes. "
Would you prefer the many people who really are like that to... what? Go back in the closet and not be who they are?
You're drawing a bad comparison here because I don't *actually* know of any black men who behave like that... whereas, by all accounts, Bryan Safi is being a scripted version of who he is (plus if you took the time to watch the other That's Gay segments, you see him attack cliche's on a regular basis. Most recently the Sex and the City 2 debacle). Maybe it's my fault for not understanding what tired old stereotypes are being reaffirmed here... to me the use of them is what is being satirized.
Can you be more specific about what you feel is so bad about the segment?
The only thing I can't stand about gay people is when they think it makes them so special that it becomes the only aspect of their personality that they show to the world. They are why so many people hate the gay community as a whole. It's the same reason why stuff like Jersey Shore makes me embarrassed to be straight...and white, for that matter.
" The only thing I can't stand about gay people is when they think it makes them so special that it becomes the only aspect of their personality that they show to the world. "
You know basically every straight male in the world likes to flaunt the fact they are straight? Why is it not alright for gay people to do it.
@Rasgueado: When did I say people who are openly gay should go back into their closets? I was just saying that I am tired of seeing the stereotype that gay guys only care about sex and all of them somehow have lisps. I am tired of it because it does not help the gay community find tolerance in a society that judges people by cliches and stereotypes. Is that a horrible way to run a society? Maybe, but you won't change it by perpetuating what they already believe is true. Maybe, just maybe, if the community as a whole stopped acting like 18 year old kids and became just an inch more mature like the civil rights movement leaders during the 60's and 70's there would be a lot less crap flying their way.
The sad truth is that the gay community will never achieve what it wants. Why? Because there are too many people in it who refuse to make concessions, but demand that everyone else does. Oh, and just because you don't know certain people who act the way I depicted with my friend Chris does not mean they do not exist. He often jokes about how his brother is nothing but a walking stereotype because all he does is act like one, and in turn he finds a lot less respect from everyone around him.
" The only thing I can't stand about gay people is when they think it makes them so special that it becomes the only aspect of their personality that they show to the world. "
You know basically every straight male in the world likes to flaunt the fact they are straight?"
No...but the minority of those who do annoy me just as much as their gay counterparts. I only said I was straight here to establish which perspective I was coming from.
" The only thing I can't stand about gay people is when they think it makes them so special that it becomes the only aspect of their personality that they show to the world. "
You know basically every straight male in the world likes to flaunt the fact they are straight?"
No...but the minority of those who do annoy me just as much as their gay counterparts. I only said I was straight here to establish which perspective I was coming from. "
Right. You're coming from the perspective of a group of people who aren't segregated against by the majority because you're part of the majority. And wondering why these gays are so uppity about being gay.
" The only thing I can't stand about gay people is when they think it makes them so special that it becomes the only aspect of their personality that they show to the world. "
You know basically every straight male in the world likes to flaunt the fact they are straight?"
No...but the minority of those who do annoy me just as much as their gay counterparts. I only said I was straight here to establish which perspective I was coming from. "
You only say you are straight to establish which perspective you are coming from? Yet anytime a gay person says they are gay and like to have sex with other men. They are flaunting it and think they are special?
Straight guy 1: I'm gonna go get some pussy tonight! Straight guy 2: Hell yeah! -- Gay Guy: I'm gonna have sex with my boyfriend. Straight guy: STOP FLAUNTING YOUR SEXUALITY! YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL!
Yes, there are gay people who flaunt it. But who cares? Straight people do it as well. It isn't exclusive to gay people(and people from Jersey Shore). Why hate gay people because they flaunt their sexuality the same way straight people do?
@Irish87: Ok... does that walking stereotype include this person acting like the old minstrel show representations of the black community? I'm willing to bet that he doesn't. Though if you have proof to the contrary, please prove me wrong.
I'm actually confused about what you're talking about here. The only person in the video that you hate, because it emphasizes stereotypes, is the host; and he's acting like himself. He *is* a gay man that has a segment on television that satirizes the way media represents the gay community. Satire... much in the way Stephen Colbert is playing a character on his show.
Is there something I'm missing that you so hate about this video that you feel it emphasizes a stereotype? If it's the host... than that isn't a stereotype. That's who he is...
@Rasgueado: When did I say I hated the guy? I said that I dislike the whole stereotype, no matter who is doing it. And, in truth, I was referring more to the whole damn video seemingly being about sex. It reinforces a stereotype that harms people I know, people who I care about. I'll be honest, I've never even heard of this guy before today and probably won't remember him tomorrow. I was simply saying that the stereotype in general bothers me, what is wrong about having an opinion like that? This argument is running in circles.
@swamplord666: Great use of the CK clip, especially considering I knew someone just like the type he was going on about. But I think it has more to do with the fact that the guy I knew was a posh twat more than anything else. Got offended when I said the word 'cunt' while talking to my teacher actually, that was funny and silly.
" I think the only problem I have with that video is the continued stereotype that the only thing gay guys care about is sex and lisps. "
The sex is more relevant in this video, I think, but yeah, it's true. In my not-so-limited experience with gay people, I think I've found that things can be gay without being porn, and his concept of whether things are gay seems to be based on either imagining the Contra guys getting down or talking about the gay sex in Fable and Dragon Age.
I think it'd be more interesting to have looked more at Gay Tony, and decided whether or not he was an appropriate depiction of the gay community (for appropriate depictions of the gay community, see "Capote," "RENT" (specifically Tom Collins,) "Milk," "Philadelphia," "A Single Man," or "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.") I dunno, I just feel like this was a topic that could've been given a lot of serious thought and it could've actually raised interest in the eyes of gamers instead of being a stupid comedic piece about how this gay guy wants to get his rocks off in video games. Now, I know what you're gonna say: "But he's a parody of the image that all gay men would want in a video game is to have sex!" But there's that introduction, where his most "positive examples" are using his imagination for games like Contra and Streets of Rage. His examples of what "gay gaming" was like was instantly sexual, as in the case of Ring King being a positive example, but not positive enough because the graphics "sucked." I know he was going for a random pun, but it was stupid to begin with, and actually helped diminish his point.
While I understand he's "criticizing" the fact that the instant sex is not what the gay community actually wants, the fact that his initial reaction is the descriptions of him imagining the large, hunky men as life partners kind of implies that big gay sex partners is all he really wants. I mean, I think he could've taken the time to say what gay games should really have in them as opposed to this "choose a sex partner" bullshit. I mean, I dunno, I just think it's more interesting to make videos that actually accomplish something rather than just "funny" bullshit that only makes the problem worse.
Or, I dunno, maybe he's just a sexually obsessed gay person, in which case sexually obsessed people annoy me whether they're gay or straight. The American Pie movies are just as annoying as this asshole, so either it's fucking offensive because he's bringing out gay stereotypes or it's fucking offensive because he's extremely annoying and not someone who I have any interest in. I dunno, maybe you're just more sexually obsessed than I am and that's why you found it funny, the only thing that I could even throw to you like a bone is the "put the baby on the floor where it belongs" bit, and I didn't even chuckle at that crap.
That said, I don't have GTAIV, but I'll be sure to watch for the upcoming lesbian relationship in "Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock" between Izzy Sparks and Judy Nails. It'll be interesting to see whether or not they effectively portray the romance between the ladies, whether or not Judy will mind that Izzy is wearing the pants (the tight, purple denim pants) in the relationship, and if the transformation sequences could even transform Izzy Sparks into The Fame Monster so she can battle rock evil alongside Judy.
@Little_Socrates: I agree with you... but that would take longer than 3 1/2 minutes, and wouldn't be as funny. (Edit: for clarity... sex being the primary content is what he is satirizing. It's also worth noting that he wasn't fantasizing about the contra guys getting down... he said he fantasized about them being "bad ass life-partners")
This sounds like something that might be a good topic to have in say... a podcast? =D
@Snipzor: I've got two regular customers that without an exception will ALWAYS make a scene because of trivial things... most recent quote was "your attitude stinks" with the finger waggle and everything!
@Little_Socrates: The video series is a parody piece, you're being a little critical. If you want in-depth, fantastic conversations about homosexuality in video games, wait a bit, I assure you, something like that is happening.
@swamplord666: I was gonna make a really bad joke about them being anal retentive. I was gonna, but I'm better than that. Plus if I said it, karmic balance would kick in. It usually does.
@Mmmslash: How soon is that happening again? I feel as if I'm not on the uptake, again.
That was a beautiful video. I loved how he ended the bit on the Sims 3 "And then put the baby on the floor where it belongs." GOT WHAT YOU DESERVED, SON!
" The only thing I can't stand about gay people is when they think it makes them so special that it becomes the only aspect of their personality that they show to the world. "
You know basically every straight male in the world likes to flaunt the fact they are straight?"
No...but the minority of those who do annoy me just as much as their gay counterparts. I only said I was straight here to establish which perspective I was coming from. "
You only say you are straight to establish which perspective you are coming from? Yet anytime a gay person says they are gay and like to have sex with other men. They are flaunting it and think they are special? Straight guy 1: I'm gonna go get some pussy tonight!Straight guy 2: Hell yeah! --Gay Guy: I'm gonna have sex with my boyfriend.Straight guy: STOP FLAUNTING YOUR SEXUALITY! YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL! Yes, there are gay people who flaunt it. But who cares? Straight people do it as well. It isn't exclusive to gay people(and people from Jersey Shore). Why hate gay people because they flaunt their sexuality the same way straight people do? "
I never said gay people do that as a general rule. It's people who flaunt it on both sides that annoy me And I don't hate them either. I hate that ABOUT them. You would understand that if you actually read carefully and weren't in such a rush to paint me as a biggot.
" @Shadow: And Italian-American. Don't forget Italian-American. If ya are, of course. If not, that's cool too. "
...what? @ryanwho said:
" @Shadow said:
" @CL60 said:
" @Shadow said:
" The only thing I can't stand about gay people is when they think it makes them so special that it becomes the only aspect of their personality that they show to the world. "
You know basically every straight male in the world likes to flaunt the fact they are straight?"
No...but the minority of those who do annoy me just as much as their gay counterparts. I only said I was straight here to establish which perspective I was coming from. "
Right. You're coming from the perspective of a group of people who aren't segregated against by the majority because you're part of the majority. And wondering why these gays are so uppity about being gay. "
I honestly don't see why it needs to be a big issue in society. Being attracted to guys or girls is just a preference and I don't see why it constantly needs to be a big controversial issue. It's as ridiculous to me as if I were to run around screaming "I LOVE WATERMELON! BUT I HATE SEAFOOD! LOOK AT ME!
@Mmmslash: Just because you write comedy doesn't mean you get to be lazy, and just because it's a parody doesn't mean you get to perpetuate stereotypes if you don't have anything better to say. If you use offensive material to make a point, I'm okay with it, but here it's just exploiting clichéd stereotypes (that, clearly, as displayed by the person I responded to in the first place, are also offensive) to go for lazy shock humor. To those of us who actually try to write something half-decent, this lazy kind of writing is not entertaining, and the worst part is that within its own boundaries, it's undermining itself and perpetuating the very stereotype it's trying to satirize.
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