"...Sometimes described as Street Fighter for homos..."

[TheLastNightmare1]

I'm surprised to find this level of intelligent debate here. I'll try to keep up the quality.
 
I hang out in Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender communities online, I go to an LGBT church offline. Most of my friends are LGBT. It's not that I sought them out, any more than most people pick and choose they meet in life. But I wouldn't trade my friends for anything in the world.

Most would find the language in the reviews offensive. Some would find it legitimately terrifying. Have you ever seen a war veteran go into a panic when a helicopter flies overhead, or there's a gunshot in the distance? It's like that. Imaginegoing back to a private Hell, again and again - it's painful, it's deeply humiliating...

An attempt was made by AtariFever to show white cisgendered heterosexual Americans what it's like to experience this. It didn't work, because most of the readers of this site have never been powerless and stripped of their identity. Unlike almost everyone I care about in the world, most aren't afraid of being killed just for who they love, or having the wrong set of genitals.

I write all that, knowing someone here will probably be offended, because they've never dealt with this reality. Others just worry that richness of language will be lost, as people try to avoid stepping on all landmines.

To that, I can only ask how much of our culture was lost by making taboo the comedy stylings of Amos and Andy? So much "politically incorrect humor" is lazy humor. According to many Japanese videogames, their carefully calculated to appeal to teenage girls heroes get as much sexual harassment as a vampire Justin Bieber, and the best joke is they must like penis? If you're going to challenge political correctness, make the same jokes about the all male casts of first person shooters. See how well that goes over...

In the end, this is Dave's site, and he's shown more maturity than I would have expected. I don't believe I've changed any minds, but I hope at least I've represented the experiences and beliefs of my side of the argument. If you've read this far, thank you.

[TheLastNightmare1]

I wish I could edit what I've already sent. Someone could point out that the words on a message board are unlikely to trigger a full blown panic, and they're right. This is all behind a computer screen. But that's a double edged sword. You can't hear my voice as I'm typing this. Do I sound angry in your mind? Whining? Filled with hate?

It's the same when I read your words.

We're all autistic in this space, in a sense. It's why internet drama breaks out so frequently. The words don't need to cause a lot of hate. A lot of fear. A lot of anything.

Just enough. Whether it destroys a few seconds or a few hours, why bring those emotions to this site? Shouldn't our hobby be someplace we can look to, to take us away from all these things?

[Rev1]

honestly I am gay and I am not really too concerned about his use of language. Unless someone specifically insults someone I don't see any sort of problem with using "gay, pansy, or whatever." I think the issue has more to do with the tone that a person gives, compared to the actual words used. I have received many kind words from people who obviously despised me and it was apparent in the way they carried themselves, more then what they said. Many people today are "tolerant" (they just put up with it) of glbt people but that doesn't mean that they "accept" (truly don't care or have any ill feelings towards the person) it. It is pretty apparent if the person is "tolerant" vs "accepting" and I don't feel like the VGC has been attacking anyone. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

[VideoGameCritic]

Most of the gay people I've met have a great sense of humor.  I think they would recognize I'm just poking fun at the flamboyant minority (good natured, always). 

I will try to be more sensitive in my reviews, but I do reserve the right to use the word "homolicious", because that's just hilarious.

[Irenicus1]

Times have changed. Americans have picked on Asians, Blacks, Women, Homosexuals & just about every kind of minority you can think of at one time or another. The time for picking on Homosexuals is over. Now is the time to pick on Smokers. Give all your hate & disrespect to them, because our society dictates how we act.

[mesk1]

This is why we (humanity) will never be united as one.And its so sad,and very frustrating at the same time.When did everyone become so super sensitive? They are only words people,and whats worse they arent being  used in a way that would offend anyone.If you get offended over petty stuff like this I feel bad for you,you are going to have a tough time living in this world.

You arent going to get people to change their ways just because you want them to.This is something you are going to have to learn to accept.

Critic-You are doing a excellent job,I love your reviews,site and messageboard.Please,PLEASE dont stop being YOU,nothing is worse then fakeness.

[mesk1]

Apologies for the double post-Critic we really need a edit button,just make it for "certified" members only-anyway back on topic

I wanted to add this to my last post,and that is-The more time we spend nitpicking at one another,getting offended over what word this one used,and what tone that one used,the less time we have to discover just how similar we all are-no matter what race,sexual orientation or religion that person is.I mean we all came to this site for our common interest of videogames,did we not?

Happy gaming to all

[Atarifever1]

Hey this thing is back.  Man, I sounded smart way back when I wrote that stuff. 

I just want to say that this site really must be kind of special, as this debate anywhere else on the entire internet would probably have resulted in several bannings and a locked topic.  Congratulations to everyone involved. 

[QUOTE=Thelastnightmare]didn't work, because most of the readers of this site have never been powerless and stripped of their identity.  [/QUOTE]

I doubt it.  We all went to high school. 

[Atarifever1]

[QUOTE=mesk]nothing is worse then fakeness.

[/QUOTE]

Leaving up something he is afraid would offend his readers (that he decided on his own to take down from his own site for that reason) would itself constitute "fakeness," would it not?  You are just asking him to fake that it does not bother him if something he says bothers someone else.  

This is no different than his re-reviewing a game and giving it a different score because of something a reader told him to look for in it.  A reader said something made them disagree with something he said and he opted (on his own) to change it.  It is not fake to do that at all.  It would also not be fake to leave it in if it didn't bother him that it bothered someone else.  I guess it does bother him, so he changed it.   

[Suplexmachine1]

What a lot of people seem to be forgetting here, is that you really can't go around calling names, or in this case, even implying something about someone and indisputably know that it will not offend others (in this case, the readers).  If I were homosexual and my good buddy called me a "pansy" I would laugh it off because I know he isn't actually implying anything deep behind it or meaning it in a negative manner.  If someone I don't know calls another homosexual a "pansy", I wouldn't know if it was all tongue-in-cheek or if there is a deeper, more negative/hatred underlining it.

With that, some people can become offended.

For example: Saying a character runs like a "pansy" and then claiming he's "so gay" is akin to saying a character eats so much watermelon that he must be black.  The former assumes all homosexuals are weak and the latter implies that so much watermelon-eating is only done by a person of African descent.  Both can be viewed as jokes done in bad taste or even hateful.

I'm all for free speech, but there really isn't any need for The Critic to include so many pokes and prods towards homosexuals and homosexual lifestyle in his reviews.  Truthfully, it comes off as lazy writing/humor anyways (and hey, I usually enjoy reading The Critic's reviews).

- - - In the review for Double Dragon III on the Genesis, he writes, "Among these are the ability to perform hurricane kicks (yeah that's original), or become a homosexual giant (just what I always wanted!)"  The Critic's sarcasm shows that he would never want to be homosexual.  This puts homosexuality in a negative light.