Hard Reset: Sexism In The Fighting Scene

Jack Butler from hardreset.co.uk talks about the recent controversy over the incident on Cross Assault involving Aris “Aris” Bakhtanians.

[MrChow666]

this people lives in another dimension, certainly not in the real world

[DeleteThisxx]

Finally, someone who acknowledges that the actions of Aris do not reflect the mentality of the entire FGC. I can't believe some people were actually attempting to condone his actions on the show and were instead blaming Miranda claiming she "asked for it." Their main fallback argument is that she handled the entire situation poorly, but lets be real... Miranda was there for the experience, I'm sure she didn't actually expect to win the entire thing, I know I didn't expect her to win. This show was one of the greatest things to happen within the FGC community. I'm so happy Miranda did what she did. She stood up for herself which is something not many women do today. Instead, they act like SherryJenix and say "it comes with the territory, you just gotta accept it."

[ThichQuangDuck]

It is not only women in the fighting game community, it is women in gaming period. As soon as a girl is introduced to gaming, some people feel they need a million confirmations that they play games. Look at Felicia Day, Jessica Chobot,Jade Raymond of course some times girls are just used as something for the eye and know nothing about gaming , but girls in gaming is a issue that needs to be seriously addressed.

[DeleteThisxx]

That really has nothing to do with what this article was talking about nor does it relate to the incident that happened at Cross Assault. This isn't about whether or not they truly play games, I couldn't care less if they are "real gamers." It's about how people seem to think this kind of behavior is acceptable based solely on the fact that its "expected to happen."

I'm sure Aris is a great guy who made a mistake BUT he should have kept his mouth shut regarding the entire situation because it didn't give him a good look and it most certainly didn't give the community a good look. Now there are articles that are portraying us as misogynistic/sexist people when the authors of these article have no idea what the FGC is truly about.

Also, I don't understand what you mean when you say "girls in gaming are an issue."

[ThichQuangDuck]

@ ProjectSik

I am saying this is not a isolated Fighting game community issue. Gamers overall have a issue with girls in gaming. They react differently to them, they have that same weird awkward misogynstic attitude towards them. For example the Jade Raymond comic that come out with assassins creed 1 came out, gamers are just weird when it comes to girls in the gaming community. Hard to explain

[Tameel1]

I wouldn't say Felicia Day and Jade Raymond don't know anything about games. They are better examples of gaming celebrities than people like Chobot or Olivia Munn.

[jetlian]

end? lets be real if aris said it to a guy these articles would not be on here! Tired of this equal this and that.. if your equal stop getting extra treatment.

Im also tired of gamers trying to prove something to people who DONT game!! Why do you care what outsiders think of the FGC? why does it matter if gaming is art?

[Pozzle]

I don't think anybody's saying that girl gamers deserve or want better treatment than male gamers. But they DO deserve equal treatment. This girl didn't get equal treatment though. She was singled out and harassed by a supposedly-professional coach/commentator just for being a girl. Nobody deserves to be treated like that regardless of their gender.

[jetlian]

yea like hearing any of that was not unheard of by guys. Lives with momma, man boobs, fat ass, raped, owned etc!!!

trash talking has always been in fighting game scene

so if they "DO" deserve equal treatment she got what is normally given

[Pozzle]

Except she didn't. There's a difference between trash talking another player in the spirit of competitiveness, and a professional commentator (who was HIRED and PAID by a gaming company to film and coach the competitors) sexually harassing a player for two days straight by constantly zooming in on her ass and boobs, and making comments about her body every time she was competing.

She was forced to quit because of it. That isn't fair for any competitor, and it certainly isn't "normal" trash talk. No player should feel like they need to quit after being harassed, and nobody should defend that behavior with comments like "oh well. That's just gaming!" Because it isn't gaming. And as a gamer, I think it's depressing that people are so willing to defend the creeps, the harassment, and the slurs that happen at many gaming tournaments. Because that sort of behavior reflects badly on the entire gaming community. Why the hell would anyone want to defend that?

[jetlian]

justion wong has been called fat plenty of times, ricky ortiz is harassed for being gay. Both dont quit because of it!

like I said this isnt just gaming it happens everywhere. Think they never show a womans assets in tennis? please spare me

[Pozzle]

Blah blah blah. If you're so willing to defend the dicks who harass gamers, then you're probably just a dick yourself. Personally I don't know why anybody would want to defend dickish and harassing behavior, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that someone is going to.