Penny Arcade says, "Rape culture is hilarious!"
Has anyone else been following the Penny Arcade Dickwolf Controversy (as I've taken to calling it)? The whole thing started with this comic, posted in August, which many readers took offense to due to an unfunny rape joke. The argument was revived with new fervor recently, and it's still ongoing. Personally, I'm finding it really difficult to enjoy the comic lately, because of the way this whole thing has been handled.

A better and more thorough write-up than I could ever hope to put together has been posted here.

Edit: Via seiberwing: An interesting protest movement has arisen on Tumblr.
Edit again: A couple of comments have indicated that the Tumblr linked in the above post has malware, so tread lightly.

Edit 3: Via lady7jane: This isn't the first time that Mike has exhibited douchebaggy behavior. "I don't know, Love Systems doesn't seem so bad to me."

Edit 4: Via airawyn and alexa: Jerry responds.

Edit 5: Via number13baby, Mike calls for the discussion to end.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

eleutheria
2011-02-02 09:41 am UTC (link)

Yup, that's basically where I was going with that, contrasting liberals with progressives. I'm just so frustrated and fed up with people thinking being nice and doing the bare minimum to not be an asshole entitles them to freedom from criticism. That it's so haaaard to not be racist, sexist, ableist, transphobic that if anyone says one thing about their behavior (or anyone else's), you get back "because of those obnoxious, oversensitive (fill in the marginalized group here), I no longer care so much about (marginalized group's RL issues). Don't you people know you're attacking people on YOUR SIDE? Why not save it for the real enemies (i.e. people who are overtly *ist)".

I'm so fucking tired of that attitude I can't see straight. I'd almost rather someone who comes right out with it than someone who claims to be on my side and claims to be sensitive and then pulls shit like this. No, your belief that you're not sexist/not a rape apologist isn't more important than your fans' right to disagree with your creation without having your fans try to dredge up police reports of the rape they survived and your attendees' right to feel like they're not going to be attacked at the con they've just put down hard money to attend. No, your belief that racism and sexism are a thing of the past and there's real equality in the US (and therefore anyone who objects is just being "oversensitive") doesn't trump the evidence that's being shoved in your face (or the evidence of your own shitty behavior).

Fucking tl;dr but I'm over this shit right now.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

(Read comments) -