How Women are Mistreated at GameStop

Gamnesia: "As the games industry continues to diversify, we see great strides in the further integration of individuals atypical to the average white male. Some of the best contributors to sites like Kotaku and IGN are women. Some of the largest gaming franchises, such as Assassin’s Creed or God of War, are also headed up by women. Games retail has become another area that’s seen dramatic growth in female integration. In Texas, retailers such as GameOver VideoGames have embraced women as leads, helping diversify the sales experience to allow broader connections with an expanding consumer base. Yet, as great as it sounds on a periphery level to see women enter this retail space, seldom have stories been told highlighting their experiences. I sat down with a female GameStop employee to gain insight on what it’s like to work in a male-centric environment."

[PoSTedUP]

sure, discourage women for working at game stop because of some douchbags/s. im not saying it rarely happens but things like sexual harassment should be reported, not doing anything about it makes it your fault for it continuing to happen.

and the headset question incident, well, guys hear better than girls but girls see colors better, so i would have went with the guys decision too. thats not always the case, but its pretty stupid to think a guy isnt going to take another mans word for something they know they share the same interest in. its like a girl asking a guy for beauty advice, sure he may have an idea, but if there is another woman on hand she is most likely going to ask her too and go with her opinion.

[SecondSon]

That is not what I found strange.

I don't understand how she denies getting promoted for being a girl when she admit she used her female flirting advantage to get more sales?

If she boasted her boobs to get guys to buy more games then she did get promoted for her boobs!

I am by no means sexist but this particular woman would not be as successful at her job if she had a sex change and she admits that.

[PoSTedUP]

yeah very hypocritical and she admits that. my point was that this is just one incident, not all women are mistreated at gamestop. men and women are mistreated everywhere, women obvioulsly get a different treatment under circumstances for their gender, as well as advantages. what i found really funny is that the article states that gamestop should have better training for harassment... like... isnt that what school and parents are for? to be taught basic morals? lol?

[mistertwoturbo]

Should be "How Everyone is Mistreated at GameStop"

[Brix90]

Gamestop will be the next Blockbuster in 10 or more years. Advice to investor buy and make sure you sell in a couple years. I mean look at Gamestops stock fell when Xbox announced DRM console.

[-Mika-]

Im srry but I don't feel srry for this woman or any other woman that works at that company. Everytime I see a female gamestop employee. They're using their breast to get sales. The last time I went to gamestop, there was this female employee who literally had her huge breast in my face. I was shocked and disgusted on how she was dressed at work. I refused to be served by her and allowed someone to skip me because I did not want this girl to get any money or credit from me.

[DarkBlood]

so your attacking them for having big breasts? are you nuts or something?

[Sci0n]

lol shes just jealous cause she has a bird chest lol!

[SilentNegotiator]

Mika is a brilliant troll that designs all of "her" comments with maximum efficiency in making people angry.

[DarkBlood]

well i would say slightly annoying rather then angry for me.

[Pozzle]

I'll take "Things That Never Happened" for $500, Alex.

If this girl was dressed inappropriately, it's up to the manager to say something about it. Maybe it was a hot day? Maybe she spilled coffee on her work shirt that morning? Maybe she (like many other big breasted women) has difficulty finding appropriate work clothes to cover her big boobs? Or maybe she just likes showing off her cleavage? As long as she's doing her job properly, who cares? It's Gamestop, ffs. Not Chanel.

The fact that you were "shocked and disgusted" by the top of a woman's breasts to the point where you refused to be served by her says more about you than it does about the employee. Showing off cleavage isn't a crime. And just because a woman has cleavage, that doesn't mean she deserves to be mistreated in the workplace. That's just...horrible.

[nan0]

let me convey what your subconscious is saying

Me horny. me wish that was my store. Me cover it up by shouting equality and derpity herp derp dee derp

[Pozzle]

nan0:

That's....not what I was saying at all. o_O
Maybe you should look at your own subconscious if you read my comment and interpreted "horny" and "herp derp" from it. Is not wanting to see people (women or men) mistreated really such an outlandish idea that people think there must be some hidden agenda behind it?

[Starbucks_Fan]

Oh no not you again

[GrandpaSnake]

i totally agree, i fall completely helpless at the sight of bulging breast. But what if its a guy shoving his bulge at me? yeah i would find it disgusting and i wouldnt want to encounter him. so i totally understand.

[PinkFunk]

Mika, you suck bud.

[trancefreak]

Mika is a she according to her profile so it all makes sense.

[Campy da Camper]

Back from ban-land I see.

OT. I will always give my money to the girl who is pushing her breasts in my face. Like I would want the scrawny guy to help me when a woman is willing to give me a free show.

Mad Men ftw.

[WeAreLegion]

The company is not responsible for this. I absolutely HATED working for GameStop, but this is not the company's fault. All journalism, whether it be important world issues or gaming, eventually becomes this drivel.

[Hicken]

Exactly my sentiments. I enjoyed my time around the games, and the regular customers I had, but the overall experience of working for GameStop sucked.

That being said, people are far too quick to jump on reasons to hate the company.

This article is crap. The interview is crap. I dunno what it was like at her store, but at the one I worked at- and the two nearby- we were pretty close-knit. No way would any of us dudes have let that sort of behavior slide if we knew about it. And if we didn't, there IS a hotline you can call about inappropriate behavior and such(never needed it, don't remember the number) that's pretty damn accessible, as it's right in the monthly book with all the other important numbers.

That said, this is all some lame-ass attempt at making it seem like GameStop is to blame. It sucks that she was harassed, but it doesn't seem like she did anything about it, so how in the hell would GameStop even know?

As a good friend of an easy dozen or so female GameStop employees, I can say this woman's experience is probably not typical. Which makes me wonder why the article tries to paint the picture that it's commonplace.

[DragonKnight]

I blame this article on coolbeans for starting up a blogpost about sexism. DAMN YOU COOLBEANS!

Seriously, this needs to stop. The next thing we'll have is "how women are mistreated on youtube gaming channels."

ENOUGH!!!

[cyguration]

Are women mistreated on YouTube?

Because it seems like an equal breeding ground of hate-mongering on there.

I would be lying if I said I didn't read YouTube comments just to strike a laugh or two from some of the videos.

[DragonKnight]

I only used it as a ridiculous example because the amount of "feel bad for women" articles that keep popping up is just pathetic. All people are terrible to all other people regardless of gender, that's just a fact.

[thehitman]

I read the entire interview and I have opinions pulling in 2 different directions throughout the interview. I believe that on 1 part a lot of the things about females and games are pretty much on point but then on the other hand I feel females in the gaming industry are overly mistreated because of that as well that puts them in uncomfortable situations.

Her manager probably did want her promoted because she was more appealing, but at the same time that guy was really unprofessional and resulting to sexual harassment is not the way to go. Also her acting like a female to get customers etc I dont feel like its anything wrong with it you use what you got :P (ofc in a professional manner). If there was a guy working in a women clothing store they would do the same.

Then reading about Gamestops practices isnt very alarming most retailers are the same way in all industries if your being paid that low and it doesnt require a degree to do it hey you get treated the way your skills are worth. Its the way life works but gamestop could do better ofc.

[nan0]

GameStop is a POS company that needs to go bankrupt already. Everytime I order from them they jew me out of my Pre order bonus. What they did with deus ex was disgusting, and resistance 3 was the last straw.

[Swiggins]

Ah yes, "Jew" you out of your pre-order bonus.

How niggardly of you to want a company out of business because you've had a few less than stellar experiences there.

Grow up.

[achmetha]

i see what u did there.

[nan0]

when 3 out of 4 experiences are completely sour, I very much prefer to go somewhere that isn't completely inept in doing their job and don't charge me more for absolutely no reason.

Grow up? How about you shut down.

[SegaSaturn669]

How men are mistreated at La Senza. You sniff one thong and you're judged for life.

[BTBuck1]

women don't need to infest every area of society (selectively i might add) You don't see us guys going to work at Sally's Beauty supply...Or the cosmetics counter at Macy's for christ's sakes go find a effin job at Forever 21 and leave the gaming stuff to us guys! Women can't even go shopping anymore on Sunday's NOOOOOOO they wana park their ass and pretend to be interested in sports depriving us of the little alone time we once had!

[PsylentKiller]

I really hope you're being sarcastic. The girl at my local GameStop is extremely knowledgable about video games. And not that it matters but she is very pretty.
Also, my girlfriend has been a Yankee fan her whole life and when I introduced her to Hockey and Football she became a fan of those sports as well. Most of the time she's giving me the updates on what's going on in sports.
In regards to this article, I think it says more about the policies of GameStop than it does about how they mistreat women.

[Swiggins]

It's clear that your sexism is deeply ingrained and not going to change from anything I can say.

So I'll call you an uniformed cretin and be done with it.

Gaming is NOT a boys club, that's like saying enjoying MOVIES is a boys club, or that admiring painting is a boys club. Let me guess...you think sports are only for guys as well...what a joke.

[FunAndGun]

wow, you sound like a complete loser. I can't imagine any lady with a shred of self respect would spend a minute with you.

@Swiggins

Well hopefully he meets them someday! :P

[Swiggins]

I know quite a few ladies who would kick the ever living daylights out of him.

[Swiggins]

I'll admit BTB, it's possible that my girlfriend is cheating on me.

It's also possible that I'm going to win the powerball tomorrow...but it's not very likely is it?

You know what's not possible though?

That you'll ever get laid.

[Ravenor]

Video Games and Sports are gender neutral, your examples don't work.

[FunAndGun]

well, I'm a homo, so I'm sure you would like to rethink that statement. Or maybe a guy just like YOU still might want to cheat with my 'chick'. After all, you would rather have alone time away from the ladies. lol

[Hicken]

And the gaming community and humanity as a whole could do without people like you, BTBuck1. Please go crawl in a hole somewhere and rot.

[nevin1]

"Imad: What are "saddlebags?" It’s when you have a lot of extra weight on your thighs."

lol@ saddlebags.

[Fatty]

My area has at least 6 Gamestops, 3 of which have women as their store managers, and they always seem cool and very in control of the guys. Plus back in the day I worked at Gamestop and once again, female employees in our district were never treated differently than the men or harassed.

[rainslacker]

I never worked at GS, but the one I go to regularly has a female GM who is pretty knowledgeable about games. The only girl that works there now is pretty knowledgeable about games, although we have different interests in genre. There was a girl there a while back that wasn't terribly knowledgeable, but she did her job and was out there on the sales floor getting people to buy stuff, pushing pre-orders and all those other things they have to upsell, and generally great with customer service. Very pleasant to talk to as well. Then there was another one that could run circles around anyone here on video game knowledge and history of the industry, and she was only 18. Cute too I might add.

From what I can tell, they were all treated respectfully by the male staff.

Side note: Despite what the woman in this article implies about being disregarded on her opinion, you put a cute girl into a predominately male-centric retail store(meaning customers are male), and they will come. I did this as a GM at a place I worked(restaurant) and our carry-out sales went up 22% within a month, and the women always got tips, even though we didn't really ask for them. Call me sexist, but I'm not blind to the way the world works, or how men think.

[The_Ozymandias]

Let's just say these things as we know they are...Gamestop isn't know for its vast employment of tall, broad-shouldered gentlemanly lotharios to say the least. I don't imagine many people there have had much interaction with a member of the opposite sex outside those in their genetic circle, so while this is indeed fucked up, the gut reaction for someone who doesn't have a whole lot of experiences with women, clothed or exposed, attractive or otherwise, is to be huge, defensive boners and push them away before they get a chance to be rejected.

Simple as that.

So to the women I say, get over it, while being a girl might be harder for an number of reasons, one thing a girl never has to worry about is attracting a member of the opposite sex.

To the "men," I'd say, man the fuck up and stop using shit excuses (or any excuses) for your own mediocrity.

[Aleithian]

My wife and I went to a Gamestop to pick up Dynasty Warriors 8. The guy told me to go easy on her in the game. My wife was understandably pissed, but bit her tongue. I told the guy she was better than me at the game, which she is.

I try to avoid the place when that guy works. It's a shame - the rest of the staff are cool.

[Hicken]

And that's the thing: it's about the various individuals. Some people just suck at being human beings. The company they work for is irrelevant. The sort of behavior she encountered isn't any more prevalent in GameStop than it is in McDonald's, or anywhere else.

[rainslacker]

I'm sure we could all regale in stories of crappy sales people at GS, or anywhere else for that matter. Some people just really lack the social skills to know when something is appropriate and when it's not. Those people also tend to the be the ones that are ill suited for customer service work.

I let a bad one keep me away for a long time, had a terrible experience and was like others and said f*ck GS. Happened to go in to a new one near my house, and almost everyone there is pretty cool. They do have their resident know-it-all obnoxious gamer guy though. Think that's mandatory for each store to have at least one.

[Aleithian]

I agree that statistically each store will have at least one bad egg. We still visit there, though at the moment a lack of funds is keeping us away. I think with the guy in question it's largely social ineptness. I think he thought he was "in" with me and could crack a joke - he just misjudged the situation and made an imprudent choice. I didn't write to complain to the manager for instance, which I would have done had I thought it was more than a goof.

We visit Michigan from time to time and there's a GS in the local town. Best GS I've ever been in. No problems there.

[SpiralTear]

If there's one thing that all gamers (regardless of gender) can agree on, it's that Gamestop is a really crappy company.

[Bakkies]

Women receiving preferential treatment to attain managerial jobs so a company can fill a quota? That would never happen in today's society! Oh wait...

[BobBelcher]

Let's talk about the sort of sexual harassment that happens to consumers that want to trade in their games. They don't even use lube for that tragedy

[Soldierone]

How is any of this directly tied to being a woman? She only complains about ONE Co-worker, and I hate to break to you but we all have those co-workers that are morons. I worked with females that would just sit there and sexually harass every guy they saw. But touching, all of it, they ended up getting fired for it too.

At the end she admits she got promoted for being a good worker, and overall that makes the whole issue at hand go away. She got promoted, good job, who cares what the lousy guy says?

She got mad because a guy asked for a second opinion? Let me guess he also bought Madden and can't speak a single sentence without saying "uhh" in it? I bet plenty of women trust her opinion over the guys....

At the place I work there are more women in higher positions than guys. We all get stuck at minimum wage while women with kids get twice the pay.

[stavrami]

there's a girl i used to see as a manager at my local GAME in the uk she also had massive boobs i quite often wondered if she ever was gonna let me have a go on her . sadly this never happened but she still lives on in my memories :-))

[NeoTribe]

When men are mistreated at work its no big deal. Happens all the time. God forbid you mistreat a women though, you'll have femenist nazis after you, fox news spewin garbage and oprah's fatass foaming at the mouth.

[Codey47]

In my area she would have been shot for treason!