Gaming industry pushes against the rising tide of toxic masculinity

The Blade's Will Harrison: What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets. The secret is that we’re afraid to go against the expectations of masculinity.

[ApocalypseShadow]

Utter bull $#!+.

Targeting bad apples and saying that the whole bunch is rotten is the problem "real men" have with this current SJW nonsense and the Gillette commercial. There isn't any rising tide of toxic masculinity. Which is another problem men have with the climate that we need "fixing."

Men don't need fixing. Real men have already been sensitive but strong and when they saw that there wasn't something right, stood up to other bad behavior. Males or females. Kings or queens. Real men have stepped up for generations.

What I find interesting is that we don't see the opposite being "fixed." Toxic, lying, manipulating, controlling, cheating, gold digging women being corrected in society. How about a Gillette or Schick commercial to fix those toxic women. Real men know that it's not all women. Or paint it that way.

And don't come back with "well, if it wasn't for men, those women wouldn't be that way."

Real men didn't make them turn out that way. And some women turned out to be bad apples right on their own. Male gamers can and do stand up to the bad apples. You just choose to not see it or them and paint with a broad brush.

[LiViNgLeGaCY]

Absolutely well said.

[rainslacker]

I see both male and female gamers calling out online bullies and saying how they don't condone toxic behavior or harassment, more than I see actual harassment, which I usually only hear about 2nd hand more often than not, except in the rare instance online. I suppose if I played more online, I'd hear it more, but for the most part, I don't really feel the community is toxic outside the console war bickering which can get pretty heated at times.

What I see when men start acting out though is when they're being attacked, not usually before. Because as you mention, there are those who generalize the whole community, while most of us are asking why this stuff is blown so out of proportion that its become so obviously staged and meaningless.

So to me, people are just tired of discussing it, or being attacked over it as if they did soething wrong. But the most hostile people I see are those who come in and say that I shouldn't like something I like. The recent Sony censorship policy for instance seems to have a lot of people calling me a pedophile who needs to get off to animated "kiddie porn". How long can I respond to that reasonably before I end up becoming hostile? Take that example and apply it to any number of these "toxic" issues, and you get the same end result, which allows those trying to make the community look bad have the evidence they need to make the assertions they do.

[DaDrunkenJester]

You're just trying to shove your toxic masculinity on young anime children you pedo.

[rainslacker]

That's me. I am all that is toxic man.

[gamer7804]

this is why Gillette is constantly trying to battle the huge amount of thumbs down on their ad on youtube. The vast, vast majority of the population does not agree with their take on Toxic Masculinity.

Lets start treating people as individuals instead of stereotyping as a larger group. Each person, whether they are black, white, brown, [insert color], or male or female is capable of good or despicable acts. This author clearly hasn't got a clue.

[DaDrunkenJester]

Wow you insensitive pig, you add the "[insert color]" for race but only mention 2 genders!? You cis white male who needs his privilege checked.

[Smokehouse]

Harry’s razors bro! They are a lot cheaper and you can get them at Walmart now. They are everywhere. Even my dentist was joking about how my beard was sexist. Everybody is laughing at these morons. Stop giving them 20 dollars for 3 razors, especially while they let the liberal arts rejects do their marketing. Speak with your wallet broheims.

[Dragonscale]

The gilette ad was produced by an extreme 4th wave feminazi. Say no more.

[Lynx0207]

"This author clearly hasn't got a clue."
Did you really read the article or just glanced at it's first paragraphs?

[BuildTheWall]

I will never purchase anything from Gillette & have thrown all of my Gillette products in the trash , the company is either run by a bunch of nutless guys or by feminazis.

[RememberThe357]

Lots of panties bunched up around here. I'm sort of blown away by how offended all of you are acting. None of you seem to identify as toxic so why get so tight over it? Yeah, being an asshole is bad and a lot of people are assholes. What's so offensive about someone over stating it? We over state almost everything on this site. Hyperbole is like heroin for most of you guys. You do you, let these folks freak out about a minority, that seems to be what Americans do. Why not just do you and let these things slide by. This article would be stuck at 30° if you all weren't so damn soft. But here you all go heating it up while you whine about how much you have to hear about it.

[BlackTar187]

"Lots of panties bunched up around here. I'm sort of blown away by how offended all of you are acting. None of you seem to identify as toxic so why get so tight over it?"

have you read any comments before posting this? This point has been addressed numerous times.

Saying to get over it? These ads these political statements, are not aiming small. They are using the world's biggest brush and applying them to all males.

Can i also ask what person truthfully identifies as al"toxic"?

[rainslacker]

When the community is said to have rising toxicity over gender issues, which is what this is actually about in this article, then people are going to be upset about being lumped into a group of people we don't agree with or support. Last I checked, we are part of the community, but most of the toxicity I see comes from those saying that we're toxic and trying to cast some sort of shame over us even though we didn't do anything. Then, if we have the gall to say, "Hey, what are you talking about? We didn't do anything", then suddenly we get shamed some more as being part of the toxic community.

There is no way to come out of the fray clean, unless you want to agree with those calling us toxic. But then we have the larger community who say we're being just like those we question.

Yes, we are prone to knee jerk reactions, and many many things are over exaggerated on this site. But that doesn't excuse a local Toledo, Ohio newspaper reporting one side of this issue as if its fact, with no other side given, while painting broad pictures of the community as if we're all one united toxic voice. As if toxic masulinity is rising, which it isn't. What this article, and those who perpetuate it want to say is, "Masculinity of any kind is bad", but they can't, because that's stupid. So they resort to the extreme.

[annoyedgamer]

The world doesnt revolve around America.

This push is global.

[RememberThe357]

Again, why do you care so much? Idiots writing about sh!t they don't understand and having no real impact on anything. How hurtful...

[Dragonscale]

Toxic masculinity is a term made up by misandrist feminists to demonise all men. Theres actually no such thing. Its sjw bullcrap ffs and needs to die.

[Omnisonne]

It has nothing to do with gaming, and has no place on a gaming website. That's why people get upset. If people wanted to read SJWs blabbering they'd open Twitter, or any other social media platform for that matter.

[rainslacker]

@remember

Why be upset? Upset may be the wrong word, as calling out bullshit isn't necessarily being upset.

But to answer the question, its because the topic at hand isn't approached with equity. One side gets it's say, and if you don't agree, you're a toxic male., or some other term they've come up with over the years. It's how important topics get derailed....such as gamergate, which is even now not reported properly on Wikipedia because enough source material exists to say it was something other than what it was.

Further. This whole equality thing is causing changed to gaming the way we know it. Some of it good, other times not so good or outright bad.

It's right for people to express their opinion, and not try to stifle those we may now call out as wrong..as in the sjw crowd, but they don't have the same consideration, and it's just human nature to get angry when one starts to feel they're being ignored or that their voices don't matter.

[RememberThe357]

There's clearly feelings around being framed as toxic. People being sh!tty is a problem but it doesn't matter because the framing is to broad? It doesn't matter because you personally don't see it? So what if they over play how victimized they are? You're the ones giving them all this exposure.

[_FantasmA_]

I agree dude. These guys don't want to be called out on their bad habits. They'd rather direct the blame at women or weak men. But who's really the weak one when a commercial triggers you that easily? This is why I dislike the "bros," which are nothing more than insecure douchebags who feel threatened by women who are tired of their childish ways.

[victorMaje]

Amen

[Potnoodle999]

Absolutely. People only look for this kind of thing to further agendas to make them feel like they have purpose. I’m not going to go into it as I’ll be here all day, but humans can be good or shitty. THAT is the bottom line. No matter your sex you can choose to do the right thing regardless of what’s between your goddamn legs and unfortunately there are a lot of shitty people in the world. But don’t single out one goddamn gender. As if....

[bluefox755]

Agreed.No one says "toxic femininity", even though women are every bit as capable of toxicity as men are. It's just toxicity, and framing it any other was is just ideological nonsense.

[Omnisonne]

The only reason they keep pumping out articles like this is because they can't get a grip on the gaming community. F the social justice crowd.

[Lynx0207]

I've read the article, than I read your comment. Are you really so blind because of all that "real man" nonsens popculture was serving us for generations you cannot even understand what the article is about?

[ApocalypseShadow]

Your comment wreaks of a lack of education, spelling and punctuation.

I'm sorry if I bothered your femininity.

[sampsonon]

I can agree with most of what you're saying, but have you had a chance to read the comment sections on this site Over the past 5 years? The toxicity against all things women in games is palpable.

Please don't say I'm wrong, because i read it all the time.

But you are 100% right when you say women get away with many things men get nailed to a cross for. doing or saying. A double standard for sure.

[rainslacker]

What I see is people don't seem to have a problem with women, more that they have a problem with women acting like theyre something special within the community.

At least generally speaking, as you must be doing. This isn't something that is rising, but it's being referenced and blown more out of proportion on a community scale, or completely misappropriated accusations which give the label of toxicity, because labeling it as topic means that the side calling out masculinity doesn't have to address arguments saying they aren't special.

To use the arguments broadly at least. I couldn't possibly cover every scenario of what gets talked about.

[CaitSith]

I'd kiss you if I was gay. But I'm not. I'll just give you a thumbs up.

[ApocalypseShadow]

I'm not gay either but I wouldn't be bothered if you were. Real men are okay with differences and lifestyles.

Here's some dap. Lol!
https://media.giphy.com/med...

[_FantasmA_]

Dude, that commercial didn't say don't be a guy. It said don't be an a-hole, don't be a sexual predator, and don't be a bully. Chill TFO dude. It you were offended by a commerical, you really aren't as manly as you claim to be. Unless of you course you think that being an a-hole is what makes a man a man.

[ApocalypseShadow]

If you believe what you just commented, then you don't read very well.

Men have been fighting a holes and raising their sons right for centuries. There are more of us than there are of them. We don't need a commercial showing what needs to be done. Especially when it doesn't include bad moms or bad female behavior.

Targeting males and masculinity implies that toxicity only comes in a combination of one y and one x chromosome. When being toxic can also come with both chromosomes being x.

Try harder. There isn't any rising tide. That's like saying there's an emergency at the Mexican/American border. Trump, is that you?

[Sashamaz]

Amen brother.

[AK91]

Welp I now know another site to blacklist/ignore

[FallenAngel1984]

Yet gives in to toxic femininity

[OffRoadKing]

That's because a militant feminist probably clipped his balls for him.

[neomahi]

I hate the English language. First it was "salty" then "bully" and now "toxic." What a bunch of sheep....

[Leeroyw]

This guys pieces constantly proved he wants to politicise gaming.

What a joke.

[GrubsterBeater]

This guy’s pieces constantly prove that with his constant intake of substantial quantities of soy, are quickly turning him into a soy-boy who would do whatever it takes to virtue signal to the other cucks and 3rd wave feminists with blue check marks on Twitter, in the hopes that they will praise him as an ally, and a pillar of any and all that belong to the holy “ oppressed” groups (anybody who is not a straight, white male with no handicaps).

These Socialists need to give up this whole idea of “destroy all Western culture, so we can indoctrinate the country with the peaceful religion of Liberalism (Communism)”.

[Weeblordbad]

Some people were always dicks, that's just life. If I approached every woman like she was a feminazi, I wouldn't get very far. I think the same is true of men, we come in all shapes and we definitely don't all think or act the same. I'd never say the social climate was ever perfect, but to paint things as a purely masculine or male issue is absolutely asinine.

[Smokehouse]

The term itself is laughable and I will never take anyone uses it with a straight face seriously. I have never heard that come out of a real persons mouth, it’s only referenced in “toxic journalism”. It doesn’t make you look like a civil rights activist, it makes you look stupid. Who are you preaching to? The vast majority don’t condone any kind of harassment. Let alone your ultra specific blend of male oppression. Lmao dumbass people I swear.

[rainslacker]

They can't just say masculine, to make that a bad word. They have to qualify it as an extreme to try and sound reasonable. If they could just say masculine, in an effort to emasculate the community, they would.

It's getting there in the media, but luckily, in the real world, one can still be masculine, and more often than not, you'll probably be more respected for that, than trying to conform to something you aren't or don't believe in.

[Smokehouse]

I got called a racist the other day because I laughed at the people claiming that ancient Egyptians were black. It was an article about the MK reveal and they were talking shit about random things. He included the character gares being black with clear Egyptian influence. The we Wuz Kings thing. He was clearly exaggerated, trying to be funny. The character looks to be based off of the guy from the stargate show. Kratos new voice actor. I don’t think it has anything to do with the we Wuz Kings idiots.

Anyway, the guy that called me racist posted a “knowyourmeme” linking to 4chan. No, it has nothing to do with 4chan. These idiots are on YouTube right now. I have heard them speak at rally’s and stuff and it’s about as dumb as you can imagine. I found it being a mythology hound, i don’t go to 4chan lol.

But you claim something is oppressive and it shuts down the conversation. It’s their “out” from people calling them out on their bullshit. Talk shit and then claim safe space. Like a kid sticking their finger in your face and saying “I’m not touching you” over and over. I just laugh at them and more people should. I refuse to base the conversation on their broken standards.

[Gwiz]

lol

[Vanfernal]

There should be an option to report or block SJW articles in this site... Gaming websites should be about games, not about articles from people who go out of their way to be "offended" by everything...

[The Wood]

I think that term has been construed and weaponized. Fighting for social issues isn't a bad thing. People who leverage social issues for felonious means are the worst but I've seen many worthy movements been classed as sjw ones which detracts and deflects people's perception of said movements.

[Omnisonne]

"Worthy'' or not, these issues still aren't about videogames, and so shouldn't be allowed on a gaming website. End of.

[uth11]

that's why the W exists on SJW to designate that they are the extreme among people fighting for social justice.

but like any term, it will be misused over time until it loses its meaning

[rainslacker]

My wife is what is call a feminist. She does actual work and participates in programs that actually help women, or help build structure so they have fewer barriers to do things in the world. She works with a group.of men and women who are awesome.

What they don't do is rely in the extreme boycott and rally methods you see by the "modern feminist", and feels that everything the do is wasteful, and often harmful to actual equal rights.

She said programs she used to participate in which used to have positive vibes behind them now seem to have people automatically against them. So instead of the awareness coming through open dialogue and exposure, it's become an us vs. Them mentality, where one side is already on the defensive.

I've noticed this myself with the STEM programs I participate in due to my IT and game dev experience, where I was asked to help years ago because they couldn't find enough women to fill the role. I stayed on, and it's even where I met my wife. But, as it is, it used to be these things were thought of as a positive thing to bring women into technical careers, but it's easy enough now to find people who question why young girls get their own thing, or how there is a lot of talk about how it's not natural for.women to be interested in such things.

While those stereotypes are something I'd expect, what the radical.feminjst of today have done is instead of allowing more reasonably minded people.addressing those stereotypes they end up calling out those individuals, or worse, a large swath of a community, which prematurely ends any discussion which may persuade someone to see otherwise.

The radical feminist wants immediate results to change hundreds, or thousands of years of culture and history. The intelligent person realizes this is a long road process, that could take generations. Many of the feminists of th 40s never lived to see the fruits of their labor, but at least their labor stood for.something. they stood for raising women up, not tearing men down.

[Dixiedevil]

See, this is what happens when you eat kale and are worried about gluten.

[TheColbertinator]

Gluten haters should go play in traffic

[salmonade]

Rising Tide? The vast majority of men are fine. Stop this attack on men now. If any company goes with this narrative, you will regret it. Mark my words.

[Valkron1]

This is just stupid. I’m watching the news right now and they are talking about replacing “he” and “she” with “they”, adding male cheerleaders to the Super Bowl, and raising genderless children. When the hell did being a man become a sin? Leave my games alone and I won’t start any pride parades. Deal?

[Vizigoth04]

What I believe is missed here with the insight to God of War is because Kratos didn't want his Son Atreus knowing his past, that prevented Atreus knowing his true nature. Which in turn made Atreus sick. Let's not forget that the entire purpose of the game, the entire mission is because of a woman. The wife and mother of the story. Most powerful character without showing anything but a hand print. Deserving to have an appearance in her own game. One can claim that the game had high masculinity or not enough or just right. It's all based off on how it's perceived.

[Aaroncls7]

f*ck you! that is all.

[StormSailor]

Another day, another SJW shit.

I hope this routine changes one day.

[Anorexorcist]

You know how we can all change it? Never vote Democrat again and don't just ignore but specifically decry the orwellian fake news complex.

[81BX]

LMAO. Scratching my balls not giving a f@ck!

[OffRoadKing]

LOL!

[Femto]

toxic masculinity is a meme, it doesn't exist.

[OffRoadKing]

Nothing wrong with a man being a real man whatever that means to him personally and its not up to the feminists and SJW's to dictate that. Whats toxic is this hateful shame culture that we have right now towards men.

[chris235]

here we go: the effects of overpopulation. every point- and mindless niche gets blown out of proportion due to way too many people. vegans, genderless approach of raiding kids and now the gaming industry is catching onto this nonsense. need more proof that humans are on the decline?

[Weeblordbad]

No your post demonstrates very plainly what the issue is.

[Mr Marvel]

There's nothing wrong with a bit of male pride.
While Men and Women are equal mentally, Men are generally stronger physically, making them more capable of certain things.
It's a fact that most rational thinking women can understand, it's just all the men-hating feminists that struggle with it.
Real men respect women and treat them as equals, but they don't roll over like little b!tches for them either.

[HighPlayer28]

Not even the game industry is safe from these satanic agendas smdh. Its all part of the NWO. A very blatant attack on everything God made great is being corrupted by design. Feminism Satanism Transgenderism and all the other isms are being pushed to cause a state of decay on society.

[Weeblordbad]

Satan isn't real, the earth isn't flat, how do you feel about Historicism, aspheterism, cosmotheism, empiricism, humanism, imagism, intuitionism etc any thoughts on those?

Let's see past user comments from HighPlayer28... Oh, you're an idiot or 12 I solved your riddle.

[HighPlayer28]

Believe what you want but you can never prove to me that Satan doesn't exist idiot. How arrogant to think you know everything about life through your indoctrinated education. And I never said the earth was flat so don't post things I never said it makes you look more retarded.

[NickAwesome]

It's the opposite actually, i see most games lately pushing aggressively the SJW propaganda and i don't like it one bit, games need to find a middle ground, right now the'yre trying desperately to push their "progressive" and fill with "diversity" agenda to make every crybaby with a keyboard happy and is deeply irritating, not everything needs to include everyone and not everything needs to include politics

[Weeblordbad]

So you're unhappy at the keyboard crying because Ellie kissed a lady or there's a lady player character in Gears? Ellie kissing a lady, or Gears lady isn't political what makes these things political?

[NickAwesome]

I am not trying to start a fight here but there are so many examples of sjw marketing into today's games that is simply astonishing: Have you seen the battlefield v reveal trailer? propaganda at it's finest, a cyborg woman in world war 2 crushing all men under her boots and after that EA is calling us all ignorants just because we want a more believable ww2 game... have you played uncharted 4? nadine beats the shit out of nathan drake like it's nothing and you can't do anything to prevent it... last of us dlc forced ellie into a gay relationship just because neil druckmann is an annita sarkesian super fan (in the main game she never said once that she was gay by the way), a ton of enemies in assassins creed odyssey are women even if in ancient greece it was very uncommon for women to be warriors, blizzard has to clarify that soldier 76 is gay just because... this is the world we live in right now but it doesn't have to be this way,they can try to be more subtle instead of shoveling propaganda at our faces

[mkis007]

I'm tired of buzzwords.

[bluefox755]

Ugh...seriously? This is just ideologically driven BS. Toxicity is most certainly not exclusive to one gender, and framing it as such is just dishonest. Women are every bit as capable of being toxic as men are, but no one says toxic femininity. The reason for this is because it's all politics, it's all ideology. We should reject this nonsense narrative at every encounter.

[CP_Company]

There is no bigger bullies than woman to woman. Women bullies much much more other women than men.

[Dragonscale]

F off with this sjw misandrist bullcrap. How come they never complain about toxic femininity, thats a much bigger problem tbh.

[Anorexorcist]

Just go and look up the experience that Owen Shroyer from Infowars had when he was at a Women's March just recently (I don't know if it was the one that was recently canceled because there were too many white women there, but they all are pretty much the same). He was grabbed in the crotch violently by a woman, on camera, and the woman just stood there contining to mock him and laughed at the idea of him having her arrested for sexually assaulting him.

These hyper leftists truly are the most arrogant, hypocritical and despicable creatures on the planet; They are essentially the new age manifestation of the Gestapo army but with a hell of a lot more estrogen and bitterness.

[Dragonscale]

Thats Alex Jones channel isn't it. I'm a subscriber but he was shut down by youtube so haven't seen anything for months now. Anyhow it doesn't surprise me tbh as the hypocrisy from the feminazis is astounding tbh, too many white women lol. I prefer to compare them to the kgb as they are marxist activists even though they are essentially the same schtick as fascists. Ultimately its just history repeating itself, seems people never learn.

[Lynx0207]

Ok... after reading the comment section here I see it is the time to block N$G. There are another news collecting sites without so blind, toxic, "real man" community. Bye.

[salmonade]

Spotted the safe-space needing feminist beta male that overdoses on soy while crying his eyes out after watching Titanic for the 5th time. You will find, that wherever you go, the majority will be on our side. Just go back inside your safe space so the internet can't hurt your feelings anymore. This comment section mirrors popular opinion. Not the vocal minority in the twitter sphere where virtue signalling is all the rage.

[Dragonscale]

You won't be missed lol. Think you'll find its the article and the ideology behind it thats toxic tbh.

[GrimReaperGamer]

Your father must be proud knowing he raised a pussy SJW for a son. If your father had any sense he would have pulled out, thus keeping your stupidity out of GAMING news.

[mezati99]

hahahahah holy shit dude

[Weeblordbad]

Because gaming News is really important and needs to remain pure...for reasons.

[Razzer]

Ah......dude tailored his editorial title for n4g. Actual title: "Gaming industry reaching out to 'real men'"

I think "real men" don't have to create click-bait titles on n4g just to boost their hits.

[ShadowWolf712]

I haven't heard the "men don't cry" schtick anywhere but in movies from caricatures of abusive parents in pretty much my entire lifetime. And even then, when I HAVE heard it? When I HAVE seen men mocked for showing emotion, called gay for showing affection for their friends? It's been from women. Usually militant third wave feminists.

The majority of the backlash against that Gillette ad too was their insistence that men are instinctively violent sexual predators waiting to happen that have to be deliberately taught to be anything else, and that we excuse everything up to sexual assault with "boys will be boys" when.... that phrase has never meant that to a single sane person. Love how everyone misses that tidbit.

[good_sk8er]

I wonder how long ads like gillette's, articles like this and news reports along the same lines will take to turn society. People need to seriously boycott these entities that are trying to brainwash society. It may not affect you now, but it will creep into the minds of the children and destroy the country in a generation or two.

[Anorexorcist]

And this kind of arrogant, chauvanustic hyper-leftist rhetoric is what is known as "Toxic Effeminity".

If you have more estrogen than testosterone in your body as a man and you can not attract a woman, what else can you do??? You can pretend that you hate men and even basic principles of masculinity as well and you essentially try to attract women by pretending to be their girlfriend.

Soy boy culture.

[DrShoe]

This is nonsense. Toxic masculinity doesn't exist.

[iEatNapkinz]

Sounds like a b!tch made this article.