Environmentalists are Dead; #StopEnvironmentalism (parody)

Over the past few months, an alarming trend has emerged; death threats are being sent to oil tycoons, land developers, heads of nuclear energy companies, rainforest loggers, and other persons that are just trying to advance the environment. Innocent people trying to do what's best for everyone no longer feel safe in their own mansions. Who is orchestrating these mass attacks on reason? The threats are coming from a vile group known as environmentalists, in the form of a hashtag movement; #Environmentalism.

An entire handful of environmentalists are sending these threats via twitter and other social media, to show that they mean business. These few are driven by hatred and discrimination. Make no mistake, while it's a small group (that most environmentalists claim to condemn and be unassociated with), it very much represents the entirety of environmentalists. The very identity of environmentalists is in turmoil, due to the hatred being spewed. Who in good conscience can defend the entire existence of, and be, an environmentalist? Environmentalists are dead.

A nasty rumor has even been spread about Joe Q. Moneybags; the claim is that he shared profits with politicians to get oil-positive laws passed. Sure, it's proven that he was giving politicians money and the politicians were laundering the cash across seas....but there still remains no evidence whatsoever that the money was related to lawmaking.

Besides, how is that relevant to the environment? It simply isn't. Discriminating environmentalists will simply do anything to condemn WealthyMEN in the industry. It's sad really. Instead of using hate, #Environmentalism could have been about condemning the outliers that send threats. What purpose does #Environmentalism have of it's own?

It's time to #StopEnvironmentalism before it gets any more out of control.

[If you don't get it, it's a parody of the logic of the anti- Gamer Gate / #StopGamerGate crowd; not actually some ridiculously off topic rant about environmentalism]

[thorstein]

Tropes vs Oil Tycoons: I am also sick and tired of this movement. How many more times do we have to see angelic Oil Tycoons portrayed negatively in popular media? How many more times are we going to see these benevolent people portrayed as war mongers, forcing people to go to war for oil! It's just so unfair, even if it is ridiculously accurate.

How many more times are these people going to be portrayed as the evil doer? Environmentalists and their evil agenda to clean the waterways, preserve nature, and (most evilly) protect the oceans is oilbaronigystic!

Who wouldn't want to be able to swim and fish in a lake that these environmentalists deem unsafe? That is just taking away our freedoms! We should be able to eat as much fish from the Love Canal or Onondaga Lake as we want.

I mean, do we really want to let a bunch of Erin Brochoviches running around? Think of what that will do to the world?

(again, satirical)

[Blacktric]

"Have you ever noticed that, for a few exceptions, all the oil tycoons are corporate fat cats who are literally fat..."

Goddammit Anita save us! This trope is hurting fat pplz...

[Littlewashu5]

'

[Ravenor]

Off parody, but I've been sitting here and thinking about the notion that females aren't welcome or safe in environments typically dominated by gamers. I went on a date recently with a girl who told me this and I've been reading Brianna Wu's tweets and I still can't figure it out, are the haters Ezio levels of stealthy and I just never see it? I figure picket signs that say "No Vaginas" would probably catch my eye.

[DragonKnight]

The reason you don't see it is because the problem is being grossly overstated. I won't deny that there are women out there who've had more than their fair share of harassment, so have men, but the problem is nowhere near the "epidemic" levels that feminists are claiming.

I grew up a gamer. I'm a straight white man. My best friends, and family, were also gamers. My best friends were Romanian (some would still call that white and they'd be racist if they did), Hispanic, Black, and Vietnamese. I have 2 sisters, and my mother. All 3 of them gamers. Out of that entire group, not once have any of them ever complained to me about feeling left out, or being harassed, or getting threats.

That's a mighty small sample pool to draw from, but when you add the multitudes of people with the same experiences that I've had, then it's not so small. Remember, people generally don't complain about things that AREN'T a problem, so that's why you don't hear "I haven't been harassed today" every single day the same way feminists overexaggerate what they consider to be harassment on the daily.

[DragonKnight]

@mixelon: I believe we've had this discussion before about the girls who stream. I'm subbed to a few and none of them receive any harassment at all. Again, overstated.

*EDIT* For some reason the reply was posted here instead of in mixelon's post.

[mixelon]

I never judged any entire group. I clearly said it wasn't specific to gamers. I love the whole "people like you... don't judge as individuals" that was uncanny. You've pigeonholed me into a number of boxes that I don't fit in, yourself.

Before I continue, I'm just going to acknowledge the abject futility of this discussion, as it will not be a debate. It's an incompatible conflict of ways of thinking. Yet.. I'm going to do it anyway. FFS.

It is a problem. An environment where abuse and sexism (etc) is NOT expected (and even *celebrated* and protected) is better than one where it is. I'd rather suggest a better environment for all. I know numerous women who'd never stream as they've seen what happens.

"You had no part in the evolution, but demand it accommodate you. Ironically you expect no resistance to this sentiment because you feel entitled to your opinion and your demands. " - That is hilariously dumb, and actually? That's the most offensively stupid thing I've read in a while. I've been a gamer since the mid 80s. I own the term "gamer" as much as anyone else here. People have been fighting against lame attitudes and the negative stereotype the entire damned time. I am not an "other". Seeing the worst elements of the community rise up and claim that is how its always been and how its supposed to be? And that nobody should try to improve or change anything? Ugh. Simultaneously saying there is no pervasive sexism whilst also dismissing concerns from outsiders because they have no "ownership?"

That could use improvement. Also, who exactly said I'm female? I certainly didn't.

I'm not suddenly strolling in, toying with the idea of games and "demanding" people change. I've been here the entire time, acknowledging things I perceive as wonky. Big deal.

"I believe we've had this discussion before about the girls who stream. I'm subbed to a few and none of them receive any harassment at all. Again, overstated. " - LOL, scientific! Most likely they just delete/ban trolls and creepers. Most girls have to state very specific rules for comms on their Twitch page because of the stupid shit they get.

The main point is, you don't get to dismiss other people's experiences. You don't get to tell people "No one has ever been excluded in gaming, ever." When many of us know of multiple people who're extremely wary of it for seemingly good reason. I'm sure many of us have had to act as emissaries for gaming to counter people's experiences with "us", and reassure people there's more to it. I certainly have.

Nobody said *all* gamers do X. Or the majority did. Sexism is a thing. And it goes both ways. Whether you think it's a big deal or not is neither here nor there. Whether I do isn't either really, lol. The point is that it matters to a lot of people, and that's their prerogative. It's not overblown. Seriously, this isn't a zero sum game. NOBODY I'm aware of called all gamers misogynistic, or sexist, or anything of the sort. Nobody dismissed gaming or the community as a whole. Weird binary thinking needs to stop.

How can it be considered such a bad thing to want a friendlier environment for everyone? Seriously.

Out of bubs again!

[Ravenor]

@Mixelon

Expecting reasonable discourse from the internet is a fools errand, you expecting young teens, the socially inept, the sociopaths, the sadists and the asshats of the internet to disappear is just f-ing stupid. The anonymity creates monsters out of these people who are already pre disposed to act in that way, no one is saying they flat out don't exist.

The issue comes when you say all women everywhere are attacked in this way, it flat out isn't true. Not every female streamer, personality or whatever gets attacked on a daily basis. Look at pewdiepie, he creates some of the most asinine, stupid, pandering content I've ever had the misfortune of consuming and what do you know, he has closed comments for good. As far as I can tell he's a dude, weird huh?

[DragonKnight]

@mixelon: You're responsible for representing yourself the way you want to be represented, I didn't pigeonhole you into anything. Your entire stance here has screamed anti-GG and other characteristics that are far more pervasive in every space than the overstated and alleged harassment you claim is rampant in gaming.

"It is a problem...."

No, it isn't. If the majority of gamers never talk about this and when they do they don't see it as problematic and only engage so that people like you will just shut up about it already, then no it's not a problem. You don't get to say that 1 person feeling uncomfortable constitutes a problem, and that is basically what your argument boils down to. When you compare the vast multitudes of gamers who aren't whining to the ones like you that are, we clearly see that the real problem are people who have a higher opinion of themselves than the world does. So much so that they believe they are entitled to some special or different treatment than anyone else.

You're talking about an environment steeped in competition and oneupmanship, not an environment of "passing for participation" so to speak. People will say stupid sh*t and you have a choice of how to deal with it. If you choose to whine, you made the wrong choice because you've just guaranteed that the kind of people that DO harass will constantly make sure they harass you because that's what people like that do.

"That is hilariously dumb, and actually? .."

Apparently you A) Don't know what analogies are, and B) Have no emotional strength if you can choose to be offended by said analogy. I mean wow, grow up. Fighting against the stereotype that gamers are social outcasts, or prone to violence, or that gaming stunts intelligence is VASTLY different than being compared to sexists, racists, homophobes and bigots in a community that has ALWAYS been inclusive of everyone. Try again. You claim to have been gaming since the mid 80s and don't understand the very basics of the identity? Wow.

"That could use improvement. Also, who exactly said I'm female? I certainly didn't."

Who cares? Why are you using a female icon in the first place then?

"LOL, scientific!.."

Equally "scientific" and completely wrong. I'm following 2 girls who are cosplayers and routinely dress in pretty revealing apparel while they stream, that is before Twitch changed their rules, and guess what they never receive? That's right, harassment. And it has nothing to do with banning anyone, as a matter of fact both of them repeatedly state they prefer not to ban unless absolutely necessary and that's rare. So stop making stuff up.

"No one has ever been excluded in gaming, ever."

Actually I can say that, and am. It is literally impossible to be excluded from gaming. The only requirement necessary to game is to own a device capable of gaming and games. That's literally it. Choosing to remove yourself from something isn't exclusion. Exclusion isn't a choice, it's forced. So you're damn right I can and will say no one has EVER been excluded from gaming.

As for the rest of your nonsense I'm just going to end by saying you don't get to overblow an issue that's not nearly as pervasive as you and your fellow SJWs wish it were. You also don't get to dictate the parameters by which an issue can be pronounced as being a problem. There are millions of gamers in the world, and 98% of them have never complained about what you and your friends insist is such a huge problem in gaming. Sorry, but the numbers are against you. Don't like it? That's your problem, not gaming's.

[mixelon]

It's not grossly overstated. You only have to watch a girl's streams online to see it. They're marginalised downplayed and dismissed in ways that male gamers aren't. It only gets amplified if they have opinions and stuff.

Use a female avatar. See how people's responses change. (I can testify to this, lol) unlike DK, all of the girls I know who game have had some degree of negative treatment.

It's not unique to gaming, but it's definitely should be fought wherever it happens, and this is our corner.

My daughter? Threats of sexual abuse within minutes of appearing on my twitch stream She is SIX. I know it's just trolls, but they are pervasive in gaming. I shouldn't have to shield my kid from gaming, damnit, but I do, lest she'd rightfully be upset and put off by it.

[SilentNegotiator]

Put a six year boy in a game session and he'll be called a "F*g" just as fast.

And frankly, this has nothing to do with GamerGate. People get attacked on the internet. GamerGate isn't about attacking people and 99% of people do not use GG for those means. There is no reason to call for an end to GamerGate over a couple of bad seeds. And THAT is the point of my blog.

[mixelon]

SilentNegotiator - I'm going to say this now. Anyone who claims there isn't a lot of sexism, racism, homophobia and bigotry in the gaming community is frankly an idiot. Yes, it's everywhere else on the net too. So?

Just because people are abusive towards X group sometimes doesn't mean Y group should stop fighting to improve things. Yes. That has very little to do with GG. I didn't mention GG. I was talking about the very real anti-girl environment they often have to deal with. It is NOT equivalent. You DO get a lot more shit flung at you as a girl, or any "minority" really.

"but we get it too" - Uh, Ok.. And?

[DragonKnight]

@mixelon: "I'm going to say this now. Anyone who claims there isn't a lot of sexism, racism, homophobia and bigotry in the gaming community is frankly an idiot. Yes, it's everywhere else on the net too. So?"

Then call me an idiot. I've been gaming for 26 years, I live in Canada which is probably the most multicultural country in the world, and everything that you've said is something that I, nor every gamer I've ever encountered, have ever dealt with. The one thing I can say is that, yeah I've been called faggot for my trolling build in Demon's Souls, but I don't call that homophobia for 2 reasons.

First Reason

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Listen to the explanation on the word fag that starts at about the 5 minute mark, though the entire set is DEFINITELY worth listening to so people can get the B.S. oversensitivity that society suffers from out of their system.

Second reason

Even if I was called every single name in the book every single day of that 26 years of gaming, I still wouldn't claim that there is sexism, racism, homophobia, or bigotry in gaming because that's 26 years of individual people saying things, not 26 years of literally every gamer in the world acting that way. Anonymity + A Voice = Pandora's Box opened. The problem with people like you is that you always judge as a group, you hardly if ever judge as individuals.

You never blanket judge a group unless it's been proven that all, or even most, commit the same offenses. And since there are literally millions of gamers in the world, you'd have a tall order to prove that your claims are perpetrated by more than the most minute of fringe gamers.

[DragonKnight]

Part 2: "I was talking about the very real anti-girl environment they often have to deal with. It is NOT equivalent. You DO get a lot more shit flung at you as a girl, or any "minority" really.

"but we get it too" - Uh, Ok.. And?"

I don't know where you live, but let's assume for a second that you live in a typical Western Nation, so the U.S., Canada, the U.K. etc...

Now, you've grown up there your whole life and you're used to life being a certain way, but you decided you wanted to explore different ways of living, of how life is lived, so you move to another country. We'll say mainland China.

You've inserted yourself into an environment whose evolution has occurred without you and your input. This means you have 2 options.

Normal Option: You understand that the environment and culture has certain qualities that you had no say in, and that includes everyone who wasn't a part of that evolution having to deal with chastisement from members who have been a part of that evolution. So in the case of China, you can't go there and complain that the food is offensive to you because you weren't a part of that nation's culinary evolution.

Abnormal Option: Being offended by an environment that developed without your input, you decide to complain to everyone in ear shot and beyond about how the environment hasn't adapted to your sensibilities and done everything it could to make you feel comfortable and welcome. You had no part in the evolution, but demand it accommodate you. Ironically you expect no resistance to this sentiment because you feel entitled to your opinion and your demands.

Now here's the funny part. Gaming is diverse, containing many different cultures and yet one culture at the same time. No one has ever been excluded in gaming, ever. The fact that there have been women making games since the commercial gaming industry began is proof enough of that. So what's the point of Silent saying "but we get it too?" It means that having that kind of "harassment" is what's known as par for the course. Those of us part of the evolution have known it, have grown beyond it, and it rolls off our backs like rain on a water resistant surface. Then there's others who believe the culture should adapt to them, and if it doesn't they claim exclusion when that literally isn't the case.

I would love for you to watch the gameplay videos from this youtube channel here...

https://www.youtube.com/cha...

Watch any video of the "Holly & I Co-op" series. Holly swears and is more vulgar than any male gamer I have ever seen, or heard of, in my life. She's actually pretty awesome. She could be considered to be part of that "sexist, homophobic, racist, bigoted" group you're talking about. But I don't for one second believe she's any of those things. Watch her, and see for yourself why your stance is drastically overstated.

[Ravenor]

I was referring to being unsafe or dealing with sexual harassment in person. People say all kinds of shit to all kinds of different people on the internet, simply because they are on the internet. It doesn't make it right, but it also makes it harmless stupidity you can simply ignore.

They aren't people worth the energy or attention, if you treat them that way they just go away. They get off on you getting riled up and upset, I've had death threats, threats of raping whatever girl I may have been playing with or family members. Just because I was destroying them in whatever game and their oversized ego's couldn't handle the stomp. You smile, wave and tell them to have a nice day. Eventually their attacks just wither and turn to bluster. Getting upset just gives them what they want.

You don't need to shield your daughter from anything (She or any child shouldn't be streaming at a young age) you need to teach her to have thick skin and to understand that some people will do whatever they can to upset you. Learning to laugh it off and understand that they are just sad little people is key to dealing with any kind of bullying. Or you just do what my sister does, starts telling them she'll rape them first.

[garrettbobbyferguson]

It's very grossly overstated. The trolls will attack anyone they can/want to. There are plenty of videos of players on counterstrike "harassing" people constantly. They latch onto one thing they believe they can use and run with it. Whether it's their age, their voice, their sexuality, or some stupid thing they shouldn't have said; they will use it.

The problem is that everyone wants to censor and make it "safe for everyone". There are reasons that block and mute buttons have been put into games. Use them. Not to mention, you're blaming the acts of trolls onto an entire community. You even acknowledge this yourself. You say they are pervasive in gaming, they're pervasive everywhere. This is the internet. 10 years ago you would have been told to stop your bitching and mute them. That's something I still stand by. Not only that, but it's become infinitely easier to deal with any trolls now.

[mixelon]

Although the satire is pretty funny and I can see what you're getting at.

Environmentalism says what it is *in the name* - it's a clear, obvious cause it has no easily (mis?)interpreted origins. Nor is it a hashtag that everyone uses for a million different issues that have absolutely nothing to do with environmentalism. It's easily defendable and definable.

Most people calling for an end to "GG" are not calling for an end to the pursuit of game industry ethics. They believe GG's prevalence distracts from any meaningful discussion because of a) it's stupid origins and b) the huge number of people using it to dismiss other people's concerns. (on both sides) c) the fact that people like Milo and other right wing shit-flingers have entrenched themselves there doesn't help either. None of that has *anything* practical to do with ethics in games journalism, so everyone gets distracted.

It's an identity war, and a silly one at that.

---- Pre-empting replies: The best anyone can hope from my perspective - in a place like N4G - lets agree to disagree. Lol. There is no point in the usual army of people trying to change my mind on anything, I'm not ignorant of facts. I just disagree. Like a lot of other people! It happens! I have respect for other people caring a lot about something, however misguided i might find their methods or conclusions. ---

[SilentNegotiator]

I'm sorry if you think that Gamergate doesn't have a defined purpose, but you've been misinformed. It was created and has been continued to be used to fight corruption in the game industry.

"c) the fact that people like Milo and other right wing shit-flingers have entrenched themselves there doesn't help either"

It doesn't help that liberal media has been unilaterally attacking gamers/men, either. You're lucky to so much as get a description of what started GG or what GG is for from the people generalizing gamers as the outliers of the movement (the very few that send death threats and harass people). The liberal media spends a lot of time lately spreading exaggerations to defend or attack a group; they use the 1 in 5 campus figure from a survey where less than half of the people responded; they claim that women get paid less for the "same" work based on a study that generalizes ALL fulltime workers together (when on average, full time women work an entire 9 hours less than men, aren't working dangerous high paid jobs like firefighters and miners - don't tell me that isn't largely by choice, the survey doesn't at all attempt to look at experience, etc); they claim that an entire 1 in 10 people are gay (what part of LA was that survey done in? lol). Exaggeration and even outright lies have become acceptable among that community so long as it's used to supposedly help something; the ends justify the means to the liberal media.

Many liberals are just as "entrenched" as right wingers and they're unjustly generalizing the entire gaming community over a couple of bad seeds.

And as far as "identity" wars go, it's only an identity war because a single identity is underfire because a movement out to stop corruption had the audacity to call BS on a couple of feminists.

[mixelon]

Yeah, your version of events doesn't in any way correlate to mine. (And no, I'm definitely not brainwashed or ignorant!)

They're never going to. The fact that you can even slightly claim it was /created/ to fight corruption is bizarre.

Also, the whole persecuted male thing, good luck with that?

[SilentNegotiator]

"The fact that you can even slightly claim it was /created/ to fight corruption is bizarre"

Are you joking?

[ginganinja]

" "The fact that you can even slightly claim it was /created/ to fight corruption is bizarre"

Are you joking? "

Yet your response to mixelons comment, which was a criticism of GG in general, was to go on a rant about sexism as you see it portrayed by the media.
Then, lower down, there's a rant from Dragonknight about 'SJWs'.
If 'ethics in games journalism' is the be all and end all of gamergate, how come you get so easily derailed into ranting your views on sexism ?

[SilentNegotiator]

So, because I'm criticizing the media for trying to make GamerGate seem sexist and violent, I'm "ironically" discussing the media's attempt to call people involved with GamerGate violent sexists? It's ironic that I'm discussing the media's portrayal in a blog I wrote about the media's portrayal?

Gee, what a brilliant point. /s

Conspiracy theorist: "You know that the moon landing was fake, right?!"
Person: "It wasn't fake"
Conspiracy theorist: "Then why did you bring it up?! Why are you talking about it being faked?!"

[DragonKnight]

"Most people calling for an end to "GG" are not calling for an end to the pursuit of game industry ethics. They believe GG's prevalence distracts from any meaningful discussion because of a) it's stupid origins and b) the huge number of people using it to dismiss other people's concerns. (on both sides) c) the fact that people like Milo and other right wing shit-flingers have entrenched themselves there doesn't help either. None of that has *anything* practical to do with ethics in games journalism, so everyone gets distracted."

Actually, most people calling for an end to GG have never believed it had anything to do with ethics in the first place, thus they don't even care to talk about ethics at all because they have the misconception that GG is about keeping women out of games, an absurd notion easily refuted if any of them spent 5 seconds in the tag instead of cherry picking tweets to misrepresent the tag.

The origins of Gamergate have nothing to do with harassment, as much as you'd love to believe. Zoe Quinn's indiscretions brought something to light. She herself is irrelevant. Remove her from the equation and replace her with anyone else and GG would still exist. The term was coined by Adam Baldwin and had nothing to do with Quinn, he coined the term to reflect the ethics argument. SJWs have been distorting the origins and message of Gamergate since day one, all in a futile and unnecessary attempt to protect a woman who, ironically, embodies a lack of ethics.

You say GG has no defined message, but the truth is that GG has always had the same message. Another truth is that SJWs and anti-GG have been shifting the focus of what GG's message has always been, to the point where GG is constantly having to focus on defending itself against bogus claims (which it shouldn't because antis and SJWs are wholly irrelevant and unimportant) instead of remaining consistent with its message and that is where the confusion lies. We report the harassers, we defend against the B.S. MSNBC/CNN stories and the self-proclaimed martyrs of womanhood claiming harassment and exclusion. It's a constant attack against GG and has used up too much focus.

But amidst all of that is the email campaign that has been successful. We are fighting corruption and unethical behavior using consumer tools behind the scenes and we've been successful in such endeavors. The Escapist would definitely disagree with you as well.

You want to see GG's message, then why don't you tell your fellow anti and SJW friends to kindly shut up for 5 seconds, stop lying about our intentions and what we stand for, and actually look at what GG is talking about when we aren't having to constantly defend ourselves from the B.S. and lies that we're all about keeping women out of games. Ironic considering #NotYourShield and the multitude of women who've made interviews and videos in support of Gamergate, some of them non-gamers themselves.

[CaptainObvious878]

Why can't you people just stop spreading lies, stop harassing GG? Why can't you just let us focus on ethics in journalism?

You always seem to write so much, and try to sound so smart, but in the end you say very little at all.

[mydyingparadiselost]

I agree completely and I hope you guys will join me in a special event coming up on Nov. 1st. On the 1st I've decided to protest #environmentalism by giving up on the environment for a day. No going outside, no breathing air from trees, no eating anything that comes from the ground, no watering plants or anything else involving the environment at all. Let's show these #environmentalism guys that we won't be bullied or harassed into caring about the world we live in and how we affect it with our actions!