Sessler's Soapbox: Attention, Bigots!

Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:17 PM

When playing a competitive game, a certain amount of "trash talking" is to be expected. However, when you combine the competitive nature of some video games with the anonymity of the internet, these friendly jibes can quickly show a darker face, often involving racist and homophobic epithets.

In this week's Sessler's Soapbox, Adam addresses the issue of racist and homophobic comments that are seemingly running rampant on Xbox Live. The Sess is asking anyone who feels this behavior to be appropriate to write in and let him know why he or she thinks so. What do you think? Do think comments demeaning someone for their race, gender, or sexual preference is fair game? Or does a line exist somewhere, between comments that are "harmless" ones that are "going too far"? Check out the video and let us know what you think or share your thoughts on our forums.

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Comment(s)

Posted by Thisway - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:30 PM

Amen

I hate the fact that people do this knowing there will be no consequences

Posted by younggunna - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:31 PM

100% agree

Posted by iluvatar2448 - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:34 PM

dude i totally agree with you...

the only real reason that people might do it, is maybe because that one person that they are harassing might be some annoying person that say something in the lobby of the game or something. Hence why people become bigots. I've seen it happen a hundred times in Halo, but I always end up muting the dirty bastards that trash talk because its completely pointless and stupid.

BTW, why in the hell is a 10 year even playing Halo on Xbox Live? The video game community really needs to deal with this issue because I'm tired of playing with 10-15 year olds that are playing Mature rated games on Xbox Live. It's not suppose to be happening and something needs to be done.

Posted by blakseed - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:34 PM

Is it really that bad on Live? In that cause, im glad I play on psn, otherwise i would have to hunt Husker 360 down and beat the hell out of him.

Posted by bigmonstefan - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:35 PM

Props to Adam for what he said. I've heard some messed up stuff from messed up preteens too and I find it pretty depressing. I love smack talk probable more than the next guy. If action movies have taught us anything, it's that it's fun to spout out cool one liners after dealing out a good ironic death, or after receiving a finishing blow. Don't take it personally, it's just a game that's supposed to be fun. It's basically pretend without so much of the pretend. So use what brain power you have that's been replaced by the latest processors and use it for coming up with quips that everyone can appreciate. Especially from you older gamers, where do you think the little guys are getting it from? Spongebob? Grow up already so they can too.

Posted by iluvatar2448 - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:36 PM

Posted by younggunna - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:36 PM

100% agree

Posted by darkmanXL - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:37 PM

Thank you Seesler for addressing this situation.. Being a black man I hear the N-word 5-10 times a night, on COD4, GTA 4, Halo 3 etc.. While most of the time I can just shrug it it does get to me at times and I find myself getting frustrated that it happens all the time.. The guys I play w/are a mixed bag but mostly "white" guys and often they blast the guys saying the comments or we decide to leave and post the negative feedback.. They got my back and get just as upset as I do at times.. I hear the women bashing, and gay bashing, it has no place in game ppl play to have fun..

Posted by Tumtum - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:38 PM

Agreed, there is no sense on calling someone a name along those lines because they missed a shot, or killed you?

Whatever happened to saying "Dude, your aim sucks" rather than calling someone a name because of it?

Way to go Sessler! =)

Posted by Ronde90 - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:40 PM

I second that. There is absolutely no need for such horrid behavior. There is no need to demean others on the basis of race or sexual preference. It is just vulgar and repulsive. And to think that kids who are only 10 years old, probably younger, are saying such offensive things?! By using such demeaning words, we are teaching the younger generation that it is o.k. We are teaching them it is o.k. to be prejudice and racist. Personally, when I am 40, i don't want to hear kids saying such awful things to one another. By doing this, all people are doing are causing more problems than we really need. There is enough racism and stereotyping world wide. We should be trying to end such actions, not promote them.

Posted by JTHMROCKS - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:41 PM

Strange. I play on LIVE and I seem to almost never have a problem with swearing and name calling. I always thought the people who did that sounded like retarded chiomps and just shotgun them in the face. In the game, not in real life.

Posted by mijebra1 - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:42 PM

I agree with the Sess. And where exactly are the parents while these kids are throwing these ugly words around. I hope to god that the majority of the people doing this are actually preteens. It'd be really sad to find out that as an adult, your brain is so bovine that you can't think of a snappier diss than "n*gg*r" or "f*gg*t". Thats why i just end up muting the bastards, which also sucks cuz it takes away from the competiton.

Posted by WildfireFox - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:44 PM

Blah blah blah blah blah!

I just see a lot of people, shaking a stick that's already been held higher by other people. The stick's name just happens to be common sense.

I'm not going to join a side on this one. Man... I don't care. I really don't care what people say to another over the internet. Hell, I don't even use X-Box live. However, the most silly thing to come out of this?

Adam saying 'Oh! Comment on this and tell me why you feel like acting like a jerk!'. ...why? It's not like they get a personalized response for doing it.

I get the message. But it doesn't really matter.

Posted by Blacklinkmaster - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:47 PM

Dude I'll admit that I say some things and cuss on xbox live but i never say anything racist. And it is pretty annoying especially when its usually a bunch of 10 year olds saying it. These type of things make gamers look bad and that is why its hard for people to show the good in games. Anyways I totally agree with sessler.

Posted by tutelsongo - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:48 PM

I just hope that this message motivates people to stop behaving like that. I'm latino and on lots of games (especially the more popular ones) as soon as I enter a lobby the floodgates of racism are burst open. And I'm really tired of hearing this. However I must say that to my experience most people that are disrespectful are older gamers and it's always a group of buddies.

Posted by alphacentuari - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:48 PM

Really it's not just in the gaming world that everyone acts like a bunch of racist idiots. I go to a highschool that thinks it is basically 'cool' to be a rasicist. Seriously some kids started fights with this clique of black kids and mexican kids for that reason alone, their race. It really sickens me when I hear that the night before a bunch ofkids in my class jumped one of my classmates because he was black and that alone. He's a really nice kid and I swear if I would have known who it was I would have kicked their asses.

Posted by supersolidsnake4 - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:50 PM

He is true. The people who make all of those comments are the people in real life who are losers and try to make themselfd sound cool online

Posted by sfubear - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:50 PM

I hate this too, I hate little children calling me all manner of horrible names, I play a game to have fun if I didn't have fun playing games I wouldn't have spent $500 plus on all the gaming stuff that I have not including that I have to pay for xbox live. I have watched video's of children on youtube freaking out playing games and I have been called any more number of names by children in the game itself. Where are these children's parent's (who not only let their children talk this way to other people but play games that are in the first place to violent and mature content for them in the first place).

Posted by CrazGriffin - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:50 PM

Most of the time they aren't racist or homophobic, they're just using the words, and as much as I'd like people come up with intelligent, original trash talk, I am all for the attitude that certain words are somehow offensive disappearing forever.

Posted by nicksps3 - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:51 PM

I just played a match on COD4 where some dude just kept on saying the n word, it doesn't happen often on PSN, but the real problem is people who play music over there mices

Posted by younggunna - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:51 PM

100% agree

Posted by beetle - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:51 PM

i would bet 90% of the foul language on xbox live is kids under 17 that want to sound older. these kids are the same ones with parents that always bitch about violent games but have no idea what their kids are doing when they play online.

Posted by Bookshelf - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:52 PM

its like they say...

XBL has the best online community out of all of the consoles....

...LMAO!!

Posted by beetle - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:53 PM

Posted by sfubear - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:54 PM

If someone is going to be crazy racist and homophobic I ask that they get booted, and if they don't I leave the game, I also give everyone of the MFers a bad review.
I love to trash talk but not insult someone for their race, gender, culture, religion, or sexual orientation because we are all here to have fun, that's why I am even selective about who I talk trash to, if I don't think they can take it for the joking manner that it is intended as I don't bother with them.

Posted by bcskid - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:54 PM

Ok, so I just have to say this. I have noticed that this behavior is much more prevalent in the most popular shooters. Why? One reason is that they are popular so there's a higher chance that you will run into a kid saying crap that he doesn't even understand so that he can be "cool". The other factor is that these games are very highly tense and competitive, bringing out anger much more quickly. This behavior does not exists in all Live games though. I noticed a nice, clean sound coming out of my speakers when playing GRID on Live. It was the noise of people being friendly and joking around with each other as we raced, with the occasional grunt of frustration followed by laughter when someone crashed. That's what online gaming should be.

Posted by KitFisto94 - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:54 PM

This is the reason I play PC games. The online communities aren't filled with Frat Boys and Prepubescent 10 year olds saying racist, sexist, and homophobic comments just to be "funny". They don't know what it is and they do it to be cool. I agree Sess, that is a reason gamers are viewed negatively, because of the insenstive trash talk.

Posted by FreshCut_T70 - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:57 PM

Usually these kids resort to name calling because they get owned in a game and don't have the maturity to "take it on the chin". Microsoft doesn't seem to crack down on this behavior so it only encourages them to continue.

Posted by sfubear - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 5:02 PM

@WildfireFox
I think it does matter, the gaming community is always facing heat. Wither this game is to violent and shouldn't be released because it is corrupting our children and all the adult gamers who are the people that should be the only one's playing in the first place just sit by with their thumbs up their ass. Manhunt almost didn't get released because of it's graphic nature come release date the petition to bane it was only a couple of hundred signatures short, Manhunt 2 had crappy blurred out violence so that it wouldn't have an adult only rating. GTA4 is one of the most controversial games ever released. Why because people know that children will be able to get their hands on M rated games one way or another. Then to top it all off they play online and are subjected to that idea that not only is intense violence cool but so is racism and bigotry in general

Posted by sfubear - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 5:06 PM

don't get me wrong though I love me some intense violence and cursing, but I am also 22 and know the difference between reality and imaginative, and socially acceptable and straight gauche.

Posted by VII - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 5:06 PM

Henceforth, Adam Sessler has my complete and utmost respect. My name is Adam too, and Mr. Sessler has brought honor to that name today. I applaud you, Adam.

Posted by Teejay_1994 - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 5:09 PM

Amen, to that Sess!

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