One of the oft-recurring topics here at Paging Dr. NerdLove is the subject of creepers and creepy behavior. It’s a seemingly evergreen topic because, frankly, there’s always an example of problematic behavior to point to and say “stop doing that”. Of course, as soon as anyone brings up the topic of creepy behavior, there’s the inevitable […]
What We Talk About When We Talk About GamerGate
Back in August, I wrote about the ongoing harassment against Zoe Quinn and Anita Sarkeesian, the then-latest attempts by the would-be gatekeepers of gaming culture trying to evict women from their formerly1 exclusive clubhouse. While it’s (depressingly) common to see outbursts like this bubble up from the underside of the Internet, it’s rare for it […]
The End of Gatekeeping: The Extinction Burst of Gaming Culture
It’s been an ugly couple of weeks for gaming culture. Not only did the Zoe Quinn affair erupt, leading to the increased harassment and abuse of an indie games developer for the crime of being a woman in gaming, but Anita Sarkeesian was driven from her home by death threats following the release of the latest […]
“Prove You’re A Man”: Violence, Harassment and Toxic Masculinity
<This is co-published with Thought Catalog> So on Monday, I wrote a thing about Christy Mack’s assault at the hands of her ex-boyfriend and the slut-shaming and victim blaming that resulted. It’s a complicated and tangled enough topic that it’s difficult to fit every angle and wrinkle in. But there was one topic that I wanted to […]
Jonathan Martin and The Quiet Strength of True Manhood
Let me paint a scenario for you. Let’s say that you’ve been working at a white-collar job for a couple of years… it pays well and you’ve got the potential to make absurd amounts of money if you stick around for a few more years and move up in the organization. But part of the job […]