That Penny Arcade Controversy

[Dannyalcatraz]

Censorship is when speech is curtailed by government action. I oppose this as strongly as anyone else.

But when private persons or non-governmental oranizations exercize their speech- verbally or symbolically- to criticize the speech of another, it isn't censorship, it is their right. This, I support, even if I do not agree with their position.

 

[dd.stevenson]

Well, I only really skimmed over most of the issue, but it seems that Krahliuk's rather childish responses to the matter are a bigger problem than the original joke. Yes the joke itself could be considered rather tasteless, but it's also pretty typical for PA's humor. Still, I'm more on PA's side here because the arguments against them on this matter smack of censorship, which is something I strongly oppose.

I believe the word for this sort of thing is "repression", not "censorship". And if repression is wrong, I can't see that one party is more guilty than the other.

 

[Rechan]

I don't have any real problem with the joke in of itself. The problem I'm seeing is that PA doesn't just clearly and sufficiently state that what they wrote was insensitive and they are sorry. That would quell most of this BS, but it's like a person who can't stand the fact that they should just say they are wrong (whether they think that's true or not) to their friends and go get some food.

As the kids say, This.

Bare in mind that the Boycotting people were threatening when the merchandise was present. That led to Gabe pulling it, and everyone chilled out.

Now, some people are saying they aren't going back, like this journalist at Wired.

This isn't the first time that Gabe has done this. Apparently he made a joke about Transgendered people, and a TG person that the PA guys knew said that they found the comic hurtful, and he went off on another tear.

He behaves like he's in an internet flame war when in actuality it's real people expressing real concerns/issues.

 

[Bagpuss]

Given the percent of people who are raped or sexually assaulted in the US, I'm ok with people getting called out for thinking jokes about it are funny

Except the joke wasn't about rape, it just included rape. If you look at the joke the joke is about how heroes in WoW ignore NPCs in peril because they have already completed the quest requirement, of that quest. The rape is used as an example of the horrific peril that any real hero would take action against.

Rape isn't the joke, it is shown as a horrible thing, probably chosen for the script because it is so horrible.

and to their being continually called out as long as their attempts at apology are to make more jokes about it.

This is the real screw up.

 

[Bagpuss]

Censorship is when speech is curtailed by government action. I oppose this as strongly as anyone else.

Censorship has many forms, government censorship is only one case (private institutions and individuals can also censor stuff). Some forms of censorship are good, some are bad, it just depends on where you draw the line.

 

[mythago]

Censorship has many forms, government censorship is only one case (private institutions and individuals can also censor stuff). Some forms of censorship are good, some are bad, it just depends on where you draw the line.

Unfortunately, it appears that many people draw the line at "criticism of someone/something I like".

 

[Janx]

I don't have any real problem with the joke in of itself. The problem I'm seeing is that PA doesn't just clearly and sufficiently state that what they wrote was insensitive and they are sorry. That would quell most of this BS, but it's like a person who can't stand the fact that they should just say they are wrong (whether they think that's true or not) to their friends and go get some food.

That would be because they aren't sorry, and they don't need to be sorry.

Telling a joke about something horrible happening to a fictitious character is not the same as condoning horrible things happening to real people.

The human race has been telling jokes about horrible things happening to fictitious people since the invention of the joke.

Barring jokes about Christa McAuliffe having dandruff, those jokes aren't about and aren't directed at people who suffered horrible things.

Some people can't seem to separate that. Those people are ruining things for the rest of us.

 

[Bagpuss]

Unfortunately, it appears that many people draw the line at "criticism of someone/something I like".

And for others it appears to be mentioning rape in a context they don't like.

 

[Umbran]

Censorship has many forms, government censorship is only one case (private institutions and individuals can also censor stuff). Some forms of censorship are good, some are bad, it just depends on where you draw the line.

Regardless - saying, "I don't like what you said, and here's why..." is *NOT* censorship.

 

[scourger]

There is no winning for the Penny Arcade guys - only degrees of losing now. Least said is easiest mended. I still like them on Acquisitions Incorporated.