This book provides an in-depth, feminist and sociological analysis of Gamergate, a major social movement and anti-feminist harassment campaign. Gamergate provides a clear example of both how a modern anti-feminist ‘backlash’ is enacted, and how feminists in the digital age respond. Chapters connect Gamergate to the broader Men’s Rights Activism (MRA) political movement, examining men’s anxieties surrounding what they see as an erosion of male privilege, their conflation of privilege with rights, as well as their use of social media to harass and attack women as a response to their perceived oppression. Likewise, the author analyses the online strategies used by feminists to respond to this backlash, how social media is harnessed to build a feminist movement, the effectiveness of these online strategies, and the parallels that these actions have with those from previous waves of feminism. Finally, the author reflects on what has changed with regards to MRA, online harassment, and digital feminism after the height of Gamergate.
This book will be of interest to scholars in Gender Studies, Sociology, and Media Studies.
Author(s): Jessica O'Donnell
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 255
City: Cham
Acknowledgments
Contents
List of Figures
Chapter 1: Introduction
References
Chapter 2: Men’s Rights Activism and the Manosphere
Notable Groups Within the Manosphere
The Red Pill
A Voice for Men
Pickup Artists
Return of Kings
Incels
FeMRAs
Men Going Their Own Way
MRA/Manosphere Ideologies: The (Allegedly) Oppressed Man and Privileged Woman
MRA/Manosphere Goals: The (Apparent) Crimes of Ageing and Trousers
Patterns of Violence and Increased Media Coverage
Conclusion
References
Chapter 3: Gamers and Gamergate
Videogames, Technology, and Masculinity: No Girls on the Internet
Women’s Representation in Videogames: ‘Beautifully Executed’
Harassment in Online Gaming: Ready? Fight!
Pre-Gamergate: The Storm Before the Tsunami
Gamergate
Conclusion
References
Chapter 4: The Militaristic Discourse of Anti-feminism
Military Discourse: Militant Meninism
PR War: Make Gaming Ethics Great Again
Responses to Quinn’s Screencaps: ‘Cartoon Villains’ and ‘SJW Cabals’
The Complete IRC Log
Feminist Propagation of the Log Data
MRA Hate Mob: Pitchforks at the Ready
Sexualisation and Disgust
Parallels with Radical Second-Wave Feminism: Radical Meninism
Conclusion
References
Chapter 5: Feminist Retaliation in the Digital Age
Public Reposting: (Dis)like and Share
Direct Engagement … and the Lack Thereof
Tweets of Support
Industry Dissent
Mockery as Resistance: Heeeere’s Gamergate!
Conclusion
References
Chapter 6: Changes Following Gamergate
Anti-harassment Initiatives and Tools: Feminists Changing the Game
Policy Changes: Twitter, 4chan, and Reddit
Changes Within the Games and Technology Industry
Fashionable Feminism
(Un-?)Fashionable Feminism and Gamergate: Seven Years Later
Anti-harassment Initiatives and Tools
Policy Changes: Twitter, 4chan, and Reddit
The Games and Technology Sector: Are Women Still too Hard to Animate?
Conclusion
References
Chapter 7: Conclusion
Meaning and Motivation of Gamergate
The Pre-existing Culture of Sexism in Gaming
Gaming as a ‘Male Space’
Harassment as ‘Play’
The Erosion of Men’s ‘Rights’
Reflections on the Gaming Community
Diversity Versus Prioritisation and ‘Virtuous Tokenism’
Changes in Popular Opinion
Gamergate and Wider Culture
Highlighting Sexist Views
Conflation of Rights and Privileges
Changes in Anti-Feminist Strategy
Cycles of Anti-feminist Backlashes
Gamergate and Feminism
The Role of Social Media
Changes and Similarities in Approach
The Potential of Online Feminist Activism
Concluding Remarks
References
Index
