I said yesterday that my next post would be about happy things, such as Pandas or Monks. It IS a happy post. As an update to yesterday’s post, it seems something has finally filtered though. I appreciate the apology, it’s worlds apart from what I actually expected to get from Blizzard at this stage. Thank you Mike Morhaime, I will be optimistic and hope that this is a sign of continued improvement on Blizzard’s track record when it comes to their record on handling QUILTBAG issues, sexism, and hate speech in general.
Bashiok
Community Manager
Dear members of the Blizzard community,
I have read your feedback and comments about this year’s BlizzCon, and I have also read the feedback to the apology from Level 90 Elite Tauren Chieftain. I’d like to respond to some of your feedback here.
As president of Blizzard, I take full responsibility for everything that occurs at BlizzCon.
It was shortsighted and insensitive to use the video at all, even in censored form. The language used in the original version, including the slurs and use of sexual orientation as an insult, is not acceptable, period. We realize now that having even an edited version at the show was counter to the standards we try to maintain in our forums and in our games. Doing so was an error in judgment, and we regret it.
The bottom line is we deeply apologize for our mistakes and for hurting or offending anyone. We want you to have fun at our events, and we want everyone to feel welcome. We’re proud to be part of a huge and diverse community, and I am proud that so many aspects of the community are represented within Blizzard itself.
As a leader of Blizzard, and a member of the band, I truly hope you will accept my humblest apology.
– Mike Morhaime
President, Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard wrote up the above apology after a conference call with GLAAD. You can read more about that at Gay Gamer. Thank you to everyone who has spoken out about this. I am so please to see a real apology over this issue.
Since posting the below, Mike Morhaime has released this apology. I has a happy and am closing the comments on this post. If you would like to add to this discussion, please comment to the new apology post.
I had a fantastic time at Blizzcon. I love the company and the games it puts out. I will likely be playing the new expansion and Diablo III. I made lots of new friends this weekend, and strengthened ties with old ones. This is why it makes me incredibly sad that I feel the need to post about the behaviour of a musical guest during the Closing Ceremonies. I could be waffling about the new talent system, or about pandas, or talking about the brilliant individuals I got to meet. I could talk about the beautiful art, the epicness that is Christie Golden, or the wonderful publishing panel. Instead I’m talking about how I got slapped in the face with the dudebro nature of Blizzcon.
Not smelling of roses
One comment, made by @mythraidates, was that Blizzcon attendees had better personal hygiene than Disney visitors. This remark is confirmed by us all. I can think of only one moment where I noticed body odour to any real extent. So bravo. We have mastered the shower as a community.
However there were a couple of moments that really soured my enjoyment. One was watching the Cosplay contest from the Panel discussion stage and having to listen to a bunch of guys seated behind our (nearly all female) group. Listening to their judgements on the various semi-naked cosplayers was not fun. Even worse was them judging the heck out of any woman who didn’t fit the ‘ideal body’ type.
And finally there was the moment when L90ETC invited a musical guest onstage. I believe he was the lead singer of a band called Cannibal Corpses, or something. Corpsegrinders? I’m not familiar with the band. He’s a hardcore hordie, and proceeded to go on an anti-Alliance rant. Which would have been fine if he hadn’t used homophobic slurs to do so.
The video above is an old clip, but it was aired un-edited during the Closing Ceremonies of Blizzcon 2011. There was no censoring/bleepouts as they aired it. I was there, I watched this clip***. It almost didn’t register at the time as I was so tired, but it stings. Now I’m aware that the band is a Death Metal band, and thus generally not known for appealing to a diverse audience. Seems a little odd to include such a guest right before one of the most popular and widely loved bands on the planets, at an event which had until that point seemed much more diverse (and welcoming thereof) than conventions generally are.
***As I am very jetlagged right now, I’m starting to second guess myself on this. Were they bleeped out? I honestly remember the homophobic terms being quite clear regardless, as I had never seen the clip before. If they were censored, then what was the point of doing it so badly when it would have been easy enough for them to edit them out entirely. However I have to make it clear that I may have mis-remembered the existence of bleeps***
I’m not offended
I’m not offended as an Alliance player if someone chooses to call us names. Although I’d call myself bifactional (where is my purple hoodie?) I’ve nearly always been mainly Alliance. I’m used to the push and pull. I’m used to bigoted language too, but I wouldn’t say I need to accept it’s presence. Free speech, such as it is, protects your right to say it, but it also protects my right to call you a a bigoted asshat for saying it.
I am bisexual. As such I get a lot of passing privilege with my sexuality. I can get down with faction hate, but I can’t do anything but condemn the use of such antiquated and homophobic slurs as part of a ‘joke’. Letting language like this go past as ‘just a joke’ is part of the problem. This same weekend a 28 year old man was murdered in Scotland, possibly burned alive in what is believed to be a homophobic attack. In my own workplace I hear homophobic slurs on a regular basis, and no matter that my co-workers would probably be okay with my sexuality, it makes me afraid to mention it. There may be other pressing matters for the QUILTBAG community, but language still plays a vital role in making environments inclusive and safe for participants.
I can pass as straight, because a lot of my relationships tend to be hetero, and language like this during an official Blizzard event leaves me cold. I can’t speak for other bisexual people, nor those at different places on the sexuality spectrum. I’m not happy about this, and I’m even less happy that this is my first post-Blizzcon post. It’s a little rambly and incoherent, but I get to blame jetlag for this.
The Blue Response
Sadly this is not the scary drink that a friend came up with, but the usual half-assed apology. Nothing from Blizzard, just a quote from L90ETC themselves. ‘It’s just a joke, sorry you were offended‘ (TW for the comments of course). I’m sure it was meant in fun, but the apology isn’t a) a true apology, and b) it isn’t even clear what they believe they did wrong. Are they sorry for insulting the Alliance, or the real issue of the language used? Will they seriously rethink what they said, or just shrug it off and hope it doesn’t happen again.
Blizzard themselves seem to be trying to pretend it never happened. This PR stuff can be hard to deal with, but historically Blizzard has lagged behind rivals Bioware in dealing with the inclusive side of the gaming community.
In conclusion
Alliance vs Horde rivalry and bashing? Not always great, but part of the World of Warcraft.
Homophobic, racist, ableist or misogynistic language as part of the same? Old, tired. You can be more creative than that.
If you’re not offended, or you choose to laugh it off, good for you. The rest of us will be sitting over here, being disappointed and angry.
Future posts are forthcoming on Pandas, Swag, Shaman, Monks and the fact that it took 33 minutes into the Art Panel before we saw any concept art with a female body in it. Oh, and belly jiggle physics as opposed to boob jiggles. There are many positives to cover about the weekend also (such as the possibility of future overtly gay or lesbian characters) but…I need to get the negative out before I can waffle about the positive.
Slaying the kyriarchy, one internet dragon at a time. Games and geekery from an intersectional viewpoint.
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