Journal of Other Forum Analysis

[benji]

Gene Park is showing his whole ass.

Nowhere did I say that There’s no political content. I’m talking to grown adults here who all know that everything can be inherently political. But given the thousands of hours of content, these are drops in the bucket.

Also I’m trying to be civil here. No need to call out my motivations and call my points disingenuous.

Video games are political. The business of games is political. The culture of game is political. Our very existence is political, especially those whose lives are being threatened by politicians like trans people. Even if what you said about Colin being “ignorant,” etc. was true, those of you with audiences in the tens or hundreds of thousands of people have a responsibility to do better than that.

look i am pushing back because some of you make it sound like all of LSM content is just talking about social issues, when so much of it simply isn’t.

Well for me it doesn't matter if 99% of the content is fine when I know the person on top of it holds some really shitty views and has used the platform itself to push harmful agendas.

I think we're all willing to admit that the overwhelming majority of LSM's content is gaming and nothing else.

But the fact of the matter is that if you have even one podcast that is dedicated to defending a person who was fired for transphobia, that is now an official stance of the company itself.

Not one person has said that though. That is moving the goalpost of saying that LSM is inherently apolitical, when it is so obviously anything but. Colin himself being the founder and lead of it with all the horrible things he has said and even people he has has enabled and agreed with with like Kara. Look at LSM video comment sections to see the fanbase they have cultivated. Even now look at the EZA reddit to see the kind of people posting there, openly saying the worst of the worst things about people from here.

But he doesn’t dedicate the platform to any agenda besides gaming. We don’t dedicate entire episodes to a single issue, interviews aside. This isn’t Quartering. He mostly uses his platform to say how much he hates Game Pass and thinks it’s harmful business.

Anyway every consumer is well within their power And right to not support anyone for any reason. All I’m saying is the equating between Colin and the far right is frankly ridiculous. That’s the reason why I mentioned being mutuals with many far right folks. I’ve studied them for years as part of my work. If you don’t want to support centrists, that’s cool too! Centrists! Ugh! I get it!

I’m not trying to change anyone’s mind on Colin but I just want to push back on misinformation.

I dunno, a lot of people here keep equating Colin with alt right commentators whose content are ALL political. Am I wrong for interpreting you all this way?

This post keeps coming up and some of you really fail to understand that this is a very common perspective not just among many people but Asians as well. Many people do not understand nor have they even heard of the ”model minority” myth of Asian Americans. This is not mainstream! Advocacy isn’t calling these people “racist” and moving on, It’s about education and opening up discussion.

It’s easy to just Say “this is racist.” The hard work is reaching out and having a discussion. And I talked to Colin about this since anyway and we had a whole discussion about it.

Yes, I think you are wrong for interpreting anyone here that way. I don’t think anyone believes Colin has a political podcast or anything. And honestly I don’t even see what difference that would make. He has shown his full ass many times so many of us don’t agree with EZA promoting him.

Ok lemme ask you this:

Colin recently defended the writers strikes and said that workers aren’t privileged or whining to get more money, but that they are striking for the money they should’ve been earning in the first place.
is that a far right perspective? Is that showing his full ass?

Bigoted people can have views that aren't bigoted, but still also completely separate from their other bigoted views. Not sure why that needs to be explained.

It needs to be explained because, again, I wouldn’t have joined with Colin if he was a bigot. It’s just frankly wrong.

It's frankly right, but there is seemingly no convincing you out of denial to his history of bigotry, so I will just stop trying.

I mean there’s nothing in the world that will ever convince you to listen to more of the content to see how off mark this is, so I guess that‘s the end of the conversation.

I don't think anyone in this current conversation has ever thought that it ends at calling someone "racist" online and thinking your work is done. I have been to protests, donated money to numerous charities and funds and had one-on-one conversations with people where I try to calmly explain why the thing they are doing or saying is bigoted. That includes my own family.

But I think there is also the truth that not everyone is willing to learn and those people often have a long history of bigoted comments or actions.

One thing I think is really important to keep in mind about that Colin tweet that always comes up is the context around when he posted it. Colin posted that tweet, in which he claims white supremacy doesn't exist, one month after the neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville.

There was a neo-Nazi march in support of a white nationalist president in which someone was murdered and a month after, Colin went on Twitter to say that white supremacy isn't real.

That is racist.

It’s sad that we’re still talking about Trump and 2016 in 2023 but that wasn’t what he said. In fact he said Trump should’ve disavowed white supremacists And that white supremacy is anti-American.

I never said anything of the sort and there is no need to move the goal posts that far and build the strawman that high.

Brad can be friends with whomever he likes, but when you give that friend a platform and use it as a cross promotional opportunity (which is what it was as it said Last Stand Media in the video) then clearly people can take issue with that, especially since Last Stand Media and its owner have both expressed views in the past that absolutely suck for some of us.

So if EZA wanted a New York Times reporter as a guest, that would also be an issue given that organization‘s role in transphobia, war mongering and countless other things? Just trying to understand the issue here.
Or for that matter, what about me? I work for the Post, ,which recently had a very Large protest on Friday against our coverage of the Palestine Israel conflict.

You've been pretty constant with your "what about" a completely hypothetical other example in this thread but I'll entertain this one: any brand/company absolutely decides who they do and do not platform and should be responsible for that. It is also okay for anyone who donates to Easy Allies to take issue with Easy Allies platforming a company or person who have a track record of horrible views, harmful material or anything else.

Easy Allies chose to have Dustin as a guest and they chose to direct people to Last Stand Media in the card that popped up saying where he is from. Thus anyone who takes issue with that and gives money to them is well within their right to make their voice heard and pull their donation if they so choose.

Sorry I’m not a fan of what about discussions either, my query was really just an earnest one because I’m interested in your perspective. So I guess an NYT guest would lose some of you.

I have to agree with everything you said FWIW. I can respect anyone’s choices that make them feel comfortable.

You literally typed "When I watched the latest Frame Trap and saw both him and Last Stand Media in the tag below there's no planet where that's being an ally to trans people."

Which means you are saying EZA and everyone who participated in that podcast isn't an ally. Which is painting with the most broad brush imaginable and the exact point a lot of people are saying here.

Be disappointed but goodness get off your high horse and realize that not everyone is an ally or NOT an ally. That's not how the real world works.

Truly floored that a writer for The Washington Post would attempt to draw comparisons between the political nature of a small, niche media company with a controversial founder/owner who is also the primary content creator and very public voice of the brand to a similar position from comparably giant outlets like the NYT and WP.

It's an absolutely wild "what about" take from someone who actually interacts with both outlets. (Created an account just to say this, I am truly shocked and did not know where to channel this energy.)

I am honored but also confused. This is simply the world we all have to live in. I’m just acknowledging the ongoing realities going on here.

I don’t see how it’s irrelevant. My former boss is the literal spokesman for the Ronald Reagan estate. That is overtly more political than “guy who owns a podcast network about gaming who votes libertarian and expresses those views sometimes.”

what i’m arguing against is acting like lsm or colin are abhorrent and so reprehensible that it doesn’t deserve any kind of association.

i bring up my work because i’ve studied far right organizations for years and based on what is said here, i’m not convince that you understand what that actually means.

it’s fine to be upset about any association but you talk as if lsm is some organization created to represent certain ideals. it’s just not.

edit: i mean someone called me “alt right” and none other than the literal host of chapo traphouse was like what? these words are thrown around in the gaming community without real understanding what it means.

you also misrepresent the audience which is very diverse intellectually and often pushes back on colin for many points, gaming and otherwise.

you are right about how it’s mostly dudes tho. it’s a bit of a sausage fest, can’t deny that and we want to fix that.

I just don't understand how anyone can know the full history of the founding of LSM, how and where it was promoted, and the kinds of videos it started out making (and, at times, still makes), and not think that "representing certain ideals" is one of the pillars of that company. Maybe it's evolved to be more than that with how many people are employed there now, but it never went away.

I mean, in a certain sense, virtually any personal channel is created at least in part to share certain ideals. But that's true in a way that is especially meaningful to this conversation with LSM.

it’s easy to understand once you realize it’s not an org to promote any ideal besides presenting all sides of the convo.

now we don’t need to litigate the morality of “both sides” conversations. i’m not new at this and have been on the front lines of this debate at media organizations. but the reason i make parallels between nyt and wapo and lsm is because all 3 orgs are guilty of upholding a “both sides” standard of coverage.

again i alone can talk all day about my thoughts and concerns with such an approach, but what i want to illustrate is that this isn’t some fringe way of approaching topics. to paint that ideal as somehow being fringe and not worthy of association, i dunno.

also colin desperately wishes to have more of the “other side” of the debate but it’s because of backlashes like these that genuinely make it a headache for people. nobody wants to go through it. the only reason why i did is because i sometimes enjoy having these conversations as frustrating as they can be. but i totally get why anyone wouldn’t want to face whatever this is.

You're the only one talking about alt-right and far-right whatever. You keep widening the conversation to include all kinds of different hate groups and national media publications which just seems so strange to me. We're talking about a very specific decision made by a very specific group of people.

LSM has only just this year platformed someone who was rightfully let go for being transphobic. Their framing of that whole situation (screenshots already posted in the last few pages) tells you exactly what they think of what went down. You cannot blame fans of EZA for not wanting that vibe and community anywhere near theirs.

You also brought up points about educating people not just writing them off. With respect, nah. For you they're colleagues and friends so sure by all means knock yourself out, you are in a unique position to do so. But patreon subscribers or casual viewers, especially those who are trans or non-binary? Hell no. It's not on them to explain to someone who follows LibsofTiktok or whatever why buying Hogwarts Legacy is problematic.

genepark since you're here, I've wondered how you square up Colin Moriarty's dismissals of systemic racism in USA because of using racial stereotypes of model minority Asian Americans as his counterpoint, with you being part of the group he's using as argument ammo.

my mention about educating people specifically was about my work as a leader in Asian American advocacy groups. it was about discussions about the model minority myth and the nuances of the Asian experience. these are tricky distinctions we in these spaces have to navigate.

and it was in response to a white man lecturing me, an Asian man, about how offended i should feel.

Thanks for the link. That was, surprisingly, a whole lot less than advertised.

Colin gets to pontificate uninterrupted about how he was proven right and how unapologetic he is about the tweet, Gene mentions Asian-Americans don't like being used as a talking point, and Colin brushes it off as others having brought up the topic and him simply responding but if it was his choice he wouldn't be talking about race at all because it's all about class.

Is this it? Or were there more conversations about the topic between Colin and Gene later where they actually talked about the myth in the model minority myth.

At least I learned that Colin, as of only eleven months ago, liked Tucker Carlson - which puts him calling himself a populist these days in a different light - and considers it "the definition of problematic" for someone to "choose to bring his expertise to help normalize them and take their money", where "them", of course, refers to Tencent, not Last Stand Media.

I watched that Sacred Symbols discussion and either I was given the wrong timestamp or wrong video, but the Asian American racism tweets aren't brought up. The only thing Colin says is that people might go after Asian Americans if they're considered white-adjacent, and he's revelling in being prescient or something? Nothing about the model minority racial stereotype. As an Asian myself, it's a pretty harmful stereotype and I have no problem calling someone peddling that stereotype as a way to say USA isn't a white supremacist or racist nation and because some Asian Americans get to have affluent lives to respond with "wheres the racism?!", a racist. But that's not where the discussion ends. It just shows his ignorance on systemic racism to boil it down to a simplistic understanding that if a country was racist, no minority ever would become affluent.

It's not on minorities to educate the white man, but it seems like you enjoy that because it's part of your job. Have at it. Even though you don't like your identity being used for arguments, and yet Colin doesn't respond to that or elaborate and just moves on to some other tangent. White folks should be learning and educating myselves first rather than going off on racial stereotypes to use for their dismissive and false arguments. Is this the big discussion? Maybe something deeper was said behind the scenes, and even this isn't very public seems its an unlisted video for Patreon members.

Gene calls him a mild conservative, and Colin admits to being part of the GOP but left because of Trump, has libertarian ideals, votes for Gary Johnson, likes Tucker Csrlson, and now considers himself a populist. But really he's just so happy conservatives and others can have a civil talk, which is giving Boogie2988 centrist vibes. Colin goes on to talk about how race is a distraction, "trans shit" is a distraction, and all he cares about is class because everyone uses the green dollar to buy beans, which is just missing a whole field of critical analysis called intersectionalism. Maybe these two will finally talk about the racial stereotype tweets but I'm not holding my breath. I don't see anywhere that Colin has changed his mind on systemic racism.

BAN GENE PARK AND THE WASHINGTON POST

[Boredfrom]

I wonder if Gene got an aneurysm in trying to read that Messy post.

[Gameboy Nostalgia]

wait so silencing and banning people you dislike due to political reasons is okay?

.. but I thought banning books for political reasons is bad?

All of this is so confusing. I don't know what anyone wants anymore.

[benji]

oh my god they changed topics and ZeoVGM is still being insane:

I really hope Gabby's role at EZA is reevaluated, she's the reason I cant watch a stream shes on (and she just loves being on every stream...) because she screams for everything and its incredibly annoying, add that shes horrible as the "PR" person (-)_(-) she adds nothing to EZA in my opinion.

It's not even subtle what you're doing.

Gabby is great, the community loves her and you can get right out of here with this nonsense.

Well, that's your opinion. Gwynn obviously has a different one, and I agree with them. Stop gatekeeping this community.

Pushing back on someone who is personally attacking Gabby is "gatekeeping?" No, I don't think so.

That poster accused her of forcing herself onto the streams.

You see nothing wrong with that?

Edit: I actually missed the "and I agree with them" part of your post.

Some people have really shown their true colors in response to all of this.

Yes, I do find her annoying. That's not a personal attack, it's a valid opinion. You don't have to like everyone and everything at Easy Allies. You can get out of here with this nonsense. Stop thinking that you speak for the community. This has gone on for far too long and I'm glad you're finally getting some pushback.

No, calling a person annoying and making baseless accusations is -- factually -- a personal attack.

If you think anyone at EZA is going to take "Gabby is annoying" as a "valid opinion," you're wrong.

And you're doing it in the midst of her receiving racist harassment on social media in response to this controversy, which was pointed out earlier in the thread.

demu, do you think that implying that Gabby forces herself onto the streams is a "valid opinion?"

if someone says they don't like Mcdonalds, it doesn't mean "THEY HATE ALL BURGERS!!"

Oh my god.

Since I got this before hitting ignore, I don't like screaming, it gives me anxiety (which I take meds for and I am diagnosed), what is so omg? -.-
you think because I don't like her yelling and how she does PR that I don't like her a whole for some reason? What is going on in your mind?

Grow up, criticizing someone for their job is not an attack on them personally ^^

I do not believe you are posting in good faith, so this will be the last time I reply to you:

You did not simply given an "opinion." You made a baseless and factually wrong accusation.

And the "opinion" aspect of your post was presented in a very rude way, which you later doubled down on by comparing criticism of Gabby, a human being with feelings, to criticizing a burger at McDonalds.

No one said force, I didn't mean force and have never thought she forces herself on stream so please go read my post again, I said she loves being on stream. Do you understand the difference? （￣︶￣）↗　

This isn't slick. The implication behind "and she just loves being on every stream..." was very clear.

[Boredfrom]

It's not on minorities to educate the white man, but it seems like you enjoy that because it's part of your job.

I wonder if he has the YT for that statement.

[Gameboy Nostalgia]

Wrong. She-Hulk is a great show.

[books]

He really got Ree with the "So everyone associated with Colin is a racist?" that no one really responded to that line. 

Because Ree loves guilt by association.

[TylenolJones]

A few people politely expressed disappointment in Dustin promoting LSM on EZA content (something I was not super bothered by, but I understand the concern) and now a couple of days later I'm still seeing a ton of comments about how EZA is secretly ruled by some tiny cabal of transpeople that don't want anyone to have any fun and like, that sucks.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/easy-allies-ot3-begin-corrections-music-please.145554/page-388#post-113526494

[benji]

Back to not cancelling Easy Allies:

So… do you all think we’ll see any more statements or discussions from EZA about the collaboration? As someone who wasn’t happy with it in the first place, I can’t help but feel like the last statement by Bloodworth was backpedaling their initial apology. Which from what I can tell is what the majority of their fans want unfortunately. But maybe I shouldn’t be surprised because it’s the third time they’ve worked with LSM.

Yeah, I'm expecting things will "blow over", and they will eventually collab with them again. Nothing will be learned.

If there's another out-of-the-blue collab with LSM again, then I am out. If EZA decides to make a statement that they will be moving forward with more LSM partnerships and provide the logic behind their decision, then I'll stick around. For me, it comes down to them showing responsibility and acknowledging that they want to foster communication with the community/patrons/allies. Their communication since the end of Cup of Jones has not been satisfactory for me, so they have a lot of room to grow in this area.

I don’t get this… it’s ok to support transphobes and misogynists as long as we get a heads up first?

yea im thinkin im done

I dont know their reasoning. I'd rather hear the Allies out before disowning them like you imply you would. If their logic is flawed, then of course I am out. But I can't predict the future and perhaps Dustin comes back on for a charity stream that benefits the trans community. I am not going to pretend I know how the Allies truly feel. If they at least try to communicate ahead, then I will re-consider. If they go with their previous 3 attempts at LSM partnership, then I am out the door.

Sorry, life isn't black and white as you want it to be. I am okay with at least hearing the Allies out before I make a decision to leave the Allies for good.

I didn’t mean to imply I’m “disowning” anyone. I just think supporting LSM is a deplorable action regardless of the reasoning. As of now I’m still going to support them because I don’t think any member of EZA is transphobic or hates any other minority group like that, it’s just disheartening to see them do this for the third time AND concede to the side of the community that seems to think people should be able to say and do whatever they want with no consequences.

[HaughtyFrank]

Please, pleeeease ban Gene Park.

I want him to write a whole ass Washington Post Exposé about how shitty resetera is 

[books]

Please, pleeeease ban Gene Park.

I want him to write a whole ass Washington Post Exposé about how shitty resetera is 

He's practically white anyways in the oppression scale so he was always the enemy.

[Gameboy Nostalgia]

Every refresh is a new like to give. All it takes is a Clicky or Zeo meltdown.

[benji]

None of you are slick at saying something factually wrong about a woman in the middle of at least five ongoing genocides.

[benji]

That RollaRoko guy who "harassed" ZeoVGM follows me on Twitter.

[Gameboy Nostalgia]

RollaRoko, speak up if you're here. You're not slick.

[benji]

A few people politely expressed disappointment in Dustin promoting LSM on EZA content (something I was not super bothered by, but I understand the concern) and now a couple of days later I'm still seeing a ton of comments about how EZA is secretly ruled by some tiny cabal of transpeople that don't want anyone to have any fun and like, that sucks.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/easy-allies-ot3-begin-corrections-music-please.145554/page-388#post-113526494

That guy wrote Gene a whole essay about the ethics of gaming podcasts:

Gene I appreciate your willingness to come on here and talk about things, genuinely, and I don't mean to dogpile (though I'm sure the thread has zoomed way past this point by the time I finish writing all of this), but I think you're being a bit silly.

I used to listen to Colin a lot back in the IGN days, but I haven't listened to anything he's said since the whole KF drama (I never really liked him before that either, but it was an easy break at that point). I was not someone who saw Dustin on FrameTrap as some egregious sin or anything, but promoting LSM on EZA content did make me a bit uncomfortable because I didn't like the idea of shining a spotlight on Colin's content.

With all of the people rushing to his defense these past few days, I actually decided, you know what, maybe it's not fair of me to judge him so harshly based on an opinion I held from his online persona years ago, and I have listened to 5 or 6 of his interviews on LSM today. One of my takeaways is that I may have let the image of Colin I had in my head grow too much on its own, and whether he's mellowed out a lot more now or if I was just less patient with his more abrasive style when I was younger, I don't really mind listening to him as much. I get the appeal, even from the more non-political crowd (by which I mean the people who actually just don't consider politics day-to-day, not the "anyone questioning the status quo is annoying and should stop talking" non-political crowd).

But the other major takeaway is that he is absolutely just as political as everyone says he is and it's absolutely valid for people to be uncomfortable with him being platformed in certain spaces. The interviews I listened to were all about rehabilitation - someone fired for a transphobic tweet, someone accused of sexual harassment, someone guilty of plagiarism, someone who was criticized for their pro-life or anti-feminist views, etc. And there's part of me that thinks that's noble, but he picks his guests with clear intentionality, and he uses every single interview as an opportunity to go on his own little rant about cancel culture, social justice warriors, the dangers of "woke-ism," and how unfairly people like him are treated. He has clearly built a brand as the bastion for people who feel bothered by the otherwise left-leaning games media space (calling out specific journalists he doesn't like on multiple occasions in just the videos I watched), and he builds the content to continue to foster that kind of crowd (quite successfully too!). And he does all of this on Sacred Symbols Plus, something he self-describes at the start of every interview as part of his PlayStation Podcast that's supported on Patreon. Maybe he isn't alt-right, I'm not really interested in debating specific labels, but he has very clearly intentionally built himself as "the alternative" in the gaming media space for "real" gamers and, if my current YouTube recommendations are anything to go by, that absolutely can be a gateway to the more dangerous alt-right channels.

Maybe if you listen to him week to week this stuff seems like such a small part of his content overall that it's easy to overlook (though I've seen a few different clips now of similar topics coming up on the main PlayStation podcast too with regards to topics like JK Rowling, so this stuff clearly isn't just cordoned off to specific videos), but it absolutely plays a big role in who he attracts into his niche, and that should be doubly clear by the kinds of comments I'm seeing on other EZA channels right now where people are clearly showing up with an axe to grind. I mean, the guy was identified for years by his Libertarian Flag profile picture and he called his network "Last Stand Media," politics is in its bones.

And as I'm typing this I went back to check the thread and see that even you yourself are pointing out political discussions he's had on the show, such as those around unions, so there's really no denying that he and his show are inherently political - I guess the discussion has moved onto whether or not his politics are "acceptable" or if quarantining his channel is the appropriate response. And honestly, I'm just too tired to have a discussion that big right now. But if we can agree that the channel has a clear political framework inherent to its founder, then I don't think it should be that difficult to understand why some people are not comfortable with that channel being spotlighted on a channel like EZA. That doesn't mean any individual involved here (Brad, Dustin, fans of either person) is inherently transphobic or whatever, that's not really what any of this is about.

I know I'm rambling now, and I don't really know what point I'm ultimately trying to make. I've found myself strangely captivated and depressed by this whole controversy, and I've written multiple large posts here and elsewhere, just to delete them instead of posting because, ultimately, this all started from what I consider to be such a small infraction that it wasn't worth it to engage so much (and also because I know some people are sharing screenshots of any discussions happening all over the place and using it as an excuse to harass others). EZA, regardless of how you feel, was careless with their decision to bring Dustin on and then immediately apologize for Dustin being on - they have now apologized for that mistake, and it's okay if we all just move on now. The disconnect with their fanbase is sad, but this oversight is quickly forgiven.
But I guess, at a certain point, this whole discussion stopped being about the original issue and started being about the responses to the issue - the backlash to the backlash to the backlash to the backlash, however deep we are at this point. I've seen a lot of people on Reddit or Discord getting defensive about Dustin or themselves, as they see this as some sort of direct attack on them, and ultimately the conversation always comes back to Colin and whether he is "acceptable" to promote. I'll say that, for myself, I'm not comfortable with people using such extreme language as "evil," but there's good reason people are still upset with him. The Post can say whatever it wants, but Colin has proudly used his platform has a soapbox for certain unsavory views, and promoting Colin Moriarty carries a certain meaning for gaming outlets nowadays that most people in the know understand.

I guess I'm just sad about this whole thing. A few people politely expressed disappointment in Dustin promoting LSM on EZA content (something I was not super bothered by, but I understand the concern) and now a couple of days later I'm still seeing a ton of comments about how EZA is secretly ruled by some tiny cabal of transpeople that don't want anyone to have any fun and like, that sucks. This whole thing sucks. As far as I know Colin hasn't commented on this at all, but just by bringing LSM up the dog whistle has been blown and we're all worse off.

Sorry for the long response. This is just bringing something out of me for some reason. I'm exhausted by it all and I'm not sure how to feel. Love and Respect everyone.

You know, in a certain sense I can agree with some of this. He said some truly asinine things in the videos I listened to today, but I did find a few of the things he said interesting, and I watched him across multiple videos realize that he had transformed into more of a populist as time went on, to the point that he was ranting against income inequality at one point, something he certainly would not have done back when I listened to him on Podcast Beyond. There are risks involved, but there can be value in having space to disagree and unexpectedly find common ground with someone.

But the thing that raises issues is when he dismisses people's traumas or identities. And I saw plenty of examples of him doing that today. If people say that content makes them uncomfortable (or even potentially encourages dangerous ideologies), I'm certainly not going to tell them they're wrong. And if someone says they wouldn't feel like their thoughts are valid or that they're welcome at a place that proudly promotes Colin's values, I understand that too. Colin isn't banned here because he makes "both sides" content, he's banned because he makes some of the users feel like garbage. You can argue that Colin's shitty opinions are shared by half of America, but that really doesn't matter - Colin is free to debate these things on his channel all he wants, and it's totally fair for somewhere like ResetEra or EZA to decide it's not worth associating with.

If Colin wants to invite more alternative viewpoints onto his show, he should start by reflecting and apologizing for some of the things he has said. But we both know he'll never do that.

[books]

But you went there to defend the person who got banned from here for dismissing transphobia.

Imagine having a beer at a bar and then you overhear this nonsense? And then you try to make sense of it and its just a bunch of old nerds talking about girl dick, and how icky women are in videogames. 

I've always been of the thought that forums are like bars. Anyone can say anything but make sure it's not stupid so you can't get made fun of.

[HaughtyFrank]

I didn’t mean to imply I’m “disowning” anyone. I just think supporting LSM is a deplorable action regardless of the reasoning. As of now I’m still going to support them because I don’t think any member of EZA is transphobic or hates any other minority group like that, it’s just disheartening to see them do this for the third time AND concede to the side of the community that seems to think people should be able to say and do whatever they want with no consequences.

This statement is even funnier when you remember that one of the EZA founding members is trans. Like yeah, they're not transphobic dude 

[Snoopy]

Imagine actually knowing who any of those people are.

[Venice]

Imagine actually knowing who any of those people are.

Great post Snoopy! Let me just leave you a lik-

Wait...

What the hell... you're the anti-Taco Bell Tower...



1315 Likes received...
3 Likes given

I see you sure enjoy drinking at TheBore's 'Likes' bar, but do you keep forgetting your wallet at home when it's your turn to pay for the drinks? 

[Snoopy]

Unlike those other lesser whorish likes my likes are pure. 

[Gameboy Nostalgia]

Unlike those other lesser whorish likes my likes are pure. 

Have a like.

[kaleidoscopium]

Still working through that gene park thread but my god he is slaying em with these lines it's incredible. Any other user would banned for being too normal but since he's an insider he gets to stay alive. Love to see it.

This post keeps coming up and some of you really fail to understand that this is a very common perspective not just among many people but Asians as well. Many people do not understand nor have they even heard of the ”model minority” myth of Asian Americans. This is not mainstream! Advocacy isn’t calling these people “racist” and moving on, It’s about education and opening up discussion.

It’s easy to just Say “this is racist.” The hard work is reaching out and having a discussion. And I talked to Colin about this since anyway and we had a whole discussion about it.

[Gameboy Nostalgia]

NO! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SEND WRONGTHINK TO THE CAMPS! STOP IT!

[books]

Where are the mods to set things straight with their mic drops of knowledge and then ban? They're usually so outspoken about everything

Eta- been lazy, enjoy the likes, people either posting right before me and right after me.

[benji]

Gene doesn't get it. I shouldn't have to do any work, the burden should be on the Nazi's Gene sits at the table with if they don't want to get punched. THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT GENE DO BETTER

[Uncle]

The sharks smell blood and I smell a new member

if nintex is going around smelling members is that considered icky or yucky

[benji]

But you went there to defend the person who got banned from here for dismissing transphobia.

Imagine having a beer at a bar and then you overhear this nonsense? And then you try to make sense of it and its just a bunch of old nerds talking about girl dick, and how icky women are in videogames. 

I've always been of the thought that forums are like bars. Anyone can say anything but make sure it's not stupid so you can't get made fun of.

The best part is that the dude wasn't even banned for that, it was just what the cops tagged the body with. His real crime was dismissing ZeoVGM's paranoia and hysteria:
https://www.resetera.com/threads/easy-allies-ot3-begin-corrections-music-please.145554/post-113435504
https://thebore.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=3&pid=17962#pid17962

[Uncle]

Unlike those other lesser whorish likes my likes are pure. 

Have a like.

there's a vaguely threatening aura to this like

Spoiler:  (click to show)(click to hide)

I picture it like this

[benji]

From that earlier page:

That's how I feel too. Gene Park was cool before, and I still think he is cool now. I didn't know this guest before, but I liked his contribution in this podcast, so that's great. And from what I can tell, there isn't anything wrong with him either.

Im hardly familiar with LSM, and from what I have read here, the Colin guy does seem shitty. And I'd understand if it was a collaboration with him personally, that that would suck. But to demand (!) for them to not engage with anyone who is related with LSM in any way, feels absurd.

What's absurd about this stance?

Shitty Guy is head of a business enterprise. I'm supporting Cool Guys with my money. If my money ends up helping Shitty Guy's business, I'd feel less shitty not giving Cool Guys money anymore and find some new Cool Guys with no shitty business friends.

Nevermind the issue of Isla already getting enough shit without inviting fan crossover from TERF-aligned thought spaces. Feel free to explain why that isn't a reasonable worry.

First, it's disingenuous to refer to it as a "demand." Easy Allies is a Patreon-funded business so if their supporters feel uncomfortable with a decision, it is complete valid to express that. And virtually everyone who has done so has been calm and polite in their criticism.

Second, it's not absurd.

As explained above, it isn't about Dustin as a person. It is about the fact that his appearance promotes a YouTube channel that purposefully gave a platform to transphobia just this year. Trans people and non-binary people are facing the threat of genocide in America. Transphobia should not be handwaved or ignored. Listen to people and try to understand where they're coming from instead of dismissing their worries as "absurd."

But another unavoidable reality is that collaborations are done to introduce fans of one thing to the other. So this Frame Trap promotes Colin Moriarty's product to EZA followers and invites Colin Moriarty's followers to check out EZA. That Isla isn't catching shit in the comments to a video she didn't appear in, doesn't say much. The result of this crossover is predictable and evident elsewhere.

Totally, but I'm not sure there's a reality where people who watch channels as niche as EZA have no idea LSM/Kinda Funny/Minnmax exists, even something as established as Giant Bomb feels like it's outside the orbit of the channels I mentioned in terms of crossover, but this group of ex-website-turned-patreon type

You don't invite Vampires into your house. You don't let your bar become a Nazi bar. The secret is that these types crave recognition outside their isolated sphere, having been cut off from former friends, colleagues and relatives. Withhold it, for your own sake and for the sake of the relatives, friends and colleagues who made the hard choice to seperate.

This implies trans members need to be a sizeable part of the community to be worth listening to.

Well no but it's all relative right? You don't even have to be trans to not be interested in this single episode of FT hundreds of thousands choose to skip over episodes of everything every week, is it ten people out of 250,000 subs? is it 5 people some of which happen to be trans?

In the same way trans people don't have to be some literal big percentage of the people complaining, one trans persons "don't do this" doesn't by default hold more weight than an entire audience who enjoyed it?

Well no but it's all relative right?

Questions of human dignity are not relative to the number of humans affected, no. Love & Respect is not a capitalist's creed.

Also ZeoVGM finding the eventually banned guy responding to the thread part of some alt-right plot:

Frame Trap was great this week, so much better energy than last time I tuned in, Huber seemed pumped

Replying with this immediately after my post seems a bit pointed, especially since it's the second time in this thread when you've downplayed the problematic nature of LSM.