Xbox live racism
 

Haviing recently purchased a Xbox 360, I've finally experienced, first-hand the overt racism I heard so much about, with XboxLive on Dr.Phil. I'd heard a lot about how fun it was to frag noobs online, and so I finally jumped on the Live bandwagon. No sooner had I logged into the interface of COD4, do I hear N-word yelping, left right and centre.

This subject's been battered to death, but just astounded at the level of profanity and inyourface racism that pervades Live. I'm curious to gauge your opinions as to where the vast majority of this wanton trash-talks comes from. The internet seems to be the ideal place for frustrated bigoted folk to uninhibitedly let out their frustrations about society. What I wonder is though, is if this pent up frustration is directed specifically at the targeted races, or whether it's just anger at societal norms and political correctness in general.

In certain countries in Europe, racism isn't as concealed and implicit as it is in the US. In Croatia or Spain for example, monkey chants and the like are not irregular occurences at sporting events.

What are your opinions?

Did you happen to stroll across some /b/tards or something? I get a lot of profanity on live, but I only hear the DOUBLE N-WORD SHOOP DA WHOOP shit if I happen across a game with a bunch of retards from 4chan's /b/.

Racism on Live (on any online game) is not usually legitimate bigotry of any sort. It's a bunch of adolescents trying to appear tough in an inept manner.

Maybe 5% of these kids are actually racist (or homophobic, or whatever). The rest of them are just jerking off their egos. If it's an objection to political correctness, it's only in the sense that they enjoy offending people.

Racism is racism, doesn't matter if they're actually racist (whatever that means). Anyone uttering racial slurs in any context is a contemptible bag of shit. You think the mentalities present on Live or anywhere else just magically appear out of nowhere and then evaporate when they sign off?

They are words, sir. Their only power lies in the people they offend. The "mentalities" on display on any public gaming service have nothing to do with deeply-held attitudes, and every to do with freaking out high-strung whitebreads who are afraid of words. Does it disappear when they sign off? Yes! MOST retarded internet behaviors disappear when you sign off, because you can't usually get away with that shit offline. 13-year-olds wouldn't be screeching that they fucked your mom, you wouldn't be making blanket statements about how entire groups of people are shitbags, and I wouldn't be dressing you down like this.

Please. It's a tedious thing to deal with in any game, but they're just dumb kids. They're not monsters.

To say they're 'just words' is to shrug off the issue and ignore it, thinking that it vanishes. This is why racism is not* so overt and implicit now, because it doesn't disappear; it's just repressed. Yeah, kids do like to say crap to offend people, but when there's no visible consequence, why is there reason to assume they all know better?

*Edit:
Forgot to put 'not'

People choose to say the things they do because it is their goal to offend you. And guess what? It's working! You are the reason people still throw words like nigger around. You let it get to you.

It ain't cool, but I certainly don't lose any sleep over it. Fact is, the kids that are mouthing off like this are usually too busy talking to actually do anything in the game. But:
You're right. Pang and Cellius have gone and explained the opposing views quite nicely, and as I doubt anyone's going to come in here and attempt to argue that they actually enjoy the behavior outlined with any degree of seriousness...

The first time I played Gears of War online I got called a cunt and a dyke in less than five minutes. In fact, I even have a picture of the exact moment I think I was called a cunt. Or dyke. One of them.



Either way, I have yet to come across any REAL racists on XBL. Most of the people slinging slurs about are just obnoxious little fucks trying to get a rise out of someone or start some shit in the game. You'll usually hear it most coming from someone doing poorly, I find.

There's also the fact that these idiots have no idea what the race of the person they're throwing these words at actually is. Me and my friends have all had the word slung at us and most of us are white.

These are just kids that thing they're badass because they're doing something they're not supposed to. That's the main reason most kids swear so much, or smoke, or any other number of stupid things. Because they think doing something they're not supposed to makes them cool.

I think it's a well-known fact that trash-talking is pretty much a given when you're playing games online. Throwing around a word like "fag" or "nigger" (THAT'S RIGHT I SAID THEM) doesn't necessarily make anyone a racist because, as it has already been said, the people who are saying these words are really just trying to get a rise out of someone online; this is part of how the experience works online.

Plus, they're only only words. They have no power in and of themselves unless people want to really take offense to them personally regardless of the context that they're used in. If words like this are used in a contemptible context and aimed specifically for the purpose of hurting someone because their skin isn't bleached then, yes, it becomes a problem. Will you hear it on the internet during a match? Yes? Will these kids form lynch mobs directly after they log off and coordinate lynchings like they do their squads on COD4? Surely you're joking.

I mean, yes, I understand that it's not okay for people to be parading around throwing racist little hissyfits in real life but, seriously, when was the last time you saw a kid who played Gears of War walking around with a COGS shirt with "SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ARYAN" scribbled all over it? It doesn't happen because the vast majority of these little behaviors will disappear as soon as these kids no longer have a vicarious and semi-anonymous way to vent their gaming frustrations.

Given Skills has called me 'nigger' on numerous ocassions I find it hard to see something like that as remotely offensive. Most of the time these people you encounter are throwing are terms just to spit out something to be offensive or annoying and because their simple minds can't get thinking beyond 'fag'.

Few actually believe this type of nonsense to be big or clever, I hardly imagine big or clever are things these people are capable of, but at the same time I don't believe that the intent is typically actual racism or bigotry.

A key assumption some of you are making is that all the perpetrators are angsty teens who want to do things that are taboo just to seem cool. It may be less common overall, but my friend told me he heard a bunch of the older crowd (who you'd think would be a tad more mature and sensitive towards these issues) belt out like obscenities. He told me that one person started it, asking "any N's here?" and that the others seemed to egg him on, chain reaction like. Obviously this subset of outliers on Live don't represent the whole, and that it's probably mostly immature kids who perpetuate the drivel, you can't rule out the fact that there's another breed of people on there too.

Why do people give a shit that someone they'll never meet uses a racial slur from seven states away? Are you that thin-skinned?

If that kind of thing bothers you, log off the internet and never come back.

That's pretty much the standard videogaming crowd. If you're too elitist to lower yourself to the level of your friendly neighborhood redneck, you shouldn't log on in the first place.

I totally agree, I think this is much more simple than the thread-creator thinks. Speaking with people you don't know and will most likely never meet makes it easier to say things that you normally wouldn't say face to face in fear of losing a friend or getting the shit kicked out of you... neither of these threats are there over XBox Live, or any other internet communication medium where you chat with people you've never met, which is why you go into any online chatroom that isn't well-moderated, and you have people begging for sex. Yes, people probably beg for sex in real life too, but its not done publicly (normally) unless you're on the internet! The consequences (if any) for speaking like this on the internet are slim, a 5 minute ip ban? Being muted? Who cares.

I use the report function and report people for racism when I hear them being racist. Not because I'm offended but because I'm a spiteful arse and I hate the fact that the majority of kids these days are too stupid to come up with a better insult than fag or nigger.

I'd be much more concerned if they were coming up with anything better than the standard racial and sexual insults.

"Perish the universe provided I have my revenge!"

Racists exist. They exist in your video games, they exist in your towns and schools and jobs and probably even on this forum. Nothing you can say or do will stop them from being racist, so just let it happen.

Very rarely have I found that you absolutely need to talk to the people you are playing with anyway. If you're playing with someone who just happens to be racist, but is also someone you absolutely have to talk to... then why the fuck are you playing with/talking to them? Report them. Leave the game. Problem solved. Yeah, they'll still be into hating on whatever minority they hate, but at least they won't be doing it around you.

Alright, let me set the record straight. I'm not personally offended by what's being said. I want to play online and enjoy the experience how it's meant to be experienced, -manifested through worthwhile communication that's relevant to the game. I'm just annoyed that the large majority don't see online gaming that way, but instead see it as a way to let loose with expletives for purposes of satisfying their egos(racist in nature or not).

I realize you don't NEED the voicechat feature to enjoy the game, but I'm just saying that it's a shame that these numbskulls feel the need to destract from what could be an enhanced experience for some, with their mindless banter. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm disappointed that it's become the societal Live status quo.

Well it's easy really. If you don't want to hear any horseshit from Live again, just plug the headset to your controller, set the volume to zero and never wear it.*

* lol stating the obvious

Either that or just start saying any sort of racial or sexual epithet back REALLY LOUDLY whenever one of them says it.

Or just start saying it at the start of match until you're finished. Don't let one of the little racist niglings get a word in edgewise.

So tempted to just make a post with the word faggot in it 500 times.

Son, you'd last about 10 seconds in a Gears Of War game with Tails and Mo0 and that whole troupe. Not that they take themselves at all seriously (well, maybe Devo) but a ton of the talk is racist - but all of it is hysterical and with good intention.

Further to that point, if you're playing games where teamwork and communication are important, just friend-request anyone who is playing the way you like and form a party with them. Once you've got a group of like-minded people together you can just mute everyone else.

Ha ha, like Mo0 could come out with any sort of decent insult. Good one Lehah.

The thing is, when the #xblive crew are playing we off course rip the piss out of each other, all the god damn time. However, we do also talk about any team worthy shit, but more often than not people have got their shit together and don't need excessive hand holding or direction through comms. Except Mo0, because Mo0 is terrible.