It's probably not wise to be a jerk to Felicia Day
There's an old adage that says, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Not everyone takes that to heart.
Early this weekend, Ryan Perez –a blogger who was a contributor to gaming hub Destructoid - decided to pick a bone with geek culture icon Felicia Day via Twitter. He questioned whether or not Day made any contribution to the gaming industry other than cultivating a geeky persona. He suggested she was a glorified "booth babe."
That was a mistake.
Aside from being a successful web content producer, a Forbes-recognized entrepreneur (they called her a mogul in the making) and an actress with a resume steeped in Joss Whedon productions, Day has some pretty influential buddies. Gaming podcaster Veronica Belmont saw Perez's tweet and quickly came to her friend's defense. Nerd celebrity, Day's costar on "The Guild" and "Eureka" and Star Trek alum Wil Wheaton also weighed in. The Twitterverse got fairly heated in response to Perez's posts.
Within a few hours of his tweets, Destructoid publicly cut ties with Perez. Perez apologized to Day, who accepted.
But that's hardly settled anything. Clearly, this young journalist's callous online spouting hit some nerves, especially in a time when there is great gender inequity in gaming relations. The loudest outcry from those following the dramatic exchange regarded Perez's attitude toward women. As someone who had "I love the smell of busty women" in his twitter bio at one point - he's updated it since the Tweetsplosion - Perez's motive for the tirade against Day earned questions of misogyny.
Others wondered why Perez should be fired for expressing his views on his personal Twitter account and where the line should be drawn between a media company protecting its reputation and an individual's right to say whatever they want on their own time and in their own space.
By most accounts, Perez conducted his tweets in a less-than-gentlemanly manner. He defended his comments by explaining he was drunk at the time. His jabs were a rare attack on a woman who has earned accolades from the millions of people who watch "The Guild" and "Geek & Sundry."
What we're left wondering is this: do Perez's tweets indicate that today's male nerd can't treat women as people? Will the boy's club of the gaming landscape ever not grumble when a girl takes the controller?
And also, has Felicia Day become so powerful that no one should dare question her relevance? Destructoid certainly wasn't willing to take that risk. And yet, they gave their platform to Perez in the first place.
What do you think? Give us your take in the comments below.
@cnngeekout on Twitter
Geek Out! 1.0
This ain't Geek Out!'s first nerd rodeo. We've been reporting geeky stories for quite a while.Go back in time
I find it interesting the lead image for this story is F. D. in a mini dress and heels.
Do you have a point?
If Geek boyS want to attract us Geek Goddesses and make Geek babies, they should improve their grammar, otherwise Geek Goddesses will know the Geek boys aren't bright enough to spend time with them. Stay in school and pay attention, don't do drugs.
Leonard (TBBT) may be short but he's devastatingly charming and attractive AND he doesn't make grammatical errors. Small things matter to Geek Goddesses. 😉
You're the worst kind of feminist. Seriously.
Did that sting? You think you can hurt me by insulting me as a feminist? LOL. Who are you, Rush Limbaugh? You've proven yourself unworthy of both my attention and my precious eggs.
Your opinion of me weighs less than sunlight. Plankton envying the ocean that holds them. [/Ilyria]
You do realise you made several grammatical mistakes in that post, right?
Right now I find her to be the most entertaining entertainer out there. And it is wonderful to see a lady with the same interests as me. I hope she is gaming and writing and producing until she 100.
So the question wasn't asked in a great way but all of this article's accolades about Day don't address the question asked. Day has published acted and produced. But what does that contribute to gaming? Nothing. Irrelevant. So what has she contributed to gaming?
It's a shame that a question oars again results in mob mentality and everyone piling on without again, addressing the question asked.
Then the company that cans a guy because of this mon issue. Ok, so the company has no brain or journalistic bone in its body. So far this whole story went from stupid to increasingly stupid.
Felicia Day: Musician, Artist, Publisher, Actor, Writer, Producer, Gamer, Game DESIGNER, GAME PUBLISHER, GAME DEVELOPER, ETC, ETC, ETC.
Looks like MINOK doesn't know *anything* about Felicia Day, either. The stupid just keeps on coming, doesn't it? Read it and weep, people. It's another know-it-all who knows nothing.
What games have she developed/ published/ designed? I can only find voice acting work, which I wouldn't class as any of the above.
The guy you replied to had a good point and frankly your reply was a bit rude and didn't provide a sufficient answer.
The question remains though has she contributed to gaming specifically, this is not the same as contributing to geek culture as not everyone who considers themselves geeks call themselves gamers(to clarify: geeks encompasses gamers not the other way around).
Outside of the voice acting jobs she's done and Dragon Age miniseries there's not much that I know of / can find (unless you include tabletop/board gaming).
That being said she is a great producer and brings quality content in the way of the acting & producing web series (the guild/tabletop), there is where her contribution lie.
...and his reply was perfect polite? Whatever.
As I do not game I cannot give you specifics on her game designs. The only game I play is Draw Three Solitaire. I took the information straight from her IMDB Pro Resume. Check it for yourself if you like, when you join the information is available online to everyone who pays for access.
Felicia Day's a gifted and skilled individual with a high IQ. 'Booth Babes' are often beautiful and dumb. With Ms Day's double college major, no one should accuse her of a lack of intelligence, which is what this man did. He admitted being drunk and knowing nothing about her. Why isn't that enough for you?
You can't give any specifics about what she's contributed to the game industry aside from voice acting, but support somehow that she's done more than that in the world of gaming? I went to her actual website, and IMDB, AND Wikipedia, and there really isn't much she's done in that area. Before you go mouthing off, I suggest YOU get some facts straight. I'm not discrediting her as a geek, not entirely, because being a geek isn't JUST about games. I'm sure she's got some "geek cred," but she's pretty overrated. Her producing is not in games, it's in web series' and tv series, even her website says that. To my understanding there have been several times where she hasn't been all that approachable when fans have encountered her. As I said, she might have SOME geek cred, but I don't see anything particularly special about her. I am female myself, and I also support us not being stereotyped, but that's exactly the problem. SHE IS. I'm not impressed by her, honestly. I don't get her appeal, and she has a "gamer gurl" essence about her. She seems more like a brand, not a person with true geek culture interests. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe if I knew her personally, I'd have the answer to "is she or isn't she?" But she really doesn't seem genuine to me in terms of geekiness, more like someone took an idea and ran with it.
Take it up with IMDB Pro and/or her Hollywood agent. Doubtless her representation is responsible for what's listed there.
Well lets see. She co produced tabletop with Wil Wheton. She also does vlogs with her brother playing and commenting on vintage vids. There is also a video of her giving a tour of her Skyrim houses :-). You are right that she does not create games but she has helped give a voice to female gamers. I may be in the minority but I just find it weird that people can't seem to except other who enjoy games or cosplay, comics, sifi and so on. I am not a sports fan and find it funny how some of my friends can't do anything because a football or hockey game is on but that's there thing it it any different to having to catch the newest episode of Game of Thrones?
Our 4th of July tradition is going dnotwown to the park. Many bands are playing and we get together with another couple and their children. The kids have a blast dancing to the music, eating snowcones and popcorn and then we top the evening off with Fireworks.
this is rank bogosity. Let the so-called badass Babe take her jibes and give back heavier than recieved. just liike in these 'Games" she and all the rest of the Geek World revels in playing. If Perez dissed some guy and called him a sissy, for instance, because he plays on and offline as a girl avatar/character wouldn't rhe "victim" have to come up with his own comeback/defensive putdown whatever? This need to stick up for women or anybody being putdown by some a-hooligan is just an excuse to bully in reverse ( doesn't it feel good oh Mr. Wheaton? ). Let her and any other Geek Queen or King stand on their OWN two feet. And Shut The Front Door. What a bunch of gossip mongers. Like challenge the idiot Perez to an online kill off. Or is a twit cheaper for all of these "Mogul" skinflint les nouveaux riches? Bunch a putas
Late to the story and so far off the point of what happened your post is completely irrelevant.
It's apparently OK for felicia day to mock people and call them pathetic losers in her youtube videos.
Yet it's not OK to question felicia day's talent in any shape or form, civil or not.
She doesn't seem witty or funny in any way, and yet she gets to benefit from a double standard and destroy the careers of more talented people.
This is why the video gaming community is still not respected.
Someone can't tell the difference between Felicia Day and a character in a series she writes, produces and directs. That's a fictional character, like on television or in a film. The series is called THE GUILD, her character is called Cyd Sherman and her avatar is called Codex.
The human being is called Felicia Day and she's an actor with a great deal of talent.
^No snark intended. These things must sometimes be explained to the unaware.
Felicia Day is a very talented young woman, who we admire and respect, Do Not Disrespect the Mogul. She has fought to be where she is today and We are Very Proud of her.
We are looking out for her, and We will be watching you.
Wat, you know not whereof you speak. Perhaps you should WATCH her videos. You may have seen one or two of them but it's obvious you don't understand them.
The pathetic losers she's referring to include herself. In addition, she's speaking as a character in a web series, not Felicia Day. It's important to be able to separate reality from fantasy and the truth from the lie.
Look at this white knight defending his maiden's honor. You think you're so badass thinking you're legion, come at me bro(s).
Whatever.
Post Script: Peridot is a female and a feminist supporting her fellow feminists.
Who did she call a pathetic looser, and why? And Who's career did she destroy? I've liked about half of what Day has produced and posted online, she is talented and funny, and I thought the guild was a funny look at the more frenzied gamers. But I doubt seriously that Day herself would suggest she has done much in terms of video games. The sore spot was the "glorified booth girl " comment. I also doubt Day or anyone else was aiming to get Perez fired.
If Geek boy's ever want to make geek babies they better start respecting the Geek girls that run in there circles 🙂
It is happiness!
P.S. Please review our icons for Windows and windows12icons.
Does this really matter?
Quote: "What we're left wondering is this: do Perez's tweets indicate that today's male nerd can't treat women as people?"
Do the actions of one person indicate the behavior of an entire category of people? Is that question even worthy of a response? Why is that question still being asked? The willful ignorance of the varied complexity of the human animal is what causes these kinds of asinine comments and questions. So long as the media continues to spout "Geeks are like this" or "Women are like this", or even "Black people are like this" or "Gays are like this", the intellectually lazy will lap it up because it confirms their own prejudices. But it doesn't move us forward as a species.
If you think you know someone because of their hobbies, or their skin color, or even their genitalia, then you need to make more of an effort.
Amen, brother.
Well said indeed.
Perez admitted he was drunk and knew nothing of Day's accomplishments when he made the disparaging remarks. He deserved to be terminated for non-professionalism. For the most part it's alcoholics who act in this manner.
Wil Wheaton?!?! They only let him in if he promises to help set up.
Felicia Day is not a booth babe. She's a bootstraps babe.
I don't know what that means but I do like the sound of it, Bob.
I fail to see why people take shots at her. The fact is she has contributed a hell of a lot more towards her passions than a lot of people who have similar interests. She's smart, funny and works damn hard. Do your research before slating someone. These are reasons she should be celebrated and are reasons why her friends 'jumped to her rescue.' Screw the fact that she is female – it's just not important. People get too hung up on trivial things.
Alan, Perez later admitted he knew nothing about Ms Day and her rich career when he made his drunken remarks.
Ahh, thanks, well that goes nicely with what I said. People should learn what they are talking about before spouting out ignorant rubbish. Far too much of that happens these days, wouldn't you agree?
If only. This particular brain donor paid with losing losing his job over this.
One wonders whether rehab is in his future...drinking and posting's stupid; not to mention a bad career move.
Then what does it say about him that he drunkenly looks at a female geek icon and immediately insults her as a glorified booth babe. "I don't care who she thinks she is, she's obviously here because of her looks. Oh wait, this one actually has some credentials, my bad." Guy makes a living off the internet, should always remember the internet is watching, idiotic drunken posts and all.
What does it say about him, Jaime? Well, now. In my humble opinion, he's a drunken lout who shoots off his mouth without using his brain. In other words, he's a complete git with a substance abuse problem.
Have all the bases been covered?
Hasn't there always been "geek" women? They were just ugly so nobody cared about them.
the real thing is that now geeks are like a subculture. Before geeks were just dudes that weren't cool enough to hang out with or they were weird or something. People usually didn't aspire to be "geeks" it just happened. Now its like its own thing where people actually desire it.
We have ALWAYS been here. Suddenly there's an awareness that we exist, that we're hot and a few people know that we're incredibly smart.
The big surprise is to those who were not paying attention for the last, oh, 30-40 years.
peridot2, I give you a round of applause for that one!
Thanks, Linethy. If Geeks were paying attention, they'd realise that conventions came about because of us: Geek women. Where do you think the first Star Trek con came from? Well, duh: WE STARTED IT!
So perhaps you should take a moment to be grateful to us. At the very least you should shut up your insults because without us, you would have jack and no jill. So suck it up and shut it up and mind your freaking manners. Without us you are naught.
Why would anyone want to take potshots at the amazing Felicia Day?
You got me. The asshat admitted he didn't have a clue who she is and the amazing things she's accomplished in her career. Evidently he chose her based on her appearance. Consider the irony in the situation, Buffyrat.
Because he's a failed hack trying to write for a blog hardly anyone follows, whereas she has a career?
More like he's a nobody and he insulted her because of her looks. He didn't know who she was, had no idea of her many accomplishments and he was drunk. He's a complete @$$hat. He deserved to be fired and so he was.
End of story.
You know, if you don't like someone just ignore them, you don't have to go insulting them on the internet. You can criticize an idea, theme, or point of view without going personal. But sometimes it seems that is really difficult to do when dealing with the internet.
Exactly. What makes this worse is that Perez didn't even know who Felicia Day was. Considering what his job was, he really should have been up to date.
But, Matt, that would require sobriety and advance preparation. Doesn't it seem as though Ryan Perez chose Ms Day based upon her appearance alone?
Those (like Felicia Day) who can do...
Those who can't, attack those who can on "Twitter".
Can't help but think his "Tweet" should be added as the official Twitter entry in the canonical list of ways you can, using a computer, shoot yourself in the foot. See "Shootfoot" using your FSE (favorite search engine).
Twitter has given a voice to millions of people who shouldn't have one.
Ur damn right. If Perez really need space to point out his dumb views. Try type it in microsoft word so that he can jerk with himself. If he done this earlier he wouldn't get sack haha
She sells herself like any actor/actress:body and brains. FACT IS MONEY IS MONEY AND SHE MAKES IT. Is she this"booth babe", answer yes but its apart of her not all of her, just like all of us. Should he got fired, NO not for this comment(what he said after i don't know).People say mean things to people, ALL of us have had things mean said 2 us, alot worse then this. A knight hardly, just a man tired.Remember the universe is a big place, we're not the centre, look up at the stars sometime, good luck people, all of u.
He called Wil Wheaton 'a pile of miscarriage soup' and other repellent insults.
Anyone who works for any company under the influence of alcohol or drugs is subject to immediate termination. for making bad decisions. Those unable to view that as a deal-breaking problem may have their own substance abuse issues.
Beg pardon, I misquoted Perez, here are the exact words:
In his later tweet, Perez called Wil Wheaton 'you opportunistic puddle of miscarriage soup.'
I don't get it. What's wrong with being a Booth Babe? I like Booth Babes. And Felicia Day is hot! She's a FANTASTIC Booth Babe! (Oops! Sorry I called her that, I guess. Am I going to get yelled at?)
Gosh. That wasn't patronizing in the least.
I kind of wish you'd posted Wheton's twitter quote. It sums up the issue quite succintly.
Why don't you post it for those of us who aren't twits? ;p
Whedon's words are protected but Perez's are not. In his later tweet, Perez called Wil Wheaton 'you opportunistic puddle of miscarriage soup.'
From Endofshow Google:
'After being pulled up for his comments — it is important to make sure hatred isn’t given a free pass — Destructoid spoke to him, distanced themselves from Ryan, and Ryan Perez apologised to Felicia Day (“…I’m known to be a loose cannon, and have grown used to cause and effect… I really am sorry, and plan on actually viewing your portfolio before saying more about … well, you.”). Day accepted the apology. Obviously, by this point, the internet lynch mob were out in force for Perez.'
I find her annoying on Eureka now that she's died and come back (though this past Monday's twist was decent), in fact I tell my wife that I wish her character had stayed dead.
That aside, she does have talent and is more than a glorified "booth babe".
Do you believe that she writes the episodes in which her character appears? Pretty sure that she doesn't write those ones. She does, however, write, direct and produce her own webisodes. She stars in those, too. They're good.
ALSO, THANKS FOR THE SPOILER, ^&$%HAT.
Somebody dies and comes back on Eureka.
Also, instead of just being about normal stakes...or somebody's life...the whole planet is threatened.
For the 400th time, have you seen the show?
Let me put it this way: I've heard of Felicia Day; I've never heard of Ryan Perez. Probably never will again, either.
He'll be the angry nerd behind the counter at Taco Bell the next time you walk in.
I guess the bigger question to ask here is would those of you defending her for her "talent" (mind you I am NOT saying she has none, because she obviously has some kind of IT factor) still defend her if she were 5'2, weighed around 230-270 pounds and had a bit of acne problem.
My point being, its this whole cult of personality thing that seems to rule us as human beings. Shes pretty. But what if she wasnt? Shes nice and slim and plays games. But what if she was overweight? Would you still be her defender then?
"Shes nice and slim and plays games. But what if she was overweight? Would you still be her defender then?" She's a WRITER. Acting is secondary. It's an easy defense, like if he'd said Steve Jobs didn't know much about computers or Bill Gates was the head of Apple. He was drunk.
would she be getting called a "fake" nerd or a booth babe if she were ugly? I doubt it.
Actually, I don't find her pretty at all. I think SHE IS ugly and while she is slim, she is not as slim as the other actresses she has to compete against. Ultimately, Ryan Perez was just looking for a woman to take his frustrations out on. Any woman. He even said he was just looking for a female name and picked one randomly without looking up any further info on her. I think that speaks volumes of hate. If he was just going by female names, he could have randomly picked an eight ton elephant. Looks didn't matter to Perez. It was gender.
Matt thinks Felicia Day is fat.
Wow, that's surreal. Looking at her figure, if she's larger than a size 5, I'll eat my yoga pants.
Oh, I read it wrong...I thought it said not to jerk it on Falacio day!
"an actress with a resume steeped in Joss Whedon productions"...
HARDLY an impressive distinction.
You just lost this argument... and as penalty, you automatically lose the next three arguments.
Right. It's not like he's created some of the most famous franchises in geek history, or directed the top grossing movie of all time, or anything like that. Oh wait....
The bullpen could be inetiestrng, if only because 2 spots are probably filled that, in my opinion, shouldn't be. At the back end are Woody, Marshall, and Marmol, which would leave, what, 4 spaces? Samardzija and Grabow are either out of options or under contract, so they're basically in unless they blow it over the next few weeks (which Samardzija doesn't seem to be doing). That leaves, basically, 2, which will probably be Cashner and Russell (this is, of course, assuming that Silva and Wells make the rotation, which is iffy).If that's the case, it could be inetiestrng. The back ends good, but the other 4 tend to be horribly inconsistent, and there don't seem to be that many better options in camp (although I still like Caridad, hopefully he doesn't blow out his arm again)
You're lost, too. I think you may have the wrong thread. This one's about Felicia Day, not baseball.
@ The One Who Knows, here are more accurate handles for your consideration:
.
The One Who Knows Little
.
The One Who Knows Nothing
.
The One Who Doesn't Know A Thing
.
Know Nothing <my personal favourite
.
Ryan Perez2 (you'll fail to get the humour in this one)
.
If your 'work place' is the internet – any and all posting you do on the internet under your work name reflects on your employer. Perez is a fool and effectively fired himself with his drunken rant.
You had me at 'Perez is a fool.'
There are many who use the Internet while using drink or drugs. It's not difficult to tell which ones they are. Their underlying anger comes out in their posts.
Exactly. He was using twitter to advertise himself and his work. It can't say it was for his "own personal use."
Looking at this again just made me giddy. I'm really exticed about New Moon. I have high hopes for the movie, and I am not quite sure why. When I read New Moon for the first time I HATED it.. it was the least of my favs in the series... but I just started reading it again, and its starting to grow on me. Maybe b/c I know what will happen? and I can actually enjoy it? without wanting to turn the page and see if Edward comes back yet?? Anyway... I feel myself getting exticed again! and this makes me happy!
Jeriko, you're lost or you're trolling; either way your lameness is showing.
Who are these people and why do they matter?
Go back to sleep, Arlen.
Eh, so he's saying that people should get a free pass for actions or postings while drunk. What if he was driving? Is it still ok?
I understand posting while drunk does happen (and probably more than we realize) and isn't on the same level of safety as driving issues. Most authors of the rant usually aren't public figures so it doesn't have quite the same embarrassing factor.
On the other hand, it comes off as a cop out when you apologize and add that you were drunk. Perhaps the best thing is let the embarrassment be enough punishment. But if you do something similar again, then stronger measures.
Yes, such as admitting you're a complete asshat and have a problem with alcohol and the internet, as so many people seem to do, and go into substance abuse treatment.
if you are callously opinionated... stay away from twitter!!! omg.. thats a no brainer. he deserves what he is getting right now... i talk alot of smack but i know better than to tweet it.. lololol on him.
Felicia Day has made no contributions whatsoever to the gaming world. "Glorified booth babe" is a completely accurate description of her. I don't see what the fuss was about. There's no need to play white knight on the Internet. People like Gabe Newell and Hideo Kojima are worthy of praise. Felicia Day is just an American idol.
I do not think that word means what you think it means. [/Princess Bride]
Urban Dictionary Definition: booth babe
A feature at conventions and trade shows in male dominated industries, a 'booth babe' is an attractive female member of staff sent to hand out pamphlets and attract attention for the company by dint of owning a pair of breasts.
Now, an explanation of Felicia Day:
She's a singer, actor, writer, producer, web series star and creator of THE GUILD, gamer, AND VIDEO GAME PRODUCER. She also blogs, tweets and produces art.
You, sir, are clearly unaware of the plethora of activities Ms Day's involved in online and in Hollywood. She's overqualified for a Booth Babe. Booth Babes stand about and hand out pamphlets. Ms Day is producing art, entertainment and other wonderful things for us to enjoy.
"Felicia Day has made no contributions whatsoever to the gaming world."
Ghod, Tom, there's this thing called "GOOGLE" that a lot of us kids have started using. It's pretty cool and you should try it. I know, I know, get off your lawn.
If you really want to help Tom with his research efforts, you might want to refer to that web search tool as "the google". When people are that clueless or lazy they need every bit of help they can get.
What exactly is "making contributions" to the gaming world? Does reporting on it count? Does promoting it count? Does having your own dlc with a story built around you and voiced by you count? Felicia has starred in games, promotes indie games, has a show on her channel dedicated to table top gaming (hosted by wil wheaton),and produces tons of original content, if anything she's contributed more than this so called "journalist".
Twitter has to be the biggest waste of time.
The point of the story whizzed right over your head, didn't it?
Solo is still right.
I wouldn't know. I neither twitter nor do I tweet or twit or whatever it is.
". I neither twitter nor do I tweet or twit or whatever it is." I think it's "twinking."
Twinking it is, then.
Thanks, Hogan. I thought it was called tweeting, but I bow to your greater knowledge. ;p
Hogan's Goat seems an odd name for a hipster, but what do I know?
White knight men come to damsel's in distress's rescue. Though shat not insult a female in the brave new world order. That is a crime and you will be punished. She has all moral superiority to get other men to do her bidding.
"Though shat not insult a female in the brave new world order. " Finally someone more f'ed up than I am. Shat not, lest ye be shat upon, my friend.
Much like he would shat himself if he ever met her face to face....
Goat, does that have anything to do with ST's Shatner? Just wondering... 😉
"White knight men come to damsel's in distress's rescue."
Good. Isn't that better than all of the jerks that step on women's backs to keep them down? Read the article again.
BS, I'm not a male. However, I defend Ms Day as a gifted PERSON, actor, singer, writer, gamer, creator of games, artist, director, et cetera, et cetera, et al. Her resume's amazing. Her appearance is irrelevant to her many gifts, but she's also a lovely lady.
Her looks may or may not last but smart's forever.
Am I a White Knight? If you say I am. I'd defend a man who was wrongly characterised in the way Felicia Day was, if he were an actor I admire. I've followed her career and I know what's on her IMDB page. If I have the information I use it.
Why, BS? Do you support random drunken targeting of women on the internet?
"Do Perez's tweets indicate that today's male nerd can't treat women as people?"
Are you f*$(ing kidding me? "Today's male nerd"? What are we, clones? It is shocking to me that you would write, in an article that is ostensibly in the vein of breaking down gender stereotypes, a sentence that so clearly reinforces gender stereotypes. As a modern male nerd I take extreme issue at being lumped in with the likes of Perez. I am an individual first, and only secondarily (or later) a male.
As for your second question regarding whether no-one may question Day's relevance: that doesn't appear to be the issue. He openly insulted her; questioning her relevance was merely the frequency (if you will) on which the insult was transmitted. If he had framed the question more politely the reception would have been very different, and we would not be having this discussion.
Exactly! I always want to be seen as individual first, woman second. Men who complain that they have it harder drive me nuts (yeah, yeah, enjoy your higher paychecks. Don't believe me? Check out the peer reviewed studies on hiring tendencies and perception of work quality), but that doesn't mean men are untouched by gender stereotypes. I say boo to that statement in the article.
Perez only proved he's an uninformed,alcohol-abusing, chauvinistic asshat. 'Nuff said.
Yep. All men think like Ryan Perez, and all you women who post on teh internets look like Rosie O'Donnell. Keep it up with the stereotypes.
Roflcopter, Ryan Perez IS at fault.
Thanks for showing me who Felicia Day is. Now back to Syria...
You're lost, Mike. This is the Geek Out blog.
The news is WAY OVER THERE (points). This is a BLOG. You are LOST.
Next time, remember to set your heartstone before leaving the inn.
He was drunk? Was he channeling Mel Gibson? You can be snarky in an amusing way. But there is no reason to be a putz. If you have something negative to say, explain why both clearly and concisely. Another reason I see tweets as simply a fuse that burns slowly.
Not to defend that schmuck, but if you start becoming irrelevant (i.e. Mel Gibson et al.) it usually helps to remind people you exist. What better way than to insult your target audience's latest – and perhaps greatest – "It" girl?
... now I'm going to go back to not caring that he exists.
Not to belabour the point, but I still don't know who he is (Ryan Perez). I'm overwhelmed with not caring.
Here's the thing: Yes, Felicia Day is primarily an actress and entrepreneur. She is not a game developer; she may not be the ass-kicking-est gamer out there. But gaming is something that she likes to do – and that's all it really takes to be a gamer. It's not possible for everyone out there to be the world's best gamer, but it's still a pastime for millions of people, male and female.
Felicia has created a lot of cool, funny, insider content that thousands of gamers enjoy. She's created it by doing what she enjoys, and is good at what she does. A public persona is going to get criticism, yes, and people have a right to like the things that strike a chord with them, and criticize the things that don't. But Mr. Perez, as a publicly known blogger and representative of the group that he blogs for, is also fair game for criticism and deserves to be held accountable for what he says – and personal attacks are not the same as saying you don't like someone's work. I think that Destructoid was right to cut ties with Perez, because he was not being professional by personally attacking Ms. Day.
Felicia Day is clearly very interested in and engaged with games and gaming, so the "Glorified Booth Babe" is obviously false. To me, a booth babe is just someone with a nice body who is only there because of the paycheck, but has no interest in games otherwise. But if you're passionate about gaming, then you're one of us 🙂
One dislikes to disagree with you, but Ms Day is a game developer. Look her up, it's on her resume along with many other talented things she does: Web Development, Art Production and Game design.
Why is it we have free speech in the U.S. unless we say something about a woman. (Minority) I to feel she has lackluster gaming ability, and/or gaming knowledge. She made her fame with her feminine assets, nothing more.
We always have free speech from the government. But this private organization (Destructoid) also has the freedom to choose who represents it. If they don't like what he says (because it offends their audience) they can fire him. Most companies would do the same if you were spouting unpopular opinions. Just about the only organization who couldn't would be the government.
Freedom cuts both ways.
Unless having a charming personality and a strong creative streak are "feminine assets" then I'm afraid I have to disagree. While it certainly doesn't hurt that she's good looking, I don't think I can agree with you that she only got anywhere because of her looks. There are certainly more attractive women who have been less successful than Day.
Could you be any more of a white knight?
Sorry, how am I being a white knight here? Perv's asserted that Day is only successful because of her "feminine assets". I disagreed, pointing out that the personality traits which have made her successful (charming and creative) are not feminine, and (further) there are a lot of females who are less successful than Day who have more "feminine assets". That is, other women who are more attractive than Day nevertheless remain less successful, which disproves his assertion.
Would you care to explain how calling her less attractive than other "gamer girls" is white knighting?
LOL, this whole thread is hilarious; the nerds who are perfectly happy (giddy even!) with ANY booth babe get all flustered when an attractive nerdy girl turns out to be MORE than a booth babe. Nerd jealousy is amusing, but seriously, LIGHTEN UP FRANCIS 🙂
"Could you be any more of a white knight?" Could you creep a little farther under that bridge?
free speech still in effect. he not in jail now is he? you are free to say what you want... and so is everybody else.
elimination of free speech is called censorship. go to north korea and educate yourself on the diffence.
Actually, there are 4.2 million more females than males in the US, meaning that we are the majority. As a teacher, I never talk about my students, complain about my job, etc, on the Internet because that's dumb and gets you fired. Maybe this guy shouldn't have attacked another person in his industry, because really, that's pretty dumb, and it did, in fact, get him fired. Also, the fact is, tons of girls play video games, which technically makes them a "gamer". Of my friends, I don't know any that don't play video games – male or female.
Vinegar Hill was the first movie theatre I ever went to that sreevd beer and coffee. I went to college in a wee town over the hill to the west, so trips to fancy places like Charlottesville were great treats. It\'s definitely one of my favorite towns I ever lived near or in, so I hope it treats you well although July isn\'t the best time to move to humidity-land.
"She made her fame with her feminine assets, nothing more." Are you cracked? She's a writer who stars in a webshow that she created. She makes a fine living with her brains.
Too bad Perez failed to use his brains. He may still have been employed had he done so.
The right to freedom of speech has NEVER meant that you are protected from the consequences of opening your mouth, especially when we're talking about private actors and not the government.
Perv, feelings are not facts. The fact is that you couldn't be more wrong.
IMDB RESUME
Felicia Day-Actor, Producer, Singer, Writer
She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin as a double major with Bachelor's degrees in Mathematics and Violin Performance. She is a professional-level violinist.
Co-owner, with Kim Evey, of production company, "Knights of Good Productions", which owns shows like "The Guild" (2007).
She is an excellent violin player and has been playing since she was two.
Was valedictorian of her class in college.
Performer Skills
Performance Skills: Comedian, Stunts, Dancing, Singing, Improvisation
Accents: British, French, Southern
Musical Instruments: Violin
Dance: Ballet, Tap
Her 'feminine assets' include her talent and her intellect which enabled her to graduate with a double major and a 4.0 average from her college. Is that what you meant with feminine assets, Perv?
Free speach is not an unlimited right. One cannot yell fire in a theater full of people if there is no fire. Sober or drunk a person is responsible for their comments. When you are being paid to do a job, and that job is to provide posts in a blog you need to be responsible for the truth of your comments. Anyone who does not understand this fundamental responibility loses their ability to remain at their job and continue to be paid for their work.
Gamer culture has a bit of the "old boy's club" element to it, especially for men over 30.
Being a bit younger, I don't understand hating on women in the realm of nerds; they are capable of intelligent conversation, often cute, and like the things I like. Most of my nerd friends are women and it's more fun that way.
No one hates women gamers. Most of us love them. We do HATE women who pretend to be gamers, or get famous pretending to be gamers. These women use their body to attract people, mainly young males, to buy games. They are basically glorified "booth bimbos"
Yeah, but the common cause of events is treating women like they have PROVE their geek cred before they're even allowed to refer to themselves as gamers (or geeks) and even then they get comments thrown their way about how they're not really a geek. It's an insane double standard that needs to be squashed.
Also has anyone got up in arms about men tagging onto the "geek" trend? Or pretending to be gamers? I know plenty of dudes that can't play as well as me and some of the ladies I know who've never been verbally assaulted over Vent when their gender was revealed, because they can't play up to Par, because you know, their gender, not any of their skills. You have to be twice as geeky, twice as good, as any of the men to even make status and even after that you're talked down to.
Pretty much like every other male dominated field.
What girl born after 1980 doesn't play video games? Even my mom, who is turning 60 next week, plays video games. (Not just crazy Internet games, she played games on consoles with me and independently when I was younger).
What if I'm a jerk every day?
Clear violation of Wheaton's Law, then.
In the US one is free to be a jerk as one desires, within the law.
One must also deal with the repercussions that come from being a jerk.
I'm not sure what this is all about, but holy cow those are some nice gams.
I guess that whole freedom to exchange ideas and information that people hold as one of the virtues of the internet is really just a suggestion. So long as you don't rock the boat. Hypocrite anyone?
You absolutely have the right to exchange ideas and express opinions. However, if you call the boss' wife "fat" "ugly" or "worthless", the boss has the right to express his opinion that you shouldn't work here anymore.
If you're unwilling to face the consequences for saying something, you probably shouldn't say it. It's not an infringement on your civil rights, it's kind of just common sense.
But Perez did not work for Felicia Day. He's a journalist (I use the term loosely) who called into question the value of what she has contributed. His employers then apologized and cut ties with him.
This isn't a case of work place dialogue and mutual respect. This is about being free to write what you want with out fear of retribution. While I have not read Perez's original tweets they don't strike me as being entirely out of line. Inaccurate perhaps but this is twitter we are talking about.
This is no different than if someone wrote an unflattering article about a politician and got fired because of it. The fact that Felicia Day has become some sort of modern idol of Geek Culture and looks rather striking in a short skirt is irrelevant.
"This is about being free to write what you want with out fear of retribution" ?
I have to disagree here; this entire issue demonstrates the need to be responsible for the things you say. The ideal of a free exchange of ideas does not absolve any message sender of their being responsible for what message they send, simply because they actively choose to send that particular message. Accepting any "retribution" for sending the message is inherent in the active decision to send the message.
In this case he sent what was viewed as an unfavorable message, and received what he probably views as an unfavorable-response/retribution for that message. The aftereffects of the message sending and the response (i.e. being discharged from Destructoid) seem to be a natural extension of the responsibility he has for same message sending and response; a company looking to clear away some bad PR.
He, like any message sender, should bear the responsibility for his sent message. If that results in his losing employment, (which it did), he should have considered that before he chose to send the message(s) in the first place.
@IttoUsagi I disagree. While Twitter is hardly the best forum for this sort of opinion it is still a valid opinion that has the right to be heard. Mr. Perez did not write anything that would have been libel, rude or vulgar. Unpopular perhaps but still it was a legitimate critique.
What if this was an Op Ed piece that Mr. Perez wrote for Destructoid and not one more foolsih Twitter rants? Would it have been ok for Destructoid to fire him? Must Perez and all other reporters be afraid of writing something that is unflattering about a celebrity?
As for Destructoid, there is no such thing as bad publicity. As long as this Twitter rant could have been argued legitimately then they should have backed him.
"Unpopular perhaps but still it was a legitimate critique. " No, it was just vapor; she is an important content creator in the gaming world. He might as well have said she was only an actress and has never written anything. You don't want your organization represented by an ignorant clown, so they dumped him. Maybe when he learns who the big players are, he can get another job gossiping about them, or maybe he'll go back to Mayberry and get a job at a gas station.
Thanks, BMC. I failed to understand that point. Of course, that makes what Ryan Perez did much worse. Targeting a random stranger for abuse and insults is the act of someone in grade five, calling a stranger on the telephone only to hang up on them after an insult.
Robert, you are not looking at the facts.
Perez failed to review Ms Day's resume before he interviewed her. He admitted he was unprepared. He was drunk when he contacted her and he admitted it later. This gross incompetency is sufficient grounds for firing anyone these days. Hypocrisy is not involved in this case.
You do know it wasn't an interview right? He just randomly decided to tweet that message to no one in particular. He just said it to the world. There was no interview. He was just angry that day and decided to s#!t on someone else. That was the problem. He just came out of nowhere with it. Hell, even Adam Baldwin defended her. You know what Perez's reply to Alec was? Basically "OMG NO WAY U WERE IN THAT FULL METAL MOVIE!!! YOU can beat the S#!t out of me any time you want!" He honestly said that....
*Adam not Alec
haha
Thanks, BMC, I understood later that it was a random attack on Ms Day rather than a scheduled interview. That makes it worse, doesn't it? Perez targeting Felicia Day for no reason makes no sense. He deserved to be fired for his drunken rantings. One can only hope that he gets some help for his alcohol abuse issues.
He seems to be a very angry person.
There's probably a little frustration that geek/nerd culture (like everything ultimately becomes) is being co-opted and monetized by the mainstream. To some degree, I'd bet that it feels a little like there was a solidarity in being uncool. Now uncool is becoming cool, but the socially awkward are still being left out. So along comes this girl that represents a group of people that ultimately have no access to her. What other reasonable outcome is there beyond rejecting her? I'm not saying it's a healthy point of view; it's just not a very surprising one. It sounds like Perez rejects her public persona more than anything. You can't fairly judge someone without having met them, and despite the fact that she's in entertainment, she's also a human being.
I love how this guy has become Perez Hilton now.
to me , theres less mytresy as to who will be our pitchers come the start of the season .dempster , zambrano , garza , wells , and silva will be the starters . marmol , wood , marshall , grabow , samardzija will be in the pen . the only question is what will they do with cashner ? is he in the pen or will he start in the minors ? i vote the pen ..i think perez hasn't got the atbats because he is banged up . firstbase option if pena goes down if i were managing would be soto . give him a break behind the plate so castillo (NOT HILL) could get more atbats .
Excuse me, what? I beg your pardon? Since when is judging people appropriate? No, I don't think so. I have to disagree, Cooldaddysquid. There's too much of that already. I must pass on the judgmentalism. I try to avoid that whenever possible.
The thing is, he's kinda right. She offers nothing new to the gaming world. The only reason she's famous is because she's a minor celebrity who is a 'gurl gamer.'
How about you show us how it is supposed to be done, then?
Felicia Day is an incredibly talented person who enhances the gaming community as a whole with the content she provides, such as The Guild. Anyone who thinks that she is a glorified booth babe is someone whose opinion about anything at all I do not care to read because that person has lost all credibility in my view so good riddance to that other person.
All you have proven, Howawhatbaabhabhiat, is that you've no idea what Felicia Day produces. She's an artist, a writer, creates THE GUILD, a web series online about gaming, she's a game creator, (yes, THAT'S RIGHT), and a gamer in her own right. She's a wonderful singer and a gifted actor as well. Look up the definition of Booth Babe, you'll find she's overqualified for that job by a quantum factor because all Booth Babes have to do is look good and hand out pamphlets.
All you've proven is your lack of knowledge of Felicia Day's resume, and that fact that you're willing to jump on any bandwagon that an asshat's marching through town. You look kinda dumb.
Let me have a crack at this
"Game DESIGNER, GAME PUBLISHER, GAME DEVELOPER" number one: isn't a game designer the same thing as a developer? Second: where in the deep blue sea did you find that information
"He deserved to be terminated for non-professionalism" whoa whoa what happened to the freedom of speech here?
"Matt thinks Felicia Day is fat" he said nothing of the kind he was stating that she is competing against much slimmer people!
*sigh* IMDB pro. It's her professional resume which she uses to get acting jobs and other assignments.
Join IMDB pro and you can access it yourself along with all the other professional resumes and contact information of the actors listed there. You'd know this if you read any previous responses re: this topic.
Perez Hilton so far from being a nerd as my corolla is from being a ferari. To raise questions about misogyny in nerd culture because of his comments is like complaining about the effects of DC's New 52 relaunch on Image comics. Complete logical falicy.
Um...Ryan Perez is not Perez Hilton.
Thank I have proved that I am an inattentive idiot.
You're still right about Perez Hilton, Ryan. ;D
I can feel Perez Hilton looking at my b utt. Make him stop.
That, my friend, is an eenlxlect question. It's just kind of weird because I got a pair of shorts kind of like that (but a little longer) 4 years ago from Old Navy for really cheap...And I love the doodles on the pic!
No, no, no, just no. That's a no, absolutely not.
So, he's right. No surprise there. She offers nothing and knows even less.
Perhaps someone should tell Dr Freud he's been debunked in every country in the world except the US. He's losing ground there every year.
Someone should inform peridot that science has moved on since Sir Isaac Newton as well, and yet he is still venerated as the discoverer of important scientific truths.
Are you sure you are talking about the same girl? She has a show about gaming on the web; she writes it herself. What have YOU contributed to the industry? Are you a beta-tester for Barbie games or something?
It's called THE GUILD, it's in its 4th season. It's awesome.
Someone should inform Dr Freud and Dr Jung that it's obvious they're the same person.
Extreme GOTIS.
The nerd world is matriarchal. They worship women. Anyone who questions that is going to hit trouble.
As a woman I don't worship my own kind. I admire Felicia Day. She's a favourite actor and I follow her career because I enjoy her work. THE GUILD makes me laugh.
I do, however, have respect for women and their accomplishments. In addition I dislike seeing drunken males dissing them for their looks. Yes, I will support a woman who should be respected for her many successes. Is that wrong? Would a male not support another male who was insulted or whose many accomplishments were belittled because of his appearance?
Think about it.
"Would a male not support another male who was insulted or whose many accomplishments were belittled because of his appearance? " Yeah, us dudebros are all right behind President Obama all the way even though he's an angry black man from Kenya with no experience, and, and he's destroying all our freedoms and stuff, yeah. Sure.
Bros B4 Hos, dude, whatever you're smoking, I'd like a toke. Do share, please. Let me have a bite of that sandwich.
phenomenal legs on that girl!
Rumor has it they go all the way up.
wouldn't mind proving that rumor to be fact, yet i'd have to take the bag off my head.