An open letter against a dysphemism
by Mike Schramm 
Jun 26th 2007 at 12:58PM
Elizabeth's post about getting the word "gay" out of the game got tons of feedback from you all (some comments more intelligent than others), and now a poster on WoW Ladies has another language sensitivity that I agree with. The word "rape" is used by some players in game for all kinds of things, and most of the time it's used without thought to what the word really means.Personally I don't use it (not because I have a specific abhorrence of the word, although the act itself is pretty abhorrent), but every once in a while you'll hear things like "boy, our guild raped Hakkar last night," or "stupid elite Son of Arugal just came out of nowhere and raped me." The word for this kind of usage is actually "dysphemism," the opposite of euphemism, in which you specifically use a harsh word in the place of a more polite one.
And that's the problem-- just like "gay," it's not polite to use, not least of all because you may hardly know the person that reads it or their situation. In some cases, the word can be downright offensive. Fortunately, I don't know anyone (that I know of) who's experienced real-life rape or abuse, but especially in an MMO situation, there's no reason to use the harsher word, especially if, as Elizabeth said about "gay," it costs you respect (and possibly your account).
As the WoW Ladies contributor says, "realize there are a lot of women in guild, as well as a lot of married members and members with children. Realize that 1 in 6 women are raped in the US. Realize that each person in the guild is either female themselves, and/or has multiple loved ones and friends that are female. Realize that rape is a deeply traumatic experience, for the victim and their loved ones." Even if you're joking, or even if you didn't mean it that way, it's just not worth saying.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, Odds and ends
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)
BaboonNL Jun 26th 2007 1:03PM
Relating "rape" only to females is sexist, and as a man I am offended by it.
Derek Rose Jun 26th 2007 1:07PM
People are way to sensitive about stuff like this in my opinion.
What's next, people complaining about saying we "murdered" some boss, or "killed" someone, because someone they know was murdered? Or complaining to Blizzard because there is a rogue talent called Murder?
Lighten up.
~ Jun 26th 2007 1:09PM
I think you would feel differently if you, your sister or your daughter were the victim.
Using these words just desensitizes them and makes them mainstream.
rinks Jun 26th 2007 1:14PM
Yeah, I'll fall under the "don't care" category here. As Paladin, there's no other way to describe the swarm of mobs after the bubble wears off as anything but "rape". Just quit whining, christ.
Junzim Jun 26th 2007 1:09PM
Agreed, from now on I'll only use the term "Surprise Sex".
"Gah, I was just the unwitting recipient of surprise sex from an Epixxed up Hunter!"
Tornik Jun 26th 2007 1:12PM
Mike is quoting from a female blogger here, so obviously it's written from a female's point of view on rape.
Nowhere in the article is it implied that rape only applies to females.
One of my ex-guildies posted a link to his new desktop background in our forums once, which proclaimed "Rape - Think of it as surprise Sex!"
He hastily removed the link, proclaiming that he "Thought it was a good laugh".
Obviously, many of of us were unhappy about it, but nothing was ever officially said or done about it. One of the reasons they're my ex-guild now.
tom Jun 26th 2007 1:13PM
Oh my god people. I hate immature talk as much as the next guy but don't go around telling people how they can/cannot talk. Political correctness is far more offensive to me than people using "gay" or "Rape". As a Christian I have to listen all the time to people saying things that offend me but I will never make it law that they can't speak as they wish.
Tony Jun 26th 2007 1:14PM
There's kind of a difference when the words "kill" or "murder" are what you're actually doing in the game. Last I checked, I haven't been given a quest telling me to force unsolicited sex on an NPC in WoW.
Personally I usually just say "wasted".
qwerty321 Jun 26th 2007 1:16PM
Ironic that the article before this one links an article that calls someone "gay" at the end, and if you follow the link to the second episode, one of the main characters is said to have "raped" a tree... /sigh
Xonate Jun 26th 2007 1:16PM
People should be mature enough to use the appropriate language by themselves; I hardly think anyone else should go around telling them they shouldn't use certain words because it may offend someone. If someone says something you don't like, you can do the mature thing, such as just ignoring it or actually putting the person on your ignore list, or you can be a baby and whine about it. People are always going to offend other people. It happens. Get over it.
Thrombus Jun 26th 2007 1:16PM
I'm a guy, and a feminist, but I have to disagree with this. The word "rape" encompasses more than just sexual assault. It means to despoil, ravage, violate, etc (it's easy to see why it has come to be used for sexual assault). If you completely pwn Gruul, it makes sense to say you raped him.
"Gay" is completely different. Although "gay" can mean happy, the use of it as an insult is related to its meaning concerning homosexuals. It is similar to calling someone a p*ssy or saying that someone runs or throws like a girl. With these insults, being a woman or homosexual is equated with being weak or ineffective. That's why they're offensive.
tom Jun 26th 2007 1:18PM
If someone in your guild says something you don't like, let them know about it and scold them if you wish, but don't make laws or try to ban people from speaking as they wish.
Brinar Jun 26th 2007 1:19PM
As a "guild mom" I ask the person to stop, as Celestial rank (substitute GM), if they don't stop, I /gkick them. This is my opinion. I have them the chance, they do not stop. See ya later! There are plenty of other guilds around. We have several children in the guild (yet another post, I know) and I am not going to be the one to have to explain to that child what that term means or face that the child may think it's the new cool thing to say.
The difference in saying murder or kill and saying raped is that in the game you are actually killing or murdering something in the game. If you have so much of a problem with that, you probably are not playing the game in the first place.
No where that I have seen, as a level 70 hunter running Kara, is there a reference in the game to rape. As a victim of rape myself, yes I get offended by it, do I report them. No. It isn't worth my time, but rest assured that person will be on my lengthy ignore list if they do not stop.
I have left a party for that reason, but I calmly explained why and found a replacement for them before I left. Each person has their own "triggers" that happens to be one of mine. It is their right, I guess, to say it how they want, but also mine to add them to ignore..
vespa Jun 26th 2007 1:19PM
realise that wow is a video game and as such trying to petition against the use of certain words, or being offended by childish behaviour is, quite simply, moronic
the word (or any word) itself is meaningless without context, and as such the context this word is used in is totally harmless... not only that but seeing as the english language is such a wonderful and diverse thing the word "rape" has several different meanings, including:
an act of plunder, violent seizure, or abuse; despoliation; violation: "the rape of the countryside."
now for myself, whenever i see that word used i assume that is the context in which it is being used (unless you honestly think that these people are intimating that they want to sexually defile 'The Son of Arugal' or something...) and as such it is totally harmless
At the end of the day, we all play this game to have fun, and we enjoy the game, and express our enjoyment in a variety of different ways and pseudo-serious threads about gratuitous use of a word just make the wow community seem very petty, especially considering the fact that this is a predominently male market - and i'd be fairly confident that 99% of this dermographic is too thick skinned to give a crap about language being used within the game.
So ye, if you want, think before you speak (i'd recommend that to anyone) but if you are offended by other people within the game that aren't breaking the eula then... get over it.
Madcatt Jun 26th 2007 1:20PM
I have personally made sure to report every single person who I have seen joke about rape in any chat channel. I think it shows a tremendous amount of immaturity to be so cut off from what you are saying to other people. I honestly find general use of the words 'retarded' and 'gay' to be in a similar light, but joking about rape is one step further, imo.
Urthona Jun 26th 2007 1:21PM
@2
/sigh
The point of the post is to say "murdered" when you mean "murdered". Do NOT use "raped" when you mean "murdered". Rape is NOT the same thing.
People who use the word obviously use it for its shock value, which is red flag for: immaturity, look-at-me-syndrome, and all around social ineptitude.
Summarily, this thread has less to with bringing in the thought police than bringing in the thought educators. Less to do with misogyny(Of which there is a LOT yet.) and gendered response, and more to with "I Don't Want To Read Your Stupid In My Chat Text."
Theserene Jun 26th 2007 1:21PM
After the amount of bigots on the 'gay' post, I fully expect to see them coming back to this one to say that people who get raped should just 'deal'.
There ARE words that are beyond the pale - you would not make jokes about molesting a child for instance, not because of some notion of 'political correctness', but because it would just simply be disgusting.
Whatever happened to the phrase 'pwned!'? Works perfectly well and as far I as know there are no support groups for victims of 'pwnage'.
Instead of 'this item is gay', use 'this item is rubbish/crap/crud/bloody awful'. Instead of 'raped', use 'pwned'.
The attitude of 'I can go around saying whatever I like and if others get offended then that is THEIR problem' is yet another indictation of a culture that is fast heading toward "what I want is all that matters and I don't care who I hurt to get it either, it's all about ME".
Manners people. Mature people can use them, and a lot of you spend time on this forum making yourselves out to be mature capable players, so prove it.
Beaverius Jun 26th 2007 1:24PM
THIS JUST IN FROM THE SEMANTICS POLICE:
WORDS HAVE NO INHERENT MEANING.
I'm going to continue to say that stupid stuff is gay and that if someone kicks my ass, I got raped.
Let's use our brains to determine the meaning of a word based on its "context", you know the stuff before and after and inbetween.
if you take the use of gay as a general perjorative adjective to mean anything related to sexual preference you need to L2Semantics. If you take the rape used to describe someone's sound defeat, see above.
GET OVER IT YOU PURITANS. If all you do is try and prance around terms, make euphemisms as our society loves to, or misinterprete something to somehow make it apply to you or otherwise mean something from a different context, then I dont' want to play wow with you.
Also thanks to Wowinsider for dictating morals to me. hey im an atheist too. I bet you'd think that was gay of me for not believing in god. I'd bet you'd rape me if given the chance in that context.
For the love of Elune, can we get off our high horse and get back to wow? It'd be gay if we didn't and I would certainly rape someone in pvp as a result.
What's that? The mayflower is taking off again? Hurry and get on!
Pingmeister Jun 26th 2007 1:21PM
As a male I agree 100% with the article.
That word was originally used to convey the very idea that someone was overpowered and killed and I grimace when people use it.
People always cite "free speech" and "politically correct" when they want to continue using a term that has never had any effect on their life.
You have to understand that when this crime is committed in real life the victim often won't even report out of humiliation. This is not like using the word "murder".
The Crowing One Jun 26th 2007 1:25PM
Let's extend out much-lauded concept of tolerance to include things that we may not find appropriate, yet which hold little to no destructive intent. While I personally do not use such language (I just don't, and hardly curse in general) I do believe that the stronger individual is the one who resists antagonizing the individual who utters something one can find "offensive." The targeting of those who we disagree with is paramount to the initial speech in the first place.
Let's set an example in our own behavior, and allow those who wish to be jerks a prime spot on our exalted "ignore" list.
Maybe blizzard should allow reporting when players /spit on each other, eh?