The use of the word "rape"

This country has gotten so pussified with using certain words. These days, you cant say anything without some twink or feminist getting offended and then wants to start some kind of movement to combat these words.

It's a word.

Offense shouldn't come from the use of the word itself, but the context and intent behind it's use.

Watch and learn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNQ9JoVm4oI

Here we go again, another person who hides behind the anonymous internet shield. You wouldn't say that stuff out loud in public, not sure why its okay just because its online. Everything your saying is just assumptions as far as I'm concerned. You say that most people play in party chat, but in my experience, there are tons of people who say stupid and offensive shit on public chat. You believe that you aren't offending anyone, but how are you suppose to know? You think its one big dumb joke, but that sort of attitude is what actually limits the gamer audience.

But that's not true at all. Many are uncomfortable with offensive words, even if its not being used to degrade or insult them. I know I wouldn't start spouting the N word in front of random people casually. Even if I had no intent to insult them, I would likely make them feel uncomfortable simply by using the word in a sentence.

True. But my point is that these words SHOULDN'T offend people unless they are being used offensively.

@foxhound_fox: that's not how language works.

What's not how language works? It's a set of sounds uttered by the human vocal system that people attach meaning to. To someone who doesn't speak English, the words ****, shit, piss, cocksucker, etc don't mean anything. You say those words in the right tonearound someone who doesn't speak English, then, due to the universality of body language and intonation of the voice, and they'll know exactly what you are saying.

The words don't matter. They never have. It's all about tone and context (which is why black people aren't offended, apparently, when their black friends use the n-word around them (I would type it out because I don't care about the use of words in a generic sense, but Gamespot does)).

@foxhound_fox: Sorry, I should have said communication does not work that way. Just because you dont want to offend someone with what you say by how you say it doesn't mean they won't be offended.

EDIT: Sorry, I was at work, so I couldn't expound more. You say words don't matter and your analogy about how a black person might not be offended when a black friend uses the n-word; however, have you ever gone up to a black guy (assuming you're not black) and said the n-word around them? For a matter of fact, if you do not care about use of words as you state, do you casually use these types of words in everyday conversation? If you don't, why not? If you do, how do other react to them assuming some of the conversations aren't between people with a similar mindset, i.e. friends?

Agreed. I've even heard of a movement to ban the use of the word "bossy" because it's somehow demeaning when used to describe women who are bossy. :P People need to grow thicker skin and stop bending over and taking it up the ass from political correctness.

It think I just got cancer......Oh I hide behind the internet shield?...Oh I wouldnt say that stuff in public? Hahaha, beautiful..the typical ORIGINAL words of a ORIGINAL hater. Yes I never said there wasnt going to be a crowd of people that played in game chat, I simply said that most people talk with their friends in private chats. And look I'am so terribly f*cking sorry if you take deep, heart shattering offence, if a person insults you over game chat....I truly am.

As a mod, you'd know more about that. I haven't really noticed an increase in disciplinary measures though. The modding on this website seems to have decreased since when I first joined. The main outcry from the internet for free speech is because of and against SOPA as there is now a reason for people to fight for it.

It would be awesome if there were no more ad hominem attacks.

That would more likely be a reality if everyone would be intrigued by intellectual discussions. However, that requires a certain amount of personal detachment which civilization is not collectively ready to do. Some people are, but personal experiences and that of relatives along with ancestral heritage all affect the rest more.

While discussions I take part in may be more focused on this topic, many on the internet are exposed to what we are talking about currently including you.

I am curious what the point on such extreme speech is meant to accomplish. People call saying any profanity and slur free speech, but if it alienates a portion of other people by dissuading them from participating then all it establishes is dominance of one group over another which would be counter to what free speech is supposed to actually mean. There have been multiple instances in which internet users and people in situations away from computers stated that if there are any who did not like such talk then they can leave. Whether on-purpose or not, that response has been representative of that group of people for some time now.

I don't know how much this is relevant ,but a few days ago ,shortly after the so called Spain-Holland match ,I happened to see this in Facebook ,captioned : "No wonder Spain were raped tonight !"

What is said online stays onlline

@marlobc: Yes, the internet is a great archiving tool for people's thoughts and opinions which is why more thought should be given before saying something that will be regretted later. What is said online stays online forever.

@elkoldo: lol

@mesomorphin: you honestly think anyone could give two shits about what other people say ONLINE?

One time, my fiance was playing Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer. Keep in mind she rarely plays shooters, she mainly plays Fable and Skyrim and such, so she's horrible at shooters like Call of Duty and Battlefield. Since shes horrible, she went very negative. Maybe 1K 15D or so. In the lobby, some insensitive asshole on the opposite team started trash-talking and threw out "Bitch, you just got raped!"

Well, the thing is, she WAS sexually assaulted as a child. Now I understand this person had no idea who she was and her life story, but it really upset her and caused her to quit playing online, when she was really enjoying herself with it.

I'm the last one to tell people to refrain from harsh language. I think trash talking is part of the game, just like being tackled is a part of football (American) but "rape" and any of its connotations go a bit too far.

You dont know the people you play with online unless theyre your friends, and you wouldnt say things like "******" if the actually were gay in real life and took offense to it, so why would it be any nicer to say "I raped you!" or anything similiar to a complete stranger when you dont know their life story.

Like I said, Im not one to refrain from harsh language and trash talk, I just think people would be wiser to thing before speaking in certain situations.

Yeah look I can understand that, but when people use the term "rape" or "******" online, it doesn't really retain the original meaning, when people say "I just raped you bitch" in the world of of online gaming it simply means "I just wrecked you" people have to understand that context when it comes to online gaming. No amount of protesting will ever change that. I know plenty of people that are gay, that I've called them a "******" and they laugh it off because they know the word is hollow, essentially it is the thing to keep in mind when going online. Alternatively you can mute the chat option.

they have this one thing called 'mute'.. takes about 2 seconds to use it

The problem isn't with the intention, trash talking is a time honored tradition within friendly competition, the problem lies with the language itself and an inherent problem with insults within the English language. Generally when someone is being insulted its by using a word that associated them with a discriminated minority (Niger, ******, Jew, Retard etc) or that they are the subject of, arguably, the single most dominate act that can be committed against another person (rape) or by insinuating they aren't human (Dog, Rat). While your insult may be good natured, the words that you use have a connotation that is the result of at least decades of violence and suffering. To invoke that history for the sake of a petty insult shows an exceptional lack of insight and ignorance and saying that it has no affect is a supreme display of naivety. By using them your are furthering the belief that being black, gay, Jewish, or mentally ill etc is something that is inherently bad, in affect you are further prejudice that has killed at least millions of people and ruined the lives of countless others. So next time you feel inclined to call someone a Niger, ****, ****** etc think for a second of the history that is associated with that word and maybe you'll reconsider your choice of word.

Use of the term "I raped you" or "you just got raped" is something that desperately needs to stop. Using that term implies that rape is an action that , so long as your the rapist, is a good thing because it shows your supreme dominance over someone. This further's the idea of rape as something that is acceptable in society and despite what the law says(although sometimes it seems like it doesn't actually discourage rape) there is an alarming increase in what has been called rape culture, and victim blaming. While the rise of rape culture isn't directly caused by trash talking and throwing out terms like "you just got raped" normalizes it within society.

TL;DR:

Insulting people and trash talking is fine, just be careful of the language you use.

@mesomorphin: I understand, and while I would normally agree with you, it's different when somebody says something that physically happened to you. Like I said in my original post, I do think trash talk and harsh language is all a part of the game, and while that stuff doesnt bothered me and normally doesnt bother her, in that one instance it did. Thats why I think people need to be a bit wiser with what they say online instead of hiding behind the "Anonymity Shield". And if you'd notice I said you would not call your friends faggots if you knew it offended them. My friends shrug off that type of insult too because they know Im joking.

And as far as the mute option goes, like I said, she rarely played online so she didnt know about it. She's not as into gaming as I am.

Fair enough I guess, however as I said earlier, there is literally no way to be able to change how people speak unless there was a moderator constantly waiting to ban some one, or if the kinect was able to pick it up. In saying that though I do think though that the word is becoming less and less common these days as it only seems to happen with people around the 13-16 age group, and people are finding new insults and shit to say. Again its a rare case when people do take it deeply, and I guess the only really thing you can do in the future is just hit the mute button, or find another online game.

I hate the use of the term rape you are referring to.

@anomaly1989: How about banning people who try to ban things?

@Archangel3371: you must live in a pretty nice neighbourhood.

There are people in public I've seen who talk similar in public to how I hear talk online.

Wow this is hitting a few raw places with people..I try only to go in party chats with my mates, and anything goes, I've said all things that have been mentioned , while playing games and can't see a problem, as we are all grown ups. if someone upsets you, leave the game, mute them, report them.I personally think some people are stuck up their own Arse. Since when does sick mean "great, brilliant " ? It meant ill, bad in my day !

You make the situation seem hopeless for those who seek more pleasant gaming experiences, but information contrary to what you are saying has been available for months. People who feel obliged to curse might be the ones who need to find another game or change their mentality if they intend to utilize all that the next generation has to offer.

http://www.geekwire.com/2013/xbox-kinect-hear-curse-playing-nba-2k14/

https://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/flashers-cursers-face-bans-ps4-xbox-one-185318846.html

http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/consoles/no-swearing-at-your-xbox-one-live-users-banned-for-profanity-laden-uploads-1202578

Sorry everyone, I removed the video from youtube. This runs deep for me because I myself use video games to get over traumatic experiences. I removed the video because I do not want to be a public figure. But for instance, my best friend was shot in the head. I could imagine if every time something happened in a video game someone said "I just shot your best friend in the head." Many girls use video games to get past traumatic experiences too.

Why is it so popular to use this word in video game culture? "You just got raped?" Really? People are REALLY raped every day. I want to cry when I think about a girl who really got raped, and is using video games as therapy, and hears someone say "you just got raped" every time she loses in the video game. Or conversely when her team wins her teammates saying "we raped you.

yeah but what about the kind of person who only occasionally says "rape" would rape even be considered profanity? or a swear word?

I do not know.

People seem to think they have the right to not feel offended......

Such a stupid thing.

If that were the case we would have to ban so many things that we might as well just be by ourselves in a box with no human contact.

Although I guess some people may find that offensive....

I never use that word