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[pelican]

Essentially, this.

I have enjoyed GB for the past few years, but I will not continue to financially support
them if this keeps up.

I have high expectations for GB NY.

Ah, so colour and gender has a greater priority than hiring someone with the ability and talent to produce the content you enjoy?

 

[Zeyphersan]

Because of this, when they hire a black guy in the future, it's going to look like he got the job just because he's black. That will make him feel wanted :/

Well done, internet.

Oh come on man. "Thanks internet, now they CAN'T hire any minorities because it will seem like they did it just to appease the crowd!" With logic like this, no one will ever have to hire anyone but white guys!

 

[Man-is-Obsolete]

To all people saying they hired the "best for the the job", I'll just copy my post from the GB thread:

I definitely think there's some people that are in the wrong for blaming Giant Bomb exclusively, as if they've done a big misgiving to the gaming journalist community, but I also feel that this hiring news is also just being used as a focal point for larger industry issues. As an African-American myself and someone who at one point (and still sometimes does) considered wanting to get into gaming journalism, news like this is really discouraging and the industry as a whole is disheartening as well. People say they hired the "best person for the job" but if the industry continues to play out the way it has for however long, then the "best person for the job" will NEVER be a minority, woman etc.

And why? Because the best person for the job will always be "generic white dude #3" who probably has 10+ years of experience, has lived in New York or Cali the majority of their lives and is likely already friends with the same other 100 or so people that have held the same positions for years.

So how is a minority or woman ever supposed to even reach a position where they become the "best person for the job" when the majority of the time they're never given the opportunity for any advancement or even the chance to build a portfolio of credible work on the same level as a Dan Ryckert when all the jobs all go to the same people?

It's the equivalent of Hollywood casting the same 10 or 12 guys for the same leading roles in films year after year and when the directors are questioned for their hiring procedures they go "hey man, I just hired the best guy for the role, he's a proven actor with years of experience!" Well no shit, none of the new guys ever really got a chance to show what they could do because you always go with same bets that have already been established. No one is asking for sites like GB to force diversity for the sake of diversity but the truth is that diversity in large part is never going to "naturally happen" if the industry never opens itself to "naturally change" and present new opportunities

Times are changing though and sites like Twitch and YouTube have opened up the door for people to make names for themselves in new ways that sidestep a lot of these problems but it's still an issue regardless. If history has shown us anything though, whether it be television, film, music, art, etc., if minorities or women want to have positions in these fields, they have to create their own things as the majority of the industry will never really give a fuck about you and remain a closed-off revolving door of the same faces gobbling up the lions' share of the work.

I don't want this post to come off as angry or bitter, because I love Giant Bomb and the duders like everybody else does and have been a huge fan for years. I look forward to seeing what Dan and Jason bring to the table for GB and feel they were great hires, but we can't deny the greater issue at hand and pretend it's not a problem that doesn't exist.

Good post, but to be fair much of what you said is not unique to minorities. There are college graduates of every race and gender that are faced with a sea of applicants that have 10 years of experience on them and dgeees themselves and have a terrible time finding even an entry level job at most places.

That is to say there are likely many white males in the same boat as you.

 

[Nanashrew]

What's hilarious is that we're discussing the wrong issue completely. Dan and Jason getting hired has nothing to do with them being two white males. It's an irrelevant point.

The issue here is that Giantbomb hired two people who have been in the industry for many years. Instead of bringing someone new into the industry instead the trend of just trading the same old guard around from company to company continues which furthers the inclusive nature of the industry. It's the same problem across pretty much all industry.



Because you can't do that. They had to put the position up publicly. They had always planned on hiring these two but CBSi is required to take applications for the job.

This is the issue I have as well. No one seems to want to risk hiring a new fresh face that could be as capable or qualified, or even train them to be as capable or qualified.

To all people saying they hired the "best for the the job", I'll just copy my post from the GB thread:

I definitely think there's some people that are in the wrong for blaming Giant Bomb exclusively, as if they've done a big misgiving to the gaming journalist community, but I also feel that this hiring news is also just being used as a focal point for larger industry issues. As an African-American myself and someone who at one point (and still sometimes does) considered wanting to get into gaming journalism, news like this is really discouraging and the industry as a whole is disheartening as well. People say they hired the "best person for the job" but if the industry continues to play out the way it has for however long, then the "best person for the job" will NEVER be a minority, woman etc.

And why? Because the best person for the job will always be "generic white dude #3" who probably has 10+ years of experience, has lived in New York or Cali the majority of their lives and is likely already friends with the same other 100 or so people that have held the same positions for years.

So how is a minority or woman ever supposed to even reach a position where they become the "best person for the job" when the majority of the time they're never given the opportunity for any advancement or even the chance to build a portfolio of credible work on the same level as a Dan Ryckert when all the jobs all go to the same people?

It's the equivalent of Hollywood casting the same 10 or 12 guys for the same leading roles in films year after year and when the directors are questioned for their hiring procedures they go "hey man, I just hired the best guy for the role, he's a proven actor with years of experience!" Well no shit, none of the new guys ever really got a chance to show what they could do because you always go with same bets that have already been established. No one is asking for sites like GB to force diversity for the sake of diversity but the truth is that diversity in large part is never going to "naturally happen" if the industry never opens itself to "naturally change" and present new opportunities

Times are changing though and sites like Twitch and YouTube have opened up the door for people to make names for themselves in new ways that sidestep a lot of these problems but it's still an issue regardless. If history has shown us anything though, whether it be television, film, music, art, etc., if minorities or women want to have positions in these fields, they have to create their own things as the majority of the industry will never really give a fuck about you and remain a closed-off revolving door of the same faces gobbling up the lions' share of the work.

I don't want this post to come off as angry or bitter, because I love Giant Bomb and the duders like everybody else does and have been a huge fan for years. I look forward to seeing what Dan and Jason bring to the table for GB and feel they were great hires, but we can't deny the greater issue at hand and pretend it's not a problem that doesn't exist.

Excellent post.

 

[ChawlieTheFair]

No. How would we?

IDK, just wondering so that I could better understand her frustration. If there were less qualified women/minorities who applied and didn't get picked then I could understand. But if no women or minorities applied, I don't what GB are supposed to do.

 

[BennyBlanco]

I just find this stuff so childish. Theyre a private company they can hire who they want to hire. Dont use their website if it doesnt appeal to you. I just dont get the outcry.

 

[Marcel]

You could do the same.

Racism is racism. Get over it.

Maybe this is helpful:

Reverse racism isn’t real because we live in a culture that supports and enforces whiteness as the norm and PoC as other. If you experience discrimination, prejudice, or bigotry, it’s valid to be upset about it and want to talk about it. It is not valid to claim that it is reverse racism, and certainly not valid to claim that it is racism on par with anything like the institutionalized racism that PoC will come into contact with. When a white person starts talking about reverse racism, what they’re really doing is derailing a conversation to make it about them. Their white privilege leads them to believe that what they say both matters and needs to be heard and is important and the conversation should stop to focus on their perceived ills. You know what? When somebody is talking about racism they have experienced, that conversation is not all about you, nor should you expect it to be, so stop with the derailing and just listen and learn.

 

[iMax]

refers to cisgender.

This is Cis. Also known as Gender-normative, where a person identifies with the gender that they were born.

 

[pelican]

Giant bomb is a personality run site. It's not even about the most qualified person bit who fits in with the crew. Odds are it's going to be some white guys

And there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[Avallon]

Good post, but to be fair much of what you said is not unique to minorities. There are college graduates of every race and gender that are faced with a sea of applicants that have 10 years of experience on them and dgeees themselves and have a terrible time finding even an entry level job at most places.

That is to say there are likely many white males in the same boat as you.

I brought up the same point right after this was posted, but my response wasn't addressed.

 

[stktt]

To all people saying they hired the "best for the the job", I'll just copy my post from the GB thread:

I definitely think there's some people that are in the wrong for blaming Giant Bomb exclusively, as if they've done a big misgiving to the gaming journalist community, but I also feel that this hiring news is also just being used as a focal point for larger industry issues. As an African-American myself and someone who at one point (and still sometimes does) considered wanting to get into gaming journalism, news like this is really discouraging and the industry as a whole is disheartening as well. People say they hired the "best person for the job" but if the industry continues to play out the way it has for however long, then the "best person for the job" will NEVER be a minority, woman etc.

And why? Because the best person for the job will always be "generic white dude #3" who probably has 10+ years of experience, has lived in New York or Cali the majority of their lives and is likely already friends with the same other 100 or so people that have held the same positions for years.

So how is a minority or woman ever supposed to even reach a position where they become the "best person for the job" when the majority of the time they're never given the opportunity for any advancement or even the chance to build a portfolio of credible work on the same level as a Dan Ryckert when all the jobs all go to the same people?

It's the equivalent of Hollywood casting the same 10 or 12 guys for the same leading roles in films year after year and when the directors are questioned for their hiring procedures they go "hey man, I just hired the best guy for the role, he's a proven actor with years of experience!" Well no shit, none of the new guys ever really got a chance to show what they could do because you always go with same bets that have already been established. No one is asking for sites like GB to force diversity for the sake of diversity but the truth is that diversity in large part is never going to "naturally happen" if the industry never opens itself to "naturally change" and present new opportunities

Times are changing though and sites like Twitch and YouTube have opened up the door for people to make names for themselves in new ways that sidestep a lot of these problems but it's still an issue regardless. If history has shown us anything though, whether it be television, film, music, art, etc., if minorities or women want to have positions in these fields, they have to create their own things as the majority of the industry will never really give a fuck about you and remain a closed-off revolving door of the same faces gobbling up the lions' share of the work.

I don't want this post to come off as angry or bitter, because I love Giant Bomb and the duders like everybody else does and have been a huge fan for years. I look forward to seeing what Dan and Jason bring to the table for GB and feel they were great hires, but we can't deny the greater issue at hand and pretend it's not a problem that doesn't exist.

I agree with all of the concern over the implications of an overwhelmingly insular and homogenized profession. What I don't understand is why it's leading to such vitriol towards Giant Bomb specifically.

Jeff is hiring based on the individuals who were presented. Of those, Dan was almost certainly the best choice. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been hired. That gaming journalist are overwhelmingly white and male is disconcerting, but that's not something that can be expected to be reasonably addressed by an outlet as small and in desperate need of a talented employee who doesn't need an extensive amount of training as Giant Bomb. It feels like some people are conflating their understandable disdain for what these new employees represent with the site itself.

 

[John Rabbit]

So it's just a straight male or female? Or am I misunderstanding?

sexual orientation (homo/hetero/asexual/bisexual) is not the same as gender (man/gender-queer/woman) which is not the same as sex (male/transsexual/female).

Maybe this is helpful:

it's not helpful because the passage of text you quoted essentially communicates that white people are not capable of being discriminated against because of their race. this is (again) in-of-itself a racist sentiment. you are supporting a blanket statement about an entire race (whites) based purely on the color of their skin.

 

[Lefein]

Giant bomb is a personality run site. It's not even about the most qualified person bit who fits in with the crew. Odds are it's going to be some white guys

Ding! Someone gets it

I will say, the pure amount of hatred and vitriol on the internet over the subject is pretty sad.

 

[SuperSonic1305]

To all people saying they hired the "best for the the job", I'll just copy my post from the GB thread:

I definitely think there's some people that are in the wrong for blaming Giant Bomb exclusively, as if they've done a big misgiving to the gaming journalist community, but I also feel that this hiring news is also just being used as a focal point for larger industry issues. As an African-American myself and someone who at one point (and still sometimes does) considered wanting to get into gaming journalism, news like this is really discouraging and the industry as a whole is disheartening as well. People say they hired the "best person for the job" but if the industry continues to play out the way it has for however long, then the "best person for the job" will NEVER be a minority, woman etc.

And why? Because the best person for the job will always be "generic white dude #3" who probably has 10+ years of experience, has lived in New York or Cali the majority of their lives and is likely already friends with the same other 100 or so people that have held the same positions for years.

So how is a minority or woman ever supposed to even reach a position where they become the "best person for the job" when the majority of the time they're never given the opportunity for any advancement or even the chance to build a portfolio of credible work on the same level as a Dan Ryckert when all the jobs all go to the same people?

It's the equivalent of Hollywood casting the same 10 or 12 guys for the same leading roles in films year after year and when the directors are questioned for their hiring procedures they go "hey man, I just hired the best guy for the role, he's a proven actor with years of experience!" Well no shit, none of the new guys ever really got a chance to show what they could do because you always go with same bets that have already been established. No one is asking for sites like GB to force diversity for the sake of diversity but the truth is that diversity in large part is never going to "naturally happen" if the industry never opens itself to "naturally change" and present new opportunities

Times are changing though and sites like Twitch and YouTube have opened up the door for people to make names for themselves in new ways that sidestep a lot of these problems but it's still an issue regardless. If history has shown us anything though, whether it be television, film, music, art, etc., if minorities or women want to have positions in these fields, they have to create their own things as the majority of the industry will never really give a fuck about you and remain a closed-off revolving door of the same faces gobbling up the lions' share of the work.

I don't want this post to come off as angry or bitter, because I love Giant Bomb and the duders like everybody else does and have been a huge fan for years. I look forward to seeing what Dan and Jason bring to the table for GB and feel they were great hires, but we can't deny the greater issue at hand and pretend it's not a problem that doesn't exist.

Giant Bomb is a relatively small website with a limited budget. They can't be expected to take chances on people with less experience especially in light of the the people who they've lost or had move away in the last year. Their most experienced video guy just moved across the country to start a new office. That's not someone you replace easily or from a large pool of candidates.

 

[Zeyphersan]

Giant bomb is a personality run site. It's not even about the most qualified person bit who fits in with the crew. Odds are it's going to be some white guys

I have a hard time believing that the only people who can get along with the GB crew are other white guys. And if that's the case, seems like that's an even bigger problem.

 

[Avallon]

Giant Bomb is a relatively small website with a limited budget. They can't be expected to take chances on people with less experience especially in light of the the people who they've lost or had move away in the last year. Their most experienced video guy just moved across the country to start a new office. That's not someone you replace easily or from a large pool of candidates.

They're owned by CBS. I think you may be underestimating their budget.

 

[Aaron-Lagann]

This passive aggressive use of "SJW" (social justice warrior) needs to stop. Social Justice is not a new "thing" and is an important issue across all walks of life, across the world.

I don't see the problem with the term at all, some people take social views too far and give those views a bad name, like the woman saying fuck off to someone raising a question of equality. I'm all for social matters and think they're extremely important, but I don't want to be associated with people who act the way a lot of these people do.

It's essentially the same thing as the term feminist, it has an actual meaning but is so across the board associated with crazy people that people freak out at the sight of the word. Even though it doesn't technically have a negative connotation, people gave it one.

 

[Darklord]

Yes, that's why it's a problem. You literally sound like you just want to throw your hands up in the air and say "oh well, nothing we can do!"

How is this giantbombs responsibility? They're a small website who hires the most qualified staff. They hired Patrick because of his amazing articles at G4 and especially the breaking news about Infinity Ward going to shit.Not because he was white. It should be up to the bigger websites to become more diverse where they can spread their wings a bit and also train interns. There would have been 5000 white guys who applied and were tossed in the trash.

It's also a site where personality matters. They probably knew and got on well with both of these guys, again, like they did with Patrick.

They're owned by CBS. I think you may be underestimating their budget.

I think you underestimate how tight big companies are.

 

[Trouble]

And there is nothing wrong with that.

If the Giant Bomb crew can't get on well with someone who isn't white and male, there is definitely something wrong.

Not I think that's the case.

They're owned by CBS. I think you may be underestimating their budget.

Don't be fooled into thinking being owned by a large corporation means you don't have to turn a profit or at least break even.

 

[Sylvrfonic]

So it's just a straight male or female? Or am I misunderstanding?

I think it means your sex matches how you gender-identify. Sexual preference isn't the important part here.

Cis=
Born male identify as male
Born female identify as female

Trans=
Conditions not covered in Cis

(not an authority on this matter but I this is how I understand it.)

 

[Marcel]

What's baffling is people brushing off our concerns as some twisted "reverse
racism/sexism" when it's no secret that white males are far more privileged
than others with regards to career opportunities.

Being willfully ignorant of actual white/male privilege is basically preferring your head firmly in the sand and we shouldn't have to pretend like that's valid way to act in the year 2014.

 

[orochi91]

The issue here is that Giantbomb hired two people who have been in the industry for many years. Instead of bringing someone new into the industry instead the trend of just trading the same old guard around from company to company continues which furthers the inclusive nature of the industry. It's the same problem across pretty much all industry.

This is an excellent point. I didn't even consider this until I saw you post.

 

[ChawlieTheFair]

sexual orientation (homo/hetero/asexual/bisexual) is not the same as gender (man/gender-queer/woman) which is not the same as sex (male/transsexual/female).

Yes I know.

Somebody already explained what it is, didn't understand that "identifying as X" was part of it.

 

[OnimaruXLR]

The people criticizing GB for hiring two dudes are silly, but the people freaking out at the critics are acting like shitheads.

I have to kind of wonder how many qualified women were even interested in the job. Working at GB isn't just a writing gig, that website is like 30% comedy and over 50% video and audio content. The most delightful ladies I've heard on the mic in games all seem to have jobs either working at publishers. It's not the same skillset that most game journalists have. Take Leigh Alexander herself. She's a good writer, but the one time she popped in for GB's E3 show she was a drunken mess.

Beyond that, GB is still kind of a fly-by-night-at-the-seat-of-your-pants operation, CBS or not. Is it the kind of job that a lot of the more qualified people would even really want? Is trying to insert yourself into a such a tightly knit group of homeys who go so far back even appealing? Patrick was able to do it because he has a history of "breaking" actually important game news to stand on (He's also pretty financially stable, relatively speaking, so it's not like he's particularly chuffed about livelihoods in comparison to some folks' situation)

None of this is cause for people to react like shitheads, of course. I just don't think that working at GB is necessarily appealing to a lot of the people who COULD do the job. And I say that as a fan, and as a non-white dude

 

[GavinUK86]

I'm with ya

 

[Messofanego]

Didn't know Leigh Alexander hated everything Giant Bomb this much, but maybe she still gets hate? But her articles are always highlighted in Patrick Klepek's Worth Reading...

 

[Avallon]

I think you underestimate how tight big companies are.

I think you are overestimating how large companies handle budgets.

I think none of us know Giant Bomb's budget. We probably shouldn't use it as a discussion piece without that knowledge.

 

[Fantastapotamus]

They're owned by CBS. I think you may be underestimating their budget.

I think you are overestimating how large companies handle budgets.

 

[Pickles the Firecat]

Nobody is ignoring the issue, but using GB as an example is simply creating another useless issue. Find the people who are actually going out of their way to not hire based on race or sex.

I'm black, and I've worked my ass off in the industry. I'm in a different spot, so I can't speak fully, but I'd totally want someone to hire me based on my skills and not my race. That's what it should come down to - skills, and here is an example of this.

Diversity is desirable in and of itself. Diversity is a beneficial hiring outcome in and of itself. Homogeny for a media outlet is a bad thing, social circumstances aside. So when people parrot the "most qualified" line over and over again it misses the point. You can reach a place where the "most qualified" person is not the best person to hire. You need differing perspectives, you need people who can approach the world from a distinct background, and you need the ability to source opinions from more than one limited range of experiences. Hiring nothing but "qualified" white men (who are qualified by virtue of being white and men, most often, as written in previous post) is not the best creative outcome.

Example: if Jeff Green applied for a position at Giant Bomb, he would almost unquestionably be the most qualified applicant. That does not mean he would be the best hire. His salary would be higher. His perspective would be from an older age demographic (which could be a good thing!). You would expose yourself to the possibility that he leaves for a better job opportunity. You would be gaining redundant (in all likelihood) life experiences, which means redundant opinions, which means redundant writing, which means narrowing your potential audience. Of course there are obvious benefits to hiring Jeff (talent, built in audience, etc). But they are offset but disadvantages. Jeff Green would be the most qualified applicant for the job. Jeff Green might not be the best person to hire.

More personally, it's really annoying when people talk about diversity and social issues in gaming but never back it up with their actions. For an outfit that is so front and center in terms of progressive views toward the gaming industry, it's disappointing that those views never impact their personal decisions. It's disappointing when there is nothing to distinguish Giant Bomb from the rest of the industry aside from their words. I understand fully that the two men hired were qualified, and I am happy for them. I look forward to reading them and I look forward to hearing them. But I am sad that yet again I am going to be fed opinions from the same demographic slice that has been feeding me opinions my entire life.

 

[giant_frying_pan]

The dregs of the community, which every community has (even GAF) are ruining it for the rest of us. That's what's happening.

 

[sechsterangriff]

So how is a minority or woman ever supposed to even reach a position where they become the "best person for the job" when the majority of the time they're never given the opportunity for any advancement or even the chance to build a portfolio of credible work on the same level as a Dan Ryckert when all the jobs all go to the same people?

By starting from the bottom up like every other trainee. Over time women will naturally climb the ranks. The jobs these "same people" with years of experience get are usually more senior positions. You can't (or shouldn't) just put someone inexperienced on such positions.

If there aren't enough lower positions from to start with to the point that the existing few are now being filled by veterans, then that's a completely different issue. It may be frustrating, but that's the market talking (in that it's shrinking) and that's completely different can of worms. It's far from being an issue exclusive to women, but to young adults in general looking for a job in that area.

The real problem arises if you aren't allowed a fair chance to progress in your career, and that, sadly, continues to happen. But as long as there's a fair evaluation process in place that shouldn't happen frequently.

 

[Levi]

Video games are dominated by white males. That's just how it is. If they sit down and look at 50 people and the top 2 are white males then how is that equal or fair for them to be denied a job that they deserve because of their race and gender?

Because diverse voices would improve the site? Because two guys who offer more of the same thing they already have does not in any way help the site grow? Because "that's just how it is" is a shitty reason to perpetuate inequality?

 

[Draft]

Go fuck yourself. Jeez!

 

[iMax]

Maybe this is helpful:

I think that term becomes entirely relevant when a white person misses out on a job because of their skin colour in favour of somebody else of an ethnic minority, in order to check some sort of tokenistic box to promote a corporation's hollow values and ideals without recognising hard work and experience.

 

[Rhaknar]

She has long since turned the ridicule from fans over her legitimately goofy drunken appearance into a slight from GB themselves, going by the tone of her tweets every time they come up.

That tweet is so much MRA ammo in a handful of characters... *sigh*

Really unpleasant personality.

ok I did not know that . oh well to each its own, didnt like her before (and no not because shes a woman lol), still dont like her, and thats fine

 

[Valtýr]

This is the issue I have as well. No one seems to want to risk hiring a new fresh face that could be as capable or qualified, or even train them to be as capable or qualified.

And don't get me wrong. I completely understand why it's done. From a cost and resource perspective, hiring someone completely new makes ZERO sense if there's a completely qualified veteran ready to go right NOW.

 

[Aaron-Lagann]

Didn't know Leigh Alexander hated everything Giant Bomb this much, but maybe she still gets hate? But her articles are always highlighted in Patrick Klepek's Worth Reading...

I would not be surprised if she still got hate from those podcasts, she was honestly a little insufferable. But her being insufferable had nothing to do with her gender, which is what the community probably jumped on.

 

[Papercuts]

Jesus christ. Completely reasonable viewpoint responded to with GO FUCK URSELF because mindless controversy is fun.

 

[- J - D -]

Giant bomb is a personality run site. It's not even about the most qualified person bit who fits in with the crew. Odds are it's going to be some white guys

GB as is is changing anyway. The west coast crew as it is now is comprised of members of differing personalities. Jeff isn't like Brad, Brad isn't like Drew, Drew isn't like Matt Rorie, Matt Rorie isn't like Alexis, and so on. Alexis himself isn't white.

Why would race have anything to do with how a person fits into the crew? They've had minorities and women on the podcast before.

If it's about the kind of friends the GB crew have, then that's some other discussion entirely.

 

[GavinUK86]

Didn't know Leigh Alexander hated everything Giant Bomb this much, but maybe she still gets hate? But her articles are always highlighted in Patrick Klepek's Worth Reading...

Wow. Salty.

 

[Marcel]

I think that term becomes entirely relevant when a white person misses out on a job because of their skin colour in favour of somebody else of an ethnic minority, in order to check some sort of tokenistic box to promote a corporation's hollow values and ideals without recognising hard work and experience.

Is there a situation where this actually happening or are you also promoting the flimsy argument that there is racism against whites because of affirmative action?

 

[ghostmind]

Didn't know Leigh Alexander hated everything Giant Bomb this much, but maybe she still gets hate? But her articles are always highlighted in Patrick Klepek's Worth Reading...

Don't give her excuses.

 

[ChawlieTheFair]

Didn't know Leigh Alexander hated everything Giant Bomb this much, but maybe she still gets hate? But her articles are always highlighted in Patrick Klepek's Worth Reading...

What an asshole.

That doesn't make sense, what kind of logic is that?

 

[Mahonay]

This is not how a professional adult behaves on a public forum.

 

[jordisok]

wut

Man, I must be getting old because all of these new-found labels are fucking stupid.

Congrats on being dismissive of a term you've just learned.

 

[SnakeEyes]

Go fuck yourself. Jeez!

Certainly not the most thought-out of responses, I agree.

 

[Mushroomer25]

They're owned by CBS. I think you may be underestimating their budget.

It took them nearly a year to fill Ryan's seat after his departure. Both Vinny & Patrick left the main office because living in San Fran wasn't viable on their budget. I think you're overestimating their budget.

 

[dark10x]

Maybe this is helpful:

You really seem to be of the opinion that if they don't fall into those categories they can't be discriminated against.

As someone that left their home country for my wife's career rather than my own and now deal with being excluded regularly I find that a bit narrow minded. Jobs are already tight but I don't fit the cultural mold here and it has eliminated me from the running plenty of times over.

 

[Zeyphersan]

And there is nothing wrong with that.

Yes, there is something wrong with that if the only personalities they can get along with are those of other white guys. How would that not be a problem?

 

[Kaizer]

I agree with all of the concern over the implications of an overwhelmingly insular and homogenized profession. What I don't understand is why it's leading to such vitriol towards Giant Bomb specifically.

Jeff is hiring based on the individuals who were presented. Of those, Dan was almost certainly the best choice. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been hired. That gaming journalist are overwhelmingly white and male is disconcerting, but that's not something that can be expected to be reasonably addressed by an outlet as small and in desperate need of a talented employee who doesn't need an extensive amount of training as Giant Bomb. It feels like some people are conflating their understandable disdain for what these new employees represent with the site itself.

Giant Bomb is a relatively small website with a limited budget. They can't be expected to take chances on people with less experience especially in light of the the people who they've lost or had move away in the last year. Their most experienced video guy just moved across the country to start a new office. That's not someone you replace easily or from a large pool of candidates.

I agree with all of this, I was merely just trying to shed some light of the perspective of why some people are having extreme reactions to this news. I don't agree with thrashing Giant Bomb, or the current Twitter lashings that are occuring on both sides of this discussion currently.