Changes: Feminist Frequency Kickstarter backlash

Latest revision as of 06:25, 26 March 2017

The Feminist Frequency Kickstarter backlash was a widespread harassment campaign directed at Anita Sarkeesian and some of her supporters and defenders. It followed a fundraising project launched by Sarkeesian in May 2012 to fund her Feminist Frequency video project.

Harassment

The goal of the Kickstarter to raise funds for Sarkeesian to produce videos outlining tropes about women in computer gaming.

Sarkeesian documented widespread harassment on her blog in response to the fundraiser. Sarkeesian was the subject of a torrent of hostile Youtube comments, and of manipulated photographs portraying her as a victim of physical violence.

Eventually an amateur video game was produced allowing players to simulate beating Sarkeesian. The game, called "Beat Up Anita Sarkeesian", was discussed in the Huffington Post. Since the username of the creator Ben Spurr was the same as his Twitter username (@bendilin), feminist Steph Guthrie confronted Spurr on Twitter and subsequently received death threats.

Documentation

Sarkeesian's harassment

Sarkeesian documented harassment on her blog:

Other coverage:

Guthrie's actions against Spurr's game

Threats against Guthrie

Funds raised

The Kickstarter campaign was enormously successful, raising its initial goal of $6000 inside 24 hours, and eventually raising nearly $159000, allowing Sarkeesian to work on the project full-time.

Videos

See Feminist Frequency for details of Sarkeesian's project and videos.

External links

Feminist Frequency homepage
Kickstarter campaign page
Sarkeesian's TEDx Women talk in late 2012 (Sarkeesian has provided a transcript)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-The '''Feminist Frequency kickstarter''' or '''Tropes vs. Women in Video Games kickstarter''' was a fundraising project launched by [[Anita Sarkeesian]] in May 2012. The goal was to raise funds for Sarkeesian to produce videos outlining tropes about women in computer [[gaming]].
+The '''Feminist Frequency Kickstarter backlash''' was a widespread [[harassment]] campaign directed at [[Anita Sarkeesian]] and some of her supporters and defenders. It followed a fundraising project launched by Sarkeesian in May 2012 to fund her [[Feminist Frequency]] video project.
-The kickstarter campaign was enormously successful, raising its initial goal of $6000 inside 24 hours, and eventually raising nearly $169000, allowing Sarkeesian to work on the project full-time.
 ==Harassment==
+The goal of the Kickstarter to raise funds for Sarkeesian to produce videos outlining tropes about women in computer [[gaming]].
-Sarkeesian documented several incidents of targetted [[harassment]]during her fundraising:
-The game, called "Beat Up Anita Sarkeesian", was discussed in the Huffington Post. The username of the creator Ben Spurr was the same as his Twitter username (@bendilin). Steph Guthrie confronted Spurr on Twitter and subsequently received death threads.
+Sarkeesian documented widespread harassment on her blog in response to the fundraiser. Sarkeesian was the subject of a torrent of hostile Youtube comments, and of manipulated photographs portraying her as a victim of physical violence.
-==Documentation==
-===Sarkeesian's harassment===
+Eventually an amateur video game was produced allowing players to simulate beating Sarkeesian. The game, called "Beat Up Anita Sarkeesian", was discussed in the Huffington Post. Since the username of the creator Ben Spurr was the same as his Twitter username (@bendilin), feminist [[Steph Guthrie]] confronted Spurr on Twitter and subsequently received death threats.
+===Documentation===
+====Sarkeesian's harassment====
 Sarkeesian documented harassment on her blog:
 *[http://www.feministfrequency.com/2012/06/harassment-misogyny-and-silencing-on-youtube/ harassing Youtube comments]
@@ Line 14: / Line 16: @@
 Other coverage:
 *[http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/07/06/internet-trolls-online-beat-up-anita-sarkeesian-game_n_1653473.html?utm_hp_ref=uk Huffington Post describes "Beat Up Anita Sarkeesian"]
+*[http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/07/13/on-anita-sarkeesian-sexism-in-video-games-and-why-we-need-to-have-the-conversation-even-if-it-feeds-the-trolls/ On Sarkeesian's harassment and the need to discuss sexism in video games]
-===Guthrie's actions against Spurr's game===
+====Guthrie's actions against Spurr's game====
 *[http://storify.com/WiTOpoli/why-is-this-conversation-necessary-ben-spurr Storify page showing Steph Guthrie's actions against Spurr's game]
 *[https://soundcloud.com/dreahouston/stephanie-guthrie-talks-anita Guthrie is interviewed]
-===Threats against Guthrie===
+====Threats against Guthrie====
 *[http://sodisarmingdarling.tumblr.com/post/26700327003/man-disagrees-with-woman-makes-game-about-punching emma .m. woolley documents threats against Guthrie]
 *[http://www.gameranx.com/features/id/7851/article/woman-receives-death-threats-for-confronting-bendilin-spurr-misogynist-game-designer/ Coverage of threats against Guthrie]
+== Funds raised ==
+The Kickstarter campaign was enormously successful, raising its initial goal of $6000 inside 24 hours, and eventually raising nearly $159000, allowing Sarkeesian to work on the project full-time.
+==Videos==
+''See [[Feminist Frequency]] for details of Sarkeesian's project and videos.''
 ==External links==
 *[http://www.feministfrequency.com/ Feminist Frequency homepage]
@@ Line 26: / Line 36: @@
 *[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZAxwsg9J9Q Sarkeesian's TEDx Women talk in late 2012] (Sarkeesian has provided [http://www.feministfrequency.com/2012/12/tedxwomen-talk-on-sexist-harassment-cyber-mobs/ a transcript])
 [[Category:Incidents]]
-[[Category:Resources]]
 [[Category:Gaming]]
+[[Category:2012]]