#GamerGate: NeoGAF Owner Outs Himself With Misogynistic Behavior

NeoGaf

Battling against sexists; fighting for equality; stomping out misogyny; quieting harassment; confronting abuse. Those idiosyncratic principles are usually what make up for what we consider to be those who fight against social injustice(s). Usually, we revere those who take a stand against the aforementioned cruelties of today’s society. However, it’s hard to dump praise on someone who purposefully goes out of their way to use “social justice” as a blanket to hide their own spiteful agendas.

If the lede feels convoluted and vague, don’t worry. I’ll fill you in.

First, you need to know what #GamerGate is. There’s a brief time-line of events in this article here. You can get caught up on most of the relevant happenings in this fast-moving social movement.

Now on to the good bits.

NeoGAF is the internet’s premiere forum board for video game industry employees, enthusiasts, fans, gamers and journalists. NeoGAF became its own entity in 2006 and is currently owned by Tyler Malka. It takes quite a while to get accepted into their fraternity, and waiting times can be anywhere from days up to several months. In short, it’s kind of a prestigious forum club for the gaming industry.

Well, in the embroiled battle over the soul of game culture, the majority of the outspoken members of the NeoGAF community have actively sided against the #GamerGate movement. Their motives are entrenched in the belief that those supporting #GamerGate are pushing a blinded, misogynistic agenda and that #GamerGaters are being manipulated by those from 4chan. This article here explains exactly what #GamerGate is about as well as adhering to how the movement originally started and who was involved (using facts, not presupposition or presumptuous conjecture).

NeoGAF has allowed for the discussion of #GamerGate on the forums, but they’re doing so with excessively strict moderation. As noted in the screenshot below.

NeoGAF has always had a reputation for handing out bans, but some believe that they have gone to the extreme since the #GamerGate movement has kicked into full gear, as evidenced in the screenshot below…

This has created a somewhat openly hostile environment toward anyone supporting the #GamerGate movement who participates in discussions on NeoGAF.

However, what’s interesting is that the owner of NeoGAF, Tyler Malka, seems to have his own issues with dealing with the opposite gender he and his site supposedly are white-knighting to protect against harassment and abuse.

After first making it known that he was against the #GamerGate movement, as evidenced in the Tweet below…

He managed to find himself pelted by those who did not agree with NeoGAF’s stance or their abrasive treatment toward anyone who didn’t align with their radical views.

In fact, Twitter user Miss Crocodile had tweeted displeasure at the whole anti-#GamerGate group, posting the following messages…

Miss Crocodile then proceeded to directly address Malka after he dismissed #GamerGate as not being about ethics in games journalism or the corruption and cronyism that has taken the industry by storm. Despite the fact that there are already substantial allegations of racketeering as well as former games journalists who have come forward to decry the state of games journalism.

Nevertheless, here’s how Malka – a supposedly avid champion for social justice, judging by the way NeoGAF is being steered in their narrative discourse – responded to Miss Crocodile [Tweet links]. [Warning for those who may be sensitive to crude and/or vulgar language.]

That’s not even the worst of it.

A blog post captured images of Malka (known on NeoGAF as “EviLore”) making crude, sexist and disparaging remarks in a conversation with a female forum member.

I’ll link the image below so you can see it in its entirety. You can judge whether or not NeoGAF has true intentions for championing feminism and true social justice advocacy for yourself.

For those who don’t want to click the link, here’s the significant statement that Malka makes in that thread…

“Sexual objectification is great. Harassment is not.”

Remember, #GamerGate has no leaders; it’s steered by pure conviction from gamers the world around to heed the gaming industry away from corruption and politically motivated agendas levied against the hobby. Consider what Malka stands for and who he is as an individual, and question how someone like that could represent equality and progressive statures when he himself is an advocate of the behavior his forum supposedly despises?



  • Bozo Sapien

    NeoGAF has been extremely critical of SJW journalists in the past. I’ve seen lists on the forum of sites not to support. Once #GamerGate blew up suddenly the mods and admins are corralling everyone into not supporting it. Someone might want to look into Tyler Malka’s finances because he sure seems to be living comfortably and traveling the world on NeoGAF money. There’s no way all that is coming from banner ads.

    • Cobretti

      You must’ve been reading some weird alternative neogaf from the twilight zone. Neogaf has been banning people by the dozens in every Sarkeesian thread for years, and the moderators are very openly feminists with no sense of humor whatsoever (the kind that gets “triggered” and lashes out). They are also nerdy white men, for the record. Nerdy white men banning women while calling them misogynistic neckbeards.

      The people who still have their accounts without being crazy SJWs are the ones who steer clear of any such topics, or are willing to lower their heads and walk on eggshells.

      • Bozo Sapien

        I wasn’t talking about Sarkeesian. Nobody wants to touch that topic. I was referring to the numerous times journalists have said something that angered the hive and they’ve been branded as “biased” and “to be avoided.” Basically anyone who has even been slightly critical of Sony since it’s blatantly obvious that NeoGAF is nothing more than a roach bait site.

  • Lord Darque

    Wow. What a dick. I guess the idea is that he can be rude and insulting but nobody better call him on it or they get banned.

  • tetrisdork

    You know what’s killing games journalism? It’s nepotism. It is the belief that they are better than us.

    Also, wow. What an a-hole.

    • Billy

      Gotta be honest… didn’t really want to write this one. Feels like this was hitting below the belt.

      However, there are articles circulating right now praising this guy for standing up for women’s rights and supporting Anita, Zoe and the rest of the justice warriors.

      It really does make me sick that our media could be this distorted. They would actually praise a sexist pig than tell the truth? Really? I just… wow… wow.

      • Lord Darque

        You don’t win wars by being nice.

        Heard that in a movie not too long ago. They set the rules and the tone. It did not have to be this way but they have left us little choice.

        Good job William. It needed to be done.

      • Billy

        Thanks… but dang.

        This is getting ugly and it might get uglier. Jennifer Hale is supposed to be on NPR… she’s pro-SJW. Baldwin tried to interject himself into the fold but I don’t know if it’ll work.

        A round-table would make me feel so much at ease. If she goes on NPR and blasts #GamerGate it’s going to be hard trying to pick back up the momentum.

        And holy crap did you see that Ars article? Man, they just threw journalistic integrity right out of the freaking window. Dang.

        I ended up e-mailing the EIC and linked him to the proper sources… this stuff is just getting out of hand.

      • Lord Darque

        We have nothing to fear from honest journalists looking at GamerGate. And who better than them to pick apart the BS she is likely to spew? No matter what the outcome from this it will encourage others to look and that can only help us.

        The problem right now is that major media sites still don’t get what is going on. All they are doing is seeing the surface which just looks like a bunch of in-fighting among Gamers and the sites that cover them. Nobody is seeing what you and I see. A lack of ethics. Good old boy networks (and yes the fact that the SJWs are benefiting from those is beyond ironic it is the very height of hyprocrisy) and lies so people can make money. Gaming is a $100 billion business this is not some niche market anymore. There are laws sir.

        A tiny percentage of a community is playing dirty to try to force their opinion on the clear majority. I don’t even care what their agenda is that is wrong. They don’t have the right. They are entitled to their opinions and to make honest efforts to convince people. Hell I would support them in that even if I totally disagreed with their cause. I will support anybody who wants to speak out.

        But this is dirty pool. The things you have helped to uncover about IGF make me sick to my stomach and you know there is more.

        If they were doing this honestly you know what? I would be on their side. Does the fact that Barack Obama sits in the Oval Office mean racism is dead? Fuck no. We still have some work to do and I will support anyone who honestly wants to make things better. If even one person is hurt by racism then the battle is not over.

        But I watched one of Sarkeesian’s videos. She used Hitman as an example of what is wrong with video games. She said the game encouraged players to abuse the women. That is a damn lie. It costs you points. Other games don’t do that. Hitman did it right and yet she still used it as an example of what is wrong with video games. I will *not* support that.

        The truth is she does not believe there should have been strippers in the game at all. I am quite certain if it were up to her there would not be any strippers in real life either. That is not up to her. She does *not* get to decide what someone else wants to do with their lives. If a woman wants to get up on stage and make money off of leering men that is her right. Sarkeesian gets to decide if she wants to be a stripper. She does not get to decide for others.

        So let Hale rant. I hope she really, really brings it. Because the fires she is fanning are going to help us burn all this crap down.

      • Billy

        But I watched one of Sarkeesian’s videos. She used Hitman as an example of what is wrong with video games. She said the game encouraged players to abuse the women. That is a damn lie. It costs you points. Other games don’t do that. Hitman did it right and yet she still used it as an example of what is wrong with video games. I will *not* support that.

        LOL majority of her examples are like that.

        NO ONE speaks out against this but instead just says anyone who disagrees is a misogynist. It’s a lurid farce of critical academia.

        Also, Hale’s interview wasn’t that bad. She was tame. I thought about sending a tweet thanking her for not throwing us under the bus, but it’s kind of pointless. Anyway, her and Baldwin will sit down and supposedly have a talk. Hopefully good things come of that.

        Baldwin will also go on the Joe Rogan show, which should be great (though it would probably be better if he brought The Internet Aristocrat with him, because that guy is freaking legit. Dang)

        Anyway, it’s looking good. I feel a little less sordid for the smear articles. Also, Ars updated their crappy piece and made some modifications to their factually inept hit-piece. So it’s not all bad.

      • Jason M

        “didn’t really want to write this one”.
        You shoulda gone with your gut. This hit piece doesn’t broaden anyone’s viewpoint, or further the conversation in any meaningful way.

      • Billy
      • Jamie Lawler

        I think these guys are upset they couldnt break into the industry, very bitter.

  • JoachimRussells

    I wonder what makes some people think that this is somehow worth $10.

    • PartialBuscuit

      wait, you need money to make an account?

      shame, this fool could easily become the next great lolcow

  • Andrew Vrba

    Idiots like you are creating a new era of McCarthyism. Remember the Red Scare? When artists, and filmmakers were black listed left and right, for being suspected communist? Congrats, you’re helping create a similar problem.

    • Billy

      To be honest,

      I don’t care what Malka says about anything. However, it bothers me that this guy is somehow going to be a social justice advocate while practicing the same kind of behavior that he decries.

      This “hit piece” is more like calling out a hypocrite. Had he never taken up the banner for social justice, I honestly wouldn’t care what he did or said. But denouncing #GamerGate as “misogynist” while exacting that same kind of behavior is pretty ridiculous, wouldn’t you say?

      • Andrew Vrba

        I think people need to step back and fucking let hurt feelings be hurt feelings, without turning the gaming industry into the next Red Scare.

      • Billy

        I think people need to step back and fucking let hurt feelings be hurt
        feelings, without turning the gaming industry into the next Red Scare.

        I wholeheartedly agree with this.

        Sadly, this site is being used mostly as a chronicle of the good, the bad and the crappy side of #GamerGate.

        I also fear for the future of the culture when people can’t express themselves through the medium with a particular topic or subject matter, nor can certain individuals criticize that work without being condemned for it.

      • simplicissimus

        Malka’s definitely a hypocrite. A fact he just doesn’t seem to give a shit about. What bothers me though is he’s apparently unaware that this affects his credibility in the eyes of a lot of people. I guess that’s the price of arrogance.