A Conspiracy of Fishes, or, How We Learned to Stop Worrying About #GamerGate and Embrace Hegemonic Masculinity

Abstract

Recently, the margins between gaming and feminism have become increasingly contentious (Salter & Blodgett, 2012). This article addresses a cultural moment where masculine gaming culture became aware of and began responding to feminist game scholars by analyzing GamerGate conspiracy documents and social media discussions related to the now infamous “DiGRA fishbowl.” Worries about the opacity of academic practices and a disparaging of feminist knowledge-making practices dominate these documents. By looking at these discussions and practices through the lens of conspiracy theories (Fenster, 2008; Hofstadter, 1952) and counterknowledge (Fiske, 1994) we consider the broader meaning of GamerGate's attention to academia.

Notes

Notes

¹ We are now glad that we did not write a manifesto.

² Adrienne Shaw has never met, let alone tutored, Anita Sarkeesian or Zoe Quinn.

³ She doesn't, for the record.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shira Chess

Shira Chess (Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) is an assistant professor of Mass Media Arts at the University of Georgia. Her primary areas of interest are video games, gender representation, and digital culture.

Adrienne Shaw

Adrienne Shaw (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania) is professor of Media Studies and Production at Temple University. Her primary areas of interest are video games, gaming culture, the politics of representation, and qualitative audience research.