Random Rants LXIX: Life is a Dismal Chore

[The_J]

Oh, I don't doubt that it exists (although I don't think it's very prevalent, but I might be wrong), but I doubt that the term in all seriousness has been applied properly.
In most cases most likely not, because you cannot e.g. call the lack of elevators in a specific building "ableism", because nobody ever had the intent to be mean to a person in a wheelchair. In contrast, if you'd poke fun at someone not being able to where he wants to due to the disability, that would probably be "ableism", but most people would refer to it as being dickheads.

 

[Lexicus]

because nobody ever had the intent to be mean to a person in a wheelchair.

And this is exactly what I'm talking about, because only cartoon villains really "intend to be mean" to people. Ableism is not perpetrated by people who cackle with laughter about how evil they are as they stroke their bald cats.

 

[Ryika]

That article is pretty silly in my opinion.

He almost makes it sound like he has to play those hard games, but he does not at all. Most (singleplayer) games these days are either already rather easy by themselves, or offer an "easy difficulty"-setting, that's why games that do require a higher level of skill, and/or ability to learn from mistakes, stand out so much. It is precisely what makes them interesting. There is nothing wrong with people wanting these games to be hard - and wanting these games not to have an easy difficulty setting is fine, too, as it would dilute the experience of a community that is precisely there because it is a hard game. Games like Dark Souls are what they are because they give that sort of community exactly what they're looking for. Not every game has to be accessible and interesting for everybody, and wanting to play exactly that game even though you know you have a disability that prevents you from "gittin gud" is just idiotic.

It's again like a dwarf insisting that they change the rules by which basketball is played because they can't compete. The difference is of course that games generally have more to offer than just the competition, but there are so many ways to experience games without actually playing them. If a person is really interested in the cuphead storyline for some reason, surely they can find a let's play on youtube.

 

[choxorn]

Do you also complain when real women share images of themselves in underwear on social media?

I don't really see how that relates to my complaint- it's not just about her not wearing much, it's about the presentation, about who chose to make her look like that and why. A woman posting a picture of themselves in their underwear on social media has agency- a video game character looks like that because some male game designer thought she'd look sexy and fit his fantasies like that.

Oh, I don't doubt that it exists (although I don't think it's very prevalent, but I might be wrong), but I doubt that the term in all seriousness has been applied properly.
In most cases most likely not, because you cannot e.g. call the lack of elevators in a specific building "ableism", because nobody ever had the intent to be mean to a person in a wheelchair. In contrast, if you'd poke fun at someone not being able to where he wants to due to the disability, that would probably be "ableism", but most people would refer to it as being dickheads.

But that's still discriminating against the wheelchair-bound by not letting them access the building, why does the intent matter?

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Canon Pixma MP620

I had a variation of the same model and it lasted for about three years. Suddenly would not turn on anymore.
Maybe those printers just suck.

 

[cardgame]

I don't really see how that relates to my complaint- it's not just about her not wearing much, it's about the presentation, about who chose to make her look like that and why. A woman posting a picture of themselves in their underwear on social media has agency- a video game character looks like that because some male game designer thought she'd look sexy and fit his fantasies like that.

So if it was a female game designer it would be fine? It's just sexism all the way down then.

But that's still discriminating against the wheelchair-bound by not letting them access the building, why does the intent matter?

What does intent matter?

like 2,000 years of western civilization says intent matters

 

[Commodore]

Can you link the article that claims that Cuphead

No article, just a bunch of social media posts. You know, tweets and Facebook statuses, etc.

 

[Ryika]

I don't really see how that relates to my complaint- it's not just about her not wearing much, it's about the presentation, about who chose to make her look like that and why. A woman posting a picture of themselves in their underwear on social media has agency- a video game character looks like that because some male game designer thought she'd look sexy and fit his fantasies like that.

First of all: Why a "male" game designer? Do bisexual and lesbian women not exist in your mind? Do you not think a heterosexual woman could still enjoy a sexy character?
Secondly: I don't see the importance of that difference. Yes, a woman who shows pictures of herself in underwear uses her agency, and a character that is designed to look sexy has no agency, but they also have no right for self-determination that could be violated, so "why" is it bad if a video game character is sexualized for the enjoyment of the players? Surely if it is some Appeal to consequences ala "It will teach young men to disrespect women and see them as sex objects.", then the same is true for the woman who shows pictures of herself in underwear.

No article, just a bunch of social media posts. You know, tweets and Facebook statuses, etc.

I see. Well, then tbh, I think it's even less important, because I doubt designers who have intentionally created a game to have a high difficulty curve will have much of a reaction, other than rolling their eyes.

 

[Akka]

What does intent matter?

like 2,000 years of western civilization says intent matters

Make that the whole human psyche and every logical thought process.

 

[Lexicus]

What does intent matter?

like 2,000 years of western civilization says intent matters

Oh so if your building doesn't have wheelchair access I guess it's not a real problem unless the person who built the building intentionally wanted to keep people in wheelchairs out, we can all rest easy

 

[The_J]

Oh so if your building doesn't have wheelchair access I guess it's not a real problem unless the person who built the building intentionally wanted to keep people in wheelchairs out, we can all rest easy

No, but it's a different issue.
It matters if I forgot something, or if I wanted to screw you over.
Simple example: I am a restaurant owner, and I compose my menu.
At the end, someone points out that all my dishes contain pork.
#1 I hate muslims, I do not want any in my restaurant, therefore everything contains pork.
#2 I like pork, my bet dishes are made with pork, I am really good at it.
Which of both options would you label "racist"? (or religio-ist, or however you want to call it)
The intent is different, the result is the same for the customer.
Same for the wheelchair access. You are not be able to enter the building, that's the result. Applying the word "ableism" here is far fetched though. Nobody wanted to mess with the person sitting in the wheelchair. It was most likely just forgotten. It's not the same as if someone willingly says "I want to keep disabled people out", there "ableism" would be applied properly.

 

[Traitorfish]

If the end result of ignorance is indistinguishable from that of malice, then what makes one more forgivable than the other? It can only be in a willingness to acknowledge and correct- and the proof of that is surely in the act of acknowledging and correcting.

 

[Lexicus]

Applying the word "ableism" here is far fetched though.

So is your problem just an inability to understand ableism as something other than an individual's prejudice against or dislike of disabled people?

 

[Sommerswerd]

And this is exactly what I'm talking about, because only cartoon villains really "intend to be mean" to people. Ableism is not perpetrated by people who cackle with laughter about how evil they are as they stroke their bald cats.

As I recall Dr. Evil's cabinet of Evil was quite inclusive in terms of the disabled... There was a vertically challenged member, a morbidly obese member, a member who was missing an eye...

No black guys (or any people of color IIRC) though ... so super racist, obviously

Spoiler :

 

[Gori the Grey]

And a member who was missing his "lucky charms"

 

[The_J]

If the end result of ignorance is indistinguishable from that of malice, then what makes one more forgivable than the other? It can only be in a willingness to acknowledge and correct- and the proof of that is surely in the act of acknowledging and correcting.

Yes, that is true.
But not what I'm talking about .

So is your problem just an inability to understand ableism as something other than an individual's prejudice against or dislike of disabled people?

I'm trying to explain that what some people would label as ableism is in fact neither prejudice nor dislike.
But oversight.

 

[Lexicus]

I'm trying to explain that what some people would label as ableism is in fact neither prejudice nor dislike.
But oversight.

And I'm trying to tell you that it doesn't matter, that the effect of excluding people from public spaces is the same whether it's malice or oversight, and I'm going to call it ableism either way so you can just go with it or you can keep on arguing.

 

[The_J]

Na, I'm fine, you're free to mis-define whatever you want .

 

[Takhisis]

I hate myself

Don't.

Our printer crapped out right after we bought a ~year long supply of ink. Thankfully the ink was recycled cartridges so it was dirt cheap but still. The worst part is that there is nothing mechanically wrong with the printer, they just stopped supporting its software and one of the recent Windows 10 updates broke it.

And of course we realize this when we actually need to use it.

A bit belated but I've been off CFC for about a fortnight: If the OS is the problem, maybe you could check whether there are generic controllers for any Ubuntu/Mint distros of Linux? It's what I did for an HP one.

You browse a few books on Jewish history, and Amazon assumes that you want to become either a convert or an anti-Semite. I'd have hoped that there was some space between the two.

It's the invisible hand of the market, catching up with you.

 

[choxorn]

I'm trying to explain that what some people would label as ableism is in fact neither prejudice nor dislike.
But oversight.

Even if you don't outright dislike the disabled in that case, that still means you're being inconsiderate of them, which is still a dick move.