the majority of my problem with this scenario among other things. I choose to simply not get involved because both sides of this fence are extremely argumentative, just talking at each other instead of to each other. There's no development to made operating from that perspective.
That's exactly how I feel. There's never going to be a consensus, and videogames won't be taken seriously until debate can be handled maturely by either side. That being said, and as psulli says, that was a very unprofessional tweet, and an unprofessional move. It's not her fault, really it's the fact that journalism and gaming are way too intertwined together. It's too casually handled, and there's no style-guide for game journalists to follow and practice. News editors whoop and holler at conferences when new games are announced, swag is freely given and taken. etc. etc. You would never, ever see this sort of bullshit with BBC writers, for example. In the end, though it's shitty that Allen didn't get the job, that's for sure, and it does nothing to improve an already misogynistic, shitty culture. But I think pushback is occurring, and that's a good thing. I think any discussion is good discussion, especially as people are uncomfortable with the discussion. Hopefully as time passes, we'll get less characters that look like Mr. T, have guns for arms, and speak in not-very-well-done ebonics... and more characters like Lee from the Walking Dead.
It is a difficult subject. Game journalism is a horrible landscape at the moment. RPS has the saplings of some game industry coverage with some diversity starting to take root there. I have to say frickin' bless Anita Sarkeesian for moving the ball forward. She is simply illustrating that video games and their coverage are sexist and anti-feminist. It is crazy that that act should even have to be considered brave. But it is. And there is very little diversity showing ground up from the pro players. There are a few women/transgender pro players, but for the most part that is still boys club. I do get it, though. Flaming out in public can be satisfying ... for a bit. Especially if there is no perceived path to success. But the loss the industry will experience if she stays quits is not so satisfying. But perhaps that bright people like Allen even gravitate away from an industry spawned in creating echoes of ethos, pathos, and angst from a nation whose history is: de jure slave nation->de jure apartheid nation->de facto apartheid nation ... when ex-slave (in theory) got to vote before women did in said nation. I think, however, that, Samantha Allen should still stick it out. She could maybe offer congrats to the colleague while suggesting next time she should be hiring him. Shit is changing.
It is changing, you're right. I see things getting better all the time - but then I am very bluntly pulled back down to earth with the reality of things such as this still happening. There is indeed something admirable in sticking it out, but I am very familiar with the internal conversation that happens when thinking about that: is it worth it? Do I care about this so much that I would put my own well-being and potential safety below making a minuscule dent on a demographic that very clearly doesn't want me in the first place? It is part of the reason why I don't use Twitter or for that matter have much of a web presence at all. It's exhausting enough having internalized stereotype threat and imposter syndrome to the point of being silent, let alone having so many others confirm as much to be their ultimatum. I can't say I blame anyone for being upset at that.