Straight White Male: The Lowest Difficulty Setting

[wawa]

whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/15/straight-white-male-the-lowest-difficulty-setting-there-is/

Blog post that i think is an interesting take on a topic we discuss often. Though it may make only mininal sense to those with no expeireince in RPGs. My brother posted this on FB, and the very first response (well, after my mom who said, "good stuff" was some jackass friend of his who said, "Could you post a govt website link to some of those white single male only benefits, I could really use some extra help right now and I guess I've just not been looking in the right place"

I'll take missing the point for 2000, Alex!

first couple paragraphs - it's long, but worth readint eh whole thing if you feel like clicking through:

I’ve been thinking of a way to explain to straight white men how life works for them, without invoking the dreaded word “privilege,” to which they react like vampires being fed a garlic tart at high noon. It’s not that the word “privilege” is incorrect, it’s that it’s not their word. When confronted with “privilege,” they fiddle with the word itself, and haul out the dictionaries and find every possible way to talk about the word but not any of the things the word signifies.

So, the challenge: how to get across the ideas bound up in the word “privilege,” in a way that your average straight white man will get, without freaking out about it?

Being a white guy who likes women, here’s how I would do it:

Dudes. Imagine life here in the US — or indeed, pretty much anywhere in the Western world — is a massive role playing game, like World of Warcraft except appallingly mundane, where most quests involve the acquisition of money, cell phones and donuts, although not always at the same time. Let’s call it The Real World. You have installed The Real World on your computer and are about to start playing, but first you go to the settings tab to bind your keys, fiddle with your defaults, and choose the difficulty setting for the game. Got it?

Okay: In the role playing game known as The Real World, “Straight White Male” is the lowest difficulty setting there is.

This means that the default behaviors for almost all the non-player characters in the game are easier on you than they would be otherwise. The default barriers for completions of quests are lower. Your leveling-up thresholds come more quickly. You automatically gain entry to some parts of the map that others have to work for. The game is easier to play, automatically, and when you need help, by default it’s easier to get.

[Deleted]

I love John Scalzi.

[Deleted]

Louis CK says it all:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CmzT4OV-w0&feature=fvst

Laughed so hard when I saw this.

[wawa]

I need a gif here.
Popcorn? maybe that old chair one?

[wawa]

btw, it's just MEAN to post that at 6:21 PM when 2/3 of the board is already gone.

[wawa]

To actually respond to you - You truly believe that it is harder for a straight, white, christian male of to get by in this world than a gay, minority, non-christian, woman of equal ability and socioeconomic class?

Based on what?

[ChillyMcFreeze]

I will wait with bated breath for everyone to come back at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

[basilosaurus]

May 17, 2012 17:35:26 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

May 17, 2012 17:17:54 GMT -5 @bananafish said:

being an MMO, RPG, RTS junky and minority female, i wholeheartedly disagree with the sentiment that straight white male is the easiest difficulty in the game of life here in america. i think it's just the opposite. racism is reversed these days in politics, schools and the work place. affirmative action and quotas benefit who and hurt who? federal law mandates that the straight white man's life should be harder, harder to get a job, harder to get into college, harder to get that promotion. add christian in there and OMG, that ramps it up from Heroic to Legendary mode.

Yes, because we have had so many minorities in positions of power im America.

Oh wait.....

Obama! Black, Kenyan, and Muslim. Post-racial, yo.

[EllieArroway]

And we thought this board would be boring.

[statlerwaldorf]

May 17, 2012 17:31:09 GMT -5 ChillyMcFreeze said:

I will wait with bated breath for everyone to come back at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Me too.

[meshaliuknits]

May 17, 2012 17:17:54 GMT -5 @bananafish said:

being an MMO, RPG, RTS junky and minority female, i wholeheartedly disagree with the sentiment that straight white male is the easiest difficulty in the game of life here in america. i think it's just the opposite. racism is reversed these days in politics, schools and the work place. affirmative action and quotas benefit who and hurt who? federal law mandates that the straight white man's life should be harder, harder to get a job, harder to get into college, harder to get that promotion. add christian in there and OMG, that ramps it up from Heroic to Legendary mode.

Aren't you cute?

[msmerymac]

[frauschmindy]

May 17, 2012 17:43:58 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

May 17, 2012 17:37:47 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Obama! Black, Kenyan, and Muslim. Post-racial, yo.

Black people should obviously begin carrying around "Mission Accomplished" banners, a la Bush.

Maybe just a shirt or something. Might be easier.

That Louie CK video gets a thumbs up. :Y:

[dev22]

May 17, 2012 17:17:54 GMT -5 @bananafish said:

being an MMO, RPG, RTS junky and minority female, i wholeheartedly disagree with the sentiment that straight white male is the easiest difficulty in the game of life here in america. i think it's just the opposite. racism is reversed these days in politics, schools and the work place. affirmative action and quotas benefit who and hurt who? federal law mandates that the straight white man's life should be harder, harder to get a job, harder to get into college, harder to get that promotion. add christian in there and OMG, that ramps it up from Heroic to Legendary mode.

**pats your head**

[Knight]

May 17, 2012 17:17:54 GMT -5 @bananafish said:

being an MMO, RPG, RTS junky and minority female, i wholeheartedly disagree with the sentiment that straight white male is the easiest difficulty in the game of life here in america. i think it's just the opposite. racism is reversed these days in politics, schools and the work place. affirmative action and quotas benefit who and hurt who? federal law mandates that the straight white man's life should be harder, harder to get a job, harder to get into college, harder to get that promotion. add christian in there and OMG, that ramps it up from Heroic to Legendary mode.

Gosh you are just adorable. Please stay and play with us. ;D

[ttt]

May 17, 2012 17:17:54 GMT -5 @bananafish said:

being an MMO, RPG, RTS junky and minority female, i wholeheartedly disagree with the sentiment that straight white male is the easiest difficulty in the game of life here in america. i think it's just the opposite. racism is reversed these days in politics, schools and the work place. affirmative action and quotas benefit who and hurt who? federal law mandates that the straight white man's life should be harder, harder to get a job, harder to get into college, harder to get that promotion. add christian in there and OMG, that ramps it up from Heroic to Legendary mode.

Please explain how Christians are discriminated against in this country.

[dev22]

May 17, 2012 18:50:41 GMT -5 ttt said:

May 17, 2012 17:17:54 GMT -5 @bananafish said:

being an MMO, RPG, RTS junky and minority female, i wholeheartedly disagree with the sentiment that straight white male is the easiest difficulty in the game of life here in america. i think it's just the opposite. racism is reversed these days in politics, schools and the work place. affirmative action and quotas benefit who and hurt who? federal law mandates that the straight white man's life should be harder, harder to get a job, harder to get into college, harder to get that promotion. add christian in there and OMG, that ramps it up from Heroic to Legendary mode.

Please explain how Christians are discriminated against in this country.

No prayer in school!!! The president is Muslim! Some people like gay people! No Ten Commandments on the Court House! War on Christmas!!!!ELEVENTY!!!!!!!!!111111111111

[wawa]

Oh sweet fluffy bunnies save me from the internet. This debate is still raging on my brother's FB wall. Latest comment from the same winner as the above:

Bobby Jindal is the gov of Louisiana, Barack Obama is the president of the USA, Master P, a Black rapper is worth 600 million $, should I recite other examples all night of how the deck is open for anyone to succeed. Are there racist rich ...white straight males, yes. Do they rule the us, no, a Hawaiian born 1/2 black male does. So does that diminish this argument into semantics, you tell me. The way I look at it, is if the govt that shows no "privilege" towards anyone in particular, then make your way. Deal with adversity as you find it. But don't try to paint a false picture. It sucks for all of us. We are all going to die. No matte what race gender or creed. I'll fight it all with u.

This dude is a white dude who has had an extremely sucky life. His childhood sucked really super hard, he's had ongoing serious health issues, he's in mounds of debt from said health issues, etc. But apparently the fact that his white dude life sucks and he can point to dozens of black dudes with good lives means that there is no such thing as priviledge!! It's so fucking frustrating.

Like...dude, think back across all the sucky shit that has happened in your life. Now add in being a gay black dude and think how much harder it would have sucked. You'd be a cancer riddled, orphan, cripple who gets discriminated against! Woohoo!

Why is this so hard?

ETA: because this one hurts my head extra.
I can see both Wawa's point and otherdudes as well. But I also completely see previouslyquotedidiot's. When you have to fight so hard and so long to get by and you hear that society favors you a little more because you're a white male I can't feel that in my hea...rt. I understand it, and it's logical, but I don't "FEEL" it, if you know what I mean. I found the article to be poorly written trash, there was a message in there, but it didn't come across well. What I can't deal with is being knocked for being a white male.

At least he just comes out and says it. He doesnt' like the idea of white straight male priviledge because it hurts his feelings.

[chicken]

May 17, 2012 17:17:54 GMT -5 @bananafish said:

being an MMO, RPG, RTS junky and minority female, i wholeheartedly disagree with the sentiment that straight white male is the easiest difficulty in the game of life here in america. i think it's just the opposite. racism is reversed these days in politics, schools and the work place. affirmative action and quotas benefit who and hurt who? federal law mandates that the straight white man's life should be harder, harder to get a job, harder to get into college, harder to get that promotion. add christian in there and OMG, that ramps it up from Heroic to Legendary mode.

It is a cross I would love to bear. I would gladly play in Legendary mode.

[stephiehun]

May 17, 2012 20:01:12 GMT -5 wawa said:

Oh sweet fluffy bunnies save me from the internet. This debate is still raging on my brother's FB wall. Latest comment from the same winner as the above:

Bobby Jindal is the gov of Louisiana, Barack Obama is the president of the USA, Master P, a Black rapper is worth 600 million $, should I recite other examples all night of how the deck is open for anyone to succeed. Are there racist rich ...white straight males, yes. Do they rule the us, no, a Hawaiian born 1/2 black male does. So does that diminish this argument into semantics, you tell me. The way I look at it, is if the govt that shows no "privilege" towards anyone in particular, then make your way. Deal with adversity as you find it. But don't try to paint a false picture. It sucks for all of us. We are all going to die. No matte what race gender or creed. I'll fight it all with u.

That's an interesting list of successful people. Are those the first 3 people of color he thought of?

[ttt]

I am DYING at Master P!!!

[wawa]

May 17, 2012 20:18:07 GMT -5 stephiehun said:

May 17, 2012 20:01:12 GMT -5 wawa said:

Oh sweet fluffy bunnies save me from the internet. This debate is still raging on my brother's FB wall. Latest comment from the same winner as the above:

Bobby Jindal is the gov of Louisiana, Barack Obama is the president of the USA, Master P, a Black rapper is worth 600 million $, should I recite other examples all night of how the deck is open for anyone to succeed. Are there racist rich ...white straight males, yes. Do they rule the us, no, a Hawaiian born 1/2 black male does. So does that diminish this argument into semantics, you tell me. The way I look at it, is if the govt that shows no "privilege" towards anyone in particular, then make your way. Deal with adversity as you find it. But don't try to paint a false picture. It sucks for all of us. We are all going to die. No matte what race gender or creed. I'll fight it all with u.

That's an interesting list of successful people. Are those the first 3 people of color he thought of?

Must be. He's got this knee jerk reaction against anything my brother posts about anything race related. He also is seriously offended by the fact that there are social programs that pretty much only apply to single moms. He wants WIC too I guess.

His latest response to me was explaining that since there are neighborhoods in certain cities that he'd be afraid to walk through as a white dude, then obviously I'm trying to draw some sort of false distinction.

He also said it's not 1950 anymore. I was seriously expecting the word post-racial at any damned second.

He REALLY just doesn't get it. I'm trying to be civil, because I honeslty don't think he's maliciously racist, he just really can't see that because he had lots and lots of shitty things happen to him in his life that it'd still probably be just that extra special bit shittier to be exactly him but black. or gay.

[overture]

HTF is Master P worth $600 million? He had like, one song. Is he some secret genius songwriter or producer or something?

bananafish, that shit is so played, I honestly can't tell whether you're joking.

[SmartyCat]

May 17, 2012 17:17:54 GMT -5 @bananafish said:

being an MMO, RPG, RTS junky and minority female, i wholeheartedly disagree with the sentiment that straight white male is the easiest difficulty in the game of life here in america. i think it's just the opposite. racism is reversed these days in politics, schools and the work place. affirmative action and quotas benefit who and hurt who? federal law mandates that the straight white man's life should be harder, harder to get a job, harder to get into college, harder to get that promotion. add christian in there and OMG, that ramps it up from Heroic to Legendary mode.

This is satire, right?

[ceejay]

Shadow & Nitaw- have you brought your FB friends over here? LOL

[Black Lavender]

May 18, 2012 7:26:21 GMT -5 @soudesafinado said:

May 17, 2012 20:26:57 GMT -5 ttt said:

I am DYING at Master P!!!

Make 'em say UGGGGGGHHH na na na naaaaaa. Make 'em say UGH UGH na na na naaaaaa

i was just going to post that! speaking of No Limit, where the hell is Mystikal?!

[wawa]

Banana - I think the problem is that you jump from the concept of white privilidge, which is a rather subtle thing to "white men don't have all the power" and try to use that fact to prove that the priviliedge doesn't exist. But it's more subtle than just "but these black guys are doing really well, and this white christian dude got shat on."

I'm curious about the EEOC termination trials you are referencing though. Can you tell me more about what you mean about white christian males always being in the wrong?

[sunshine608]

May 18, 2012 7:50:46 GMT -5 Black Lavender said:

May 18, 2012 7:26:21 GMT -5 @soudesafinado said:

Make 'em say UGGGGGGHHH na na na naaaaaa. Make 'em say UGH UGH na na na naaaaaa

i was just going to post that! speaking of No Limit, where the hell is Mystikal?!

He's on a new song with Lil Wayne-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Ggp21EviE

[Deleted]

May 18, 2012 7:50:46 GMT -5 Black Lavender said:

May 18, 2012 7:26:21 GMT -5 @soudesafinado said:

Make 'em say UGGGGGGHHH na na na naaaaaa. Make 'em say UGH UGH na na na naaaaaa

i was just going to post that! speaking of No Limit, where the hell is Mystikal?!

Triple Jinx!!

Also, who are these white nonchristian males who are dominating the world? Last time I checked atheists were the most hated group in society.

[Deleted]

Not defending Banana, because duh, but Master P did some amazing stuff within the music industry, by creating his own system to sell his music before the Internet made that possible. He circumvented the record labels, set up his own distribution, and made a fortune without ever "selling out" or compromising his ideas. His tunes are crap, but his business skills are amazing.