Online Gaming and Some of the Vile People Who Live There

When I game, I usually have my headphones on. This is in small part due to immersing myself in the experience, but with the advent of voice chat in online gaming, the number of vile misogynist, racist, and overt immaturity in the quality of online gamers is proof of one of the most wanting communities of peoples on this planet. I occasionally game with my speakers on but I’ve noticed that it’s rare and more common when my wife and brother-in-law are not at home. Just a few weeks ago we were watching the Superbowl, which I had limited interest in but I wanted to game while also listening for the, HOLY MACKEREL moments from the commentators when something of import happened to avert my attention. For the most part my wife and brother-in-law were focused on the Superbowl or our dog or otherwise. Every few moments, however, I could feel their eyes dagger to the back of my head crudely scanning my body like fingernails on a chalkboard for what they thought could be an explanation for what they’d just heard from the folks I was playing with in an online co-op. The references in the comments, that had suddenly reached out of my speakers and imposed their ghastly throes upon my family, ranged from anal rape, antisemitism, and white kids using the N-word in the most unflattering ways possible. (Author’s Note: Not that there is any flattering way for white people to use the word; these were simply THE most unflattering ways that they could have been used).

I’d like to think that havin…