UPDATE: The original IW video was pulled, but we found another feed. We had it up, but decided to pull the alternate link down ourselves.
Also we have Infinity Ward’s response, after the jump.
……………………..
Wow. This video just dropped on twitter by http://twitter.com/fourzerotwo and htp://twitter.com/Infinityward. It’s a YouTube Video “PSA” for the Fight Against Grenade Spaming starring Phillies Pitcher Cole Hamels.
Yes. F.A.G.S.
Really, Infinity Ward? See the video, after the jump.
Here’s the video:
**Video removed at users request.
I can’t believe that a company such as Infinity Ward would put a video out that basically condones the use of the word “fag” by every douche bag on Xbox Live.
As if the anonymous hate it isn’t bad enough, Infinity Ward? Now you’re basically saying it’s okay to call people Fags? I highly doubt that was your intention, but come on… Are you kidding me? It would be like using an acronym that spelled a derogatory word for a Black person or Asian or Jewish person. I could see something like this done by some dumbass fan site, but seriously.
Stuff like this simply shouldn’t be produced by a company like Infinity Ward. Is the controversy worth it? I don’t think so.
Catch the video while you can folks, once the Activision legal eagles catch wind of this, this video will go away faster than a fart in the night.
UPDATE: I received a message from Robert Bowling, IW community manager via Twitter a short time ago. Here is his direct quote:
“ Wanted to apologize for my endorsement of video. I shared it due to the core gag but inadvertently endorsed the slur, for that I pulled it”
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While I may disagree with Lono on his argument that the video promotes the use of the word “fag,” at least I understood why he was making it, unlike so many of you. His argument is pretty close to the argument as in this commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWS0GVOQPs0
Anyone who disagrees with that commercial disagrees with the fact that “fag” is a disparaging word, and is, in fact, a moron.
@cameron
in your second to last post it was basically stating that IW didn’t do this intentinally then when lono called you off you basically went against your original post saying you didn’t. Make up your mind.
This is testing the water as it is akin to sticking your hand into a scoulding hot furnace, you don’t need to test people’s reaction to the word fags it’s obvious how us “normal” people view that word which obviously in this case is just me, lono and a few other guys.
It’s sad when a ton of people least not gamers can’t see what’s so bad with a games company approving of offensive and tasteless slurs.
Do you know what time it was here? Stop acting so superior, I have my opinion, you have yours, yours does not make you better than others, get off your high horse. You can stand there and get offended, that doesn’t make you a good person. This entire debate shows how pompous and stuck up people are, not only those that condone the use of the word, but the people who are looking down their nose at other’s due to their opinions. I don’t use the word as I have a gay cousin and he finds it offensive, but that doesn’t mean I’ll sit here and tell everyone they are stupid, morons, ignorant or anything like that and act all stuck up because I don’t like the word. Grow up, be professional and just get over it.
i’m on my high horse at least i have enough morally high ground to know that using certain words to show off a video game is discrimitive and no i’m not saying by being offended that i’ve never used a word like gay, fag, n**** or indeed any discrimitive word as i’m sure i have in the past and i’m obviously wrong to do so but you and me we’re normal people, just a single spec on the planet compared to the big companies and for infinity ward to condone this is wrong.
THAT you don’t seem to get. Also can someone like lono explain the harm in saying something’s gay becasue i don’t really see the harm in that they should have said “that’s so homosexually annoying black lady” becasue that actress has got to be the most annoying actress EVER!
What are you doing then?
Well as long as you like to call people morons and generally insult them (I’m sure dave and 8bit would have something to say) I find that as equally offensive as you do using the word F.A.G. so bite me lono :p
that’s pretty stupid Darkwonders. Keep on defending the use of the word, you sound dumber and dumber each time you do it.
I find the word stupid offensive, Lono. You really shouldn’t be using derogatory words like that.
I’ll let my earlier comment stand.
so you find the word “moron” offensive a word used to describe people who are slow yet when it comes to a word which has been used for years to caused offence to gay people is mentioned by a games company that’s ok,
this is our problem with this that you seem to think it’s ok becasue it’s infinity ward that’s doing it, nobody should get away with this least of all a games company.
Nope. I’m just making a point. Instead of calling other people morons for disagreeing with me, I’m showing how ridiculous it is to be against using one word, yet completely OK with using a different derogatory word. Either it’s all OK or none of it is OK. You can’t have both.
You’re just embarrassing yourself dude.
Sorry, darkwonders, that’s not how it works. Moron, idiot, asshole, and so on aren’t words that describe a person’s race, gender, sexual preference, etc. A word like “fag” used as an insult is offensive BECAUSE it refers to a specific section of the populace. If you can’t see why that doesn’t make it more offensive then you truly are an idiot (and I mean that in the definitive sense).
Well I just don’t agree. The special treatment, for lack of a better term, of “hate speech” as opposed to insults that apply to anyone, only succeeds in reinforcing the belief that superficial differences in people are important enough to warrant the use of different language. When it gets right down to it, I do not believe that any insult is significantly worse than another.
Yeah, I don’t think they were trying to condone calling people ‘fags’. It would have been a better idea not to use it in the first place, but I don’t think the intention was to promote saying it.
Of the 2500 plus comments on the youtube video check out the number that think the reference is hilarious. IW told a ‘joke’ and the masses got it.
great point.
I agree with Lono; there’s no reason to use this term and it IS going to motivate the 12 year olds (and the 25 year olds) to spit out whatever hateful slur they desire when playing the game… Disgusting.
I wonder how many idiots are going to get their live accounts suspended for having something about F.A.G.S. in their bio?
I thought this was a joke when I first saw it… do you really think that not using it would influence the people that say it? IW made a reference to the common usage of that worf during online play and it is funny. End of story.
It depends. I didnt notice the “Fags” part until blogs started pointing it out. I guess if you are looking for it then you find it. I wasn’t. In the UK would there be the same problem because the game is condoning smoking?
I noticed it on the first pass Ron. Considering the context of the game, it’s pervasive use online and the odd Name of Fight Against Grenade Spam, I find it REALLY hard to believe it’s coincidence.
Please don’t tap into “that word is okay because it has other meanings” argument. I know you’re an intelligent guy, so don’t insult the rest of us.
I didn’t it that way at all. Just showing you that it has a counter that makes sense. In no way to I believe the intent of it was for the British form, but if it aired in the UK is there a problem when the word there has no power? Couldn’t people in the UK honestly bitch and say it promotes smoking?
Considering the video features the pitcher of the Philadelphia Phillies, I think it’s safe to say that the UK isn’t the intended audience here.
I think y’all are reaching. Odds are, “Fight Against Grenade Spam” was not chosen for the way it can be (and wasn’t by IW) abbreviated. Like others, I didn’t even notice until it was pointed out. It’s almost certainly coincidence.
Even if IW employees had no problem with using the word “fag” in casual speech, the odds that they would use it in a marketing campaign while fully aware of the inevitable backlash are pretty slim.
Wow, I didn’t think you would join in the “post for hits” party but clearly you have. Sarcastic Gamer fail!
so have you. If you think we’re so ignorant and making something out of nothing then why did you all come to infinity wards rescue something doc said to me about uncharted 2 suck by me and seeing as i haven’t recieved a GOW 3 demo code it’s true.
Will IW said up for you? Will they leap into the flames to argue it out as you’ve done here? If someone said “caballote is a filthy troll” would IW defend you? So why do the same for the idiots?! Think about that for a while.
Seriously dude?
You just talked ALOT of trash on that one.
You do realize that the video never uses that abbreviation? Even if they did it so that it could be abbreviated you all are promoting that usage not IW. I wouldn’t have noticed the abbreviation otherwise. Maybe you all should look at yourselves instead of disparaging IW.
Darkwonders does have a point. Blatantly insulting people in your article going against using an offensive term weakens your argument.
You’re right, I should have just called them bigots. The problem? Darkwonders doesn’t understand why one word is hate speech and the other is used as an insult. They’re different. Plain and simple.
Maybe I’m just a bigot against the stupid.
look back. I hardly ever use insults and lono only insulted people after they caused offence to him like on the uncharted 2 thread with me they had it coming.
Don’t know if anyone’s posted this yet or not, but it just occurred to me to go to GayGamer.net and search their forums. Here are the responses of the people who probably deserve to have an opinion on this matter.
http://gaygamer.net/forum/showthread.php?t=18149
http://vorpalbunnyranch.blogspot.com/2009/10/fags.html
I don’t get it.
see gay people are offended! Therefore me and lono are right!
You seem to be taking what you want from that thread. Actually, if you read the posts, they are pretty well split down the middle. Some find it offensive, some don’t. The point is that nobody quite knows what to think about this yet, and that we probably shouldn’t tell other people what to be offended by.
I think its ok to call people fags, thats what they are when they spam grenades, fags for using such gay tactic
Yeah, man. Those tactics are so gay.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWS0GVOQPs0
Damn right! Gay used to mean happy. What right does the homosexual populace have in taking away that meaning? Seriously, the nerve of some people!
Now you’re just acting like a fool Darkwonders.
so gay people should be assiocated with retards who don’t know how to socialise on video games?
i can’t help but see that enormous flaw
You shouldn’t use the word retard. It’s offensive to the people who are mentally challenged. Imjustsayin
I agree that the word retard shouldn’t be used.
Actually i couldn’t give two craps about fat people, they got a chance they don’t have to be fat that’s down to sheer lazyiness but you can’t say to a gay person stop liking your own gender.
We’re not saying don’t have free speach, there’s a differance bettwen using free speach to voice your opioun and that of using it to cause offence to others.
If people are going to go off the deep end bashin gay people, their posts will just get deleted.
That is all.
you tell those mudar fudging gay bashers boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Don’t miss with da gays if you wanna keep your comment!
Who cares, people are way to sensitive these days.
you tell those mudar fudging gay bashers boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Don’t miss with da gays if you wanna keep your comment!
i need to stay off the surger…..
Only an ameribro would be insulted by being called a fag.
I think it was a good idea to make controversy since even sites that make fun of people are talking about how wrong it is. I will probably start calling people who grenade spam fags, but not homosexuals since I can discern between situations. I also don’t think this will really change how much trash talk gets thrown around on live. Does that condon it? No, but I think we can poke fun at words and not take things so seriously cause thats what leads to vulgar language with actually hate behind them to be thrown around.
Next IW PSA = Need Input Getting Grenaders Entrenched Ready & Satisfied
It is all a coincidence. Don’t worry.
its just a joke take it easy
Pfft. I mean, COME THE FUCK ON.
SHEESH.
Get a life.
FUCK POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.
There is a difference between political correctness and offensive hateful speech. I’m sorry you never learned the difference.
LONO! HOW DARE YOU! He’s obviously mentally challenged don’t be so discrimitive! lol
Excellent point, Aaron. It’s totally OK to make offensive jokes as long as your audience will think it’s funny. I mean, c’mon, that’s like saying that a speaker is racist just because he gives anti-semitic speeches to a bunch of racists. He’s not racist, they are; he’s just playing to the crowd!
if the word they used was C.R.A.C.K.E.R. (dont really know what you could make from that) people wouldn’t say anything about it. if a white person is called a cracker by another race, it’s considered racist. but if the word they used was N.I.G.G.E.R., or in this case, F.A.G.S., people freak out. In today’s society it’s “ok” to make fun of the white person. but then everyone gets attacked saying nigger, spic, fag, etc. but yet its ok to say cracker. point being, if one derogatory word is “ok” to use then they all should be ok to use
listen to all u politcally correct drones lol . oh no the world is coming to an end – they used the word ‘fag’
Everyone whos crying will be purchasing MW2 day 1 so all these tears are really irrelevant.
i won’t seeing as my brother’s buying it so up five for me i get to boycott modern warfare 2 becasue of it’s price and still get to play it!
@darkwonders
your right i shouldn’t use the word retard, it’s extremely offensive towards people who are mentally challenged, i withdraw my statement replacing the word retard with moron.
You see what i did there darkwonders? I understood that what i said was offensive and apoglised for possibly offending people something IW should have done. Though seeing as nothing’s proberly going to be done i think we should argree to disagree.
r-word.org, LMAO
To all those offended, suck it up. Stop whining about it, you just look like a b***h which is why you are called that certain 3 letter word in the first place. Im tired of everyone getting their panties in a damn wad every time someone uses a term that is considered “offensive”. This PC crap has got to stop.
I’d call you a moron, but it’s been stated previously upthread that certain people find that offensive. So, I will call you mentally and socially challenged, instead.
My god lono! You have a serious talent of bringing comments to your articles… and yes this is really low for infinity ward… unbelievible.(sorry for the misspeling)
it truley is cayenn though acording to suckitup’s logic we’re all gay. I’ld rather be that then a hatefull douche
okay buddy, time to calm down.
Just SHUT UP lono! The only reason that the word “fag” is still offensive is because people like you keep bringing it up! If you would have left it alone, less people would’ve noticed it. Once people stop saying a hate word is offensive and just ignore it, that’s when the word dies! So SHUT UP!!!
Isn’t “Fag” a part of a cigerrette? Also, E the reason why people find it offensive is because those that are offended by are in fact idiots for letting people get to them.
lawl at the “controversy” this is creating with some folks. but its funny though, because the same group of people that is “offended” by this conveniently did not utter a sound of disagreement with MW2 when it was discovered that there would be a segment in the game were you play as terrorists and you are gunning down unarmed innocents
for some weird reason people like “lono” nowadays just have this obsession on creating controversy where there is none. like the other poster said i didn’t see it the first time until i was told to look for it. but i guess you hear what you want to hear and see what you want to see amirite? witch hunts FTW
eat your fKn heart out “lono”………
you just proved lono right, that people don’t see offence in stuff like this becasue it’s IW that did it. Seeing as i don’t like into MW2 i didn’t know this but there’s a differance in that part of the game your playing TERRIOST!
And what do these people do? Harm innocent people and cause all around terror for others to get what they want, using a discrimitive slur is completly differant.
A Freaking Awesome guy, Santiago and E: The best part? Your stupidity doesn’t even allow you to realize that you all just prove my point.
Have a good one. Oh by the way, the video was pulled. I win. Suck it.
But the eventuality of that being pulled was more obvious than picking the Saints over the Bears.
People get offended, and people get overly-offended. American culture has dwindled down to the point that some will ball up and cry over spilled milk, and call an attorney, if it means defamation or slander or any other civil suits. I’m not saying this is the case here, but considering you’re a lawyer, I can imagine why YOU, Lono, would find it offensive enough to be bad for any company, esp. when its parent corporation doesn’t want its bottom line nicked by some pesky trial. Who even read the article? It was mostly about how stupid and unprofessional of an idea it was for IW to slander a group of people based on sexual orientation over the World Wide Web, or at least that’s what I got from it.
really lono? We won? Awesome! I assume when people read the link you put in the comments they’ll realise how badly gay people take hearing the word.
Are people seriously defending this video? I really didn’t notice the whole “fags” thing until the second time I watched it and otherwise, I thought it was cute. But there really is something to say about a culture that defends the use of speech that is used to hatefully segment and divide a population.
I applaud IW for taking the video down and I honestly don’t think they were trying to be derogatory. I don’t think these are the kind of people who would flippantly insult gay men and women. But AFTER the fact, some of you people try to defend it’s use? Are you serious? Nobody’s saying you’re not allowed to find it funny or that you aren’t allowed to call people fags and enjoy when others are called fags, but free speech has it’s consequences. And consequently you look childish, stupid, and ignorant.
Holy shit! Whatever happened to the days of SG’s popular posts only having 20 or so comments?! 166 comments is a new record, I think! =D
The mere reference to the word ‘FAGS’ is not soemthing we should be offended by. A phrase that actually suggests gay people are in anyway bad people – well that would be something to be offended by. IW did not say ‘fags are bad’, they hinted towards the mere word ‘F.A.G.S’. If I say ‘cheese’ you don’t know if I love the stuff or hate it, yet if I say ‘I hate cheese’, you know. It is that simple. No word should be taboo; it is the way the word is used that matters.
by that logic i can say any discrimitive word and as long as i don’t add “i hate” it’ll be ok.
Did alot of gay people really give a shit? seriously they cared that much. over sensitive or what
goes back to that old saying
“the internet – serious fucking business”
if you are offended then you better stay off xbox live or the internet in general – it gets thrown around alot believe it or not
so? The only people using these words are people who were droped on their head at birth so have to resort to using offensive language becasue getting rude is their way of compensating for how crap a gamer they truley are.
All people using offensive and discrimitive words should be kicked off XBL and PSN.
i find that funny timewarp because i think we all swear and all use foul language like the word fag. So are you saying that no one should be able to use xbl? dont act like your innocent either i know ive used foul language on xbl, im sure you have and i know for sure that lono has. So before you go bashing people look in the mirror and see that your no better than anyone else. And try to make the world a better place by debating (not arguing, calling people names and making fun of them because that makes you look immature) about these topics and putting what your saying into practice. I would LOVE a world where everyone was cool online and werent racist or sexist or anything. will that happen? no but we can make it better by making sure we dont say any of it.
…and the stupidity from people like NSKYLINE34 continues.
We’re fighting an uphill battle here people. Stick with us.
So because it’s on the internet, it’s different? Just because you are in front of complete strangers doesn’t give you carte blanche to be uncivil.
I’m not personally offended by the use of “fags”, but why the fuck do I have to be? Can I not just be one of many people who want discrimination and segregation to stop, even if it doesn’t effect me personally? I’m not sensitive and I am one of the most lewd people I know, but I know the difference between pushing boundaries and hate speech.
Liam, “fag” is not a neutral word. It does not need a signifier to define its intent. You sound just like the people who say, “No, ‘nigger’ only means lazy person. It’s not because you’re black.” Bullshit. It’s a word with history and you’d be damned if you let it be trivialized by someone who can’t see beyond the skin color or sexual orientation to understand that invective words prick like thorns. Don’t tell gay people to “man up” and get “thicker skin”. It’s time for you to side with them and agree that words, in the past or currently, that were/are used to divide us humans should be given a rest. The internet is serious fucking business because at a time when the human race has never had as much access to information as now, we still manage to be barbarians over our differences. Ease up and love one another. It’s a lot easier than defending to right to use a word that’s only used to hurt.
So because it’s on the internet, it’s different? Just because you are in front of complete strangers doesn’t give you carte blanche to be uncivil.
I’m not personally offended by the use of “fags”, but why the fuck do I have to be? Can I not just be one of many people who want discrimination and segregation to stop, even if it doesn’t effect me personally? I’m not sensitive and I am one of the most lewd people I know, but I know the difference between pushing boundaries and hate speech.
Liam, “fag” is not a neutral word. It does not need a signifier to define its intent. You sound just like the people who say, “No, ‘ni**er’ only means lazy person. It’s not because you’re black.” Bullshit. It’s a word with history and you’d be damned if you let it be trivialized by someone who can’t see beyond the skin color or sexual orientation to understand that invective words prick like thorns. Don’t tell gay people to “man up” and get “thicker skin”. It’s time for you to side with them and agree that words, in the past or currently, that were/are used to divide us humans should be given a rest. The internet is serious fucking business because at a time when the human race has never had as much access to information as now, we still manage to be barbarians over our differences. Ease up and love one another. It’s a lot easier than defending to right to use a word that’s only used to hurt.
if only we could all think like you. The world will be a more awesome place….
I missed Lono when he left the site, I appreciated a calm, intelligent discussion on most facts. But I am dumbfounded by his stance. This is a commonly used word (right or wrong) and is a funny commercial mocking things gamers say. Taking the “moral high ground” and starting an argument is preposterous. This is not a commercial to define gamers, what they say, or gay rights. It’s a commentary on current gamer culture, things the say, and it plays to their comedy. This is what gay gamers need to worry about and get upset about? Oh, heavens, now people will think it’s okay to say fag because IW said so. That is ridiculous. And if we gamers are so unintelligent that we will use words based entirely on commercials, then this argument doesn’t matter anyway because we’re so stupid that we just blindly follow anything we’re told. Lono, you’re wrong about this, and you really have made a mountain out of a mole hill. It was done intentionally, and it’s funny. And if you don’t think so, then you are reading into things and looking for something to be upset about. I have never been disappointed in this site. But this is not the way to get hits. What happened to clever videos and fun podcasts? Now sarcastic gamer is going to take on “tough issues”?
Also, Lono, “I win. Suck it”? Really? I cannot believe that is part of this discussion. Fighting against “gay intolerance” while saying “I win”. Wow.
Yup. I’ll let Brandon DH’s response above answer you.
Please stop attempting to defend your causal bigotry and use of hate speech.
I think it’s beyond ridiculous to say that the people that the hateful slur is about are the ones who need to change their attitude by not being so “easily offended.” To them i say STUFF IT! You try living your entire life having emasculating and hateful slurs thrown your way constantly and see how “easily offended” you are.
@DUFFMcWALIN
i didn’t say swear words, there’s a differance between swear words and hate words so your point is invalid. You say it would be better not to use those words but you don’t do anything, your like the man who says slavery is bad but dosen’t go any further then that becasue simply saying it makes you feel good.
and to gaylord, did you choice that name to appear as if you were gay so you could have a valid point? Not working becasue all i see is a homophobic idiot. They don’t have a choice is not like people like john barrowman just wake up one day thinking “i like guys now!” therefore you cannt choice sexually orinatation. The rest of the world has excepted this so why can’t you lot?! Though good on you for at least keeping your opiouns to yourself, i’m slightly homophobic as it just seems so unnatural to be in love with the same gender but i tolerate them.
…ironicly barrack obama is trying to pass something to say that gay people can act gay in the army. To think there was a person in charge of deciding how gay people behaved in the army is just extremely funny to me, i know it’s wrong but that’s the army for ya so i guess it’s a good thing Barrack’s changing it.
Dude first Calling someone a gay guy fag is just like calling a straight guy straight. Its not racist and lono WHO CARES IF ITS A FUCKING CORPORATION IT DOESN’T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE IF THEY TELL US TO NOT SAY HATEFUL WORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!PLUS YOU FUCKING CUSS ALL THE TIME AND LOTS OF KIDS LOOK UP TO YOU. YOU!!! SHOULD BE A SHAMED OF YOUR SELF LONO. CURSING AT OTHER PEOPLE…fucking hypocrite!
did the caps lock break halfway through that little speach? Companies have a duty to appear mature or at least try but i don’t care what you think the video got pulled so the right side won. Try thinking up some valid points to the argument instead of insulting lono and being a rude douche.