Please Stop Talking About It
This post is about Dickwolves. And if you’re like me, you’re sick and tired of hearing about them. What started off as a passing joke in a web comic has grown into a full-fledged debate about rape victims and overall taste.
What the fuck. What the fuck Penny-Arcade, what the fuck people who were offended, what the fuck Penny-Arcade fans. I don’t care what you think about the issue. Go ahead and discuss whether or not we should make rape jokes in general. Please leave me the hell out of it.
But you know, when all this affects PAX, I worry.
If you’ve never been to PAX, you’ve missed out on something really special. It’s not what you think – you’re not missing out on playing unreleased games, or shaking hands with game “celebrities.” You’re missing a comfort you’ve never felt before. It’s not a place where you feel left out or socially awkward. There are no “jocks” and there aren’t any “losers.” Everyone is a potential new friend – everyone is welcoming, and there are at least 500 people there who have the exact same interests as you.
At PAX, nobody is a dick. The idea of being a dick is pretty much non-existent the moment you walk through those doors. Nobody is going to do you wrong, and at any time, you can just turn to the person next to you and ask “Hey, want to play X while we wait?”
As stupid and crazy as it sounds, I truly believe PAX is magic. I really do. This convention has made an incredible impact on my life, and I will never forget PAX or the memories and friends I’ve made there every year.
When people decide to let this Dickwolf controversy affect whether they go to PAX or not, it really upsets me. It makes me worry that this whole thing is going to affect the magic of PAX. I’m terrified that people are going to wear their Dickwolves shirts loud and proud. I’m worried that the anti-PA community is going to be more and more vocal as the weekend approaches. I’m dreading the moment someone asks Mike and Jerry about Dickwolves in front of a packed audience.
So I’m asking everyone who’s reading this (all ten of you)…please stop talking about Dickwolves. Please. Don’t ask about it, don’t wear the shirt, don’t make jokes…please. This thing has to die in order for PAX to keep its magic and for people to be carefree the whole weekend.
Please.
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What I’m Reading
Kiss Me Like a Stranger by Gene Wilder
I’ve loved PAX since 2004, but I’m one of “those girls” that’s considering not going back because I don’t want to deal with roving bands of tshirt-wearing Dickwolves.
I really hope you’re right and PAX can stay magical. I don’t think that’s out of Mike and Jerry’s hands yet.
You could look at it the way I do:
In itself, the DW t-shirt is a useful tool. It is a giant billboard to announce to the world that the wearer is a douchebag who thinks rape is a funny thing and you can pass them by without missing out in life.
It’s like people who wear Mentors shirts, GG Allin shirts, or sport swastikas on their jackets. Of course, it might not make you feel safe around people who wear them, but that’s the thing, you shouldn’t feel safe around people who wear them–they’re scumbags who think rape is a funny joke.