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Maybelline New York Launches Campaign Targeting Sexism in Online Games with new video experiment

https://gamerant.com/maybelline-new-york-through-their-eyes-campaign-sexism-online-games/
Maybelline New York, one of the largest makeup companies in Australia, is launching a campaign to highlight and push back against sexism in online gaming spaces. The campaign is called Through Their Eyes, and its goal is to draw attention to the issues that woman-identifying gamers have faced.

Over the past few years, Maybelline New York has had an increasing number of gaming partnerships and events. Their gaming marketing strategy, which also appeals to members of the LGBTQ community, reflects the diverse groups of people that use makeup. Through Their Eyes comes before Maybelline New York's Eyes Up Cup gaming event, an all-woman battle royale.

The Through Their Eyes campaign involved a social experiment where two popular male gamers, Joel “JoelBergs” Bergs and Drew “DrewD0g” Warne, played a first-person shooter and used voice modification to make their voices sound female. Almost immediately, the two gamers began to face harassment. Other players told them to shut up and go back to the kitchen, used extremely explicit and objectifying language, and told them they wanted to have sex with them. They also had gamers drop out of online matches or ignore them completely.

One of the most striking parts of the campaign video was the laughter that came from the other players after players made sexist, demeaning comments. No one spoke up or was held accountable. Instead, the two gamers who were the subject of the abuse were left to sit and try to keep playing, the unsettled expressions on their faces growing more and more pronounced as the social experiment went on. Change will not happen until people of all genders start working together to call out sexist behavior in gaming, so there are no longer people laughing or listening quietly in the background.
Campaign experiment video,



Maybelline make-up and beauty has worked with a studio to create a campaign video to show gamers how women-identifying gamers are harassed online. To target sexist behavior in gaming they say.

Now, I don't condone bullying or anything and I think harassment can be bad as anyone else, but I'm a little bit skeptical on how accurate the video portrays online gaming. I feel like they may not have actually did the experiment the way they say they did, nor would in either case this be enough to generalize. Having people drop out ending a game on a major title with loads of players, also raises the eye brow a bit.

"Go back to the sink"?
 
That's what happens when someone discover the toxicity of online games. I'm not a woman or from a minority group and almost in every game there's someone who throw at me one from a very, very, very large pool of personal insults or blasphemy. It can be harsh sometimes and that takes away all the fun, but I must admit that people can be very creative lol
Welcome to the magical world of gaming where having a big % of assholes is mandatory to run an online game service, I suppose. What a shame.
 
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Imtjnotu

Member
That's what happens when someone discover the toxicity of online games. I'm not a woman or from a minority group and almost in every game there's someone who throw at me one from a very, very, very large pool of personal insults or blasphemy. It can be harsh sometimes and that takes away all the fun, but I must admit that people can be very creative lol
Welcome to the magical world of gaming where having a big % of assholes is mandatory to run an online game service, I suppose. What a shame.
Lol the 360 Era didn't care who you were.
 
Female-identifying? Weren't trans women just women according to them? Why would they needlessly make it more complicated for no reason...

Anyway, 83% is pretty low as I'm sure 100% of guys playing online have experienced offensive behavior. Trying to change how people act online is like trying to stop burglars from breaking into houses. It ain't gonna happen. Use the tools provided (mute button, locks on doors and windows), and that's how you deal with the situation. We don't live in a magical fairyland where everything's sunshine and rainbows. Time to accept it.
 

Yoboman

Member
Stupid

Not a male or female things, assholes in games are assholes to everyone

Secondly, these are Australian servers. If you ever speak in Australian servers on public voice chat guaranteed 90% of the time the response will be to shut the fuck up
 
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Stevonidas

Member
Female-identifying? Weren't trans women just women according to them? Why would they needlessly make it more complicated for no reason...

Anyway, 83% is pretty low as I'm sure 100% of guys playing online have experienced offensive behavior. Trying to change how people act online is like trying to stop burglars from breaking into houses. It ain't gonna happen. Use the tools provided (mute button, locks on doors and windows), and that's how you deal with the situation. We don't live in a magical fairyland where everything's sunshine and rainbows. Time to accept it.
Every social justice movement throughout history makes the exact same mistake of thinking they can change or influence human behavior with enough coercion or force. Nope.
 

Kuranghi

Member
This the price you pay when you engage anonymously in a society where you aren't monitored on your private property. About all you can do is have good schooling, encourage people to be respectful and have empathy for others, which should then make good parents and begin a cycle of decent people.

Anyway, 83% is pretty low as I'm sure 100% of guys playing online have experienced offensive behavior. Trying to change how people act online is like trying to stop burglars from breaking into houses. It ain't gonna happen. Use the tools provided (mute button, locks on doors and windows), and that's how you deal with the situation. We don't live in a magical fairyland where everything's sunshine and rainbows. Time to accept it.

Thats the funny part, its basically guaranteed to happen no matter what your immutable characteristics are so it not being 100% is suspect lol.
 
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It shouldn't be that way. Perhaps AI voice analysis and bans for the worst offenders would spread through online gaming and cull some/most of the behaviour. I doubt it's ever going to drop to zero but it's a worthy fight. We had a mate online for over a decade that is just like this, half jokes to chicks, N words etc. We removed and blocked him from our entire group after standing up to him for years. He ain't ever changing, just ban them and their xbox MAC address(s). Their wallet will curb their behaviour. Also grouping those asshats so they only ever play other asshats is a good thing. There have been some platform tools for such things over the generations but its the enforcement that is weak to really bring about change.

Having a wife and daughter that game is an education for myself as much as them to even enable them to play online. They're better playing with friends and going into games as a group, instant support to combat such things in real time. Also private party chat or muting at least may insulate and provide some tools against this ocean of toxicity. My daughter has made lots of friends, boys, girls, international randoms and it really boils down to grow a thick skin and only friend/repeat play with like minded decent people/kids. Playing with people/kids you know in person first is a better gaming experience anyhow.

It's much the same in person, people are asshats and project their shit on to you.
 
It shouldn't be that way. Perhaps AI voice analysis and bans for the worst offenders would spread through online gaming and cull some/most of the behaviour
I never understand the want to ban other people or hurt them financially. Why can we just not educate people that text on a screen isn't real and words down a speaker, headphone or earbud are about as real as Santa Clause chasing the Boogeyman on a witches broom?

You can lock yourself away from the bad words and bad people, but they still exist and you end up locked away. Surely it is better to don a suit of armour and suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune?
 
What did they expect from rotten toxic player bases? Man I dont even play these fps games and heard about this kind of behavior, which targets EVERYONE.
 
I never understand the want to ban other people or hurt them financially. Why can we just not educate people that text on a screen isn't real and words down a speaker, headphone or earbud are about as real as Santa Clause chasing the Boogeyman on a witches broom?

You can lock yourself away from the bad words and bad people, but they still exist and you end up locked away. Surely it is better to don a suit of armour and suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune?

It took 4 mins for my sister's young son to be contacted for his phone number via chat. It took 1 online gaming session for my young daughter to experience what is in these videos in various games. My wife doesn't public chat at all, only her/my friends she chats with (online/IRL who game), I pretty much vet anyone she plays with or chats to online (at her request). Some of my best friends who live around the corner I met online in Halo or Apex etc.

Yes I have educated them, my son included (to not be an asshat and push back on his mates being dicks too) and there is an element if you send a chick into a boys locker room expect people to be dicks. That does not make it ok nor do I wish to live in a world where asshats have free reign. They deserve to be banned for repeat offences, I'm all for a scalable system e.g ignore for a few times, warn, temp ban, worse temp ban, console ban. Pretty simple right? The tech exists to handle this. Corpos will to enforce it is another story.

I have wonderful friends from various countries and games, hold annual LAN/weekend parties with gents and ladies I've met online over the decades and all of the horror stories like this video too. We have 4 or 5 ladies we play with regularly and dozens of blokes, I've met 99% of them in person too. It's a great hobby/job/industry but these sort of lacking enforcement communities/chats are running rife online. Who wants that to continue?
 
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Fake

Member
Stupid

Not a male or female things, assholes in games are assholes to everyone

Secondly, these are Australian servers. If you ever speak in Australian servers on public voice chat guaranteed 90% of the time the response will be to shut the fuck up

Counter Strike here in Brazil is still popular beside his age, and brazilian servers are full of trolls.
People get along very quick, no one take a joke serious. Is more possible to someone crying about being offended to be banned from servers.
Even ladies love trolling here. Social media have no power into those games, only in things like League of Legends.
 

Neolombax

Member
I never turn on voice chat and turn off chat in general, because I dont want to hear kids talking smack. Its annoying. Also, just curious what game were they playing?
 
Every social justice movement throughout history makes the exact same mistake of thinking they can change or influence human behavior with enough coercion or force. Nope.
Beautiful post. These people love ignoring history and they love ignoring biology as well, why? Because they are too busy jerking it to their ideology to notice the realities of living on earth as homo sapiens sapiens.
 
It shouldn't be that way. Perhaps AI voice analysis and bans for the worst offenders would spread through online gaming and cull some/most of the behaviour. I doubt it's ever going to drop to zero but it's a worthy fight. We had a mate online for over a decade that is just like this, half jokes to chicks, N words etc. We removed and blocked him from our entire group after standing up to him for years. He ain't ever changing, just ban them and their xbox MAC address(s). Their wallet will curb their behaviour. Also grouping those asshats so they only ever play other asshats is a good thing. There have been some platform tools for such things over the generations but its the enforcement that is weak to really bring about change.

Having a wife and daughter that game is an education for myself as much as them to even enable them to play online. They're better playing with friends and going into games as a group, instant support to combat such things in real time. Also private party chat or muting at least may insulate and provide some tools against this ocean of toxicity. My daughter has made lots of friends, boys, girls, international randoms and it really boils down to grow a thick skin and only friend/repeat play with like minded decent people/kids. Playing with people/kids you know in person first is a better gaming experience anyhow.

It's much the same in person, people are asshats and project their shit on to you.
Yes it's going to be great when tech companies can control speech through sound better sound recognition. This will totally not be abused in any way. Also can't wait till China uses this to further control it's people. Wonderful times.
 

justiceiro

Marlboro: Other M
They laughed? Oh no, trow them in the jail. The idea I have responsibility over harassment others practice is pathetic.
 

Trogdor1123

Member
Only 83%? That has to be low. Log into any game with a public chat and you will get something in less than 5 minutes no matter who you are.
 
Yes it's going to be great when tech companies can control speech through sound better sound recognition. This will totally not be abused in any way. Also can't wait till China uses this to further control it's people. Wonderful times.

You don't think that's not happening already? e.g. Apex speech to text is a thing already, as is other online games like Fortnite. You think it would be introduced via gaming and not already commonplace via Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa or OK Google?

In reality online chat systems already have AI listen in on you in various devices and past times right now; certainly gaming T&Cs (that you don't bother to read) allow for such as well.

We're also seeing the dawn of AI voice impersonation/modding (just like in OP video), it's likely best tech evolves to fight fire with fire.
 
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You don't think that's not happening already? e.g. Apex speech to text is a thing already, as is other online games like Fortnite. You think it would be introduced via gaming and not already commonplace via Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa or OK Google?

In reality online chat systems already have AI listen in on you in various devices and past times right now; certainly gaming T&Cs (that you don't bother to read) allow for such as well.

We're also seeing the dawn of AI voice impersonation/modding (just like in OP video), it's likely best tech evolves to fight fire with fire.
I said better. YouTube has done this for ages but it's not great, YouTubers have gotten demonetized because the neural network Google uses identified false positive no no words in videos.
 

consoul

Member
What non-gamers will fail to appreciate is that having people tell you to shut up and laugh when you die is pretty much the baseline. That happens regardless. Abuse in chat is not limited to female gamers.

With that said, it's definitely way worse for women. They do cop a load of abuse and misogynist bullshit.

Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's voice modulation.
 

Rhazkul

Member
I hate how sensitive and easily offended everyone nowadays is. Why would anyone ever give a crap or take it to their heart what some random internet stranger says to you? Grow a thicker skin, lay down the phone and go for a walk or something. In the early 2000s we yelled curse words at each other in online games and none of us demanded bans, censorship or more control...we laughed it off and when we stopped playing, all was forgotten.
Oh, and of course one of the "women" isn't a real women and comments are disabled...typical.

"Anyone got com?"
I am not here to have a chat with you, girl, i am here to play the damn game.

Also: i would get mad at you too, regardless of gender, if you keep talking during a heated 1on1 situation...like STFU - it's not a personal attack, i need to hear the footsteps.
 
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Majormaxxx

Member
Just don't talk on your mic. Or grow thicker skin. Every real life game with teenagers or young males has bullies. For example pick up basketball. There's always a psycho. You can choose not to play with them or face them.

...

Obviously this is just a PR stunt.

Considering the percentage of "gamer girls" that also use eyelash dye... lol... good luck Maybeline... The average teen/20s woman that is their target group is not interested in gaming. They have other interests - clothes, dating, getting likes on instagram and tiktok etc...
 

nkarafo

Member
Obviously they know they won't achieve what they claim with this, it's not why they do this campaign. They virtue signal for branding and whatever investments they can get off it. It's pure marketing, they don't give a shit about you, women or anyone. No corporation who uses these practices ever gives a shit about anyone and if you think they care about you because you are a fragile woman/minority/whatever, then you are stupid as well.
 

skyfall

Member
Shit talking has been part of online gaming since the beggining. Maybe try a different hobby if your offended by words from strangers over the internet?

Or maybe take the stick out your but, and shit talk back when you're getting this 'harrasment', most of the time it's just jokes. Maybe you'll have fun once in your life instead of being sad and offended all the time
 
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OZ9000

Banned
wy9lofb5qc241.jpg
 

UnNamed

Banned
It's about time Maybelline do something for the online harassment, now with their effort and their videos we can finally get rid of it.
 

H4ze

Member
hahaha damn pussys. I worked in customer support for many years, now that's were you really have to listen to bullshit. Crying over video games or anything related will never fail to amaze me.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
If you go into a competitive environment you should expect verbal abuse.
 

Mozzarella

Member
I am against harrasement, absolutely 100% against that, but in this video i have few notes on it

1- Obviously this video is staged, the bullies all automatically and quickly gang up on them and agree with each other, usually there must be someone who stands up or tries to cool the situation, its pretty rare to get a matchmaking with a team that is all trolls and haters and bullies.
2- This is a plot twist but there is plenty of toxic female gamers too, who can bully as well, yet in the video we never see them not even 1.
3- The experiment is not giving us full context, if you go into a match and are being annoying on purpose and feeding the game then you expect to be trash talked, people want to win.
4- Female gamers indeed have it worse, because both male and female gamers get attacked and bullied but in addition to that female gamers usually have to put up with cringe sexualizing of them, some horny edgy gamers will freak out as soon as they hear a female voice and will start acting super weird and cringy.

With that said, its not a bad video, albeit could have been much more genuine and authentic, but its expected from a big corporation to do that kind of thing, why did they disable comments? lol are they not confident in their video, pretty sure its not that controversial.
 
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