Employee Response to Bobby Kotick, Additional Information on Cosby Suite

[DingDongKing]

His wife came out and stated she got PTSD from working with Blizzard, so certainly he did know. But then again, in interviews from 2016 he also described immense burn out and suffering under constant panic attacks from his work there. We know that while women and PoCs were targeted worst there, some men also suffered under the frat boy culture. And everyone who ever observed or was involved in such a culture without being a total asshole knows, how these vultures will als strike at everyone who is not bro enough.

I'm honest, as a feminist, I totally believe the accusations and I question everyone leading roles who claims to not have known things. What I'm open to believe though is, that those who didn't participate in it, the "good guys" didn't say and do anything out of fear of retaliation and becoming a target themselves. Its not heroic, its not nice, it does not make these people martyrs or people to look up at. And I feel like everyone would come better out of the situation if they would just admit that they knew, didn't act out of fear and move on to support the investigations as good as they can.

And everyone here, can you all stop with engaging in the whole Cosby-Suite debate? You make fools of yourself, it is obviously a strawman which the Incels on this website use to distract you from talking about the broader issues of Blizzards corporate culture, because surprise surprise, its not that they don't believe it, its that they feel victimized by the idea that men shouldn't be allowed to do that anymore because its an appealing power fantasy to them. It doesn't matter if the cosby-suite ended up as an ironically fitting name in retrospect or if it started right off the bat as an edgy injoke from a former Incel, it doesn't changes anything relevant.

Pretty much this. It's why I keep saying the Cosby suite thing is pointless. It's just a distraction.

[Diaphin]

Pretty much this. It's why I keep saying the Cosby suite thing is pointless. It's just a distraction.

Then ignore this Incels. Don't argue with them about this. Lets be real, the Cosby suite is only important in that, no matter what the original intend was, it's just so fucking fitting that you couldn't make up that stuff. The only people argueing against this are incels, antifeminists and nazis this website refuses to purge, most likely all three in one. Don't let them distract you, just ignore them. And if they annoy you too much, just mock them for being losers. Because lets be real here, if they weren't losers they wouldn't spread their bullshit here for free. They would make a grift out of it on youtube, like all the anti-sjws you can look at without throwing up do.

[Forogil]

Well, I doubt many going to Blizzcon even in 2013 were old enough to remember Leisure Suit Larry.

Perhaps not, but the general attendees didn't matter that much - it seems the suite was primarily for "senior" devs (and their guests) and they seem to have been that old.

[BronzeCondor]

GC's response seemed reasonable. It's sad people are trying to pigeonhole him into a position of guilt.

It's sickening to use phrases like "he should have known" and "he should have done" and use that as evidence of a crime

Even if he did know, I doubt that anyone posting on this website would be some paragon of virtue and out every single workplace issue they see, especially if they are in a seemingly coveted job position. (spoiler alert, they wouldn't).

The woke crowd demands a sacrifice. You can't reason with emotional impulses. You try to talk to anyone or challenge anyone that's emotionally invested in all of this, all you'll get is knee jerk reactions.

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His wife came out and stated she got PTSD from working with Blizzard, so certainly he did know. But then again, in interviews from 2016 he also described immense burn out and suffering under constant panic attacks from his work there. We know that while women and PoCs were targeted worst there, some men also suffered under the frat boy culture. And everyone who ever observed or was involved in such a culture without being a total asshole knows, how these vultures will als strike at everyone who is not bro enough.

I'm honest, as a feminist, I totally believe the accusations and I question everyone leading roles who claims to not have known things. What I'm open to believe though is, that those who didn't participate in it, the "good guys" didn't say and do anything out of fear of retaliation and becoming a target themselves. Its not heroic, its not nice, it does not make these people martyrs or people to look up at. And I feel like everyone would come better out of the situation if they would just admit that they knew, didn't act out of fear and move on to support the investigations as good as they can.

And everyone here, can you all stop with engaging in the whole Cosby-Suite debate? You make fools of yourself, it is obviously a strawman which the Incels on this website use to distract you from talking about the broader issues of Blizzards corporate culture, because surprise surprise, its not that they don't believe it, its that they feel victimized by the idea that men shouldn't be allowed to do that anymore because its an appealing power fantasy to them. It doesn't matter if the cosby-suite ended up as an ironically fitting name in retrospect or if it started right off the bat as an edgy injoke from a former Incel, it doesn't changes anything relevant.

Holy using your brain.

[Xath]

Discrepancies in pay increases, including negotiated starting salaries, are typically factored in when applicable and are used in determining the adjusted wage gap. If you have an actual study that demonstrates that what you are claiming is the case, feel free to post it; however, I've never seen a well-reviewed study that claims such.

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Allegations against Cosby were public since before 2014, with public accusations being known as early as 2005 (which I believe is the Constand case, though you could likely find sources from before that point); however, it didn't help that some media outlets like ABCNews opted to lead their audiences by trying to make it appear as though investigators were trying to prove the sexual assault was actually consensual. It should be noted that the back-and-forth between Constand and Cosby was public and went on for over a year. In 2006, there were also publications like People magazine who published additional accounts of sexual assault from victims of Cosby, though at the time it was mostly Jane Does who did not want to come forward publicly. It's hard to believe that more people behind the scenes were simply completely and totally unaware of his behavior given the sheer number of allegations that would eventually come out against him from such a broad range of time, dozens of victims over the course of multiple decades, as well as the fact that these allegations even spilled over into the public. Further to that point, Hannibal Buress' joke wasn't even really a joke, he literally just told people to "Google 'Bill Cosby Rape'", so it's not like the information was even that well hidden from the public. The sad fact of the matter is that it's likely not that people were unaware behind the scenes, but more likely they either were more concerned about their own well being or simply didn't give a shit, such as in the case with people who knew a Weinstein.

Regarding how this relates to the Cosby Suite, it's possible that some people didn't know. Greg Street gave a plausible answer, as it's true that someone likely wouldn't publicly brag about something called the Cosby Suite if they knew about the allegations; however, it's a little uncanny how the Cosby Suite is tied to Afrasiabi, who was known to sexually abuse women at Blizzard. Even if some people did not know, the connection is a little too suspect to be give everyone a pass.

It's literally against the law to discriminate salary wise based on gender. If it's proven that company will get taken to the cleaners. If you could just straight up pay less based on gender every company would only hire women.

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What’s also frustrating is that it’s highly unclear what the goal of the people going with the ‘no one knew Cosby was a creep’ statement is. Are you saying the naming of the Suite was innocent? Okay. Does that change the way Alex behaved all those years? No. Does it exonerate other people who went to the Cosby Suite? It does nothing. Nothing worse or better really.

Because even if the suite didn’t have such a contentious name, the chances are enough people knew he was a creep. And did nothing of note to stop it. That said, no one is implying Kosak actually ‘gathered chixx’ for the Suite. In fact Kosak has supported women in their claims against Alex. So yeah.

This is just one of those stupid round robin arguments. If anyone wants to die on the hill of ‘Eureka! Alex wasn’t a creep and the Cosby Suite naming paradox proves it!’ Then say so. Otherwise, this is just dumb.

Because focusing on the suite is idiotic and the name came from before the big lawsuits got any ground. There is much worse stuff to focus on like breast feeding rooms not having locks and employees barging into them and staring without repercussions to their employment status or just how freaking long Afrasiabi was doing stuff that should have gotten him fired after the first instance.

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There is absolutely zero evidence that can prove that the majority of people didn't know in 2013. Stop acting like your speculation is gospel.

There actually is though. Google search indexing can show a direct spike in searching it after Hannibal Burress pissed off Cosby's home town with a joke that had been part of his set for half a year and told them to google it. That's when stuff started blowing up and when people started coming forward. It also happened significantly after the blizzcon in question.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...by-allegations

[Magical Mudcrab]

It's literally against the law to discriminate salary wise based on gender. If it's proven that company will get taken to the cleaners. If you could just straight up pay less based on gender every company would only hire women.

Sure, and illegal practices never happen at companies, which is why there was no discrimination against women at Blizzard, right? It's why there's no racial discrimination in hiring practices too, I bet? Something being illegal doesn't mean it simply never happens again. I would recommend actually reading any of the sources that have been referenced previously within the thread, to get a better understanding of what the gender wage gap is. For your statement specifically, I would also recommend researching how gender bias manifests itself, this article from the Harvard Business School would be a good starting point.

[Yarathir]

Considering that @Yarathir never claimed that a boycott would ever "fix all the labour and economic problems", your post is nothing but a sad strawman.

It wasn't even remotely the angle I was trying to come from either, so I'm not sure what he was trying to get at. I was simply waiting for an argument for why people should keep working at Blizzard, other than they don't have any immediate security if they try to leave on the spot.

It's not the wages and it's most definitely not the work culture. If you're an employee there, I wholeheartedly believe you'd just be better off in every sense of the word trying to find a new spot. And yes, no gaming company or studio is perfect, but you can at least assume that there's places that are at the very least marginally better than "that place where you have to work a second or third job to survive and where you might end up getting groped during excessive, mentally straining crunch, or worse."

[DingDongKing]

It's literally against the law to discriminate salary wise based on gender. If it's proven that company will get taken to the cleaners. If you could just straight up pay less based on gender every company would only hire women.

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Because focusing on the suite is idiotic and the name came from before the big lawsuits got any ground. There is much worse stuff to focus on like breast feeding rooms not having locks and employees barging into them and staring without repercussions to their employment status or just how freaking long Afrasiabi was doing stuff that should have gotten him fired after the first instance.

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There actually is though. Google search indexing can show a direct spike in searching it after Hannibal Burress pissed off Cosby's home town with a joke that had been part of his set for half a year and told them to google it. That's when stuff started blowing up and when people started coming forward. It also happened significantly after the blizzcon in question.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...by-allegations

Bingo. But it's evident there are certain bad faith actors who are making the Cosby Suite naming thing into the hill to die on. Because #NotAllMen.

[Diaphin]

The woke crowd demands a sacrifice. You can't reason with emotional impulses. You try to talk to anyone or challenge anyone that's emotionally invested in all of this, all you'll get is knee jerk reactions.

That all happens in your head. Stop the persecution complex. What people do right now is calling out people like Greg Street that they just don't believe him and they don't care about empty platitudes. The most common sentiment and expectation I see from people is not a call to cancel people like Street or even Metzen but the hope that they will let actions speak and cooperate with the court.

[DingDongKing]

The woke crowd demands a sacrifice. You can't reason with emotional impulses. You try to talk to anyone or challenge anyone that's emotionally invested in all of this, all you'll get is knee jerk reactions.

The 'woke crowd'. Too funny. I bet you sit around and cry about Critical Race Theory and ANTIFA too.

[Magnagarde]

Bringing the "hot chixx", the alcohol and joking about their origin doesn't mean much, but it does cement the image some of them have created for themselves. If it turns out they took advantage of employees who weren't capable of consensual sexual activity due to acute alcohol intoxication, then that is extremely serious. However, to pass judgement over a chat is just unwarranted and I have seen some people take this as proof of what's been going on. I guess it has a bigger gravity considering the ongoing lawsuit, in the light of which it must be getting this attention, but beyond looking through the prism of the lawsuit, it is one of the most common male troll-chad chats if I ever saw one, especially considering they're all huge nerds. Writing like that doesn't automatically make them rapists, but in the light of what is going on at Blizzard it surely doesn't look good.

In regards to the name, I thought the Cosby thing became public sometime later. If it didn't, then my memory isn't serving me, but if it did, then I don't know why and how they'd know about it to be able to joke with it in the first place.

[BronzeCondor]

You spelled justice wrong. Also lol @ ''woke'' people still say that? Are you unvaccinated (see:untainted) by chance?

Well it's a real term to describe a psychological disorder.

[BronzeCondor]

Unvaccinated? No it doesn't, but I agree it should be a term to describe a psychological disorder at this point...

No, the term "woke" where people feel compelled to go out of their way and signal how offended they are on other peoples' behalf.

[uuuhname]

No, the term "woke" where people feel compelled to go out of their way and signal how offended they are on other peoples' behalf.

you mean when right wingers make up legislation to ban sharia law to make their racist base happy. yes I suppose when you use it to describe "any" behavior where the intent is show your concern or desire to see material change in the world you could call that a mental condition... and still end up looking like a fool.

[Carcimomim]

Well it's a real term to describe a psychological disorder.

Hahaha no it isn’t. It’s actually a compliment though meant to be an insult. It’s a really poor insult too.

[BronzeCondor]

you mean when right wingers make up legislation to ban sharia law to make their racist base happy. yes I suppose when you use it to describe "any" behavior where the intent is show your concern or desire to see material change in the world you could call that a mental condition... and still end up looking like a fool.

Republicans don't have a racist base, that would be Democrats along with their historic ownership of slaves. Also can't forget the "token" label given to people who don't act like victims for the Democrats.

Wokeism is for bored 1st worlders who've never experienced any real hardships, so they have to make up their own struggles to justify their existence.

[uuuhname]

Wokeism is for bored 1st worlders who've never experienced any real hardships, so they have to make up their own struggles to justify their existence.

you're talking to a mirror. and of course this very new very unique and very not at all tired and boring mindset of the preverbal right wing victim is trotted out when the subject is people being sexually harassed at work. just, the cravenness of it all.

[Dead Moose Fandango]

Republicans don't have a racist base, that would be Democrats along with their historic ownership of slaves. Also can't forget the "token" label given to people who don't act like victims for the Democrats.

Wokeism is for bored 1st worlders who've never experienced any real hardships, so they have to make up their own struggles to justify their existence.

What a wonderful imaginary world you must live in. Or maybe you're a time-traveler from old times who somehow can use a modern-day computer.

Either way, the Democratic party hasn't been like that in decades. Meanwhile, the party of Trump has taken up the confederate flag of racism and is running with it like it's the Olympic torch.

[TheRevenantHero]

It's literally against the law to discriminate salary wise based on gender. If it's proven that company will get taken to the cleaners. If you could just straight up pay less based on gender every company would only hire women.

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Because focusing on the suite is idiotic and the name came from before the big lawsuits got any ground. There is much worse stuff to focus on like breast feeding rooms not having locks and employees barging into them and staring without repercussions to their employment status or just how freaking long Afrasiabi was doing stuff that should have gotten him fired after the first instance.

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There actually is though. Google search indexing can show a direct spike in searching it after Hannibal Burress pissed off Cosby's home town with a joke that had been part of his set for half a year and told them to google it. That's when stuff started blowing up and when people started coming forward. It also happened significantly after the blizzcon in question.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...by-allegations

That's not evidence. That's one article claiming that Hannibal Buress is the sole reason people knew about Cosby issues. That is NOTHING but speculation and conjecture.

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Republicans don't have a racist base, that would be Democrats along with their historic ownership of slaves. Also can't forget the "token" label given to people who don't act like victims for the Democrats.

Wokeism is for bored 1st worlders who've never experienced any real hardships, so they have to make up their own struggles to justify their existence.

Republicans and Democrats swapped platforms in the 60s. The KKK and Proud Boys endorse the Republican party so yes they absolutely do have a racist base.

The only people who try to use "woke" in a bad way are people that are mad they can't get away with saying fucked up comments anymore.

[phattsao]

Biting the hand that feeds you usually ends well.