Yeah.... I don't like it but I also can't really get too worked up. Peak whataboutism but also pertinent.
Yeah, I really don't like influencers platforming military influencers. it is an insidious and well documented tactic (why does that sound familiar?) but... it has been going on for decades.
Its publicly known that the us military works with a lot of movies. Over simplifying but usually if you make sure to establish that the military aren't the bad guys (so make sure the rogue general gets their comeuppance, etc) you can have tanks and jets and shit. I don't like that the A-Team movie went out of their way to establish the army as great people but I don't hold it against them for wanting to save some cash and get Rocket Raccoon in a tank. Very curious how The Boys plays out but can already see inklings of "the soldiers are great. It is just these super powered terrorists who aren't" in the trailers.
So in that sense, this isn't really any different from running a twitch ad or an outlet covering Medal of Honor. It is a lot creepier because it is influencers but frigging bounty paper towels are using twitch folk to sell paper towels. We live in a fucked up world even before you turn on the news and see what new hell.
But I promised some whataboutism and I am gonna deliver. I have a REALLY hard time getting up in arms about letting the military (effectively a bad company) advertise when so much air time is still given to a company headed by an asshole who platforms animal cruelty (Gearbox), games developed by and for straight up white supremacists (Triternion), companies that have a history of targeting hate groups (THQ Nordic), and companies that are vomiting qanon levels of conspiracy bullshit in so many of their games (Ubi. hey, that is why a malicious group with a very public but effective playbook sounded so familiar!).
Sure The News is covered to varying degrees but I would be shocked if GB and the rest aren't covering Ubi Forward next week (?). Maybe we'll get another "this makes me uncomfortable" but audiences want to see the latest games and outlets aren't going to ignore them because they more or less can't. And if you are too grumpy about effectively platforming hate groups: "They are so negative. Ugh, I am sick of these youtubers who hate everything. Where is my boy xxx_420_JustBlazeIt_6969 who always loves everything and talks in a goofy voice?"
So like I said, it is definitely whataboutism but I have a hard time getting too grumpy at one shady org spending good cash to get a spotlight when so many other shady groups get free airtime everyday.
Log in to comment