T**bagging is the portraying of a sexual aggression on a corpse. I’ll quote Bryant Francis, senior editor at www gamedeveloper com
*"First, a quick refresher for the unfamiliar. “T*bagging” refers to a taunt in multiplayer games where players stand over an opponent’s dead body and repeatedly crouch their character over the corpse. It’s meant to mimic an actual sexual act where one person’s genitals come in contact with the face of their consenting partner.
The fact it’s a sexual act notwithstanding, the extra uncomfortable layer is the impression of doing it to an unconsenting person or as an act of dominance. If you did it to an opponent on a soccer field, bowling alley, or arcade, it’d be a straightforward case of sexual harassment."
But let’s be clear here, tbagging is a clear and explicit sexual reference. That means when it’s unwanted or undesired, it’s sexual harassment. Developers encouraging or winking and nodding at the act blunt their own ability to build cohesive policy around other forms of sexual harassment. It’s a bit hard to take seriously the notion that other sexually suggestive insults deserve a ban when this one can roam free.
Last year, Emily Greer hit the nail on the head in her GDC Summer talk when she said “harassment is only sometimes about sex, but it’s always about power. (Why_you_should_rethink_how_your_company_handles_inhouse_harassment)” We can say the same thing for t**bagging.
It’s an act of establishing power, particularly sexual power, over your opponents. It’s ridiculous for developers to support or condone this behavior while the industry tries to figure out how to make safer workplaces not riddled with sexual harassment or abuse.
Do you think the public and medias present at the next BlizzCon would appreciate an on stage live demonstration of what t**bagging is ? What if the corpse would be chosen in the crowd. A man, a woman, a child ? All play WOW right ?
Tbagging is just unacceptable and should be banned, and bannable. An interesting fact by the way is that I cannot post an article on THIS FORUM using the expression tbagging. The expression is BANNED…
