The battle over geek culture

Battle of Ideas podcast: listen to the opening panel remarks from this debate on Gamergate, free expression and the trouble with identity politics.

With the rise of fantasy and sci-fi, geek culture is now mainstream. Yet trailing its success has come vicious infighting amongst fans. ‘Gamergate’ moved quickly from a dispute between game developers and journalists to a row over gamers’ attitudes towards women. Dr Matt Taylor’s choice of a bawdy shirt overshadowed his work in landing the Philae lander on a comet. The rise of social media has led to ‘calling people out’, harnessing the power of public shaming. ‘Social Justice Warriors’ have provoked sub-cultures such as ‘Sad Puppies’, who reject perceived politically correct orthodoxies. How are the frontlines of the culture wars changing?

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SPEAKERS

Allum Bokhari
columnist, Breitbart

Serena Kutchinsky
digital editor, Prospect

Dr Maren Thom
researcher, film, Queen Mary University of London

Jason Walsh
journalist; foreign correspondent, CS Monitor

Milo Yiannopoulos
technology editor, Breitbart

CHAIR

David Bowden
associate director, IoI

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