Some queer bloggers are steamed over a video game that they claim pushes thinly veiled homophobia on America’s youth.
Battle Bears, a hit release from SkyVu Entertainment, sees militaristic ursine soldiers blasting warm-and-fuzzy pink bears called Huggables. When the cuddly critters are shot, though, they bleed rainbows instead of blood and guts.
Blogger Aksarbent writes:
This contemptible game has blown up since its August release, now closing in on 20 million downloads to mostly preteen boys. Since many of the installments in the Battle Bears series are free, in-game advertising accounts for half the revenue. But soon the not-so-subtle anti-gay subtext of the game will be rewiring the brains of young boys on children’s TV too, with action figures and toys not far behind. Hey GLAAD, did you forget to set your alarm clock?
But is the game targeting the rainbow-loving gays—or the actually-pretty-annoying Care Bears? Or is it just a silly game?
How about we take this to the next level?
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Check out the trailer below and make a case in the comments section.
Aaron in Honolulu
I think the game is targeting the actually-pretty-annoying Care Bears. If your only gay-related connection is that the bears bleed rainbows then I believe you are over-reaching. Let’s not forget that the rainbow is not “exclusively” a representation of LGBTs. And to assume this video game will recruit young boys to bash other gay boys is just as ridiculous as conservatives assuming the success of Harry Potter will make children want to perform witchcraft.
Tom
a studio just released a sequel to a game where you play a bad teddy bear who goes on a killing spree killing other teddy bears in cute ways. I don’t think its meant to be homophobic
Maruchi
I agree with Tom and Aaron. All it’s doing is appealing to a young, male demographic, not inciting homophobia. We need to give kids more credit. Violent computer games don’t warp young people’s minds, poor parenting and lack of proper context do. To paraphrase Marcus Brigstocke ‘If computer games had affected us when we were kids then we’d have been running around darkened rooms listening to repetitive music and munching pills…oh wait.’
hephaestion
I believe it is clearly an incitement to violence against gays.
It is also very, very poorly done.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
hmmm, not sure about this. probably best to leave it be. i do know reactions like this open us up to being seen as the equivalent of the one million moms anti-fun police. not that necessarily invalidates any concerns we have.
anyhow the game is eminently subvertible as it’s easy to read a subtext into the hyper-masculine bears too.
Mjl-428
really I wouldn’t react to it much because the color pink and he rainbow aren’t exclusively associated with the gay community, but if there was something to be suspicious of, then do a little background history of game’s creators before labeling it as homophobic. otherwise it’s a destructive game for the sake of destruction, which is a large amount of today’s games
Bascha
Oh come on. Obviously the rainbows signify things like Care Bears and other cutesy things. If this game is brainwashing the kids to do anything, it’s to go out and cut the heads off their little sister’s barbies. Rainbows are connected to other things than just gay culture. I personally don’t even like the rainbow association with gay culture. If there’s one thing I do not want to be associated with, it’s a rainbow, and honestly the rainbow thing gives more people (even ignorant friends who don’t know any better) an excuse to group gay people under one umbrella of twink-ish, effeminate fairies.
Charlie in Charge
Not homophobic per se but certainly pandering to the trend of exalting violent manliness over cute feminine happiness.
doug105
My guild’s spam from everquest2 on Freeport server.
Which has a free2play model by the way.
Rainbow alliance is a gay/les/bi/ts and friends based L64 guild with a t1 guild hall in halas open to both good/evil full utilities,depot,bell,druid,wiz,etc if you think you would like to join or for more info pst.18+
Rainbows may not be exclusive to lgbt but it’s well known from pride events and other uses.
As for this story my feelings are very mixed I know I’ve wanted to blow away a carebear or purple dino or two. So wait and see.
tazz602
Homophobic? Really – someone even thought that? Not even close. If you are going to create a subversive gay killing game I hope they can do better than care bear look alikes that bleed rainbows. I would be insulted if that was the real intent.
conrad charleston
Does anyone else remember Conker’s?
The bears are all right. I mean, military? Bears? That’s sort of gay in and of itself, right?
lehadley
@Aaron in Honolulu: Exactly.
nsomniac
ROFL!!!
andy_d
@Maruchi: ROFLMAO! Were you a child of the 70’s to 90’s scene too? 😉
Mark
Clearly this game is trying to attack the covenant between god and man, which was established between god and Noah after the great flood of which the rainbow is the symbol.
These atheist (and probably gay!) “game” makers are clearly trying to indoctrinate children into satanism and atheism (as if there’s a difference) by making them destroy incarnations of the rainbow. Glory! Praise!
(oeh I should totally suggest this to christwire…)