Gaming Company Vertagear Being Cancelled For Sexist Social Media Posts
Cancel culture has come for Vertagear after a number of sexist tweets were discovered.
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Vertagear, a self-proclaimed “top gaming chair and accessory maker trusted by many esports teams,” is currently under fire on social media, most notably Twitter where the company is being cancelled for trying to turn a sexist joke into a meme. The now-deleted tweet containing the sexist joke shifted the gaming community’s crosshairs towards the company, which in turn issued an apology.
According to IGN, the tweet in question, though deleted shortly after it was posted, has drawn immense criticism from the gaming community, which prompted Vertagear to respond with a statement about the tweet. The company pointed out that discrimination and bias are the polar opposite of what the company wishes to create for its community, taking full responsibility for the actions of what appears to be a single individual. Whether that’s truly the case remains to be seen, it’s worth pointing out that the lengthy apology specifically relates to the original tweet – and not the entire history of sexist and discriminatory tweets posted on behalf of the company.
That’s right; the questionable tweet was not the first tweet from Vertagear that employs derogatory humor. In the wake of Twitter’s Cancel Culture raining fire and brimstone on the gaming accessory manufacturer, a Twitter user named Laure Hirsbrunner found more than a dozen sexist tweets posted on behalf of the company, which is way more than any company should be posting.
The efforts of Twitter to drudge up as much dirt on Vertagear as possible didn’t go unnoticed by the company fearing being cancelled. As a result, the company has issued another apology, pictured below.
The letter acknowledges the series of sexist and discriminatory tweets that have been posted on behalf of the company. According to their statement, the individual responsible for these posts will no longer be a part of Vertagear, effective immediately. Additionally, their apology reads that the company will immediately increase the level of gender diversity in all facets of company operations, including the oversight of all social media content. It could be an honest apology or an attempt of gender-washing, which by default means that any action taken by the company is nothing else than a shallow attempt to cater to its female customers and avoid being cancelled. You be the judge of Vertagear’s.
Though this news of Vertagear being accused of sexism and discrimination is new to us, unfortunately, this is old hat in gaming and many other industries. The world of gaming is plagued by sexism and discrimination. Twitter’s Cancel Culture has previously taken aim at Ubisoft over numerous reports of sexual misconduct and a toxic work culture within the company. And that’s not an isolated incident; DC Comics came under fire over a gaming event in Injustice 2 Mobile, which encouraged players to fight a canonically bisexual character as a way of celebrating Pride month.
Vertagear should make good on their promise, given how female gamers are on the rise. According to Forbes, over 41% of the gaming population in the US are women, and approximately the same numbers go for Asia, which accounts for 48% of the world’s total gaming revenue. Conclusively, recent years have seen the rise in numbers of female gamers, and the industry should make the gaming culture more inclusive, not just towards females but towards anyone. It’s no longer a boys’ thing.
