Complaints About Language In Reviews

The owner of the site I write for messaged me today to let me know he has received several complaints from readers in regards to my language. My style is pretty casual as I try to interject personality and value my writing as primarily entertainment.

He was reading over my review of Freedom and suggest I modify a particular paragraph as I make a Cards Against Humanity reference that mentions being dealt "Cards which say Don Rickles and Gloryholes and being asked to channel your inner asshole." The context is making a point about low brow games in comparison to a serious game such as Freedom. Ok, maybe its too far, I get it. I'm more concerned with the other complaints. It's not like there's audio playing and their children might be nearby. The site owner is contemplating putting up an advisory label on my reviews. Ugh.

I can write in a more professional manner, that's not a problem. The problem is that's not a particularly exciting proposition.

Has anyone else encountered a similar situation? Any suggestions? How would you handle it?

Send him to this site to get some fucking perspective.

It's his site so he decides the appropriateness of the content and likewise, unless you're under contract, you're under no obligation to write for him. He decides if he wants changes for his brand, you decide if you're willing to change your brand, then you either come to terms or you don't, you find out who's more valuable to who.

VonTush wrote: It's his site so he decides the appropriateness of the content and likewise, unless you're under contract, you're under no obligation to write for him. He decides if he wants changes for his brand, you decide if you're willing to change your brand, then you either come to terms or you don't, you find out who's more valuable to who.

Completely understand and agree. I have no problem with him and he's a cool, agreeable individual (he's not looking to censor me).

My concern is whether anyone else has seen this before and how they would handle it. Complaining about written review content for a free site that does hobby board game reviews seems ludicrous. Would you proceed writing for a site if it required a warning label on your reviews and you knew a portion of the audience complained? It's an awkward situation I never thought I would be in.

Well I mean you have to write for a target audience. When I used to write for the gaming industry (magazines, websites), I was really lucky that I always had editors. I would write stuff like this really incredibly fat woman at Macdonald's or how there was semen on the toilet at the Chicago airport, but the editors would just take it out.

Now it's different cuz I don't have editors but I know some important people (my wife, my mom, my boss) read my articles on this site so I still clown around but there are obviously lines that I don't cross nor would want to.

You can write in a professional manner but still have voice to your writing. Schweig has written so many complaints about my writing here, he could make a coffee table book about it.

A little alarm would go off in my head if the word "gloryhole" slipped out from the keyboard to the screen, it doesn't sound like that filter is working for you. If you want to keep writing for that website, you'll have to have that filter. Find more polite, creative ways to express the same idea. It's fun! If you miss writing crass, then do a blog!

Board gamers are the biggest bunch of fucking prudes in the world. If it's not language, it's nudity. If it's not nudity, it's some kind of subject matter...always worried about what's "appropriate". Gamers have no concept of lowbrow...it's all supposed to SERIOUS HOBBYIST FARE ONLY PLEASE THANK YOU. And also acceptable for the whole family at all times. No penises on the cards.

I don't tend to use rough language in my articles and reviews mainly because it's just not really where I want to be slinging bad words. Editorial policies should be adhered to, if you're on a site where that's de rigeur then follow on and respect that. Forums and what not, I could give a fuck. This is coming from a guy that got banned for saying that Aldie was "full of crap". I'm sure I made at least five board gamers cry with that. Board gamers have such tender feelings. They're delicious.

When we play games, the language is TERRIBLE. It's part of the fun. There's one guy, a very widely known and beloved (?) gamer that many of you would recognize that we joke about...it's like we practically lay odds on how soon into the night he's going to make an anal sex reference. Back when we used to play in public, we'd get event organizers telling us to tone it down a bit. We would, because there again, just to respect that we're not on our turf. But at the Hellfire Club...all bets are off. Especially if you're Dutch or from Boston, shit gets LIVE for you then.

But I don't really bring any of that into the reviews because that's our experience, it's not something that's part of what you're analyzing. That said, a review of Cards Against Humanity that does not contain bad language should be regarded as unauthoritative.

Michael Barnes wrote: There's one guy, a very widely known and beloved (?) gamer that many of you would recognize that we joke about...it's like we practically lay odds on how soon into the night he's going to make an anal sex reference.

Does the guy wear a tanktop and roll around in cheep Mutant Chronicles miniatures?

Ha ha, no...Avery is just naturally vulgar, he doesn't have to work blue.

So now that Avery and Tom are all buddy-buddy is he too good to hang with us anymore?

Von "Longing for the days of tanktops and cheep rum" Tush

Like it or not, you're a guest in this guy's house. Often it's words not concepts that set off alarms, and good writing will bring home the point you want to make while still avoiding the triggers. A good opportunity to stretch.

S.

Michael Barnes wrote: Board gamers are the biggest bunch of fucking prudes in the world.

I'm guessing your parents never forced you to go to hebrew school.

In my opinion it depends on the culture of the website and even how mainstream it is. While I expect to see the word "Gloryhole" on main articles on F:AT and think nothing of it, when I see that kind of language on a frontpage article for Kotaku or Engadget (which isn't totally uncommon) I can't help but roll my eyes and remember that they are just crummy blogs making an attempt to masquerade as a news source.

Black Barney wrote: Schweig has written so many complaints about my writing here, he could make a coffee table book about it.

And for jolly good reasons! You were beginning to take on the mannerism of an adolescent involved in this game titled Calling Of Duty. Not the duty to communicate in a clear and polite way obviously. But since you have now seemingly eschewed frequenting these virtual realms of filthy language, your writing has much improved as a result, as is apparent in your renewed ability to chain together several grammatically correct sentences not interspersed with spelling mistakes. So for now my coffee table book on the obscenity of Mr. Barney's vocal and notational expressions can gladly remain unpublished.

Ask him for a fight. That always decides stuff in a fair and equitable way.

I (we) are always getting told off at WBC for inappropriate language which surprises me because I always think the language is totally appropriate for the situation. We are usually getting told off by a guy in a ridiculous gnomish purple hat so I rarely take any notice.

That's the dude with Godzilla Feet slippers, right?