Considered one of the most-polarizing figures on the internet, for better or worse, MovieBob got his start as a video essayist on ScrewAttack via The Game OverThinker. After becoming a site regular in 2009, MovieBob gained a reputation as a “loud, angry voice” who fed into video game edginess. His over-the-top rhetoric divided audiences over whether or not he was making the reputation of gamers worse. He also was the first non-ScrewAttack/GameTrailers/AVGN-related gaming content I watched.
My opinion of MovieBob has swung back and forth. Initially, I thought he was an amusing pastime. Then I started getting frustrated with his lack of etiquette. Then I took a break, moved on to other creators, and came back to discover that he’d softened a lot. Then he became annoying again following GamerGate and Trump. Now…I’m neutral on him.
Don’t get me wrong: MovieBob’s no saint. Aside from questionable politics, which have ebbed and flowed, he has one of the most-obnoxious Feeds on Twitter. The latter’s so bad I’ve made an effort to avoid most of his Tweets. He also occasionally has pop-culture takes that are baffling. But that’s why I don’t Follow him on Twitter.
You’re probably wondering why I’m mentioning him; after all, he can advocate for himself! He doesn’t need me to stick up for him, right? Well, I’m doing it anyway. Not because I’m his #1 fan, but because much of the criticism directed at him is couched in disturbing and unsettling blowback. Let me explain.
One of the “critiques”, if you can call it that, that keeps getting tossed at MovieBob revolves around his weight. Essentially, MovieBob’s fat. He’s never tried hiding that in his on-screen appearances, either. Even his most well-known photo, him dressed as Mario for Halloween, accentuates that fact. It’s not a secret.
Unfortunately, it keeps getting used as an insult. Whether it’s being called “MovieSlob”, or having his well-intended critics attack his weight in jest, it’s become really tired and overused. We get it, MovieBob’s fat. Lots of people are fat. How’s this funny?
Perhaps it wouldn’t bother me if I weren’t underweight, always trying (unsuccessfully) to gain weight my whole life. Perhaps it also wouldn’t bother me if I didn’t know people who are overweight, always struggling (again, unsuccessfully) to be thinner. There are many sympathetic reasons for someone being overweight. Also, not everyone metabolizes food the same way.
By frequently bringing up MovieBob’s weight, people are dabbling in body-shaming. And isn’t that supposed to be bad? Isn’t it largely-accepted that if we strive for body-positivity, we should be accepting of all body types? How is criticizing MovieBob for something he can’t control meant to elevate your cause? Shouldn’t you focus on something else?
Another area people like calling out MovieBob for is his intelligence. He routinely gets attacked for being “stupid”, something not helped by his Twitter Feed coming off as ableist and pretentious. That last part was the main reason I stopped Following him on Twitter, by the way. I was having enough trouble with my own self-esteem that I didn’t need him adding to that.
But guess what? I don’t Follow him anymore. And ignoring that, many people on Twitter, even some who are more-respected than MovieBob, have ableist and pretentious Feeds too. In some cases, it exceeds MovieBob. It’s Twitter, home of the garbage hot-take! If you think the site won’t corrupt you somehow, then you haven’t been paying attention!
Perhaps it wouldn’t bother me if I weren’t underweight, always trying (unsuccessfully) to gain weight my whole life. Perhaps it also wouldn’t bother me if I didn’t know people who are overweight, always struggling (again, unsuccessfully) to be thinner. There are many sympathetic reasons for someone being overweight. Also, not everyone metabolizes food the same way.
By frequently bringing up MovieBob’s weight, people are dabbling in body-shaming. And isn’t that supposed to be bad? Isn’t it largely-accepted that if we strive for body-positivity, we should be accepting of all body types? How is criticizing MovieBob for something he can’t control meant to elevate your cause? Shouldn’t you focus on something else?
Another area people like calling out MovieBob for is his intelligence. He routinely gets attacked for being “stupid”, something not helped by his Twitter Feed coming off as ableist and pretentious. That last part was the main reason I stopped Following him on Twitter, by the way. I was having enough trouble with my own self-esteem that I didn’t need him adding to that.
But guess what? I don’t Follow him anymore. And ignoring that, many people on Twitter, even some who are more-respected than MovieBob, have ableist and pretentious Feeds too. In some cases, it exceeds MovieBob. It’s Twitter, home of the garbage hot-take! If you think the site won’t corrupt you somehow, then you haven’t been paying attention!
While some of MovieBob’s Tweets have angered me, he’s shown the ability to be introspective too. He’s messed up plenty, but he’s also apologized, made amends, been embarrassed by his past views and learned to temper his politics. MovieBob, like all people, isn’t static, and he’s grown as a person since 2009. He still puts his foot in his mouth regularly, but he’s not as bad as he used to be.
MovieBob might have critics on the left and the right, but many of them aren’t saints either. I’ve seen videos and Tweets that’ve tried calling him out, yet have either fallen prey to the same issues they’re calling out, or have done worse. It’s the classic example of, “People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”. I also wonder how effective the pushback against him is when it’s ableist, pretentious, or body-shaming in nature, often all three simultaneously. Can’t we do better?
Arguably the biggest issue people have with MovieBob is how much of a “know-it-all” he is. I can’t argue with at, going by some of his comments. But guess what? He’s not alone there! Plenty of more individuals have made remarks that are equally as obnoxious, if not more-so. Some are even people I respect! Besides, MovieBob has the humility to acknowledge his ignorance and refer to experts, which many of his critics lack. If a “know-it-all” is capable of that, then there’s no excuse.
I guess this boils down to critiquing MovieBob honestly. Because so many people, even intelligent ones, don’t know how. And that’s sad. MovieBob’s easy to criticize for many reasons, but those reasons are frequently unmet. It’d be embarrassing if it weren’t upsetting, given the aforementioned.
I’m not saying people shouldn’t criticize MovieBob. You want to call him out? To quote Clint Barton from The Avengers: “Get in line.” But when that criticism lacks intellectual honesty, you might as well be what you hate. And no one wants that.
MovieBob might have critics on the left and the right, but many of them aren’t saints either. I’ve seen videos and Tweets that’ve tried calling him out, yet have either fallen prey to the same issues they’re calling out, or have done worse. It’s the classic example of, “People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”. I also wonder how effective the pushback against him is when it’s ableist, pretentious, or body-shaming in nature, often all three simultaneously. Can’t we do better?
Arguably the biggest issue people have with MovieBob is how much of a “know-it-all” he is. I can’t argue with at, going by some of his comments. But guess what? He’s not alone there! Plenty of more individuals have made remarks that are equally as obnoxious, if not more-so. Some are even people I respect! Besides, MovieBob has the humility to acknowledge his ignorance and refer to experts, which many of his critics lack. If a “know-it-all” is capable of that, then there’s no excuse.
I guess this boils down to critiquing MovieBob honestly. Because so many people, even intelligent ones, don’t know how. And that’s sad. MovieBob’s easy to criticize for many reasons, but those reasons are frequently unmet. It’d be embarrassing if it weren’t upsetting, given the aforementioned.
I’m not saying people shouldn’t criticize MovieBob. You want to call him out? To quote Clint Barton from The Avengers: “Get in line.” But when that criticism lacks intellectual honesty, you might as well be what you hate. And no one wants that.
Besides, if Lindsay Ellis has forgiven him for an admittedly-creepy Tweet he made years ago, even when she had all reasons not to, then we can dial it down on the criticism.
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