Some politicians have $35,000-a-plate dinners. Others have Twitch.
Brianna Wu, the video game developer and computer programmer who was relentlessly targeted by GamerGate, is running to represent Massachusetts’ eighth congressional district (MA-8) in the U.S. House of Representatives. To raise funds for her campaign, Wu will play through Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus on Twitch today, starting at 5PM Eastern Standard Time (EST). During the playthrough, she’ll “kill virtual Nazis and speak about her plans to grow the US economy.” Multitasking!
Wolfenstein’s once-uncontroversial premise – killing Nazis – has become suddenly controversial now that the alt-right, neo-Nazi-sympathizing wing of the Republican party is ascendant. Alt-righters have complained about the game’s “SJW” message and “not very nice” attitude toward Nazis on Twitter. When asked whether the game’s marketing might be poking the proverbial hornets’ nest, Bethesda PR director Pete Hines answered, “Maybe a little bit, but the hornets’ nest is full of Nazis, so fuck those guys. I’ll poke a Nazi hornet nest.”
And so Wu chose the unapologetically anti-Nazi Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus as a fundraising vehicle for her campaign.
What’s the best way to deal with videogame Nazis in games like Wolfenstein II?
— Brianna Wu (@Spacekatgal) October 30, 2017
“One of the reasons Millennials feel disenfranchised is politicians don’t speak to them in ways that feel genuine,” said Wu. “Twitch is one of the most important ways to engage younger people. I plan to go to voters where they are, not asking them to come to me.”
Wu will be running against Stephen F. Lynch, a Democrat whose voting record has established him as one of the more conservative representatives from the uber-blue state of Massachusetts. Though he supports same-sex marriage, strong bargaining rights for unions, and a minimum wage increase, he is also often anti-choice and voted against the Affordable Care Act in 2010.
The platform outlined on Wu’s website doesn’t cover many social issues, focusing instead on job creation and internet privacy, but she’s frequently tweeted about the importance of women’s reproductive rights, her support for single-payer healthcare, and other social issues. Hopefully, her website will get a more extensive update soon.
Wu’s Wolfenstein II playthrough will kick off today at 5PM EST, and you can watch by going to https://go.twitch.tv/brianna_wu_2018. You can also donate to her congressional campaign at supportbrianna.com.
(Via Boing Boing; image via screengrab)
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