Why do people give games with loli (or other dubious sexual content) and their fans so much shit?
Originally posted this discussion on /Gamingcirclejerk, but the mods deemed it was too serious, so I'm trying again here.
I think I already kinda know the answer to question, but I want to kick off a discussion about it anyway because this crap bothers me.
In light of recent events, I think it's pretty clear that the majority of folks in the gaming space are seriously unhappy with the censorship efforts of Visa and Mastercard, as well as the most recent round of legislation seeking to suppress NSFW content. I'm certainly one of those people.
Yet I've noticed a persistent ongoing trend of disparagement being directed against games that feature loli content and other dubious sex acts, as well as the people who play those games. And I get the sense that if the majority of gamers weren't worried about how censorship would affect them more broadly, they wouldn't give a shit if said games and their fans ended up getting suppressed by law.
Look, I understand that many people find that stuff disgusting, and likely instinctively feel that same disgust toward those who enjoy it. I have zero expectation for people to bring themselves to emotionally tolerate said content. But I find it hypocritical that so much contempt is regularly directed at that specific branch of fans and content compared to just about anything else.
Like, you don't see nearly this level of disparagement being directed at people who enjoy heavily violent games or horror games, which contain acts (sometimes even player driven ones) that are arguably just as morally bad if not worse than the sex stuff. And it's all equally fictional, but that doesn't seem to matter.
I get the sense that it's because people, broadly speaking, are far more sensitive to sexual transgressions and taboos due to widespread social upbringings that heavily regulate the sexual sphere, involving unspoken norms that go well beyond the letter of the law. At least that's my opinion.
What do you all think though? Do you think that lolicons and 'perverts' in the gaming space are deserving of regular shaming? And if so, why?
Posted Aug 13, 2025, 11:43 PM UTC