Towards a Political Economy of Gamergate

Abstract

This paper uses feminist and intersectional political economy to examine the political and economic outcomes of Gamergate: who gained or lost power and capital, and who ultimately paid for it. This paper argues that Gamergate was a critical moment for the far-right to determine how to bring about the change they wanted to see in the world by weaponizing simplistic culture wars and memetic language that would redirect the attention Gamergate was paying to feminists in video games to politics at large. Demonstrating how simplified culture wars and viral media can redirect attention from niche cultural debates to international politics. This was facilitated via an infrastructure of websites, social media platforms, streaming services, image boards, and media companies associated with conservative movements, and it directly led to both elections of President Donald Trump.