Honestly, the criticisms about misogyny and xenophobia that I've read (and I've read a lot of them) are extremely low-effort and bland. The story of the game and it's environment is strikingly negative about what is happening and doesn't for even one moment dip into approval. Of course, this is easy to miss if you just spend 30m looking around and all you see is a corporate hellscape.

Both The Guardian reviewer and yourself, must've not played the game through. The Guardian mentions misogyny in context to female sex workers (in the game "dolls"), but the reality is that there's an equal amount of male "dolls" within the main storyline (at Clouds) and throughout the game.

And if there is any misogyny displayed within the game, it's from scumbag characters. Emphasizing that the attitude/perspective is rooted in scumbag thinking.

I read the comment you just flipped out over as suggesting that the developers weren't tuned into to the current performative hypersensitivity and outrage that is fashionable among members of the American Left and those who pander for their clicks — not that Poles as a people are somehow more misogynistic or xenophobic than Americans.

You are just full of shit. Kaczynski wouldn’t have described LGBT rights as a “threat to Poland” if it weren’t for all the brave Polish activists who do in fact care about these things. 30% of Poles support same-sex marriage.

The idea that the governing party of Poland speaks for all Poles is just fascist bullshit.

if only 30% of poles support same-sex marriage, doesn't that support the position that poland is not as concerned with LGBT issues as the west? in america, which is hardly seen as a bastion of social justice, that number is more like 60%.

it seems like a reasonable proxy to me. most people who care about LGBT rights also care about misogyny and xenophobia, or at least claim to. this is what they call "intersectionalism".

LGBT is an ideology, not "a rights package", so it's perfectly normal no reject it. All shamed eastern EU countries have working anti discrimination laws years in place. Even gay people hate LGBT, look at Jozsef Szajer example.

You have no women in your society concerned with misogyny? I know for a fact that isn't true as I work closely with several Polish women (residing in Poland). Perhaps they are not representative of others, but I doubt very much Poland is free from misogyny and that women don't care either way. The idea that 90% of the world doesn't care about something that affects 50% of the population is a reach.

And the idea that nobody cares about xenophobia also seems unlikely. It's a less diverse country, sure, but the debate around migrants in Poland have been public and at times quite emotive. Maybe it's all smoke no fire, but it when Jaroslaw Kaczynski helped the PiS rise to power while denigrating migrants throughout, you can't help but be doubtful that xenophobia isn't meaningful to some of those smaller pockets of non-native Poles in your country.

EDIT: I do not know if these concerns are merited within the context of the game itself. I have not played Cyberpunk 2077. I only take issue with your belief that misogyny and xenophobia are of no concern to people in central or eastern Europe. It sounds like an opinion of someone without such cares personally, not someone who can attest that such cares are unwarranted.

I cannot reference your exact comment because it is now flagged, but I believe you said people in Poland don't care about that these issues are only concerns to a very small but influential niche of Westerners. I do not believe I misrepresented what you wrote, though I may have misrepresented what you meant.

But then I read the rest of your comment and I feel comfortable that I didn't misread anything at all. In fact you make that clear at the end:

> And in the meantime people in Poland live everyday lives, not caring about all that stuff.

I know Polish people that do not think like you. I don't take them to represent the entirety of your country, nor do I take your word either. I'm not really going to debate the topics, nor do I care to defend myself against the imagined caricature you've conjured of me. I just think your claims to represent the reality in Poland do not square with the reality I know others live or behavior that is plainly evident from your major political party in power. Of course that party doesn't represent everyone anymore than Trump represents most Americans, but it evidences something real and tangible.

You misrepresented what they said.

You misrepresented their intention. You misrepresented their literal.

Their point is fair.

Poland might be cultural different to the West. They lived there and explained why it might be the case. It was a logical interesting point.

Their point on whether "SJW"s help or hurt has been discussed to death.

This seems true - Highest number of first residence permits issued in Poland - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/10189082/3-2...

Comments like "You have no women in your society concerned with misogyny?" was trolling.

I wasn't trolling, I was reacting indignantly to what I perceived to be a blatant overstep on their part by claiming to speak for Poland. I know they do not, because I personally know and socialize with Polish people and also know - as a direct result of that - a bit of Polish political news.

I am not here for any "SJW" debate as everyone else seems to keen to get into, nor do I care to litigate Poland's track record of immigration as I lack either interest or competence to do so. I do not doubt or question that Polish has a different cultural disposition than more Western countries.

Broad strokes are not useful for real discussion (e.g. replace ‘eastern-European’ with ‘blacks’ or ‘Jews’ and you will see how it reads to your audience.)

Why are you being downvoted for telling the truth?

Eastern Europe is extremely xenophobic and misogynistic. Have you seen the far right rallies in Ukraine and other eastern european nations? It doesn't matter that the Nazis murdered them years ago! A significant minority of the population of Ukraine is embracing nazi iconography! Seriously!

Listen to how the hungarian, romanian, polish or virtually any other eastern european nations head of states talk. These are not the friends of social justice warriors.

It’s true that Central and Eastern European governments have lagged behind North America and Western Europe when it comes to sexual freedom and LGBT rights, and that reactionary views are more widespread in those societies. The problem is that the Republicans in America is exactly as misogynistic and anti-abortion as Law and Justice in Poland. It is quite likely that Roe v Wade will be turned over in America in 2021. These things are not static and can change dramatically in a decade. Trying to make this about national attitudes is a mistake that only leads to confusion and misunderstanding.

And with Poland and Hungary especially, the government has become strongly anti-LGBT in response to increased public support for LGBT rights, as part of a general authoritarian far-right ideology. This complicated political development with a homogenous expression of Hungarian/Polish society.

And in the case of CD Projekt Red in particular: for starters, you can’t claim “golly, those humble Poles just have different views than you American folk” when your game is set in America, is clearly about American culture, was heavily marketed towards Americans, and prominently features major American actors. And CD Projekt Red has repeatedly apologized for their transphobic GOG ad campaign. They are not hicks who are unaware of some Ivory Tower concern by elite American liberals. They are in fact fully aware of what they are doing and they made a moral choice.

Do the LMBFQQUBDSBDSAH people in your country care?

We care for the real struggle with LBTGQ rights like being murdered. But most of us are annoyed and upset by the woke theater of getting offended that most of the american activists are busy with.