If you’ve been there As a timely reminder of the dangers of viral social media activity, Bayonetta voice actress Hellena Taylor’s apology story certainly is. In what seemed like record time, it emerged as an important lesson in the virtue of waiting all events to emerge amid controversy and radical social revolution short-circuiting the cautious impulse. It also exposes the profound dangers of social media mobs.
Earlier this month, Japanese game studio Platinum Games revealed that the upcoming third entry in their hit Bayonetta series will not feature Taylor as the voice of the title character, like the two games. played before. On October 15, Taylor posted a video for her Twitter account, in which she made an explosive accusation and an equally explosive demand from her followers: She claimed she was only offered $4,000 for the role and that people should boycott the game. Fans have been supportive and this seems to be the latest episode about the game industry’s exploitative attitude towards voice actors, caused a year-long strike by the union SAG-AFTRA from 2016 to 2017.
Taylor seems to embody this exploitation, as a vocal woman who helped make the brand a global hit is not only denied the allowance, but also paid less than a living wage. Except, according to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier and his sources at Platinum Games, Taylor misrepresented her proposed compensation; instead, she was offered $4,000 every recording session, with a total of sessions worth at least $15,000 in compensation, which is above the union price. This is endorsed by Andy Robinson at VGC News.
Taylor’s call to gather the torch and lute was heeded by many angry gamers and fans who witnessed a glaring case of injustice unfolding before their very eyes. But there are already warning signs that caution is needed. Legendary voice actor Jennifer Hale has been cast as Bayonetta in the upcoming title, and Taylor, in a follow up Twitter video from the same thread, said of Hale: “I wish her all the joy in the world, I wish her all the best, but she has no right to say that she is the voice of Bayonetta. I created that voice. She has no consignment authority as Bayonetta. This oddly possessive remark was not widely acknowledged by the crowd Taylor summoned — perhaps it was politely ignored. Or perhaps it was overheard, because, as has been widely reported, Jennifer Hale has been extremely stressed by angry and harassing social media comments in response to her allegations. Taylor.
In many ways, this is the inevitable outcome of a social media campaign. Such things almost always lead to harassment as the mob looks for someone to blame, a personal villain to scapegoat. Apparently some Taylor supporters found someone in Hale who, no matter what, is under the NDA and can’t speak publicly about the affair the way some are demanding (( she gave up a very forehand statement). It doesn’t have to happen this way, but it is just the latest in a long line of episodes in which those who want to do the right thing are weaponized for much less noble ends.
A compelling Twitter video precedes the important story, which is only part of it. In an atmosphere where social media demands the timeliness of all participants and leaves us all stuck in instant communication (including people like me, who are caught milestones in the economy), there is tremendous pressure to choose or respond immediately, and many of us give in too quickly.
