Raunchy jokes and your workplace....
polycounter lvl 17
I'm wondering if raunchy jokes have ever become a legal issue at a game company? Most of the companies I've visited and the one I work at tend to be pretty relaxed in atmosphere, and people will say lewd jokes frequently, but it's always been in good fun and there's never been malice behind the remarks. Does anyone work at a company where someone took it too far? Or where the atmosphere is more strictly enforced and people get offended easily? Game companies have always struck me as tending to be more relaxed, and perhaps almost family-like when it comes to the friendships are formed and the sense of teamwork.
Just a random aspect I wondered about, considering my last job had a lot of older folks and seemed to be a bit more strict when it comes to that, so it's quite the contrast!
Just a random aspect I wondered about, considering my last job had a lot of older folks and seemed to be a bit more strict when it comes to that, so it's quite the contrast!
Replies
It's also different across cultures. Moving from the UK to the US presented me with a big learning curve in terms of what was considered acceptable office banter.
Though working in the same room as myself is about 10 other people,3 of them being female and the rest being male. everyone is pretty young,the average age of the entire studio is proberly just under 30,so as you would proberly expect the atmosphere is very relaxed,the banter is frequently sexural and occasionally dips well below "acceptable" levels.
We did once have an incident where a client was in the lead designers office talking about a job while the rest of us where having a rather sexurally orinated disscussion,we weren't exaclly being quite about it either and inevatably she complained and we got a nasty telling off from the studio head to keep our voices down and convosations appropriate when clients are in the building.
But apart from that no-ones bothered and I think its a good thing that we as a group can talk to each other like that,make a joke about each other now and again without the fear of a backlash or some suit telling me to shut my mouth.
It makes for a nice,relaxed,open and friendly atmosphere.
john
What I'm surprised to find I'm not okay with is random swearing. There's a girl who works on the floor below me, an account manager who deals with clients, and listening to her is just... not cool. When she's dealing with clients, she's sweetness and light. When ranting (loudly) from her cube, it's "fuck those sons of bitches" and "screw those assholes" about whomever has her wrath that day. Just in the normal course of day-to-day conversation.
While I'm certainly not a hardass about politically correct behavior, I find her to be very unprofessional and distracting to work near. In general, I think your audience is more important than what you say; if you're going to say potentially offensive things, whether jokes or rants, make sure the only people who can hear them are people who are okay with them. Airing it out for the whole office is about like coming into my workspace and dumping garbage all over my floor - I don't what your shit all over the place while I'm working, yeah?
tim
I dont wanna move over there an have my ass kicked for some stupid misunderstanding haha.
Everyone has different standards. There's no way to predict them, you just have to adapt.
I worked in QA at EA and the particular team I was on passed around plenty of raunchy and offensive jokes. But I was on a pretty relaxed team, and I know other teams around me (even just a few meters away) were much more strict and wouldn't have put up with it.
Now I have a fatass boss who is always angry at something so I just try to avoid talking at all when I'm around him for fear that he may possibly eat me.
The trick to not offending people is just so start out very polite, and gradually "expand your vocabulary" to match those around you. Never be rude to anyone who you haven't already seen acting that way themselves. Never assume that just because a few people are okay with it, that the rest of the company will accept it as well.
[/ QUOTE ]
I think that's the most sensible attitude. Behave until you know the score.
Then rape them in the eye.
I've done so much Microsoft Sensitivity Training I think it's actually working now. Not only have I become more well behaved, I now get offended at the slightest lude comment. Which is unfortunate, since the training has no effect on anyone else.
[/ QUOTE ]
haha, that's priceless
Smirnoffka, ozzies....swear? No fucking way, I don't believe it
From the people I talk (have talked) to online via teamspeak, skype etc. everyone has pretty much been the same. Yanks, ozzies, brits, we've all abused each other mercilessly. So I was just sort of wondering the differences people have experienced when moving to the US. The guys on my mod team from the US dish out the abuse too, I'm just better at it
Or is it more of 'general public' difference?
The tendency to blame others and take advantage for personal gain is the trait about Americans I dislike the most. Outside of the workplace or anywhere there is potential liability, I'm sure that Americans are as a raunchy and inappropriate as everyone else.
In our studio, it seems to be pretty relaxed and we talk about all kinds of rubbish. We do have a few females that work here as well so I guess we keep that in mind when it comes to talk about certain topics. But on the odd chance we do cross the line, the worst response I've heard was "That's just wrong!".
I guess it varies from place to place and just listen in to see how shit rolls. Like Rick said, "Then rape them in the eye."
-caseyjones
It's a sign of the times when fucking a dead 12 year old boy in the ass while cutting yourself is less offensive than Jesus and George Bush.
Daz can you point of the difference between the US and UK on this subject? Just curious as to how the humour differs between them (and would be handy to know for people moving between the two countries hehe).
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, for one Verms comment about potential lawsuits is the most important thing to consider. Call someone a fat Welshman in the UK and he's likely to either a) take it on the chin as banter and return the favour or b) punch you in the face. Make the same comments about someones physical appearance and ethnic origins in the workplace in California and you're in grave danger of a lawsuit.
Generally speaking I think working class Brits are much more prolific swearers than Americans. Many people I know back home use 'fucking' as a regular adjective, without even thinking about it or even trying to stress a point. It's not something I noticed before moving here, but now my swearing is limited to expressing anger or *really* stressing a point, but after many years at EA I don't really swear in the workplace anymore.
Also, I think that generally speaking the use of sarcasm and in particular sexual double entendre is far more prolific in a British (corporate) workplace than an American one.
About 6 years ago, fresh off the boat here at the start of my tenure at EA redwood shores, I was working on some fx stuff for the game Agent Under Fire. Our senior dev. director was showing some EA exec around the floor and stopped by my cube to show them some stuff. I couldn't get my build to run, so the DD in question asked to look at my 'tool' (that's the moniker that Sony decided to give their PS2 devkit). So I start tittering like a schoolboy and saying 'oh yeah, you wanna examine my tool eh?! I'm calling HR!'. It wasn't even funny in hindsight. Just so ingrained in my psyche to do it. Naturally the 3 men just look at me with confused, concerned expressions.
'oh yeah, you wanna examine my tool eh?! I'm calling HR!'. Daz, thats a bloody shame ^^ I think il probaly end up being sued sometime or other if I move the US 1st ;(
I couldn't get my build to run, so the DD in question asked to look at my 'tool' (that's the moniker that Sony decided to give their PS2 devkit). So I start tittering like a schoolboy and saying 'oh yeah, you wanna examine my tool eh?! I'm calling HR!'. It wasn't even funny in hindsight. Just so ingrained in my psyche to do it. Naturally the 3 men just look at me with confused, concerned expressions.
[/ QUOTE ]
I've been having a similar good time with the use of the term "package" working with Unreal Engine 3. Just the other day I sent an email to a level designer with the subject line "Your Package." Sure it's immature and juvenile, but it's worth an occasional chuckle
Oh, and Klingon vag have teeth.
I think the best way to approach a situation like this is gradualism. If you really do have a rather sick sense of humor (don't second guess yourself now), ease it in, observe reactions, and draw a conclusion from there. I cannot imagine myself ever crossing the line simply because I try to see how others perceive an initial comment before releasing the true senseless personality that you'd share around friends. Unfortunately, some people think of work as just work, not a way to socially expand as well in and out of the office.
Adam...YES!
edit: Just realized this all has been said about three times...shucks.