ZeRo admits to sending inappropriate messages to minors.

[VG_Addict]

The competitive Smash community is turning out to be a wretched hive.

https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id ... ges-minors

Amidst several recent allegations of sexual misconduct and assault circling the Super Smash Bros. community, former Smash for Wii U pro Gonzalo "ZeRo" Barrios has apologized for sending sexually suggestive messages to minors.

Barrios, one of the most successful Smash players of all time, addressed past allegations and new ones Saturday in a Twitlonger post. In it, he admitted to sending messages to two people he later found out were minors and continuing to send suggestive messages after discovering the age of one of the women.

[Deepfake]

DZ, I expected better from you

[glux]

DZ, I expected better from you

Not to make a joke of the subject, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that when I saw the title.

[DarkZero]

I think thats a really astute observation you made, about how there is a smash player named ZeRo and the word "zero" is also in my name. I think that might be the first time anyone has ever said something like that to me.

In seriousness, ZeRo is just one of a LONG list of top Smash personalities that has had a history of predatory behavior towards minors come to light in the past week. The list also includes Nairo, Cinnpie, D1, Keitaro, DJ Nintendo, Westballz, Anti, La Luna, MacD, RelaxAlax, the list goes on and on. The Smash community is currently going through a major cleanse and a lot of things are still uncertain or up in the air about the future of the community. But this has been happening under everyone's noses for years now, sometimes even in plain sight, but now victims feel like they have a voice, and I think that's a good thing.

[Deku Tree]

I read his confession/apology. I don't follow the Smash competitive scene, but I did stumble onto a few of this guy's YouTube videos. Shame so many of these guys have been taking advantage of these young girls.

[Deepfake]

I think thats a really astute observation you made, about how there is a smash player named ZeRo and the word "zero" is also in my name. I think that might be the first time anyone has ever said something like that to me.

In seriousness, ZeRo is just one of a LONG list of top Smash personalities that has had a history of predatory behavior towards minors come to light in the past week. The list also includes Nairo, Cinnpie, D1, Keitaro, DJ Nintendo, Westballz, Anti, La Luna, MacD, RelaxAlax, the list goes on and on. The Smash community is currently going through a major cleanse and a lot of things are still uncertain or up in the air about the future of the community. But this has been happening under everyone's noses for years now, sometimes even in plain sight, but now victims feel like they have a voice, and I think that's a good thing.

this has nothing to do with the fortnite gamer, I just expected better

[Sim Kid]

Turns out there's a lot of scum and villainy going on when people can get away with it.

[steeze]

Turns out dudes with no social skills who spend every day of their lives shut inside playing video games have no problem being disgusting creeps. Who would have thought?

[monstrman]

I first read the title as "ZeRo admits to sending appropriate messages to minors"

anyway, carry on

[CaptHayfever]

^^Of all the places to say that.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[VG_Addict]

^^^ I resent that!

[I am nobody]

Geek cultures do seem to attract a particular kind of disgusting creep, for what it's worth.

[Sim Kid]

I do have a few hypotheses. Geek social fallacy no. 1, unwritten code of social exiles... yeah.

[Calamity Panfan]

I mean these things happen everywhere but seem to happen a lot in things like video games, wrestling, pop punk music, etc.

All of these things are places where:
1. Kids and teens are all around, and not always supervised
2. Are in places where "access" is between fans and performers is not only common, but considered a positive thing in the communities
3. A lot of the kids who are in these scenes want to play in tournaments, wrestle or play music themselves, so there's an easy way for communication between those kids and the people they look up to start "innocently"

All those things can create environments where it's very easy for predators to thrive, unfortunately.

And yes, "socially awkward" people who maybe aren't used to getting special attention suddenly being put on a pedestal and having social power over these young girls/boys doesn't help things at all. And once they learn how to use that power and manipulate people, hiding under that guise of being awkward, everything gets worse.

[steeze]

obviously you guys have lives outside of video games. i'm talking about dudes putting in 15 hours a day on super smash brothers trying to be the best in the world. the dudes who live sleep and eat video games. i don't think any of us are going to be in MLG. @CaptHayfever @VG_Addict

[X-3]

This really isn't a 'lol nerds' situation, especially with some of the people who have been exposed.

[Sim Kid]

This **** happens everywhere. Heck a lot of people keep their mouths shut cause nobody believes them or because it'll harm their career.

[ScottyMcGee]

I missed this thread and didn't give my two cents. ZeRo was one of the few top Smash players I ever paid attention to. It was awful to see that he not only did what he did but he also lied about it his first couple TwitLongers. It was like pulling teeth with him until he fessed up in the very end with "Yeah, I did that."

The sexual misconduct has reached my local Smash community as well, as it's awful. I am friends with one of the victims who was sexually assaulted in my local scene. It has been grueling for them to go through the aftermath this past year, and the best I can do is talk to them and give them space. Them and many other victims have had the community forever altered for them, in that some won't ever attend a tourney ever again. A couple local top players in my region were accused of sexual harassment and assault. The evidence was all against them and yet they still weaseled their way back into the community after temporarily leaving Twitter as if "it would all just blow over like a fad." The silence in the community has worried lots of people wondering if action is going to take place. There has already been talks of them being banned and a public list having been posted of the abusers, and yet it's difficult right now to see if it will be upheld since offline tourneys are not a thing yet due to COVID-19. In any case, it's been worrisome that the community has kind of "moved on" as if this whole thing was another "fad" that would blow over, giving people more reason to worry that nothing will be done.

I find it concerning to pin it on just "lol nerds who can't socialize". It might exacerbate the situation by further stigmatizing a chunk of people who have absolutely nothing to do with this.

I have an alternate hypothesis and it might seem out of left field but I think it has to do with the pervasiveness of waifu culture and the danger in anime depicting girls as underage but "mentally mature". One argument I have seen people make in defense of some of these abusers and harassers is s**t like "Oh well they weren't really a victim because they enabled it" or "But they initiated it too". No. They are a MINOR. They have yet to develop the mental and emotional maturity. And I really think this argument potentially stems from the constant portrayal of this bull**** "mentally mature" but physically underage fictional characters that people revel in enjoying. A common thread among many of these pro players was engaging in waifu culture and enjoying anime that sexualizes underage characters. ZeRo was definitely one of those people.