Randy Pitchford Decided To Sing About Bigots At PAX

Here’s a picture of people sitting in the crowd for Gearbox’s panel at PAX West. They were listening to a song from Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford.

The song was about bigots.

About 41 minutes into the Inside Gearbox Software panel at PAX West, the outspoken Gearbox CEO said his company liked to entertain. “I thought I’d do something I’ve never done in front of a live audience,” Pitchford said.

“I’m gonna sing a song.” But the song in question wasn’t a cover of something popular, or a rendition of something from, say, the Borderlands franchise.

It was about bigots. It’s in the title: The Bigot Song.

According to Pitchford, the genesis for it all started from a joke from the SciencePorn Twitter account. He thought it was sexist, something he reiterated on stage, and announced that he’d be unfollowing the account.

“I’ve never gotten so much hate … apparently people are watching everything I’m doing, a whole bunch of people had to spend a huge amount of time telling me what an arsehole I am for having the opinion that that was a sexist thing,” Pitchford explained.

Enter The Bigot Song, stage right. You can see the full introduction below, but the song itself starts from 3m 09s.

If you’re not able to listen in, here’s a quick rundown: it’s not the best delivery. Pitchford even decided to sign the whole piece an octave higher, which doesn’t come off well when the higher notes arrive.

But that probably won’t raise as many eyebrows as the song itself. Here’s some of the lyrics:

Nobody likes talking to a drunk unless he’s buying
Nobody says hello when they’re goodbying, unless they’re Hawaiian
Nobody tastes eggs and bacon when they’re frying, that’d just be dumb and you’d burn your tongue
and nobody likes a bigot unless he’s crying

Nobody much likes it when the neighbours are always prying
Nobody really likes Meg Ryan movies that much do they?
Except Meg Ryan, and even she’s not really sure these days.
Nobody really likes the CIA really spying and running right-wing paramilitary desksquads
Nobody likes a bigot unless he’s crying

Boohoo, like a big baby
Boohoo, well
Most people hate bigots cause they’re arseholes, right?
Judgemental agents of fear
You know who probably hates bigots even more?
Who randy?
Themselves.
When shedding a tear and crying like a Gamergater with self-loathing and low self esteem
… let’s take the esteem down even lower now …

The song then went into a Buddhist joke — that Pitchford apologised for in advance — before petering out.

I don’t know what to really make of this. It’s good that Pitchford has the strength of his convictions, and wants to use his platform to, at least in his own way, make the world a little bit better.

Maybe leave the guitar at home next time, though.


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