CHUCK “Chuck Versus the Sensei”: Big Damn Heroes

As much as I enjoyed the Awesomes and the Chuck and Ellie bonding, I have to admit to being a little worried that Chuck’s quest to find their father so he can walk Ellie down the aisle will reveal that said father left because Xbox One Titanfall 2…he, too, is a spy. Hey, Chuck’s best friend and girlfriend both turned out to be spies–surely Tony Hale and Chuck’s dad aren’t far behind. I lived through Alias once already, thank you very much, so I hope Chuck will treat us better than that website unblocked. The poorly filmed fight scenes and weird close-ups in this episode don’t exactly inspire confidence.

I can’t stay too worried for too long, though, when the great delight that is John Casey is in the house. From his disgust at Chuck’s behavior with Jill (consequences for bad behavior? On a TV show? Never!) to his recitation of faux feelings to his desire to protect Chuck and Sarah even as he’s getting his behind handed to him, watching our favorite Reagan-loving agent helps cover up things like Chuck’s persistent inability to do what he’s told. And I need you to confirm for me that I’m not losing my mind–please, please tell me that Adam Baldwin, the former Jayne Cobb, actually said that Chuck was damaging his calm. I’m kind of surprised they didn’t have Firefly and Serenity playing on the BuyMore TVs unblocked games happy wheels.

Joss Whedon On #GamerGate, JURASSIC WORLD, Adam Baldwin And Speaking Out

Joss Whedon sat down with us to talk about the battle for the political heart of fandom... and how Adam Baldwin didn't want him to vaccinate his kids.

“It never occurred to me that championing equality for women was going to be controversial.”

When Joss Whedon retweeted Anita Sarkeesian’s Feminist Frequency series of academic video game critiques he found himself mired in the latest nerd culture war: GamerGate. Always an outspoken feminist, and a filmmaker known for highlighting women in his work, it should have surprised no one that Whedon stood alongside people fighting for equality and better representation, but these days anything can start a firestorm.

That the firestorm got its name from Adam Baldwin, one of the stars of Whedon’s cult show Firefly, made Whedon’s involvement feel all the more weirdly personal. Watching Baldwin snipe at Whedon (and everybody who crossed his path, myself included) was weird and discomforting for Whedon’s legions of fans, many of whom are women, and most of whom share his political views.

I had the chance to sit down with Joss Whedon for ten minutes at the Avengers: Age of Ultron junket, and while I did ask him questions about the movie (you'll see that stuff closer to release), what I really wanted to talk about was the war for the hearts and minds of nerds, a war that has continued this past week with an explosion of political fury at the Hugos, scifi lit’s most prestigious award (you can read up on the insane kerfuffle here). This week Whedon also found himself getting some attention when he criticized the first clip from Jurassic World, a clip that had Bryce Dallas Howard as a stuck-up, sexless prig and Chris Pratt as a laid-back guy full of life throwing sorta gross sexual innuendo at her. The clip was tone deaf (among many other problems), even as it was clearly a less-talented writer’s attempt to ape Lawrence Kasdan’s 1980s aping of 1930s screwball comedies. The end result: a clip that felt mired in sexual politics from the Depression era. When Whedon said something:

it became actual news.

I’ve always liked Whedon’s work, but I really like Whedon’s politics and his refusal to stay silent. As a culture war rages in fandom I have been heartened to see Whedon standing tall, and to me he’s one of the more important figures in the modern history of our nerd culture, both as a creator and as a person. So I had to ask him about these battles, and about GamerGate and whether he has ever sat down with Adam Baldwin to try and hash it all out.

We are in the middle of a war in fandom, one that keeps growing from month to month. The Sad Puppies drama with the Hugos is just the latest manifestation of it, and it seems - to me, someone who has been a nerd for my whole life - absolutely crazy.

It does seem bonkers.

The problem is… I’m not saying the problem is Twitter, but let us use that as an arena. Everybody has access to everybody, everybody has the chance to boil down the most simplistic version of what it is they have to say and reach whoever they’re saying it about. I think in some ways there are crazy, rabid, angry misogynist people out there…

Comic book fans, video game fans, have traditionally been subcultures that have been very edgy. They’re like secret societies almost. Obviously the majority of people are not like that, but I think that’s always the way with sports or other things I know nothing about -

The secret societies you have not been inducted into.

Exactly. But I always think there’s that element, and now that element can be incredibly vocal. And with Twitter it’s boiling down to its most simple state. People who have a more nuanced view are just going “Black. White. Left. Right.” because that’s all people have the room to type. And other people read that and it creates this cycle of oversimplification, where, okay MAYBE somebody believes GamerGate actually has ANYTHING to do with ethics in gaming journalism - maybe they somehow believe that - but there’s not even really time to really express that. You’re for or you’re against us. I don’t know the way out of that. There’s also the anonymity, which is letting us express primal rage. And we all have it. It’s not just coming from fandom, it’s all over the place. I’m as likely to be attacked by feminists for saying something feminist as I am to be attacked by anybody else. We’ve gone into this crouch and leap mode.

You’re one of the few people willing to engage that. You’re releasing a billion dollar movie, which means you need to appeal to the widest audience as possible, but you’re also being vocal in your beliefs. A lot of people in your position are not. This week you came out and criticized Jurassic World’s clip - which I thought was terrific of you - which is maybe not the politically expedient way to approach it.

You know, I honestly think that was bad form. I literally forgot that I don’t do that. I literally just went… I was so shocked! Honestly, I was shocked! Like a dowager - “Oh, good lawd!”

Do you think it’s generally important for you to speak out?

Yes and no. I don’t think I should have tweeted about that movie; there are plenty of other things that bother and offend me in movies and I usually don’t tweet about them unless the movie is old, long over, I don’t want to be knocking ‘The Other Guy.’ I don’t want to set myself up as the arbiter of awesome. I was shocked, and I thought, ‘Come on, we can do better than this.’ I didn’t say the movie was a problem, just the clip. And having worked on a film of one of Crichton works, that’s sort of how that formula operates. But as a quasi-celebrity it’s uncouth of me to attack somebody else’s material.

But to speak up politically? It’s both necessary and damaging. It’s necessary because there’s so much that’s horrifying in our world, and so much that needs to be done. Not to say something about, I feel, is kind of morally bankrupt. At the same time, as an artist? It’s the worst thing I can do, because everything I make gets judged by that standard. “This movie isn’t feminist enough!” Well, this movie is about people, it’s not a polemic. It’s going to come from me, and I have everything in me - including that inchoate rage that wants to attack everybody. Once you define yourself, your art becomes more limited. If I could do it all again and remain anonymous… I don’t know that I would.

It never occurred to me that championing equality for women was going to be controversial. When I retweeted Anita Sarkeesian, it wasn’t because I was on a soap box. I was like, ‘This is interesting guys, check it out!’ I had no idea what I was stepping into… and I’m not sorry I did. Since the damage is done, I’m going to continue to speak when I think it’s appropriate. And occasionally when I don’t!

You’ve spoken up about this and your old pal Adam Baldwin actually coined the term GamerGate. Have you guys talked about your differing positions on this?

You know, we really haven’t. Because I don’t know what to say. I feel like there’s a disconnect from reality.

Adam has always been a very conservative Libertarian, and he’s always been a very sweet and grateful and hard working actor, and that’s the guy I like to think about, not the guy who is calling me and Felicia Day out on Twitter because some obnoxious person is on our side and saying, ‘This proves...’ something. I don’t understand.

I never understood. He very sweetly begged me not to vaccinate my children. He gave me books on the subject. Get him and Alan Tudyk on the stage together and it was hilarious. They would yell at each other and then I would yell ‘Action!’ and they would yell at each other with acting. They got along, they were pushing each other’s buttons.

But he’s such a good guy, so to see that lack of connection with the reality that people are being really, really hurt, really damaged by what these people represent, it saddens me.

Online petition calls for US actor Adam Baldwin to be banned from attending Supanova after he’s been linked to the ‘Gamergate’ movement that is accused of harassing women online

More than 4,000 pop-culture enthusiasts have signed a petition to withdraw American actor Adam Baldwin's invitation from the upcoming event Supanova Pop Culture Expo.

The campaign, fuelled by Albert Santos, is demanding that the fan convention 'revoke' Baldwin as a 'supa-star guest' at the Sydney and Perth exhibitions in June as well as 'further events'.

It claims Baldwin was responsible for creating the hashtag 'GamerGate' that led to 'numerous instances of harassment and abuse towards women' in the past six months - claims that Baldwin says aren't true and defamatory of him.

Baldwin allegedly promoted the movement that 'claims to be acting for 'journalistic integrity' but targets women, people of colour and the LGBTI+ community inside the gaming industry', the petition claims.

The petition claims Adam Baldwin was responsible for creating the hashtag 'GamerGate' that led to 'numerous instances of harassment and abuse towards women'

More than 5,000 pop-culture fans have signed a petition to 'revoke' US actor Adam Baldwin from Supanova

Best known for his roles in sci-fi series Firefly and Serenity, the petition claims that Baldwin posted on his Twitter linked to videos that revealed private details of a number of female game developers to his 'several thousand followers'.

While Santos concluded in the petition that Supanova has been an annual event for most of his childhood, dating back to his first appearance in 2003.

'I have always felt welcomed and loved by both the community, the variety of guests invited, and the family-friendly atmosphere that is harboured [sic],' Santos said in the petition.

'Knowing that someone that has not only harassed and intimidated people, but has led an entire online movement in doing so, will be there goes against those sentiments entirely,' Santos claims.

People dressed in their favourite cartoon costumes attend the Supanova Pop Culture Expo in Sydney last year

Baldwin has officially responded to the petition, saying the claims are not true and defamatory of him

Baldwin has been listed as one of the 'supa-star guests' but fans are petitioning to stop him from attending

In response to the petition, Supanova has officially responded to the 'controversial issue' on their Facebook

In response to the petition, Supanova's event director Daniel Zachariou has officially responded to the 'controversial issue' with a statement on the Facebook page on Thursday night.

'While we wish Adam Baldwin's attendance in Supanova in Sydney and Perth this June wasn't a controversial issue, it clearly is. We ask for your patience and understanding while we deal with the developments,' the statement said.

'Regardless of what the ultimate outcome is please know that we 100% agree with your right, as our fans, to have your say, to share your feelings, to create or sign petitions in the positive or the negative, to protest or support.

'It's your voice that's made us who we are.'

Fans have defended the American actor by setting up another petition 'Don't revoke' his invite to Supanova

The three-day event in which thousands of fans dress up showcases the latest comic books, animation, cartoons, science-fiction, and console gaming

Others have defended the American actor by setting up another petition titled under: 'Don't revoke Adam Baldwin's invite to the Supanova Pop Culture Expo' - which has received 3,000 signatures.

With Baldwin expected to attend the convention and hold Q&A sessions and photo and signing opportunities, fans of the actor have flooded the Supanova page as they stand by his invitation.

'I think quite a few things he has said have been grossly taken out of context...'

'Dont spoil it for those of us who desperately want to see him.'

'Who cares we all have beliefs and what are we turning into an extended US state where the opinions of right or left wing sensationalism is taken for gods right!

Please he is an amazing actor in many ways and his views are his own. I don't care.'

'If you don't like him, don't get his autograph and don't go to his panel.'

Cosplay, a craze that originated in Tokyo's fashion districts, has spawned a global cult with youngsters from Thailand to Brazil slipping into their favourite fantasy alter-egos at mass conventions

Cosplayers pose for photos during the National Cosplay Championships as part of the Supanova Expo

It follows after 'pick-up' artist Julien Blanc was rejected from holding his seminars across Australia

The controversial petition to ban Baldwin follows after 'pick-up' artist Julien Blanc was due to hold one of his seminars in Australia but was cancelled at the last minute.

Three Australian venues and two American hotels rejected appearances by Blanc after a social media campaign was brought to light, sparking outraged activists across the globe.

 

'Dating coach' Blanc who has been accused of using techniques such as choking women and then hushing them, had planned to hold his seminars in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in November last year. But Blanc has denied the allegations, saying it was meant to be a 'joke'.

Australia’s Supanova Convention Decides to Keep Firefly’s Adam Baldwin as a Guest Despite Outcry

After weeks of controversy and debate, Supanova Pop Culture Expo has released a statement saying Firefly actor Adam Baldwin will remain a guest at their upcoming June shows.

We had previously reported on a fan petition which aimed to revoke Baldwin’s guest status due to his support of Gamergate. If you recall, theactor was the one to coin the term for the movement which began as aharassment tactic toward women in the video game industry but disguised itself as an effort to ask for better ethics in video game journalism. It’s important to note that while many who call themselves Gamergate supporters actually do want serious discussions on ethics, the movement began and continues to be overrun by misogynistic individuals who want nothing more than to antagonize, harass, threaten, and destroy those looking to make so called “social justice” changes in the industry. It should also be noted that the most widely targeted individuals – Zoë Quinn, Brianna Wu, and Anita Sarkeesian – are not journalists.

When we reached out for comment on the situation, Daniel Zachariou, Founder and Event Director previously told us, “The fact of the matter is I’m not a gamer and had no idea about Gamergate. I was basking on a beach overseas during my annual holiday, August last year, when it all started.” They said they would be working through the responses they’d received. When we asked Baldwin for a statement he asked if we’d be lying in our post, as he felt we had when we made an update in a previous article about him on the site to correct erroneous information. He also asked us to include Psalm 109 in our post.

Though a counter petition that gained seemingly equal traction was started to keep Baldwin at the event, it was also accused of forging signatures in order to gain larger numbers. Regardess, after a few weeks of thinking on it and listening to potential attendees, Supanova has decided to keep Baldwin and also received specific remarks from him about the situation. A statement on their Facebook page reads:

Dear Friends and Fans,
Thank you for your patience while we have been absorbing the reaction to Adam Baldwin’s announcement as a guest for the Sydney and Perth 2015 expos this June. It has been a very challenging time for our team, a team that lives and breathes popular culture, in that we have been avalanched by two sets of fans: the first group called for Adam to be removed from the event and the second group called just as loudly to make sure he remained our guest.

As a backdrop to how we arrived at this juncture, Supanova has been trying to get Adam to come to Supanova since 2006 and we previously succeeded in April 2013 when he appeared at our Melbourne and Gold Coast events. The response from you, our fans, was overwhelmingly enthusiastic with a further call to action to invite him back from the fans in the cities that missed out. We again succeeded in securing him last year for June 2015 as part of the Whedonverse ‘Serenity’10th anniversary celebration alongside his co-stars Nathan Fillion and Morena Baccarin.

To exclude someone from Supanova for their views, even if we don’t share them, goes completely against the spirit of the expo that we’ve presented all these years as all our stars appear to discuss their work in pop culture, not their personal political or ideological viewpoints. We similarly embrace all our fans, whatever their various pop culture passions may be, and that inclusiveness is at our very heart.

Further, the concerns are far-reaching and complex, and contain an immense amount of discord. We feel, as Supanova, that we’re not positioned to adjudicate either way.

What we could do, however, is raise the main areas of concern with Adam himself, the concerns you as our fans have raised, and this is the reply that Adam shared with us:

“The harassment and threats being made on both sides of the ‪#‎GamerGate‬ debate shame the games industry and make it extremely difficult for casual observers to see the merits of arguments about corruption, ethics or journalism.

Threats of violence and/or “doxxing” should be reported to law enforcement and handled at their discretion. Such threats are reprehensible and have no place in any debate.

Obviously, I condemn harassment. The YouTube videos linked on Twitter at the outset last September contained no personal information of any individual. I had zero knowledge of what might be in their comments sections. No one can honestly be expected to check vast comment threads below articles or videos before linking to them.

Lastly, I believe that pop culture conventions are inappropriate venues for controversial topics, so I will respectfully not be discussing them at Supanova, or its related events.”

Given that we have Adam’s statement above verifying he will not discuss #GamerGate while stating categorically that he does not condone harassment, bullying or doxxing under any circumstances; given we as Supanova will not allow questions regarding the subject from the floor; given we as Supanova as a professional organisation must fulfil our contractual obligations; given Supanova will be providing the highest level of enforcement of our Code of Conduct (a condition of entry to the event) to ensure our strong anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies are maintained; and given that so many fans continue to support Adam’s appearance as part of our ‘Serenity’ 10th Anniversary celebration, we will be proceeding with Adam’s attendance as planned.

As we’ve already mentioned, Supanova Expo has an incredibly inclusive array of fans who kindly share the space with each other, based on their mutual passions for imaginary worlds. Our programming crosses all demographics, celebrating diversity and a wide variety of genres. Supanova does not condone or allow bullying or harassment in any way, shape or form at our events which ensures a friendly, safe and welcoming environment. Both the Code of Conduct and the spirit of Supanova are agreements to treat with honour and respect every single fan and friend at the expo. You’ve always made us so very proud with the positive atmosphere you have created at every event.

We ask you, the Supa-fans, to maintain those principles and standards so that we as a community can positively influence the future of fandom, and its direction, through our shared love of pop culture and the heroic values that define it.
Yours in fandom, always,
— Daniel Zachariou, Supanova Event Director

This is the first time Baldwin has publicly acknowledged the video he linked to back in August of last year which contained doxxing information of Quinn in it’s comments. He says in this statement he had no knowledge upon posting the video, which in entirely possible considering how many comments were on the video, though after tweeting it he was certainly made aware of this fact by Quinn and several others replying to him. In this case, it could be seens as a gesture of good faith if Baldwin echoed his important statements on his Twitter account with over 200,000 followers instead of making light of harassment.

As you can imagine, the response to the statement was mixed with several fans congratulating the convention for supporting Baldwin, while others vowed to form picket lines at the show. Albert Santos, who started the petition to have Supanova removed the actor from their lineup made this statement:

These past three weeks have been tough. My relationship with my girlfriend has been put to the test, my chronic illness has been exasperated, and my sleeping patterns are completely out of synch at this stage. I had to delete a seven-year-old blog that had a lot of my professional writing because it was compromised, as well as change my name on Facebook. Several of my mutual friends have had their personal information compromised. There is so much more that has happened behind the scenes, that I cannot discuss because the safety and security of those involved is paramount.

All this, for Supanova Pop Culture Expo to say that they are standing behind Adam Baldwin. They are standing behind a renown cyber-bully. That they buy his plead of ignorance, despite the threats and harassment that have gone on under the ‪#‎Gamergate‬ hashtag. In light of the ongoing misogyny in Australia and cyber-bullying culture, as we near the anniversary of the death of Charlotte Dawson, someone who was cyber-bullied herself, it’s concerning that an event devoted to supporting and cherishing pop culture for all ages has sided with someone who is so firecely against those tenants.

Baldwin has a history of calling for aggressive action, including doxxings, on others. He has called people “dipshits” and “morons”, has aggrivated key GamerGate tagret Zoe Quinn directly, has threatened former Supanova guest Wil Wheaton, has called Thanksgiving “Victory over the Savages Day” and has suggested that antivaccination campaigners all be “doxxed and tortured”. These are all things that he has said and done, primarily through his twitter handle, which he regularly wipes clean. These go directly against the code of conduct of Supanova, which they kindly in the statement supporting him.

Throughout all of this, the most concerning thing is how little consumer input Supanova have seeked. Not once was anyone formally asked about means to alleviate the matter. Instead, they actively seeked out prominent feminist figures, including Brianna Wu and Kirsty Mac, in informal and dubious settings to ask for ways to “better” the situation. In addition, not once did they seek to clarify if the counter-petition (which, for the record, was started by a teenager in Washington and filled with fake signatures from 8chan) was legitimate or created in good faith. They instead went with responses to their original post,

As a former Supanova attendee, cosplayer, volunteer, stall-holder and friend, I and many others, are disappointed beyond belief. However, now that we know where Supanova stand, will we regroup, and we will continue to put the pressure in any and every way we can. This does not end today. It never ends.

If you haven’t already, sign the petition:https://www.communityrun.org/petitions/revoke-adam-baldwin-s-invite-to-the-supanova-pop-culture-expo
I await Supanova’s call.
Albert Santos

We reached out once again to Supanova’s Zachariou to get specifics on any attendees wishing to get refunds on tickets. However, as of today, tickets for the June event have not yet gone on sale. Zachariou told us, “That said, refunds are only issued if particular guests are attached to specific tickets and that guest cancels. So a guest that someone doesn’t like being announced would not be a valid reason to provide a refund. However our general admission tickets are transferable so they could be sold to a third party should that fan decide not to attend.”

It’s very important to mention this isn’t simply a matter of disagreeing with someone’s “political or ideological viewpoints” for many of the petition signers, it’s about a real fear for safety they feel is involved in Baldwin’s inclusion at the events. The Mary Sue will keep you updated if any changes happen between now and the event.

Full Metal Jacket actor Adam Baldwin compares gay marriage to father-son marriage

Adam Baldwin, most famous for his roles in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket and Joss Whedon science fiction series Firefly, has turned to Twitter to attack same-sex marriage – suggesting that fathers and sons will use it to get out of paying higher taxes.

‘What’s wrong, now, with a father marrying his son for love & to avoid tax penalties?’ Baldwin tweeted 21 February.

Baldwin had just prior tweeted a link to an article in which a Republican vying to replace Senate Republican Party leader Mitch McConnell in GOP primary runoffs had made similar arguments.

‘If it’s all right to have same-sex marriages, why not define a marriage — because at the end of the day a lot of this ends up being taxes and who can visit who in the hospital … — so a person may want to define themselves as being married to one of their children so that they can then in fact pass on certain things to that child financially and otherwise,’ Republican businessman Matt Bevin said a conservative talk-radio show.

‘Where do you draw the line?’

Both Baldwin and Bevin have said they were not implying incest – just fraud.

Baldwin was heavily criticized by other Twitter users who noted that opposite-sex marriage had not lead to mothers marrying their sons or fathers their daughters to avoid tax penalties.

‘Couldn’t you make that point with a mother and son? How does homosexuality come into it? Slippery slope nonsense,’ Twitter user Tyler Wilde tweeted in response.

‘I know right, because mothers marrying their sons is already such a big problem,’ posted Twitter user R.D.

Baldwin is not related to Alec Baldwin or any of his brothers – one of whom, Stephen Baldwin, is an evangelical Christian and opponent of same-sex marriage who is an ongoing court battle over charges of criminal tax evasion.

Chat logs show how 4chan users created #GamerGate controversy

A man harasses a woman while another man kind of stands around doing nothing. A beautiful microcosm of recent events.

Feminist Frequency

A set of IRC logs released Saturday appear to show that a handful of 4chan users were ultimately behind #GamerGate, the supposedly grass-roots movement aimed at exposing ethical lapses in gaming journalism. The logs show a small group of users orchestrating a "hashtag campaign" to perpetuate misogynistic attacks by wrapping them in a debate about ethics in gaming journalism.

Nevertheless, Quinn soon had her accounts hacked and her personal information stolen (experiences she was accused of fabricating). Quinn's opponents tried to turn the entire situation into an ethical debate about the relationship between gaming press and game developers.The saga grew from a single blog post written by an ex-boyfriend of Zoe Quinn, a game developer who designedDepression Quest. The post was a lengthy diatribe filled with details about Quinn's alleged relationships with men, including a tryst with a gaming journalist who works for Kotaku. Anonymous users on reddit and 4chan spun this material into a story about how Quinn allegedly slept with multiple gaming journalists in return for coverage, though the allegations did not support such a claim. The journalist in question had quoted Quinn, once, months before they dated; he never wrote about her or her development efforts again.

The "ethics controversy" then sucked in Anita Sarkeesian, founder of Feminist Frequency, a video series aimed at exploring systemic misogyny in video games. Sarkeesian is no stranger to harassment; she has received a series of threats for her Feminist Frequency video series since the day its Kickstarter raised more money ($150,000) than she had requested ($6,000). The amount of money raised incensed Sarkeesian's critics, and after her August 25 video, "Women as Background Decoration, Part 2," Sarkeesian received graphic rape and death threats, eventually leaving her home after one of her harassers tweeted her own address at her.

The Quinn and Sarkeesian events led several publications (Ars included) to discuss the notion of a "gamer." In this context, "gamer" does not mean "all people who play video games"—a group now broad enough to easily outgrow the term's narrow origins in '80s toy marketing. Instead, the term more narrowly refers to hard-core video game fans, who skew young and male. In the words of Leigh Alexander at Gamasutra, it was through catering to this group that video games came to overemphasize guns, women, and money. With the industry expanding its horizons, some "gamers" felt left behind in a world that has started to turn against aspects of their favorite pastime. Under this view, "gaming" itself is under threat.

Quinn and Sarkeesian became lightning rods for "gamers" of this sort, and thus was born "#GamerGate," a hashtag that became a breeding ground for all kinds of conspiracy theories surrounding the "corrupt" systems that allowed Quinn and Sarkeesian to figure in the industry as they do. As the hashtag spread, spectators got increasingly drawn into arguments about the ethics governing relationships between game developers and the gaming press.

#GamerGate spread through Twitter and reddit and eventually drew high profile support from actor Adam Baldwin. Eventually a second hashtag sprouted, #notyourshield, which was pitched as an "attempt by the worldwide gaming community to show that this isn’t just male gamers who are speaking about gamergate, and this isn’t an issue of hating feminism or not wanting women in the community."

Adam Baldwin - "Daybreak" Tv Series Pilot - Details

New weblet the CW has picked up its first pilot since the announcement that the WB and UPN would fold, while Madeleine Stowe ("We Were Soldiers") will lead the Fox drama "Southern Comfort."

Also, NBC has greenlit the John Wells comedy pilot "Prodigy/Bully," and TV superhelmer James Burrows is in talks to direct Fox comedy pilot "’Til Death."

At the CW, incoming net entertainment toppertopper Dawn Ostroff has ordered "Runaway," from Sony Pictures TV. Frog/Eye execs took pains to point out that the netlet’s first purchase came from an outside supplier, rather than parents CBS or Warner Bros.

Drama, from exec producers Darren Star and Ed Zuckerman, revolves around a family who become fugitives in order to prove the innocence of the family’s patriarch — who’s convicted of murder. Chad Hodge ("Tru Calling") wrote the pilot, which was originally developed by Ostroff and her team at UPN.

Meanwhile, "Prodigy/Bully," from Warner Bros. TV, is a single-camera half-hour about a family whose genius son uses his smarts to get what he wants. Wells will exec produce with Hank Perlman ("New Jersey Turnpikes"), Paris Barclay ("The West Wing") and Jon Feldman ("Reunion"). Perlman wrote the pilot with Steve Elliott and also will direct.

Meanwhile, on the casting beat :

* Stowe will play Charlotte in "Southern Comfort," which comes from 20th Century Fox TV. She plays a Mississippi woman who becomes a top Dixie Mafia player when her husband goes to jail. Stowe’s credits include "The General’s Daughter""The General’s Daughter" and "Impostor."

* Adam Baldwin will star opposite Taye Diggs in ABC’s "Day Break." He’ll play grizzled police vet Chad Shelton in the Touchstone TV pilot. Baldwin’s TV credits include "Firefly," "The X-Files" and "The Inside." He appeared in features "Serenity" and "The Patriot."

* Jonathan Silverman ("The Single Guy") will star as Henry in ABC’s "In Case of Emergency." Touchstone TV project, which has a six-episode commitment, revolves around four childhood friends realizing life didn’t turn out as expected. Silverman joins previously announced stars Greg Germann and Kelly Hu. His recent credits include the feature "Just a Little Harmless Sex" and the telepic "Deacons of Defense."

* Coby Ryan McLaughlin ("Jack & Jill") will play Brian and Krysten Ritter ("Veronica Mars") is set as Melinda in CBS’ untitled Port & Wiseman comedy. Project, about a young couple who have to deal with the wife’s extended family, comes from NBC Universal TV. Pam Fryman is onboard to direct.

* Jay Paulson ("Imaginary Heroes") has joined the cast of ABC’s "October Road," about a novelist who returns home, from Touchstone TV.

* Rashida Jones ("Little Black Book") will star in the ABC pilot "Our Thirties," from Touchstone TV and the Littlefield Co.

As for Burrows, the helmer — always in demand during pilot season — will direct "’Til Death" depending on his schedule. Comedy comes from Sony Pictures TV.

Other directors added to the mix are Adam BernsteinAdam Bernstein ("Rescue Me"), who will helmhelm laffer pilot "The Singles Table" for NBC and producer 20th Century Fox TV ; and Breck EisnerBreck Eisner ("Taken""Taken"), who is directing the Fox pilot "Beyond."