Collective Shout’s Censorship Crusade Against Gamers
There’s always gotta be a villain, huh?
Once upon a time, it was Jack Thompson screaming about how Grand Theft Auto was going to turn us all into criminals. Then it was Tipper Gore slapping parental advisory stickers on everything.
And now?
Say hello to Collective Shout – Australia’s self-proclaimed moral watchdogs who have recently been attacking (and getting dunked on by) popular content creators online, pressured major credit card processors into cutting ties with game developers whose content doesn’t align with their “values.”
Image: Madam Savvy Dancing on Collective Shout
What’s happening now is the same ol’ slippery slope: a group of ideologues trying to decide what’s acceptable for everyone else, using scare tactics, social media outrage, and backdoor lobbying to quietly strangle creative expression in games and anime.
Let’s be clear: nobody’s here to defend actual CSAM or illegal content and, yes, these bitter Karens generally suck at life, but do not harass them.
Collective Shout: The New Face of Moral Panic
Collective Shout brands itself as an activist organization aimed at protecting women and children.
Sounds noble, right?
Until you realize their methods often involve pressuring platforms, advertisers, and financial institutions into cutting off support to creators based on what Collective Shout finds morally objectionable which (surprise surprise) often includes anime-style games, visual novels, or anything remotely suggestive that doesn’t fit their…Karen-istic worldviews.
They’ve made headlines in the past for blocking Tyler the Creator from Australia from touring due to his “misogynistic” lyrics and recently for targeting games on Steam, PlayStation, and other platforms for alleged sexualization or violence, regardless of context or artistic merit.
However, their efforts have escalated, with some developers reporting that credit card processors have cut them off completely after their open letter campaigns by Collective Shout.
That’s not just critique – that’s economic warfare.
Déjà Vu: We’ve Seen This Censorship Before
This isn’t a new playbook.
Religious zealots in the 90s once tried to get Mortal Kombat and Doom banned for being “Satanic” and “too violent.” Then came the anti-sex panic crowd who thought games like Mass Effect were basically porn. Now we’ve got a new breed of puritans – only this time, they’re cloaking their censorship in progressive-sounding language.
Funny how the faces change but the tactics stay the same.
Watchdogs or Career Activists?
One of the most frustrating aspects of Collective Shout’s crusade is that many of its loudest-screeching members don’t even seem to engage with the content they’re trying to censor.
They don’t play games. They don’t watch anime. And they sure as hell don’t understand the difference between a visual novel and actual pornography.
Image: Melinda Tankard Reist | Co-Founder of Collective Shout | X.com
Yet here they are, labeling entire genres of media as dangerous or perverse, seemingly based on vibes and cherry-picked screenshots. It reeks of the same kind of paternalistic condescension that once tried to tell us Dungeons & Dragons would summon demons.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t.
Image: Collective Shout Selectively Chooses Targets Based Off of Subjective Censorship Goals | Questions & Answers | Collective Shout
And let’s not ignore some of the religious undertones in their public campaigns. Collective Shout has advocated for sweeping social reforms around gender representation and “appropriate” female roles in media – often applying vague academic jargon that feels more at home in a university lecture than a gamer’s library.
Trying to Silence Madam Savvy
In a particularly ironic twist, members of Collective Shout’s orbit have recently set their sights on popular content creator and award-winning game journalist, Madam Savvy. Her crime? Besides being too based – apparently daring to speak up against the censorship efforts and defending the rights of artists and developers.
A few more. They cant handle it.
— Savvy ( ˶ˆ꒳ˆ˵ ) (@MadamSavvy) July 23, 2025
They think push back means theyre right but by that logic, what they hate is in the right because they push back against it.
Anyway, thats 2 collective staff that have attempted going toe to toe with me, and thats 2 of them that have lost.… pic.twitter.com/nh82Q79tnZ
You’d think a group that claims to fight for women’s safety in media would pause before trying to deplatform a respected woman in the industry.
But hell no!
In typical fashion, she’s being harassed online and lumped in with the very “gooners” that Collective Shout claims to be fighting.
This kind of hypocrisy speaks volumes. When the narrative doesn’t fit, even women in gaming get tossed under the bus, often being labeled as a “pick me” girl for just being themselves and not conforming to what others want them to be.
Their silencing of Madam Savvy is just the latest proof that this isn’t about protecting anyone – it’s about control.
Why This Collective Shout Censorship Matters
When activists with no stake in the gaming or anime communities are allowed to influence which games get funded, published, or even seen, the end result is always the same: fewer risks, more censorship, and a chilling effect on creative expression.
This isn’t about defending creeps – it’s about preventing a moral panic from destroying entire genres. We shouldn’t be letting people who have been featured on Presbyterian magazine with the same outdated agenda 15 years ago – dictate which games deserve to exist.
The idea that financial processors, platform holders, and publishers should cater to whatever outrage mob yells the loudest is a dangerous precedent.
Today, it’s anime games on Itch.io. Tomorrow? It could be any content that someone finds “uncomfortable.”
If you don't Like a Game's Themes, Don't Play It
If a game contains actual illegal content, report it – there are already laws for that. If a game has adult themes, it should be rated for adults. But letting third-party activist groups decide which creators get paid and games are allowed? That’s the kind of dystopian overreach that would’ve made Tipper Gore proud.
Collective Shout might say they’re protecting women and children, but their tactics tell a different story: one of censorship, hypocrisy, and moral authoritarianism.
And if you’re not mad about it yet?
Just wait until they come for your favorite game next.
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