The New York Mets made news last week when an unfortunate story came to light. ESPN published a story Monday night detailing how the organization’s General Manager Jared Porter had sent over 60 unsolicited text messages to a former reporter, culminating in a picture of a naked, erect penis. I read the story with a mix of shock and horror. I shared it with my wife and said, “He could get fired for this.”
Tuesday morning the team fired Porter.
I applaud the Mets for taking definitive action. When I read the story I assumed the executive was above reproach. Hired Dec. 13, Porter was guiding the Mets through an active offseason including a trade for superstar shortstop Franciso Lindor. A young star executive in the biggest market in the country – those types of people are usually untouchable.
This is not an isolated incident. Between three summers as in intern in the Cape Cod Baseball League and four years with a MLB affiliate, I was aware of a player who videotaped himself having sex with a team intern and shared it with the entire team. In another incident I was conducting an interview in a MLB ballpark with a female coworker when a player rode by naked on a bicycle.
The coworker faced similar issues throughout her career in sports. In college she witnessed a player connecting his phone to the football bus intercom and got a girl he was hooking up with to talk dirty. Most recently she received unsolicited pictures from a married coworker in the NFL.
Unfortunately the issue goes beyond sports. In 2019, Rolling Stone published “History’s 10 Most Culturally Significant Dick Pic Scandals”. I have a friend with a 16-year-old daughter and he said she has received a number of unsolicited dick pictures. On the End of a Console episode of OiO our guest Sam Charchian shared the tale of a female Microsoft security team member who played Uno all day, banning every male who showed their genitals. This happened approximately every 15 minutes.
I don’t understand how a human brain goes from “I have a camera” to “I should show this person my genitals.” Many of my friends know I have an affinity for phallic humor, especially when gaming. At my basest level I am foul-mouthed, uncouth and irreverent. When paired with a smartphone that often leads to lengthy text chains that my friends hope don’t roll in during important work events. It has not led to pictures of my junk, or of “joke-type stock images” like the Mets former-GM allegedly sent.
In her article, Cyber Flashing: Sending Unsolicited Explicit Pics is the Tip of our Toxic Sexual Culture, Katrina Trinko says, “Ultimately, the problem in our culture right now seems to be rooted in a me-first mindset of so many — an attitude that prioritizes personal sexual gratification over honoring and respecting the human dignity of others, including would-be sexual partners.”
Trinko’s article also talks about legislative solutions designed to curb the sending of unsolicited sexual images. She cites an article about how Texas became one of the first states to pass laws against sending unwanted nudes.
In a post on his website, lawyer Mark Sherman explains how a generational shift has influenced this phenomenon, saying:
“It makes so much sense when you look at it from a generational perspective. You’ve got the millennials (those born between the 80s and late 90s). During their teenaged and college years, the millennials texted, sexted, online dated, and were much more sexually liberated than their parents. They just had much more access to sex and its participants.
Their smartphones, coupled with internet hookup sites (and reruns of the Jersey Shore) accelerated the entire hookup process. And in lieu of foreplay or “wining and dining”… a sexy Snapchat photo coupled with a 140-character flirty message was all it took to seal the deal or let them know you cared after the hookup.”
Further on in the article, he explains how even consentual images of genitilia can be used in sexual harassment litigation and find its way into the public record. Not only is sharing pictures of genitals a generally horrible thing to do, it could cost you millions.
It feels asinine to have to say it out loud, but please don’t send anyone pictures of your junk. No one wants to see your dong.
What’s New at OiO
Rogue Hippo Reviews Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corp
According to the Rogue Hippo, if you’re an Aliens fan, this is a must-have game that captures the essence of the source material. If you simply want to mow-down hoards of deadly creatures, this game will definitely scratch that itch. If you’re looking for a sci-fi dungeon crawl, there are probably better options out there. Check out Rogue Hippo’s full review.
Episode 32 of Outside is Overrated –New Year New Games
In the latest episode of the podcast, Tom, Joey and Adam talk about a bunch of board games the guys have backed on Kickstarter:
- Frostpunk
- Frosthaven
- Uprising: Curse of the Last Emperor
- Aeon Trespass: Odyssey
- Dead Reckoning
- Merchant’s Cove
- Burn Cycle
- Dungeon Ball
- Anachrony
Plus, Casey stops by to talk about playing the original Halo and the guys share their first impressions of the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
A New Show (Segment) is Coming
Thanks to our generous supporters on Patreon, we have reached a new commitment: OiO New Game+. While we billed this tier as a new segment on Outside is Overrated, we have decided to add it to the OiO podcast feed as its own entity. We did this for a couple reasons:
- Episodes are already two-three hours long. For my sanity in editing and to keep us from feeling rushed with the segment, we will record it as a separate thing.
- Releasing New Game+ as a separate item allows us to post content in the middle of the month.
The first time we will cross this threshold is January, so you can look forward to the new show segment in the middle of February.
We hope you enjoy this new content! OiO New Game+ and Game Pass Forever only exist because of our generous backers. If you enjoy our content, please support Outside is Overrated on Patreon. Donation tiers start at $2, at $10 you get access to an exclusive hour-long monthly podcast: Tom and Joey Unfiltered.