Alyssa Mercante Continues to Attack Gamers

Mark Kern’s April Fool’s joke, in which he claimed he was marrying Alyssa Mercante, a response to harassment by Mercante towards himself and others within the gaming community. Kern aimed to highlight and criticize Mercante’s behavior on social media, which he and some others viewed as antagonistic and harmful towards certain demographics in gaming, including minorities.

This joke and the ensuing backlash unfolded against a backdrop of ongoing debates within the gaming industry related to social justice, inclusivity, and the appropriate bounds of online conduct. Kern’s post was part of a broader critique of what he saw as a cancel culture that too readily escalates to calls for professional blacklisting over disagreements or misunderstandings​​.

Mercante, believing the post to be serious, called on her followers to report Kern’s account. Her reaction spurred further controversy as she and NNESAGA, a DEI consultancy that injects Marxism into video games, pushed for Kern to be blacklisted from the video game industry, citing the need to protect diverse voices in gaming from what they described as misogynistic and oppressive behavior.

The situation escalated with various figures in the gaming community weighing in, some supporting Mercante’s stance on protecting marginalized communities, while others argued that the response was an overreach that stifled humor and free speech within the industry​​.

This incident has highlighted ongoing tensions in the gaming community regarding social justice, inclusivity, and the limits of online discourse, reflecting broader cultural battles being fought in many other sectors of society and entertainment.

Originally published at AlyssaMercante.com.