I want to personally thank Eric Campbell for this statement. For the passion and anger with which he delivered it. (Explanation of what’s going on below the statement, if you’re not caught up.) I have admired how people at Geek & Sundry have supported women as they made allegations against powerful abusive men in the entertainment industry. What I’ve watched on Twitter today has been a hard test, but it’s made me even prouder to be a member of the community they foster. How Nerdist responded was one of the best responses I’ve seen. How G&S responded through Eric is one of the best responses I’ve ever seen. I have seen person after person at Nerdist and G&S say in no uncertain terms that they believe Chloe, and many have backed her up. If this was how everyone responded to cases of abuse, abusers would have a much harder time getting away with it. I believe Chloe. She is a hero for speaking up. I wish her all the best through this, and in the better life she’s built for herself.
4:40 Eric Campbell: “And lastly, I’ve got something I’d like to read. I wrote this up this afternoon and got the thumbs up that I could say this, so I’m going to say it. So, if you’ll bear with me for a second. This is in regard to some of the stuff that a lot of you guys have been privy to that’s been happening on the internet today, specifically with our sister company Nerdist, and the people that used to be associated with Nerdist. So, this is what I got for you.
“First, I want to say that Geek & Sundry/Nerdist owe what we are today to the people who are here now, today. We’ve changed shape, we’ve evolved, we’ve changed hands, and each time changes happen, what comes next has been the responsibility of the creative, inclusive, supportive, and wonderful people who are taking the task of writing the next chapter of these companies. G&S and Nerdist are who we are today because of the people, the men and women and the enbies, who enter this building each day, and work so that they can continue to make this a safe haven for a community of fans who come together to celebrate not just the things they love, but each other. And that’s who the fuck we will continue to be. The fuck wasn’t in there, but I’m angry.”
“And lastly, we believe women, end of line.”
If you’re not caught up on the news, this morning Chloe Dykstra posted an unlisted article on Medium describing her experience with long-term abuse by her then-boyfriend Chris Hardwick (who she doesn’t explicitly name in the article, but that’s who she was dating at the time.) she wrote, “I want this to be two things. Number One: Closure. I’m approaching my thirties, finding stability, and quite simply, I want this out of me. But more importantly, Number Two: A warning.”
It’s a hard article to read. It was harder to read than the horror comic I had with me. Trigger warning for abuse, sexual assault, and anorexia. If you can do so without hurting yourself, I encourage you to read it. “Rose-Colored Glasses: A Confession“
Chris Hardwick is the founder of Nerdist. He sold Nerdist Industries to Legendary Digital Networks (LDN) in 2012. LDN acquired Geek & Sundry in 2014, and the two are sister networks. Hardwick’s remaining contract ended with them at the end of 2017. It sounds like Nerdist is scrubbing the rest of their house clean of his taint, and I certainly hope they do.
Critical Analysis 