Net Loot: The Purple Controller – A GameStop Manager’s Tribute To A Big Brother Gamer
There are plenty of things that go on in our society that many consider “normal,” and sometimes these things aren’t always as they seem. Throughout history there have been numerous people who have stood up for others, especially the ones they love. As gamers, we take the role of heroes, mostly fighting hordes of undead, or slaying dragons to save fair maidens from a cruel fate. Sometimes, though, there are those of us who take heroism into the real world, and this is a story that hits a bit close to home. I think it deserves some recognition, and apparently so do others.
Recently while I was perusing Reddit, and a link stood out to me. The link was titled, “Dear Customer who stuck up for his little brother,” and I just couldn’t pass it up. When I opened the link, it sent me to an online blog written by a girl named Kristen Wolfe. Wolfe is a manager at a GameStop retail store, and she experienced an incident that she had to give recognition for. She was inspired by a young man who stood up for his little brother in a time of need, acting as a hero right before her very eyes.
The story rolled out as such: Wolfe watched as a young man and his little brother came into her store looking for a new game. The little brother expressed that he was intent on locating a game with a female character as the lead after looking through a few of the available games. The boy also wanted a purple controller, as he claimed it was his most favorite color. After doing some searching, the older brother suggested Mirror’s Edge, and the search came to an end. The duo were quite satisfied with their findings, but then it all turned dark. The boys’ father came into the store and eagerly expressed his disapproval of the brother’s choice. He claimed that the boy needed to make more “manly” choices and pick a game like Dead Island, despite his son’s full-hearted decisions.
Right after this, the bigger brother took his stand in protection of his sibling:
That’s when big brother stepped in. He said to his Dad “It’s my money, it’s my gift to him, if it’s what he wants I’m getting it for him, and if your going to hit anyone for it, it’s going to be me.” Dad just gives his oldest son a strong stern stare down, and then leaves the store. Little brother is crying quietly, I walk over and ruffle his hair (yes this happened all in front of me.) I say “I’m a girl, and I like the color blue, and I like shooting games. There’s nothing wrong with what you like. Even if it’s different than what people think you should.” I smile, he smiles back (my heart melts!) Big brother then leans down, kisses little brother on the head, and says “Don’t worry dude.” They check out and leave, and all I can think is how awesome big brother is, how sweet little brother is, and how Dad ought to be ashamed for trying to make his son any other way.
And that’s how it ended. It was very heroic and brave of the bigger brother to step in the way he did, and he deserves some recognition for that. I myself am a pretty burly guy, and I enjoy games like Mirror’s Edge, Perfect Dark, and the Metroid Series. When it comes down to it, you like what you like, and no one should have any say in that. We’re not bound by stereotypes or cookie cutter layouts. We’re all individuals here, and that’s what makes us great. You can see the whole post here, and I encourage you to check it out. To the big brother in the incident, you have earned my total respect. And it looks like the community’s on your side as well. Keep doing what you’re doing, and pass it on.
