If anyone was still unaware of GamerGate by this point, Stephen Colbert provided a one-night crash course through an editorial segment (below) and an interview with critic Anita Sarkeesian (above).

"You and the other feminazis in the gamer world are coming for our balls, to snip 'em off, put 'em in a little felt purse, and take them away so we have to play your non-violent games, right?" "Not quite. There is something going on," Sarkeesian replied. "What it is, is women are being harassed, threatened, and terrorized..." "After you first attacked male gamers for enjoying looking at big breasted women with tiny armor that barely covers their nipples?" Colbert interjected. "What's wrong with that? I'm a man, baby. Newsflash: I like that."

In typical Colbert fashion, the host boiled down a hot media controversy to its core and found spots of seeming lunacy. Sarkeesian retold the story of her lecture at Utah State University being canceled after an anonymous e-mail threatened the biggest school shooting to date. She dismissed the "threat" of women gamers, saying it may be a result of the gaming industry's resistance to becoming more inclusive. Colbert's response to all of that? "Why not just have a separate game? Have separate but equal games?"

And when Sarkeesian said GamerGate is about a handful of gamers holding on to a culture they believe should be male dominant, Colbert challenged her. Instead, he asked, isn't this whole ordeal about ethics in gaming journalism? "Do you understand how huge that is? What if there were no ethics in Hollywood journalism? If we can't trust Entertainment Tonight or TMZ, where would we be? Do you want that for gaming journalism?"

Colbert's most poignant perspectives came in the editorial that led up to the Sarkeesian interview. He pointed out a number of hyper-sexualized gaming characters and included Ms. Pac-Man ("She can gobble my ghost anytime"). He identified as a gamer—"I'm not ashamed of my hobby. That's why I do it in my basement"—but then shared a rapid newsreel of major broadcast stations reporting on escalating gamer threats against women. "As the TV men said, GamerGate involves some male gamers harassing women who speak out about the portrayal of women in video games... presumably after the initial shock that women were speaking to them at all."

And as the fair and balanced newsman he claims to be, Colbert did briefly present the pro-GamerGate side: "GamerGate types have been harassed, too, especially once the media saw what they were saying to these women. Gamers have complained about anti-gamer, anti-nerd bullying for following their traditional gamer lifestyle. Yes, there is a traditional gamer lifestyle. God ordained that it's one man, one joystick. Read your Bible folks, it's right there... in Sega Genesis."

Unsurprisingly, GamerGate supporters aren't thrilled with the segment this morning. WeHuntedTheMammoth perused 8chan to collect what it sees as the 22 most ridiculous, immediate responses: "So goddamn disappionted [sic] in you, Stephen, for giving this charlatan the time of day. it looks like my greatest fear has finally been realized. Now I don't even get to have a laugh late at night anymore in my miserable life. I'll never find you funny again if you slander us during this."