‘They are rubbing [it] on our faces. ‘

As of this writing, GameStop’s stock value is around $ 350, not far from its unlikely record of $ 483 earlier this week. The dizzying jump in value is not due to a major advance in retail by the company (quite the opposite, in fact), but rather the chaotic energy of the collective mind being generated by the subreddit r / WallStreetBets. Part of the stock market protest, part of socioeconomic trolling, part WTF – GameStop Stonkgate 2021 is interesting to watch unfold because (long, long In short), it is screwing rich hedge fund vultures that are betting on capitalist ruin, while pointing out the absurdities inherent in Wall Street negotiations.

We’re not going to give you a detailed summary of exactly what is going on (much smarter people have summarized it here, here and here), but it made us wonder: How do real GameStop employees feel about the situation? After all, they are the ones who experience the notorious shit of the retailer on a daily basis (perhaps comparable only to the app that made it possible, Robinhood, who today offered employees with moral problems a $ 40 credit on DoorDash). We contacted some GameStop employees, who spoke anonymously due to the company’s long-standing policy that prohibits them from speaking to reporters.

‘The worst that Reddit has to offer’ – “I think it’s funny,” said an employee Input. “I bought and sold GameStop shares a few times. I often doubled my money and then left, not trusting the hype, since it is not based on reality. But as an employee and someone who vaguely understands the market, I’m tired and sick. Effectively, it is a wave of people ignoring everyone who has practice, diplomas [sic], and studied in the field of economics and literally just forcing the stock price up. “

That said, the same employee did not foresee any real changes reaching store levels. “I’m sure we will have to hear about it from customers and, what is more annoying on conference calls, thinking it has some impact on us,” they said. “The people who benefit from this in the corporate world are so far from the stores that I would be shocked if the store’s level saw something.

Many hesitate to publicly criticize GameStop, even anonymously, for fear of administrative retaliation. Several officials reported that they are explicitly forbidden to speak to writers and press the media on any topic, even before the absurdity of the actions in recent weeks. “This is triggerable [sic] offense. And I would like to keep a job while the pandemic continues, “said a second unidentified official.

This GameStop worker did not speak words in response to the situation, however. “I think r / wallstreetbets is an unpleasant pit of the worst that Reddit has to offer,” said the official. Input. “I don’t like them coming in and posting shit on r / GameStop. It’s like they’re rubbing our faces that have made millions while we don’t see any of that.”

Banned on r / GameStop – The feeling of being fed up is shared by many, including moderators of the real subreddit r / GameStop, a page with more than 55,000 subscribers that is used mainly by employees who exchange privileged news and labor complaints in general. “Attention: the posts about the stock will be removed, yes, we know what is happening, no, we will not entertain,” says a post posted by moderators yesterday. “We are not going to allow a subset of users to try to influence others to make a bad decision. If you are not used to the stock market now is not a good time to enter, yes, there is potential to earn a lot of money, but people who are, are those who know what they are doing. “

The moderators ended with an appeal to “not let a little manipulation influence you”, explaining “This is like a game of chance, you can lose everything. The moment the Reddit subgroup decides to sell, the stock will sink, and it can happen at any time instance. “