Game journalism backlash - the microcosm theory

[Gordon_Cameron]

At some point in the batman timeline, the Joker actually kills one of the Robins.

The Joker was definitely one of the worse supervillians in DC/Marvel comics, as in most, folks didn’t really die much. But the Joker killed a bunch of folks over the years. In some parallel universe, he killed Lois lane and made Superman go nuts and implement martial law on the whole world.

I think that in certain portrayals, especially the animated series, he is portrayed in a more comical way… he’s a bad guy, but it’s kind of funny too… just kind of a scamp of sorts. But in the comics, he was a really bad dude at times.

Oh Frank, you card!

[Quaro]

Seeing a lot of people strongly taking a ‘no politics in my fiction’ stance:

I know Total Biscuit enjoys Star Trek tv series which are often built entirely of political themes, so kind of weird stance to take, especially the third one.

[Soapyfrog]

Because mobs of outraged people on Twitter do change things. Due to the 24hr news cycle and the must have now short term outlook on life common in society.

bunk.

[Alstein]

It takes a pretty big mob to enact change- much bigger than the activist Tumblr crowd. Maybe 4 million (the amount of folks who got Net Neutrality through the FCC)

[CraigM]

And thus an encapsulation of why I think TB is an idiot.

Seriously taking politics of any form out of media is:

1. impossible
2. boring and milquetoast
3. inherently biased towards those in power

Sorry, that idea is dumb as hell. You’d wind up with a bunch of stories with nothing in their head. The strive to being apolitical is why so many stories in games are terrible.

Think no further than Bioshock Infinite. A story with strong political underpinnings that was ruined by their goal to be apolitical and not condemn one side or the other. Why is everything past where you enter the rift so bone stupid? That’s why. If they’d have stuck to having a story with something to say, and a consistent political identity it would have been a far superior story.

[Starlight]

I know Total Biscuit enjoys Star Trek tv series which are often built entirely of political themes, so kind of weird stance to take, especially the third one.

Quite. It’s definately a “come off it” situation.

There’s plenty of right wing politics in the MilScifi I read (Baen stuff, etc.)
There’s plenty of left wing politics in the Scottish Scifi Authors I read (Stross, McLeod, etc.)

There IS a line, but that line is not there, it’s when they’re writing thinly disguised propaganda like Tom Kratman. (i.e. http://www.amazon.com/A-State-Disobedience-Tom-Kratman/dp/0743499204)

[playingwithknives]

bunk.

Of course they do. I’m not talking about mobs of outraged SJWs, or gators or any particular community, but in general.

Nothing changes a politicians mind quicker than a twitterstorm.

[playingwithknives]

Quite. It’s definately a “come off it” situation.

There’s plenty of right wing politics in the MilScifi I read (Baen stuff, etc.)
There’s plenty of left wing politics in the Scottish Scifi Authors I read (Stross, McLeod, etc.)

There IS a line, but that line is not there, it’s when they’re writing thinly disguised propaganda like Tom Kratman. (i.e. http://www.amazon.com/A-State-Disobedience-Tom-Kratman/dp/0743499204)

Yeah, or something like Clancys Bear and Tiger, which had my eyebrow raised at several points. I was like fucking hell Tom calm it down.

edit: what TB means of course, is politics he dont like.

[CraigM]

edit: what TB means of course, is politics he dont like.

Which is doubly dumb.

I’m a relatively liberal leaning person. This does not mean I will not read, or can not enjoy books written by authors who I find problematic (see: Card, Orson Scott) or whose writings espouse ideologies I dislike (see: Starship Troopers). In fact the very fact of these can be important. I greatly appreciate reading Heinlin’s work because it is well written, and challenging to engage with. These works would be so much the lesser if there was no political ideas driving behind them.

I don’t get how people can be so willfully throwing away what makes works of art truly great. I defy anyone to name a great work of fiction that is entirely apolitical. Because I bet that any work named can be proven wrong.

EDIT: and thus my statement that PWK and I could never find something to agree on in this thread is proven wrong. I actually am glad for that :)

[ShivaX]

Of course they do. I’m not talking about mobs of outraged SJWs, or gators or any particular community, but in general.

Nothing changes a politicians mind quicker than a twitterstorm.

Most politicians still don’t even really know what the internet is yet and they care what happens on Twitter?

[playingwithknives]

Generally the media start reporting it as a thing (many of their websites literally run stories with cut and pastes from Twitter), and then the politicians get told by their advisors and they start backpedaling or start vowing to do something.

Mainly pointing fingers at Brit politicians here. Don’t know what happens over the pond. Mumsnet is a noticeable force* in British politics. Cameron has done so many U-turn on his policies we’ve linked him to a dynamo and wired him into the national grid.

*a force for evil of course.

[playingwithknives]

Which is doubly dumb.

I’m a relatively liberal leaning person. This does not mean I will not read, or can not enjoy books written by authors who I find problematic (see: Card, Orson Scott) or whose writings espouse ideologies I dislike (see: Starship Troopers). In fact the very fact of these can be important. I greatly appreciate reading Heinlin’s work because it is well written, and challenging to engage with. These works would be so much the lesser if there was no political ideas driving behind them.

I don’t get how people can be so willfully throwing away what makes works of art truly great. I defy anyone to name a great work of fiction that is entirely apolitical. Because I bet that any work named can be proven wrong.

EDIT: and thus my statement that PWK and I could never find something to agree on in this thread is proven wrong. I actually am glad for that :)

Yeah, true neutrality is bland and unchanging.

I suspect TB’s on about enforced propaganda in literature, like Soviet era stuff, or Juche films rather than an apolitical utopia.

[ShivaX]

Yeah, true neutrality is bland and unchanging.

I suspect TB’s on about enforced propaganda in literature, like Soviet era stuff, or Juche films rather than an apolitical utopia.

Doesn’t seem like it. Because honestly, who is putting that shit in games that he’s playing? He’s just bitching about having to see things he doesn’t ideologically agree with.

[Desslock]

I know Total Biscuit enjoys Star Trek tv series which are often built entirely of political themes, so kind of weird stance to take, especially the third one.

Clearly you haven’t seen what he was replying to - there’s “thematic depth” like Star Trek and virtually any good fiction incorporates, and overt 4th wall politicizing, which is naturally exclusionary/regressive/inconguent/instantly dated/and advanced to spite the story, rather than enhance it.

[playingwithknives]

Doesn’t seem like it. Because honestly, who is putting that shit in games that he’s playing? He’s just bitching about having to see things he doesn’t ideologically agree with.

Heh. Who knows. He’s playing World of Warships atm, not World of Battleship Potemkin.

Edit: It would have been great to link the highly appropriate Comm-Raid on the Potemkin, but its on netflix and other pay services only.

[CLWheeljack]

Did new-Thor just refer to Odin as the All-Mother?

[Quaro]

Clearly you haven’t seen what he was replying to - there’s “thematic depth” like Star Trek and virtually any good fiction incorporates, and overt 4th wall politicizing, which is naturally exclusionary/regressive/inconguent/instantly dated/and advanced to spite the story, rather than enhance it.

The statement is much more sweeping, if all he means is “Pop culture references date fiction” ?

[playingwithknives]

Did new-Thor just refer to Odin as the All-Mother?

I think Jord and Odina borrowed a turkey baster from Andhrímnir and then nipped to Olympus and borrowed some sperm from Zeus, who is now transitioned into full swankin. Its quite complicated.

[LMN8R]

Seeing a lot of people strongly taking a ‘no politics in my fiction’ stance:

I know Total Biscuit enjoys Star Trek tv series which are often built entirely of political themes, so kind of weird stance to take, especially the third one.

He doesn’t seem to understand that “keep politics out of my vidja games” is an inherently political statement.

Here we go, fixed:

[Timex]

Politics have been injected into fiction as long as there has been fiction.