Jimquisition: Too Cool To Be Cool
- Thread starter Jimothy Sterling
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Ok, so I like the Escapist, they give content that is either great or just ok, they tend to understand the gaming demographic.
Then they give us this 'Jim' character, an overweight, unfunny idiot, who tries to review 'Duke Nukem' as if it isn't trying to take its own piss. I mean really, is the Escapist trying to actively mock the gaming nerds that feed it? Jim, playing the character of an overweight, unfunny nerd, who, in turn, is playing a greater, unfunnier nerd because 'that's funny lol!' isn't funny. Whoo! Quote V for Vendetta! Be English!
Jim, himself says, "People want to see people not as Icon of coolness, just lower on the social totum pole of coolness, someone who thinks they're awesome, but everybody knows they're shit"
Wow jim! Way to understand how the majority think of you! Get this shit off the Escapist, atleast then we can go back to pretending that Jim doesn't represent the majority of gamers, those sexually unsatisfied, toilet-tucking, overweight dickpistons that pretend they're funny when in reality they're about as funny as getting flesh-eating bacteria.
Then they give us this 'Jim' character, an overweight, unfunny idiot, who tries to review 'Duke Nukem' as if it isn't trying to take its own piss. I mean really, is the Escapist trying to actively mock the gaming nerds that feed it? Jim, playing the character of an overweight, unfunny nerd, who, in turn, is playing a greater, unfunnier nerd because 'that's funny lol!' isn't funny. Whoo! Quote V for Vendetta! Be English!
Jim, himself says, "People want to see people not as Icon of coolness, just lower on the social totum pole of coolness, someone who thinks they're awesome, but everybody knows they're shit"
Wow jim! Way to understand how the majority think of you! Get this shit off the Escapist, atleast then we can go back to pretending that Jim doesn't represent the majority of gamers, those sexually unsatisfied, toilet-tucking, overweight dickpistons that pretend they're funny when in reality they're about as funny as getting flesh-eating bacteria.
I had always taken that the entire world Duke was in was a parody, so that him playing it straight is "the joke", I suppose.
I didn't originally want to post on this thread because I wasn't really sure what to say. But, after much thought, I've pretty much figured it out.
Jim makes a couple good points, but making Duke Nukem "too cool to be cool" takes away part of his character. It works for Sam; part of his charm is the fact that he really isn't that cool. But with Duke, it's not just the character that we're making fun of. Duke's world is a world that could never exist, and that's why it's funny and "cool."
Jim makes a couple good points, but making Duke Nukem "too cool to be cool" takes away part of his character. It works for Sam; part of his charm is the fact that he really isn't that cool. But with Duke, it's not just the character that we're making fun of. Duke's world is a world that could never exist, and that's why it's funny and "cool."
I still think the point of this was he was trying to be ironic by being so deliberately blind to the fact that his own character is exactly as laughably over-the-top as Duke. I think. Because otherwise, the show makes no sense. Honestly, I think the real problem with this video was the divergence into talking about Sonic, because that part of it wasn't satirical or ironic in any way. I think most viewers probably took it at face value and agreed with it, which made it harder to tell for sure if the rest of it is supposed to be taken seriously or not. And, no, that's not a problem with the viewers, it's a problem with the show; anyone can make a video that's deliberately impossible to tell if it's serious or not, by being just ridiculous enough to provoke a reaction while still presenting an opinion that someone could conceivably hold. See: Poe's Law.
In short: I really don't think Jim's missing the point of Duke here, I think he swung for an extremely subtle shot at people who don't "get" his character, but because he mixed it with a (seemingly) genuine suggestion for the Sonic franchise, and the fact that it seems like people just expect him to have ridiculous opinions, it was completely missed by the majority of posters.
Ooooor he's just a dick who doesn't understand Duke Nukem.
In short: I really don't think Jim's missing the point of Duke here, I think he swung for an extremely subtle shot at people who don't "get" his character, but because he mixed it with a (seemingly) genuine suggestion for the Sonic franchise, and the fact that it seems like people just expect him to have ridiculous opinions, it was completely missed by the majority of posters.
Ooooor he's just a dick who doesn't understand Duke Nukem.
Really starting to like this guy now 
The comedy has hit pace and he finally toned it down enough so your not more aware of the parody than you are of the message.
Great fun!
The comedy has hit pace and he finally toned it down enough so your not more aware of the parody than you are of the message.Great fun!
Jim Sterling said:
Jim thank you so much for bringing up Dante as a prime example XD
That's kinda my argument against the new Dante in the DmC game that Ninja Theory is making. They're trying to hard to be serious with this supposedly edgy Dante that it just doesn't work for his persona...lest we get another kick at the LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT scene again.
But not to sound like I'm lecturing you, but in all honesty Duke Nukem is like the Chuck Norris of Video games. He has an ironical appreciation and I've yet to meet anyone who takes it seriously.
Just thought I should put that out there.
I highly doubt this has been canceled, and matter of fact neither has Top 5. Top 5 is still "officially" on a break. Apparently having something to do with some legal matters. Not very specific but then again they never can be with legal stuff.seniorsharptothetouch said:
As seen here.
http://www.loadsavepoint.com/2011/06/imma-be-straight-wit-you-girl-truth-about-%E2%80%9Ctop-5-with-lisa-foiles%E2%80%9D/
The thing is you should find him funny because he is such an overblown character and a lot of the things he says are so wrong they're funny. But due to what I call "The Al Murray Effect", unfortunately lots of people who are stupid (and therefore share his opinions) don't understand that it's mocking them and their opinions and they find it funny because they agree with it. This splits the audience in two and due to there being more stupid people than people who actually understand irony in the world, the stupid audience gets pandered to too much and the entire thing ends up entirely shit. I don't think we're quite at the Al Murray stage yet but we probably will be after this game.
I find Jim honestly doesnt get Duke Nukem Forever. Duke is himself so offensive and dim socially, that he is funny and cool, where as most of the humor of the game comes not from the characters, but from parody of the genre and of alien invasion movies. This is in addition to the fact the games dont take themselves seriously.
Sonic, on the otherhand, needs to get off the coke, develop as an actual character, and return to his old and good platforming.
Dante was played as overly rediculous even in 1, he gets stabbed in the chest at least twice, and laughs it off. he does come off as sappy whenever he is forgetting trish was created to be a mirror of his mom, giving him conflicting feelings as he fights or is around her.
Sonic, on the otherhand, needs to get off the coke, develop as an actual character, and return to his old and good platforming.
Dante was played as overly rediculous even in 1, he gets stabbed in the chest at least twice, and laughs it off. he does come off as sappy whenever he is forgetting trish was created to be a mirror of his mom, giving him conflicting feelings as he fights or is around her.
So -- did the majority of the thread miss the part where Jim actually quotes one of Duke Nukem's producers who says, point-blank, that DN is intended to be taken seriously and played straight? Is this a sign that the western world not only lacks basic reading comprehension but can't follow the spoken word, or is self-indulgence just so powerful on this site that direct evidence to the contrary is no impediment for one's belief system?
Majority Here: Duke Nukem was not intended to be taken seriously.
Duke Nukem Producers: We intend this character to be taken seriously. We are playing him straight for just that reason.
Majority Here: (fingers in ears) -- Duke Nukem was not intended to be taken seriously.
In order for parody to work you need ironic contrast. It doesn't have to be artistic or poetic but it must be there. A single shot of the damage DN causes that makes it clear he's more dangerous than the bad guys would do it. An easy-to-miss comment that his womanizing causes serious emotional or social harm would do it. But you won't find it -- it isn't there. The writing is shit; DN is intended, by its creators to be played straight. They. Litereally. Just. Said. So.
But here's an irony. That would make the writing so very, very bad that many of us reject that truth in favor of the notion that they were being subtle. This is writing so horrible that the human mind sometimes forms a comforting shell of delusion to protect itself.
That being said, this doesn't mean that DNF will be bad. DN's earlier games were shit writing but were amusing and/or fun. DN can still be entertaining; no one said it couldn't be. But that doesn't mean it is satire. Satire requires contrast; DN presents none.
It shouldn't be difficult to prove designer's intent when the designers flat-out tell you their intent.
When the producer said DN is the most important person in his world, that was not mockery, but praise.
Majority Here: Duke Nukem was not intended to be taken seriously.
Duke Nukem Producers: We intend this character to be taken seriously. We are playing him straight for just that reason.
Majority Here: (fingers in ears) -- Duke Nukem was not intended to be taken seriously.
In order for parody to work you need ironic contrast. It doesn't have to be artistic or poetic but it must be there. A single shot of the damage DN causes that makes it clear he's more dangerous than the bad guys would do it. An easy-to-miss comment that his womanizing causes serious emotional or social harm would do it. But you won't find it -- it isn't there. The writing is shit; DN is intended, by its creators to be played straight. They. Litereally. Just. Said. So.
But here's an irony. That would make the writing so very, very bad that many of us reject that truth in favor of the notion that they were being subtle. This is writing so horrible that the human mind sometimes forms a comforting shell of delusion to protect itself.
That being said, this doesn't mean that DNF will be bad. DN's earlier games were shit writing but were amusing and/or fun. DN can still be entertaining; no one said it couldn't be. But that doesn't mean it is satire. Satire requires contrast; DN presents none.
It shouldn't be difficult to prove designer's intent when the designers flat-out tell you their intent.
When the producer said DN is the most important person in his world, that was not mockery, but praise.
That was pretty freaking painful. Characters don't need to be self aware for their faults to be amusing. Gamers (at least a lot of us) don't need a character to break the fourth wall for us to understand that they are a joke. This episode hasn't changed my low expectations for this series.
Good point,though you have to admit that Jim is getting fairly better at what he's doing since the first episode. Also, I suppose he made the mistake with Duke Nukem because of how in-game people act towards him,it still isn't forgivable,but understandable in the right (Or I guess wrong) context.yellowhead said: