Poll: In defence of Jim Sterling

[QuadFish]

So it seems Jim Sterling has been getting mixed opinions from most people on the forums. Some people think he's getting pretty funny and others seem to hate him for some reason. I think part of the reason is that he's viewed as a "know it all" by some (quoted from the most recent Jimquisition comments), which leads me to believe that those people are taking him way too seriously.

Now I know satire can be taken too far and I realise I've made some arrogant implications, but you have to realise that the majority of Jim's ranting has to be taken with a pinch of salt. His comedic style is a lot easier to understand if you've ever seen his early series The Video Game Show What I've Done. Examples:

[a href='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE3ljBchP6c']Kane & Lynch[/a]: I really like the way he pulls off this 'review' because externally it looks misguided and semi-juvenile but by the end it turns into a reasonably clever comment on the alleged Jeff Gerstmann fiasco.

[a href='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljKl-leNXLw']PSP Go[/a]: Only really because this one made me piss myself with laughter.

That series is why I still think Jimquisition has potential. You just can't take everything as serious gospel, which is unusual for a site like the Escapist that usually deals with comedy with serious discussion behind it. Sterling's videos are usually more focused on the ridiculous comedy side of things but they usually have a subtle message underneath. For example, in the most recent Jimquisition he basically came up with three ways Sony could fix up its PR situation. Two of those were completely ridiculous and the third reasonable but the underlying point (as I interpreted it anyway) was that Sony should be doing more to improve the experience for users rather than focusing on piracy and hacking measures.

(Just for the record, I don't agree with everything he has written before. There was one piece on Destructoid a little while ago that was effectively an angry, verbal, presumptuous assault on PC gamers that annoyed me a little.)

Also, I totally recognise that every time I talked about the 'subtle message' there were incredibly arrogant implications involving you guys reading this but I can't think of a better way to write out my thoughts.

 

[Irridium]

Found him through Destructoid. Love the man's articles. Went on to watch some of his vids, which were great.

Spoiler: Especially these

Haven't heard of "The Video Game Show What I've Done" though. Guess I got stuff to watch.

 

[Deacon Cole]

[a href='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljKl-leNXLw']PSP Go[/a]: Only really because this one made me piss myself with laughter.

You must have overactive kidneys.

I didn't laugh at that video, but it was better than the Jimquisition videos I've seen. Part of the reason is that the voiceover narration works better than actually seeing the guy for some reason. It sounds almost like a serious news/review show that way and later dubbed in narration let him fiddle with things besides his damned glasses. The way he tries to flash images on the screen doesn't work as well as he'd like, I think.

 

[Altorin]

Well, considering his production values are hilariously bad compared to the rest of the site's content, it would have been nice if he didn't just appear here without any introduction as to who he is, and why we should give a damn what he says.

That being said, I've watched his Youtube Jimquisition videos, and I've sort of become a convert, but I think his induction into the Escapist household wasn't handled particularly well.

 

[DustyDrB]

Found him through Destructoid. Love the man's articles. Went on to watch some of his vids, which were great.

Spoiler: Especially these

Haven't heard of "The Video Game Show What I've Done" though. Guess I got stuff to watch.

Ditto.
I love the guy. He's done some questionable things (like showing that video of the politician who shot himself during a press conference. It was to demonstrate that we have not been desensitized. It worked on me. Disturbed the shit out of me), but I'm just about always in agreement with his point. I do like his writing a lot more than his video work. His review of the new PSN Firmware update today was great.

 

[Laser Priest]

Frankly I have no problem with him. He can be funny.

His show isn't as well-produced as others, but on the internet, I genuinely don't care.

ANd it seems most of the people all-out against him are the easily-offended ones or those that fear that anything anyone does may hurt someone's feelings, which obviously would cause the end of the world as we know it.

 

[Johnson294]

I think he's great, he's amusing, brutally honest, and isn't afraid to speak his mind. His reviews may seem a little out there but he's just giving his pure opinion and he is really funny, some of his Jimquisition videos are also great. A lot of people hate him for no reason IMO.

 

[Kpt._Rob]

In the description under his very first video here, he's described as "gaming's biggest douchebag." Whether or not he genuinely is, I can't say, but I do think it's a pretty accurate description of why I really don't like him much. See, while people like Yahtzee or Movie Bob are very aggressively opinionated, and can sometimes be offensive, I always feel like they have some sort of reason for saying what they say. This guy strikes me like he's just trying to troll.

Take for instance the first episode you've presented here of "The Video Game Show What I've Done." I actually was enjoying it more than the videos he's posted here, until, that is, he decided to just go on fake crying forever. He made a legitimate point about how silly writing negative reviews of reviewers can be, and that was fine, but then he goes on to just rub sand in the wounds of anyone he was criticizing. If he has some sort of clue as to where an appropriate place to stop is, he's clearly decided to ignore it.

I remember in the comments of one of the videos he posted here (it was either the first or the second), someone tried to validate him by showing another show he did. In that episode, where he's talking about how video game violence isn't realistic, he goes on to demonstrate his point by showing an actual video of a man shooting himself in the head. That is tasteless.

Mostly what I would say is that with his presentation style it's very difficult to differentiate between when he's trying to make a point and when he's just being a dick. You're free to criticize my intelligence for having a hard time telling the difference, but I honestly think that the points he makes are poorly backed up, he tends to rehash the same tired arguments I've heard made before, and which I've heard made better. It's hard to tell the difference because even the real points he makes are often not all that good, they're supported about as well as his fake points, and he works really hard to be as much of a dick as he can in the process of making those points.

 

[QuadFish]

Take for instance the first episode you've presented here of "The Video Game Show What I've Done." I actually was enjoying it more than the videos he's posted here, until, that is, he decided to just go on fake crying forever. He made a legitimate point about how silly writing negative reviews of reviewers can be, and that was fine, but then he goes on to just rub sand in the wounds of anyone he was criticizing. If he has some sort of clue as to where an appropriate place to stop is, he's clearly decided to ignore it.

That one sequence is the main part of the video I wanted to highlight, since it seems like ultra-retarded lunacy but is really a clever take on the Gamespot fiasco. What he literally does in that sequence is question how people could ever disagree with him about the quality (as he says) of the game but it's really a way of criticising the Gamespot fiasco where Gerstman was fired (allegedly) because of his thoughts on the game. In a way, that sequence was almost a way of advocating democratic discussion on games.

Essentially a comment on gaming politics disguised behind ranting insanity.

EDIT: I'm trying to work my head around your interpretation of it and sort of getting there. That's sort of what I like about his discussions. They're fairly ambiguous so there are a lot of ways to interpret things.

 

[Elamdri]

Honestly, I've not been impressed with his videos. The last one about Sony? C'mon. Like anyone would forgive Sony if they released and SOLD a PS1 game on their online store. What Sony would NEED to do would be like to offer everyone who lost their personal information a year's worth of ID monitoring with a million dollar insurance policy...


When watching his video's, I often feel the need to quote the sage-like Duo Maxwell "If you're joking, that's just cruel, but if you're being sarcastic, that's even worse. "

 

[QuadFish]

The last one about Sony? C'mon. Like anyone would forgive Sony if they released and SOLD a PS1 game on their online store.

That part was pretty clearly sarcasm.

When watching his video's, I often feel the need to quote the sage-like Duo Maxwell "If you're joking, that's just cruel, but if you're being sarcastic, that's even worse. "

How is humorous self-deprecation and a unpredictable comedic twist worse than if he honestly believed Sony needed to do that? Even if a well-respected person says something, that doesn't mean it can become a general quote and still apply to every situation.

 

[Elamdri]

The last one about Sony? C'mon. Like anyone would forgive Sony if they released and SOLD a PS1 game on their online store.

That part was pretty clearly sarcasm.

Do I have to go through the rest of his "suggestions"? Who cares about a MediEvil 3? So what if you have to update the PS3 firmware a lot. Those aren't suggestions to on how to "Fix" everything for Sony. That's someone's nickpicking rant on Sony. If I wanted a Nickpicking rant, I'd watch "The Big Picture;" at least MovieBob is cogent.

When watching his video's, I often feel the need to quote the sage-like Duo Maxwell "If you're joking, that's just cruel, but if you're being sarcastic, that's even worse. "

How is humorous self-deprecation and a unpredictable comedic twist worse than if he honestly believed Sony needed to do that? Even if a well-respected person says something, that doesn't mean it can become a general quote and still apply to every situation.

Because as jokes, they're not funny. And as sarcasm, it's worse because it's not even believable sarcasm.

 

[AgentBJ09]

-Referenced-

Yeah. Jim's quite funny in my view as well. You just have to sit back and enjoy the ride.

I found out about his videos while I was surfing Destructoid a few years back. I was looking for some reviews to read back then. When I saw the Jimquisition videos, I watched one, then ended up marathoning them in one sitting.

I don't mind his demeanor at all either. He may make sex jokes now and then, or whole episodes on the subject, but in the end, it's satire and opinions, which is what we have in abundance here.

Though, I wonder if the Escapist will ever have a German broadcaster/journalist doing videos on gaming culture down the road. I think we need more of that, since we have two British men doing videos here. (GamersGlobal has a nice staff of German contributors.)

 

[QuadFish]

Though, I wonder if the Escapist will ever have a German broadcaster/journalist doing videos on gaming culture down the road. I think we need more of that, since we have two British men doing videos here. (GamersGlobal has a nice staff of German contributors.)

More than anything, I'm genuinely intrigued you picked Germans, out of all the nationalities we don't have on the Escapist.

Do I have to go through the rest of his "suggestions"? Who cares about a MediEvil 3? So what if you have to update the PS3 firmware a lot. Those aren't suggestions to on how to "Fix" everything for Sony.

And as sarcasm, it's worse because it's not even believable sarcasm.

And yet you're still treating it like a serious point of debate, despite thinking it's not believable. Unless you meant, "it's difficult to believe that this is sarcasm", in which case that is exactly how sarcasm and satire should be. If it's difficult to distinguish between reality and sarcasm it preserves the ambiguity of what's being said, which is a good thing since it leaves room for discussion and interpretation.

I don't think Jim entirely believed in any of his suggestions, but the underlying point was that Sony should focus more on user experience. His suggestions are a way of expressing how he as an individual would appreciate certain changes, when he could have instead talked about wider approaches they could take to their PR management.

 

[Elamdri]

I don't think Jim entirely believed in any of his suggestions, but the underlying point was that Sony should focus more on user experience. His suggestions are a way of expressing how he as an individual would appreciate certain changes, when he could have instead talked about wider approaches they could take to their PR management.

And I think that the whole premise you just described is pants-on-head retarded. Who cares about the "user experience"? I'm not some seven year old who gets giddy and gives thanks to the gaming gods every time a new video game comes out. I'm an adult who's legitimately worried about my credit information being stolen, and I want some real reassurance, not a damn new video game that they'll try to sell me.

His video is silly because it totally undercuts the situation, especially for people like me who are really angry. He wants less firmware updates, I want SONY to send me a junior level executive who I get to use as a doormat/manservant for a year. His is a child's solution to the problem; give me something shiny and everything will be better. I want real compensation (ID monitoring services and a million dollar insurance policy ought to do it) and a sincere apology. And I still probably wouldn't turn down an executive doormat >.>

 

[QuadFish]

snip

snip

Obviously you have every right to be angry. No one's denying that and that video is certainly not going to make anyone think the situation is any less serious (after all, there's at least, what, 5 million people who won't ever find it silly because it has directly affected them).

Everything I've said is interpretation, but I read most of what he has said as ironic (the proper, dictionary 'irony', not the modern, bullshitty teen version). Of course that's not his actual solution! It's just a way of getting attention to the point and making Sony look ridiculous by being ridiculous about it himself, in the same way that ridiculous fake ads like that infamous Golf ad do. Even though you know it's not made by the original company, you never think of them the same way.

Also, don't judge. I couldn't think of a better way to summarise what I meant than "user experience". It sounds clunky and vague, I know, but it's a decent way to sum up "how it feels generally to use and play on this console".

 

[JMeganSnow]

I think he's still finding his feet, he seems to seesaw back and forth a bit between being intentionally abrasive and backwards self-deprecation through over-the-top fake arrogance (like Yahtzee does from time to time). I think I'd prefer it if he'd decide whether his opinion really is "fuck all, here's what I have to say, don't like it, go fuck yourself" or "look at what a hilarious prick I am, what a silly joke, eh?"

I kind of liked the first video the best, actually, it felt like someone just ambushed him in front of a blank wall and said, "Hey JIM! SEXISM IN GAMES!! GO!" and he did an improv rant right there. I think he could get a lot of mileage out of a more improv style, especially if he stays more with the "hey, I'm an opinionated jackass who may or may not say something thought-provoking!" instead of "I'm the messiah!"

I also think the drawings need to go. If they feel the need to make the video more interesting, have him do his rant in a different location every week.

 

[fdbluth]

Wait, nobody thought after his first video here, when he just yells out "Let's objectify EVERYONE!", and didn't laugh themselves silly? Instead, people were offended by the fat man without inside voice? Weird.

But yeah, something about him comes across as... too much. Can't put my finger on it, though. Maybe if he has an accent like Yahtzee?