Cathode Tan - Games, Media and Geek Stuff
logo design by man bytes blog

Monday, October 17, 2005

Jack Thinks We're Dumb

Batjack is not only egotisical and insane, but insulting. The full text of Jack's refusal to pay up (emphasis mine):

"I'm not interested and won't be commenting on the mod. The satirical piece entitled 'A Modest Video Game Proposal' was intended to highlight the patent hypocrisy and recklessness exhibited by the video game industry's willingness to target cops, women, homosexuals, and other groups with some of their violent games. To be fair, though, you can't expect a bunch of gamers to understand the satire if they think that Jonathon Swift, the author of 'A Modest Proposal,' is the name of a new Nike running shoe...

...I will say this though, the 'video game community' (what's next, 'the necromancy community'?) surely seems exercised about someone who is a 'joke' and who is accomplishing nothing. You all seem rather bothered and worried about a nonentity. God is in this battle, and I am privileged to be a foot soldier. You all should be concerned, not about me, but about Him."
-- Grand Theft Auto Mod Community Unveils Jack Thompson Parody

Hey Jack. God called. He'd like you to stop breaking promises and then making references to any partnership you think you have with him. Apparently he doesn't think making jokes about charity is very funny either.

By the way Jack, I've got a bachelor's in English. From a real school and everything. As I've pointed out below - your very public letter in no way fits the description of satire. You begin the letter with a very realistic and pointed description of yourself and your views and then offer a few points of debate. You then proceed to describe an extremely violent game, which my bachelor's in psych would suggest a high level of pent up rage against people you clearly see as epic opponents, and offer up a reward to any company who would dare make and distribute the game.

I know you would like to think that just because the violence you depict is extreme and pointed at the game industry and it's advocates itself would comprise the definition of satire. It doesn't. Hyperbole is not a requirement of satire (in example, The Onion often uses extremely pedestrian situations told in a serious tone as satire). Juxtaposition of characters definately has the potential for comedy, but is actually very rare in satirical work. Instead, characters remain themselves and more often the situation is the absurd ... but the absurdity is never apparent by the voice or tone of the work.

For instance:

O.K. then works his way, methodically back to LA by car, but on his way makes a stop at the Philadelphia law firm of Blank, Stare and goes floor by floor to wipe out the lawyers who protect Take This in its wrongful death law suits. "So sue me" O.K. spits, with singer Jackson Brown's 1980's hit Lawyers in Love blaring


Naming the main character "O.K." and the law firm "Blank, Stare" are obvious cues to the real opinion of the text here. This would be an example of a work of parody and not satire.

Also, it's a run on sentence.

And um, the law firm would be Blank & Stare not Blank, Stare.

Not that I expect an insane religious zealot to understand any of that.



Jackass.

No comments: