I'm the One That's Cool
April 2, 2012 4:47 PM Subscribe
"These are wonderfully dorky and earnest people doing geeky things, and we love them for it."
Perennial geek favorite Felicia Day (previously, 2, 3) launched her new project today - Geek and Sundry, a YouTube channel featuring original web series including her well-established web series The Guild, her new general-geek-topics video blog (in the first episode of which she demonstrates that she takes her Skyrim blacksmithing passion rather seriously,) and a tabletop gaming show hosted by experienced D&D player (as well as a few other things) Wil Wheaton. Forbes.com thinks this might be the future of TV.
Oh, and if you liked Day's hit single Do You Wanna Date My Avatar, you do not want to miss I'm the One That's Cool.
Perennial geek favorite Felicia Day (previously, 2, 3) launched her new project today - Geek and Sundry, a YouTube channel featuring original web series including her well-established web series The Guild, her new general-geek-topics video blog (in the first episode of which she demonstrates that she takes her Skyrim blacksmithing passion rather seriously,) and a tabletop gaming show hosted by experienced D&D player (as well as a few other things) Wil Wheaton. Forbes.com thinks this might be the future of TV.
Oh, and if you liked Day's hit single Do You Wanna Date My Avatar, you do not want to miss I'm the One That's Cool.
Of related interest, the new Nerdist channel launched today as well.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:57 PM on April 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:57 PM on April 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
this is bad news for my thesis supervisor.
posted by chapps at 5:07 PM on April 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by chapps at 5:07 PM on April 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
Interestingly, The Guild is on Netflix now for some reason.
I am guessing that their previous distribution deal with Microsoft expired so they can now put it up in more places. Which, while the Microsoft deal was probably good for them in terms of exposure, is probably better in the long run.
posted by restless_nomad at 5:08 PM on April 2, 2012
I am guessing that their previous distribution deal with Microsoft expired so they can now put it up in more places. Which, while the Microsoft deal was probably good for them in terms of exposure, is probably better in the long run.
posted by restless_nomad at 5:08 PM on April 2, 2012
mfw I read this FPP.
Felicia Day. She can't sing and she can barely act her way out of a paper bag. But since she's a redhead, really easy on the eyes, ever plays the girl next door and OMG SHE PLAYS WOW she gets fawned over. At least Mila Kunis is a terrific actress along with being an ex-WoW player.
If this is the "future of TV" I really don't want to live on this planet anymore.
posted by Talez at 5:27 PM on April 2, 2012 [5 favorites]
Felicia Day. She can't sing and she can barely act her way out of a paper bag. But since she's a redhead, really easy on the eyes, ever plays the girl next door and OMG SHE PLAYS WOW she gets fawned over. At least Mila Kunis is a terrific actress along with being an ex-WoW player.
If this is the "future of TV" I really don't want to live on this planet anymore.
posted by Talez at 5:27 PM on April 2, 2012 [5 favorites]
Hmm. Interesting that this sort of seems to be replicating the geek-culture already in existence over on the youtubes in various nerdfighter corners. There are hundreds of vlogs where geek girls and boys enthusiastically talk about all kinds of awesome things, but it's so . . . grassroots. This feels less so.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:34 PM on April 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:34 PM on April 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
"These are wonderfully dorky and earnest people doing geeky things, and we love them for it."
I have to say, this is a very low standard for love. Why are geeks (or "geeks") so eager to turn themselves into just another media market category? A handful of actors and entertainers have caught onto to this and built followings as "geek" celebrities. The most important thing about their work often seems to be their assurance that they are one of us.
posted by grobstein at 5:34 PM on April 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
I have to say, this is a very low standard for love. Why are geeks (or "geeks") so eager to turn themselves into just another media market category? A handful of actors and entertainers have caught onto to this and built followings as "geek" celebrities. The most important thing about their work often seems to be their assurance that they are one of us.
posted by grobstein at 5:34 PM on April 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
If this is the "future of TV" I really don't want to live on this planet anymore.
I encourage you to reexamine your priorities.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 5:39 PM on April 2, 2012 [9 favorites]
I encourage you to reexamine your priorities.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 5:39 PM on April 2, 2012 [9 favorites]
Watched the Tabletop show today. Some of it felt forced. Wheaton is heavy on the overused geeky reverences. "Why didn't you take the eagles to Mordor, Frodo?" Yuk yuk yuk.
The other players were new to the game. I'd like to see some experienced players take on the games. All the players were pretty funny.
They use this annoying font/color combination that makes the on-screen game explanations impossible to read.
Overall it was entertaining. It felt like the first episode of a series. I'd imagine it will get better. I look forward to more episodes. I suggest giving it a chance.
posted by hot_monster at 5:44 PM on April 2, 2012
The other players were new to the game. I'd like to see some experienced players take on the games. All the players were pretty funny.
They use this annoying font/color combination that makes the on-screen game explanations impossible to read.
Overall it was entertaining. It felt like the first episode of a series. I'd imagine it will get better. I look forward to more episodes. I suggest giving it a chance.
posted by hot_monster at 5:44 PM on April 2, 2012
After watching Day's vlog, I feel like linking to my favorite readheaded geeky vlogger to show what i mean. Maybe it's practice. Maybe it's a lack of corporate backing (why do the items in Day's top five things feel like paid product placement? I'm not sure that they are, but they feel that way), but one just feels so much more genuine than the other.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:46 PM on April 2, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:46 PM on April 2, 2012 [3 favorites]
If this is the "future of TV" I really don't want to live on this planet anymore.
I encourage you to reexamine your priorities.
Perhaps Talez just wants to live on the Planet Where Everyone Has More Ice Cream or the Dimension Where Everyone Looks Like Brian Eno. That's not so unreasonable, is it? I think the TV thing may just be a catalyst.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:53 PM on April 2, 2012 [3 favorites]
I encourage you to reexamine your priorities.
Perhaps Talez just wants to live on the Planet Where Everyone Has More Ice Cream or the Dimension Where Everyone Looks Like Brian Eno. That's not so unreasonable, is it? I think the TV thing may just be a catalyst.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:53 PM on April 2, 2012 [3 favorites]
Maybe this will help.
Now I have to go have an scalding hot shower with a wire brush for linking to KYM.
posted by Talez at 5:57 PM on April 2, 2012
Now I have to go have an scalding hot shower with a wire brush for linking to KYM.
posted by Talez at 5:57 PM on April 2, 2012
(Lol, readheaded. You guys know what I mean.)
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:01 PM on April 2, 2012
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:01 PM on April 2, 2012
Nerd Vs. Geek:
Chris Hardwick's Nerdist Channel has Weird Al, Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Henson Productions' Dontcallthemmuppet Puppets.
Felicia Day's Geek and Sundry has Wil Wheaton, Paul & Storm and Dark Horse Comics.
I give Nerdist the edge (because WEIRD AL), but I'll probably watch both of them more than most of the channels on the cable. But if Hodgman starts up a Dork Network, all bets are off.
Amd this does kind of up the ante for the likes of BoingBoingTV (what? you didn't know they did BoingBoingTV? lucky you) and MeFi's Own Jesse's Bullseye, and throws the doors open for every B-list celebrity to YouTube their way to semi-relevance.
In other words, coming soon: Chevy Chase's NOT Community Channel, Madonna's Fourteenth Comeback Channel and Keith Olbermann's Worst Channel in the World.
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:09 PM on April 2, 2012 [4 favorites]
Chris Hardwick's Nerdist Channel has Weird Al, Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Henson Productions' Dontcallthemmuppet Puppets.
Felicia Day's Geek and Sundry has Wil Wheaton, Paul & Storm and Dark Horse Comics.
I give Nerdist the edge (because WEIRD AL), but I'll probably watch both of them more than most of the channels on the cable. But if Hodgman starts up a Dork Network, all bets are off.
Amd this does kind of up the ante for the likes of BoingBoingTV (what? you didn't know they did BoingBoingTV? lucky you) and MeFi's Own Jesse's Bullseye, and throws the doors open for every B-list celebrity to YouTube their way to semi-relevance.
In other words, coming soon: Chevy Chase's NOT Community Channel, Madonna's Fourteenth Comeback Channel and Keith Olbermann's Worst Channel in the World.
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:09 PM on April 2, 2012 [4 favorites]
in the geek dark future of nerdork there is only war.
posted by The Whelk at 6:15 PM on April 2, 2012 [9 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 6:15 PM on April 2, 2012 [9 favorites]
Nerds rule, geeks drool. Suck it, posers, I do science. *mike drop*
posted by maryr at 6:22 PM on April 2, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by maryr at 6:22 PM on April 2, 2012 [3 favorites]
Don't treat Mr. Nelson that way he's delicate.
posted by The Whelk at 6:24 PM on April 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 6:24 PM on April 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
Watched the Tabletop show today. Some of it felt forced. Wheaton is heavy on the overused geeky reverences. "Why didn't you take the eagles to Mordor, Frodo?" Yuk yuk yuk.
This is, I think, a central part of the program: recognition-based humor that serves as identity cues.
posted by grobstein at 6:41 PM on April 2, 2012
This is, I think, a central part of the program: recognition-based humor that serves as identity cues.
posted by grobstein at 6:41 PM on April 2, 2012
Geek geek Geek geek geek geek Geek geek!
Oh, fuck off.
posted by basicchannel at 6:47 PM on April 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh, fuck off.
posted by basicchannel at 6:47 PM on April 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
Well, I liked it. But in this case I am so hopelessly biased.
posted by jscalzi at 6:53 PM on April 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by jscalzi at 6:53 PM on April 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
I don't particularly care about Felicia Day (not much in the way of exposure to her), but I subscribed to Geek and Sundry and I am loving it so far.
Tabletop? Yes please. (Yes, I think Wheaton was putting on a bit of an act, but I can't fault him for it (he's trying to appeal to an audience who knows him as the smug bastard from the Guild/BBT, I think). And plus, he wins eternal respect for saying that someone will "go up like a fucking roman candle" if immolated, all because of their hair product). Plus, the guests are all very well chosen.
Plus, Dodger Leigh, my favourite cheery youtube vlogger (DexterityBonus, PressHeartToContinue), will be appearing at some point in the season! yay! I have literally sat for 10 minutes and watched her talk about her taste in coffee, something I thought I would never do, especially since I really hate coffee. I find her absolutely darling.
Flog? While it did get a little tiring at times, Day is overwhelmingly adorable, even if she overdoes it.
Dark Horse? Haven't watched yet.
Verdict: Enjoy!
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:06 PM on April 2, 2012
Tabletop? Yes please. (Yes, I think Wheaton was putting on a bit of an act, but I can't fault him for it (he's trying to appeal to an audience who knows him as the smug bastard from the Guild/BBT, I think). And plus, he wins eternal respect for saying that someone will "go up like a fucking roman candle" if immolated, all because of their hair product). Plus, the guests are all very well chosen.
Plus, Dodger Leigh, my favourite cheery youtube vlogger (DexterityBonus, PressHeartToContinue), will be appearing at some point in the season! yay! I have literally sat for 10 minutes and watched her talk about her taste in coffee, something I thought I would never do, especially since I really hate coffee. I find her absolutely darling.
Flog? While it did get a little tiring at times, Day is overwhelmingly adorable, even if she overdoes it.
Dark Horse? Haven't watched yet.
Verdict: Enjoy!
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:06 PM on April 2, 2012
The Guild has been on Netflix for at least a year. Maybe longer.
posted by Roger Dodger at 7:19 PM on April 2, 2012
posted by Roger Dodger at 7:19 PM on April 2, 2012
the Dimension Where Everyone Looks Like Brian Eno
Young Eno or old Eno?
posted by octobersurprise at 7:26 PM on April 2, 2012
Young Eno or old Eno?
posted by octobersurprise at 7:26 PM on April 2, 2012
The "I don't want to live on this planet anymore" meme grates on me. It reminds me of the line about Vogons --
posted by Celsius1414 at 7:58 PM on April 2, 2012 [6 favorites]
"...the average Vogon will not think twice before doing something so pointlessly hideous to you that you will wish you had never been born -- or (if you are a clearer minded thinker) that the Vogon had never been born."Thus, I don't want to leave the planet to the crazy people -- I want the crazy people shot off into space in, say, the B Ark.
posted by Celsius1414 at 7:58 PM on April 2, 2012 [6 favorites]
I want the crazy people shot off into space in, say, the B Ark.
"It's not hard to knock them down it's getting them to stay down that's the trick" "They're indestructible!" "And they're everywhere!"
posted by Talez at 8:16 PM on April 2, 2012
"It's not hard to knock them down it's getting them to stay down that's the trick" "They're indestructible!" "And they're everywhere!"
posted by Talez at 8:16 PM on April 2, 2012
...more and more I feel I'm not cool enough to be a geek. What a bizarre feeling. I'll settle for being a massive dorkwad.
And now I've just seen the word 'geek' too many times and it's starting to look really weird. Geek geek geek eek geek.
posted by zennish at 8:28 PM on April 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
And now I've just seen the word 'geek' too many times and it's starting to look really weird. Geek geek geek eek geek.
posted by zennish at 8:28 PM on April 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
All of these new nerd channels are very exciting and feature people I like...and damned if I know when I am going to get around to watching any of 'em. OVERLOAD....
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:49 PM on April 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:49 PM on April 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
And now I've just seen the word 'geek' too many times and it's starting to look really weird. Geek geek geek eek geek.
It's funny. As a geek - like, a kid into computers and D&D and math who grew up in the 80s, got picked on (swirlies! stuffed in a locker! random acts of violence and humiliation!) by everyone in the school - the slur was branded into my psyche. To be a geek was to be a failure, and that definition became what I thought and felt about myself.
And after I left high school, in 1990, I never had to hear the word again. Geek. I used to cringe at the utterance of it.
It pains me still to see that word used. I'm almost offended that people like Day (and I like her and her work quite a bit) sling it around so carelessly and freely - without any idea what the word meant when it was redefined in the late 70s and early 80s.
But, I can't blame them (or her) - my experiences were far from universal, and really, it's just a word. I turn 40 in a month, and that shit all happened far far away and long, long time ago. It might have defined me then, but it doesn't now.
I'm fucking awesome, and funny, and most chicks dig me, yanno ? Still, fuck that word. I'll be happier when they kids find a new one.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 8:55 PM on April 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
It's funny. As a geek - like, a kid into computers and D&D and math who grew up in the 80s, got picked on (swirlies! stuffed in a locker! random acts of violence and humiliation!) by everyone in the school - the slur was branded into my psyche. To be a geek was to be a failure, and that definition became what I thought and felt about myself.
And after I left high school, in 1990, I never had to hear the word again. Geek. I used to cringe at the utterance of it.
It pains me still to see that word used. I'm almost offended that people like Day (and I like her and her work quite a bit) sling it around so carelessly and freely - without any idea what the word meant when it was redefined in the late 70s and early 80s.
But, I can't blame them (or her) - my experiences were far from universal, and really, it's just a word. I turn 40 in a month, and that shit all happened far far away and long, long time ago. It might have defined me then, but it doesn't now.
I'm fucking awesome, and funny, and most chicks dig me, yanno ? Still, fuck that word. I'll be happier when they kids find a new one.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 8:55 PM on April 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
It's cool that people are taking pride in being geeks. I think that's definitely a good thing. It's also cool that there are shows like these that can act as gateways for people to get into geeky hobbies.
Yet I've got two problems with these kinds of shows. One: it seems like these shows are making the argument that we need geek celebrities before geeks can be acceptable, socially or otherwise. Two: it seems that they're encouraging passive geekiness -- watching other people play tabletop games, for example, rather than actually playing them ourselves. If you can't find a group, or actually don't enjoy playing games, that's cool. But if you're just watching famous people play so you can feel some kind of vicarious acceptability, or because your geek self-loathing prevents you from finding your own group, that's messed up. (And, to be clear, I don't place the blame for those kinds of problems on geeks -- more on society in general.)
posted by jiawen at 9:23 PM on April 2, 2012
Yet I've got two problems with these kinds of shows. One: it seems like these shows are making the argument that we need geek celebrities before geeks can be acceptable, socially or otherwise. Two: it seems that they're encouraging passive geekiness -- watching other people play tabletop games, for example, rather than actually playing them ourselves. If you can't find a group, or actually don't enjoy playing games, that's cool. But if you're just watching famous people play so you can feel some kind of vicarious acceptability, or because your geek self-loathing prevents you from finding your own group, that's messed up. (And, to be clear, I don't place the blame for those kinds of problems on geeks -- more on society in general.)
posted by jiawen at 9:23 PM on April 2, 2012
jiawen: "Two: it seems that they're encouraging passive geekiness -- watching other people play tabletop games, for example, rather than actually playing them ourselves. If you can't find a group, or actually don't enjoy playing games, that's cool. But if you're just watching famous people play so you can feel some kind of vicarious acceptability, or because your geek self-loathing prevents you from finding your own group, that's messed up. (And, to be clear, I don't place the blame for those kinds of problems on geeks -- more on society in general.)"
Quoting Wil Wheaton's blog post on the debut of the show
His formula was Celebrity Poker meets Dinner for Five. I think that he's done it.
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:26 PM on April 2, 2012
Quoting Wil Wheaton's blog post on the debut of the show
My ulterior motive with Tabletop is to show by example how much fun it is to play boardgames. I want to show that Gamers aren't all a bunch of weirdoes who can't make eye contact when they talk to you, and that getting together for a game night is just as social and awesome as getting together to watch Sportsball, or to play poker, or for a LAN party, or whatever non-gamers do with their friends. I want to inspire people to try hobby games, and I want to remove the stigma associated with gaming and gamers.This encourages passive geekiness the same way that sitting at home watching Star Trek: Whatever on Netflix does. Not everyone plays table top games or even knows of them outside of what they see at Target or Barnes & Nobles. And sometimes they can be a little daunting too.
His formula was Celebrity Poker meets Dinner for Five. I think that he's done it.
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:26 PM on April 2, 2012
They're still pretty people on TV. Glasses or not.
posted by Kloryne at 10:53 PM on April 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Kloryne at 10:53 PM on April 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
in the geek dark future of nerdork there is only war snark.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 11:10 PM on April 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 11:10 PM on April 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
I dunno, I'm no acting expert or 1337 nerd cred-inspector so maybe that's why I can say I've honestly enjoyed the things I've seen Felica Day in. Those being The Guild (which I think she created and wrote, so kudos there too), Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, and the voice acting in Fallout: New Vegas. All of which were excellent settings/backdrops so maybe that just rubbed off on my impression of her.
Thumbs up, though I must admit the old music video is better than this one by quite a bit and I'm not even a WoW player.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:49 AM on April 3, 2012
Thumbs up, though I must admit the old music video is better than this one by quite a bit and I'm not even a WoW player.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:49 AM on April 3, 2012
So.... I stumbled upon another guild-centric music video with Day and the crew that I didn't know was out there.
It's growing on me, Vork showing up all Shiva'd out and the battle with "Real Life" made me lol a bit.
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:02 AM on April 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
It's growing on me, Vork showing up all Shiva'd out and the battle with "Real Life" made me lol a bit.
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:02 AM on April 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
When did geek mean I have to like RPG, tabletop and cosplay?
Isn't being smart, socially awkward and having foureyes enough anymore?
posted by fistynuts at 3:02 AM on April 3, 2012 [3 favorites]
Isn't being smart, socially awkward and having foureyes enough anymore?
posted by fistynuts at 3:02 AM on April 3, 2012 [3 favorites]
You know what's more boring than watching baseball? Watching four people play a board game.
posted by HuronBob at 6:08 AM on April 3, 2012
posted by HuronBob at 6:08 AM on April 3, 2012
Kinda thinking this could be a shark-jumping moment, for me anyway. I've had a lot of time for Day previously. I liked The Guild even though I'm not a WOW player. But I had a few misgivings about the last series (Two female characters kissing for no reason? Really? You're actually going there? Being that fan-pandery?)
Now this... well, Day seems comes over well in the odd 'being myself' vid I've seen her in before but the personality/character/manner of presentation she adopts in The Flog is like the most irritating thing ever.... And yeah, the 'five fave things' thing totally comes over as payola even if it isn't. And the blacksmithy thing is 'yeah, seen stuff like that a million times'.
And the board game thing manages to be boring AND irritating. Could not last more than 10mins of that. It's all too mannered and missing the essential elements of my experience of board gaming (Booze/food, off topic discussions re film/books/comics etc, arguments of rule interpretations that get so heated they almost lead to blows and / or life-long feuds)
I might catch a future ep to see if it improves and check out the book review thing but at the moment it's a no.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 7:45 AM on April 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
Now this... well, Day seems comes over well in the odd 'being myself' vid I've seen her in before but the personality/character/manner of presentation she adopts in The Flog is like the most irritating thing ever.... And yeah, the 'five fave things' thing totally comes over as payola even if it isn't. And the blacksmithy thing is 'yeah, seen stuff like that a million times'.
And the board game thing manages to be boring AND irritating. Could not last more than 10mins of that. It's all too mannered and missing the essential elements of my experience of board gaming (Booze/food, off topic discussions re film/books/comics etc, arguments of rule interpretations that get so heated they almost lead to blows and / or life-long feuds)
I might catch a future ep to see if it improves and check out the book review thing but at the moment it's a no.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 7:45 AM on April 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh and the new song's crap too.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:19 AM on April 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:19 AM on April 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
So.... I stumbled upon another guild-centric music video with Day and the crew that I didn't know was out there.
It's growing on me, Vork showing up all Shiva'd out and the battle with "Real Life" made me lol a bit.
I adore that one! It's a fun homage to Bollywood and the dancing is pretty great.
(I am a bit annoyed that Day's headslides are better than mine, even though I've been bellydancing for 8 years, though.)
posted by MissySedai at 8:52 AM on April 3, 2012
fistynuts: "When did geek mean I have to like RPG, tabletop and cosplay?
Isn't being smart, socially awkward and having foureyes enough anymore?"
Reminds me of the arguments over "hacker". Except that where the "hacker" argument is mostly over intent and degree of evil, 'geek' to me seemed to be about intense focus on a subject to the point of being unaware emotionally of embarrassing oneself. Though looking at the wikipedia definition of geek, they say there's no definitive meaning to geek anymore, and I tend to agree. Nerd, however, still seems to have one solid definition.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:02 AM on April 3, 2012
Isn't being smart, socially awkward and having foureyes enough anymore?"
Reminds me of the arguments over "hacker". Except that where the "hacker" argument is mostly over intent and degree of evil, 'geek' to me seemed to be about intense focus on a subject to the point of being unaware emotionally of embarrassing oneself. Though looking at the wikipedia definition of geek, they say there's no definitive meaning to geek anymore, and I tend to agree. Nerd, however, still seems to have one solid definition.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:02 AM on April 3, 2012
I'm good with more people getting their dork on, and more people encouraging others to get their dork on. Yay!
My only exposure to the Nerdist so far was his show on BBC America back a few months ago. It was kind of amusing but... The fact that afaict EVERY SINGLE WOMAN who was mentioned by anyone during the show had her fuckability discussed? That grated, and makes me a whole lot less interested in his stuff.
posted by rmd1023 at 9:47 AM on April 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
My only exposure to the Nerdist so far was his show on BBC America back a few months ago. It was kind of amusing but... The fact that afaict EVERY SINGLE WOMAN who was mentioned by anyone during the show had her fuckability discussed? That grated, and makes me a whole lot less interested in his stuff.
posted by rmd1023 at 9:47 AM on April 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
ZeusHumm, quoting Wil Wheaton: "I want to show that Gamers aren't all a bunch of weirdoes who can't make eye contact when they talk to you... I want to remove the stigma associated with gaming and gamers".
Yeah, I've seen that quote. It seems to me that he's really not undermining the stigma associated with geekiness. Instead, he's reinforcing it by stigmatizing geeks who aren't like him ("aren't all a bunch of weirdoes") and, to some extent, making the argument that geeks are only acceptable to the extent that we're famous or beautiful.
ZeusHumm: "Not everyone plays table top games or even knows of them outside of what they see at Target or Barnes & Nobles. And sometimes they can be a little daunting too."
Exactly, and I acknowledged that ("It's also cool that there are shows like these that can act as gateways for people to get into geeky hobbies... If you can't find a group, or actually don't enjoy playing games, that's cool").
posted by jiawen at 10:43 AM on April 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I've seen that quote. It seems to me that he's really not undermining the stigma associated with geekiness. Instead, he's reinforcing it by stigmatizing geeks who aren't like him ("aren't all a bunch of weirdoes") and, to some extent, making the argument that geeks are only acceptable to the extent that we're famous or beautiful.
ZeusHumm: "Not everyone plays table top games or even knows of them outside of what they see at Target or Barnes & Nobles. And sometimes they can be a little daunting too."
Exactly, and I acknowledged that ("It's also cool that there are shows like these that can act as gateways for people to get into geeky hobbies... If you can't find a group, or actually don't enjoy playing games, that's cool").
posted by jiawen at 10:43 AM on April 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
Not mentioned, but Felicia Day was playing a something SPOILER-y in the season finales of Dollhouse, Season 1 & Season 2. She was pretty good in it. Those episodes really made Dollhouse into this awesome epic that is very worthy of watching. So, in a sense, she is what made Dollhouse awesome.
posted by jabberjaw at 11:29 AM on April 3, 2012
posted by jabberjaw at 11:29 AM on April 3, 2012
So, in a sense, she is what made Dollhouse awesome.
I realized after the end of the first season that the show I really wanted to see starred Felicia Day and took place in the Epitaph 1/2 section.
one just feels so much more genuine than the other.
I think there's a production value factor in there - Day's an actress and a producer and she has been able to raise some actual money since she started doing this, and she clearly takes things seriously. That first Flog episode feels a little stilted, but I'm totally looking forward to see where it goes.
I have interacted with her directly two or three times, and those super-brief interactions totally convinced me that she is actually a total nerd who is not kidding at all about all of this. My favorite wow-the-room story is that she hugged me once, because I got her a spot at our booth at PAX for her to try out Warhammer Online. You cannot fake that degree of squee face-to-face.
I'm a big fan of hers in general, because she basically took a look at herself, said "What can I do to support myself that is true to who I am and what I want," figured a few things out, and dove in headfirst. She's not playing games, she's not working the system, she's genuinely acting on her own convictions and it's just great.
(The "Oh, everybody just likes her because she's hot" dismissal confuses me very badly, because yeah, she's skinny and clearly has a competent stylist and makeup artist, but she's... kind of goofy-looking. Her attractiveness for me is 95% personality.)
posted by restless_nomad at 12:11 PM on April 3, 2012 [5 favorites]
I realized after the end of the first season that the show I really wanted to see starred Felicia Day and took place in the Epitaph 1/2 section.
one just feels so much more genuine than the other.
I think there's a production value factor in there - Day's an actress and a producer and she has been able to raise some actual money since she started doing this, and she clearly takes things seriously. That first Flog episode feels a little stilted, but I'm totally looking forward to see where it goes.
I have interacted with her directly two or three times, and those super-brief interactions totally convinced me that she is actually a total nerd who is not kidding at all about all of this. My favorite wow-the-room story is that she hugged me once, because I got her a spot at our booth at PAX for her to try out Warhammer Online. You cannot fake that degree of squee face-to-face.
I'm a big fan of hers in general, because she basically took a look at herself, said "What can I do to support myself that is true to who I am and what I want," figured a few things out, and dove in headfirst. She's not playing games, she's not working the system, she's genuinely acting on her own convictions and it's just great.
(The "Oh, everybody just likes her because she's hot" dismissal confuses me very badly, because yeah, she's skinny and clearly has a competent stylist and makeup artist, but she's... kind of goofy-looking. Her attractiveness for me is 95% personality.)
posted by restless_nomad at 12:11 PM on April 3, 2012 [5 favorites]
I have interacted with her directly two or three times, and those super-brief interactions totally convinced me that she is actually a total nerd who is not kidding at all about all of this. My favorite wow-the-room story is that she hugged me once, because I got her a spot at our booth at PAX for her to try out Warhammer Online. You cannot fake that degree of squee face-to-face.
My basic objection -- and I don't expect everyone to agree but I want to be clear -- is, Why is that enough? Why is it enough that she is a real actor and entertainer who is Really One Of Us, and who openly engages in and likes the Activities That We Like?
Why are the entertainers we love the ones who most directly flatter our identity politics? Why can't they just be the best ones?
posted by grobstein at 12:23 PM on April 3, 2012
My basic objection -- and I don't expect everyone to agree but I want to be clear -- is, Why is that enough? Why is it enough that she is a real actor and entertainer who is Really One Of Us, and who openly engages in and likes the Activities That We Like?
Why are the entertainers we love the ones who most directly flatter our identity politics? Why can't they just be the best ones?
posted by grobstein at 12:23 PM on April 3, 2012
Maybe I'm misunderstanding your question, but at least in my case I think the fact that I like her stuff (moreso because she's real and seemingly down to earth/true to herself, not less) in the face of her material of choice being an "Activity that I like" is...
... Because I don't have an axe to grind...?
Seriously, why not like her if you... like her stuff?
Humphrey Bogart was a great actor, by many accounts one of the 'best ones', but do I like him or his stuff? Not specifically, because it just doesn't attract me as much as the Dark Tower books, video games, true stories of hardship and exploration, and... Felicia Day's stuff.
I must be missing something.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:31 PM on April 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
... Because I don't have an axe to grind...?
Seriously, why not like her if you... like her stuff?
Humphrey Bogart was a great actor, by many accounts one of the 'best ones', but do I like him or his stuff? Not specifically, because it just doesn't attract me as much as the Dark Tower books, video games, true stories of hardship and exploration, and... Felicia Day's stuff.
I must be missing something.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:31 PM on April 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm actually not sure whether you misunderstand my question or just disagree strongly. Basically I am puzzled and slightly disheartened by how powerful a causal factor group affiliation (she is a geek like me) is in explaining art appreciation (I enjoy her scripted web drama). It's certainly possible that I'm just naive and / or a jerk.
posted by grobstein at 12:46 PM on April 3, 2012
posted by grobstein at 12:46 PM on April 3, 2012
It's more that she's a geek like me and therefore she makes videos about stuff I like and she tends to do them right. The Guild, for example, is fucking brilliant if you've ever been in that weird, dysfunctional, vaguely unreal yet super-tight group dynamic - it just nails it. And I'm not sure if it'd be possible to write that script if you've never actually been in an MMO guild.
posted by restless_nomad at 12:54 PM on April 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by restless_nomad at 12:54 PM on April 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
I don't mean to put you across as a jerk, and I was really trying to engage a question, albeit one I didn't quite understand.
I guess the fact with me is that those two factors you mention seem to be apt, yet lacking. Part of the difference is probably that I don't consider watching/enjoying a show like the Guild to be more visceral than some high-faluting idea of 'art appreciation'. I think people inherently tend to enjoy things that they can relate to, and thereby understand. Lacking that understanding it would be like me going into an artist's display in a museum and not knowing he was handicapped or grew up blind or chose to never use brown paint or something. I'd miss things that others would pickup on instantly and appreciate and value. So which am I going to like more? Something I can relate to, or something I don't comprehend as well?
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:05 PM on April 3, 2012
I guess the fact with me is that those two factors you mention seem to be apt, yet lacking. Part of the difference is probably that I don't consider watching/enjoying a show like the Guild to be more visceral than some high-faluting idea of 'art appreciation'. I think people inherently tend to enjoy things that they can relate to, and thereby understand. Lacking that understanding it would be like me going into an artist's display in a museum and not knowing he was handicapped or grew up blind or chose to never use brown paint or something. I'd miss things that others would pickup on instantly and appreciate and value. So which am I going to like more? Something I can relate to, or something I don't comprehend as well?
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:05 PM on April 3, 2012
*don't consider => do consider
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:08 PM on April 3, 2012
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:08 PM on April 3, 2012
restless_nomad: (The "Oh, everybody just likes her because she's hot" dismissal confuses me very badly, because yeah, she's skinny and clearly has a competent stylist and makeup artist, but she's... kind of goofy-looking. Her attractiveness for me is 95% personality.)"
Personality counts for a lot. Physically attractive people with no personalities are pretty boring.
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:32 PM on April 3, 2012
Personality counts for a lot. Physically attractive people with no personalities are pretty boring.
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:32 PM on April 3, 2012
Is it me, or does the video in Table Top speed up and slow down in spots? I thought it was my computer and connection and having too many apps open, but am not sure.
Also, everyone looks like they have a copy of the race and special powers definitions, which helps a lot when starting out with an unfamiliar game. Having only one set is typical, but makes starting out with a whole new crew kind of hard, especially when game strategy depends heavily on choosing a race correctly.
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:37 PM on April 3, 2012
Also, everyone looks like they have a copy of the race and special powers definitions, which helps a lot when starting out with an unfamiliar game. Having only one set is typical, but makes starting out with a whole new crew kind of hard, especially when game strategy depends heavily on choosing a race correctly.
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:37 PM on April 3, 2012
The Guild, for example, is fucking brilliant if you've ever been in that weird, dysfunctional, vaguely unreal yet super-tight group dynamic - it just nails it. And I'm not sure if it'd be possible to write that script if you've never actually been in an MMO guild.
It's really not. The character design is really just shallow caricatures with the distinctive traits of their archtypes amplified in some overoptimistic expectation of comedic effect. It's like lowest common denominator if the population set were autistic introverts unable to function in regular society which is far from a majority of MMO players.
The result just really isn't that entertaining and doesn't make me laugh.
posted by Talez at 2:11 PM on April 3, 2012
It's really not. The character design is really just shallow caricatures with the distinctive traits of their archtypes amplified in some overoptimistic expectation of comedic effect. It's like lowest common denominator if the population set were autistic introverts unable to function in regular society which is far from a majority of MMO players.
The result just really isn't that entertaining and doesn't make me laugh.
posted by Talez at 2:11 PM on April 3, 2012
The result just really isn't that entertaining and doesn't make me laugh.
Well, I guess our tastes differ, then. (And probably our guild backgrounds do, too.)
posted by restless_nomad at 2:22 PM on April 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
Well, I guess our tastes differ, then. (And probably our guild backgrounds do, too.)
posted by restless_nomad at 2:22 PM on April 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
Why are the entertainers we love the ones who most directly flatter our identity politics? Why can't they just be the best ones?
Because best is a vague concept when you're talking about something as subjective as art and entertainment.
And because more art and entertainment are produced every day than I could consume in a year, so I have to triage and just be entertained by the stuff that's most interesting to me.
I watch TV and movies that are about things that interest me. These people make TV and movies that are about things that interest me.
I get that there's another segment of the population for whom the movie itself is the thing that interests them, rather than the subject of the movie. And that's great -- there's room for all kinds of geeks in this world.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:59 PM on April 3, 2012
Because best is a vague concept when you're talking about something as subjective as art and entertainment.
And because more art and entertainment are produced every day than I could consume in a year, so I have to triage and just be entertained by the stuff that's most interesting to me.
I watch TV and movies that are about things that interest me. These people make TV and movies that are about things that interest me.
I get that there's another segment of the population for whom the movie itself is the thing that interests them, rather than the subject of the movie. And that's great -- there's room for all kinds of geeks in this world.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:59 PM on April 3, 2012
Felicia Day: A rising star for the Internet geek If you are a geek — a proud, noble, reclaiming-the-word geek — then Felicia Day is your deity. Day does have the grace to try and play that down a bit here...
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:05 AM on April 4, 2012
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:05 AM on April 4, 2012
The Guild was a fantastically accurate portrayal of a hardcore MMO guild. I'll grant you the majority of MMO players aren't like that, but the majority of MMO players aren't playing hardcore where stuff like "guild reputation" and being on time for raids and all that other slightly lunatic crap matters. I was raiding in WoW around the time season 2 of The Guild was out, and it had a huge following in my guild. We loved it. There was a thread on our guild forum where someone would post a link to the video whenever it came up. We'd talk about it between boss pulls.
They're caricatures, sure. But they were caricatures we could relate to. I mean, we had the dude who was online 27/4 and made every single raid including the ad-hoc ones during the day, the private and strangely bloodthirsty girl gamer (a few of us, actually...), the kid who kept getting into e-trouble ... I stopped following it around the time I stopped playing, and now when I watch it it's with a kind of awkward horror because it's so realistic, and it's realistic about something that was a big part of my life, not so long ago.
Felicia Day is awesome.
Although I question her liking of default!FemShep, because that model is firmly in HOLY UNCANNY VALLEY BATMAN for me. It just looks wrong. That said, I restarted the game half a dozen times midway through the prologue to fix my character's face, so if I'd had a little less patience I'dve probably have gone with it too.
posted by Xany at 6:38 AM on April 4, 2012
They're caricatures, sure. But they were caricatures we could relate to. I mean, we had the dude who was online 27/4 and made every single raid including the ad-hoc ones during the day, the private and strangely bloodthirsty girl gamer (a few of us, actually...), the kid who kept getting into e-trouble ... I stopped following it around the time I stopped playing, and now when I watch it it's with a kind of awkward horror because it's so realistic, and it's realistic about something that was a big part of my life, not so long ago.
Felicia Day is awesome.
Although I question her liking of default!FemShep, because that model is firmly in HOLY UNCANNY VALLEY BATMAN for me. It just looks wrong. That said, I restarted the game half a dozen times midway through the prologue to fix my character's face, so if I'd had a little less patience I'dve probably have gone with it too.
posted by Xany at 6:38 AM on April 4, 2012
It's disquieting to be so specifically demographically targeted.
That said, I'm willing to give Tabletop, and the forthcoming Paul and Storm show, and the Nerdist Weird Al thing that was mentioned above a shot so I'm reinstalling Miro to keep on top of it...
posted by Zed at 10:36 AM on April 4, 2012
That said, I'm willing to give Tabletop, and the forthcoming Paul and Storm show, and the Nerdist Weird Al thing that was mentioned above a shot so I'm reinstalling Miro to keep on top of it...
posted by Zed at 10:36 AM on April 4, 2012
The first episode of Sword and Laser is up - it's a genre book review show.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 6:35 AM on April 15, 2012
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 6:35 AM on April 15, 2012
So a month in I'm still finding The Flog charming and adorable. Possibly I'm broken, but...
posted by restless_nomad at 3:34 PM on April 23, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by restless_nomad at 3:34 PM on April 23, 2012 [1 favorite]
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