crankyoldman (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
crankyoldman) wrote2010-12-28 03:39 pm
crankyoldman) wrote2010-12-28 03:39 pm
Entry tags:
Wake Up Complaining Dude
So this article got linked by one of the webcomic artists I follow on twitter.
I have to admit, these kinds of complainy articles really tick me off. Part of it is personal; I really didn't get to a level of geekitude that was in any way hardkore until I got on the internet, and especially not until I got into the various transformative works and remix cultures: fanfiction, FSTs, cosplay, roleplay, whatever else I've dabbled in. There was no community before that, just me watching Star Trek: The Next Generation with my dad and hoping that because I was dating a guy with a good Magic: The Gathering reputation they'd let me in on their games with my less than stellar deck.
I wonder if the guy that wrote that article has ever had to sit around for four hours waiting on their boyfriend to finish playing hackey sack so they could have someone, anyone to talk to about programming with, and then just being given a book and told that they were being "clingy". Or immediately jumping at the new girl in school because OMG SHE HAD A TOMOGOTCHI SHIRT ON. Or waiting years to buy a PS2 because there were too many pressures in his life both personally and professionally to even attempt to escape into another time consuming hobby. Or spent months roleplaying someone else's videogame character and finding it was the only thing that they could look forward to in the day.
Probably not. He wouldn't be complaining if he had. He's one of the Chosen Nerds, one of the kinds that merely had to like something to be considering Important. And it's bullshit.
I personally love the increasing accessibility of everything; not necessarily by content, but by means. It is not more shallow to have an iPod instead of a Walkman, or to torrent the show you're obsessed with instead of having to wait weeks for it to come in the mail. More accessibility has always meant more options, more people, more viewpoints. Without the internet I never would have considered some of the implications of my chosen forms of entertainment, untangled my sexuality, or learned how to sew. Without the internet I would have continued to think that my creativity was something silly and unnecessary and to just focus on practical things.
And even still, we can't forget this is a first world accessibility, one which still excludes so much of the world.
Did I sometimes wish that one of my major gateway fandoms, Final Fantasy VII, had been less popular so I could continue with my own theories? Of course. And did I whine about new canons not following my standards set by the original (and imperfect too!) one. I got over it, because it's a waste of energy. I found new places in old places and old places in new ones. I adapted, not expecting a whole franchise or fandom to bend to my will.
But that's the difference between you and me, Patton Oswalt, isn't it? If you knew how to adapt, how to see outside yourself you wouldn't be writing articles on Wired complaining about other people's passions and enthusiasms not living up to your 1980s ideal.
The internet and the information age has many issues, but the popular culture accessibility is the least of its problems. There are journalists who are lying and ruining their integrity because it is so easy to just hit "post"; you can smear someone's entire reputation in 140 characters or destabilize people's finances simply because your credit carrier doesn't agree with some group's idea of free speech. THOSE are some real issues.
So wake up complaining dude, and realize that it's you who has become outmoded.
I have to admit, these kinds of complainy articles really tick me off. Part of it is personal; I really didn't get to a level of geekitude that was in any way hardkore until I got on the internet, and especially not until I got into the various transformative works and remix cultures: fanfiction, FSTs, cosplay, roleplay, whatever else I've dabbled in. There was no community before that, just me watching Star Trek: The Next Generation with my dad and hoping that because I was dating a guy with a good Magic: The Gathering reputation they'd let me in on their games with my less than stellar deck.
I wonder if the guy that wrote that article has ever had to sit around for four hours waiting on their boyfriend to finish playing hackey sack so they could have someone, anyone to talk to about programming with, and then just being given a book and told that they were being "clingy". Or immediately jumping at the new girl in school because OMG SHE HAD A TOMOGOTCHI SHIRT ON. Or waiting years to buy a PS2 because there were too many pressures in his life both personally and professionally to even attempt to escape into another time consuming hobby. Or spent months roleplaying someone else's videogame character and finding it was the only thing that they could look forward to in the day.
Probably not. He wouldn't be complaining if he had. He's one of the Chosen Nerds, one of the kinds that merely had to like something to be considering Important. And it's bullshit.
I personally love the increasing accessibility of everything; not necessarily by content, but by means. It is not more shallow to have an iPod instead of a Walkman, or to torrent the show you're obsessed with instead of having to wait weeks for it to come in the mail. More accessibility has always meant more options, more people, more viewpoints. Without the internet I never would have considered some of the implications of my chosen forms of entertainment, untangled my sexuality, or learned how to sew. Without the internet I would have continued to think that my creativity was something silly and unnecessary and to just focus on practical things.
And even still, we can't forget this is a first world accessibility, one which still excludes so much of the world.
Did I sometimes wish that one of my major gateway fandoms, Final Fantasy VII, had been less popular so I could continue with my own theories? Of course. And did I whine about new canons not following my standards set by the original (and imperfect too!) one. I got over it, because it's a waste of energy. I found new places in old places and old places in new ones. I adapted, not expecting a whole franchise or fandom to bend to my will.
But that's the difference between you and me, Patton Oswalt, isn't it? If you knew how to adapt, how to see outside yourself you wouldn't be writing articles on Wired complaining about other people's passions and enthusiasms not living up to your 1980s ideal.
The internet and the information age has many issues, but the popular culture accessibility is the least of its problems. There are journalists who are lying and ruining their integrity because it is so easy to just hit "post"; you can smear someone's entire reputation in 140 characters or destabilize people's finances simply because your credit carrier doesn't agree with some group's idea of free speech. THOSE are some real issues.
So wake up complaining dude, and realize that it's you who has become outmoded.
no subject
I loved that shirt. XDYeah, I just don't understand what's so uncool about, say, being able to pick up a Studio Ghibli flick at Target, or access... fffff, an entire database of fanfiction at once.
But I think it's exactly what you said, and despite his assertions of having to wait and isolation and blah de freaking blah? He ADMITS to having a circle of geekazoid friends who were in to the same things as him, a community he could share in--this butted up against the whining that communities for this type of thing destroy. He was never lonely, so how dare you use this as a commonality to make yourself feel less alone. What-an-ass! :D
He just reminds me so much of my brother, or a million of the other privileged white het male nerds who feel somehow Special Snowflakey come OMG ALIENATED FOR BEING SMART!!! (Which is another type of being a Special Snowflake, srsly.
Also, with that alienation, wait until you've been female, married, and trying to join "a mommy circle"), and they see their nerdery as first a shelter, than a way to become our philosopher kings with their specialized arcane knowledge... Wow, I'm sorry. You just know how I feel about the whole "special" thing. It runs rampant in my family and I've fought hard to check it in myself. I... can't... stand it... in others.
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"OMG, YOU CAN'T LIKE THAT BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE THAT OR YOU'RE NOT LIKING THAT IN THE RIGHT WAY!!!"
... Please enroll in the college of F.U.
Whiiiiiiiiny bitches. You know what's so wonderful about all this access? You can go find a corner you LIKE with people LIKE YOU and fucking sit. And not be bothered by the yaoi group orgy tentacle porn fest they're making of your favorite characters over in some other corner. Unless that's your thing, and then you're welcome to stay the Hell away from my het family friendly fluff. ... When I'm not writing porn.
I LIKE fucking inclusion because it is... INCLUSIVE! Shocker.
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and WOW, if the Poison Elves poster did that to that roomie, they'd have passed right the hell out at OCAD...
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THANK YOU.
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Patton Owalt is a comedian though. I think this might be a little tongue-in-cheek. I watched this bit of his where he talked about watching The Princess Bride for the one millionth time when he was off his meds. To be honest it was a little TMI to be funny, but I don't think he can be totally serious about the whole thing.
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I sincerely hope the "tongue-in-cheek" remark is true. Otherwise I'm not sure whether to LOL or stare.
Maybe both?