D&D General Matt Colville on the “Forever DM”

[Distracted DM]

This is called code-switching where a speaker either switches between languages or dialects of a single language based upon the listener or the circumstance the speaker is in. It can expand into non-lingual aspects as well.

This happens in several ways:

• Using two distinct languages at the same time. Spanglish: A bi-lingual person uses both Spanish and English words in a single sentence or conversation. Example: "Pero WHY do I have to go a la casa?" instead of "But WHY do I have to go home?"
• Using two dialects of the same language at the same time.
• Moving between dialects based upon who the intended audience is. Typical examples are a "phone" voice vs. everyday conversational voice or changing how you explain something based upon the listeners understanding of the topic or a minority groups dialect at home vs. the majority dialect at work.
• Changing clothing styles to blend into a dominate group.

This list is not exhaustive.

I learned a solid "phone" voice because my mother was in Real Estate before there were answering machines or cell phones, so we could not answer the phone in a conversational style because all three children were expected to answer the phone with a professional voice. My mom even drilled a script into us.

This skill helped me get hired for phone tech support where I then learned to convert "Engineer" to normal human. There was also a marked difference how my black co-workers answered the phone vs. how they spoke to me in the lunch room to each other. When I was the only white person with them I was included but when someone who had not been given a pass or was management showed up their business professional voice was right back on.

I have used Spanglish after living in Colombia for a year back in the '80s. It has faded over time but I sill occasionally interject certain Spanish/Colombian phrases into my English conversations unconsciously. Mostly Spanish swear words .

Back in high school I transferred out of my district to the "rich" kid school and within 6 months I had changed my wardrobe for school so I didn't get picked on. My stoner-wear camouflage (I hung out with the stoners, but was stone cold sober) from my middle school days stood out among the preppy dominate wardrobe of my new classmates.

There's a music video from a cartoon somewhere that explains code-switching... Can't remember the show, though.

 

[TiQuinn]

You know who (else, for some of you, no doubt) has an even more annoying tone, even though it is not audio? The Angry GM.
You know what he has in common with Colville? He actually has some good advice for running your game.

Haven’t heard that name in awhile. But, yes, a perfect example of someone whose manner distorts the message.

To be clear, I don't agree with Matt on everything but he does provide advice which does resonate with people and, even if you are not among those people some/most/all the time, he can at least make you think about how you would handle similar situations... and he does it with passion. It's fine if you find his style annoying. But, yeah, I agree with those here urging us all to engage with his point(s) instead of just complaining about his style.

And yet, his style is part of the point and for me, I totally understand why people grate against it even though I find it to be extremely clear and effective. He clearly pays attention to how he delivers his message.

Aren't most of us presumably here to learn from one another and improve our respective games? It's a bummer to me when folks crap all over that ideal by dealing out ad hominem attacks on each other and the personalities/designers/publishers in our industry and then add insult to injury by getting all indignant or, at best, getting defensive or making excuses when called out on it. Excusing your threadcrapping on the OP for not giving more of a synopsis of the video? Wow.... just wow.

 

[Aldarc]

There definitely is a divisive presentation in these videos with an emphasis that the topic at hand is the greatest that’s ever faced humanity. Its pretty grating I’m surprised anybody can listen to it once let alone regularly.

 

[Mannahnin]

I don't know if Matt's speaking style predated it, but IMO it's note perfect for the original video from the Running the Game series. It's a high energy, enthusiastic sales pitch for becoming a DM. Talking about how fun it is and how easy it can be, reassuring and enthused and eager to help.

He does vary it up a bit depending on the topic, and TiQuinn is dead-on that it's a broadcast/theater tone. Meant to entertain and to carry.

I can absolutely get why some folks would prefer different or more laid back presentation styles, but the idea that it comes off angry or offensive is kind of shocking, honestly.

 

[payn]

I don't know if Matt's speaking style predated it, but IMO it's note perfect for the original video from the Running the Game series. It's a high energy, enthusiastic sales pitch for becoming a DM. Talking about how fun it is and how easy it can be, reassuring and enthused and eager to help.

He does vary it up a bit depending on the topic, and TiQuinn is dead-on that it's a broadcast/theater tone. Meant to entertain and to carry.

I can absolutely get why some folks would prefer different or more laid back presentation styles, but the idea that it comes off angry or offensive is kind of shocking, honestly.

Its not the radio voice at all I have an issue with. Its the melodramatic tone manipulation to add emphasis to the rhetoric that makes it nails on chalkboard for me. Its like the ideas need an emotional appeal and cant stand for themselves (even though I think they are well thought out and can. I dislike it even when I agree with him!). Its all part of the influencer life which I frankly have grown to greatly dislike. I dont find it too mysterious that some folks find it very appealing, while others are instantly put off.

 

[Mannahnin]

Its not the radio voice at all I have an issue with. Its the melodramatic tone manipulation to add emphasis to the rhetoric that makes it nails on chalkboard for me. Its like the ideas need an emotional appeal and cant stand for themselves (even though I think they are well thought out and can. I dislike it even when I agree with him!). Its all part of the influencer life which I frankly have grown to greatly dislike. I dont find it too mysterious that some folks find it very appealing, while others are instantly put off.

I can definitely understand how any "sales pitch" style voice could be unappealing.

I had an old wargaming buddy who did corporate sales for many years. Wine 'em, dine 'em, shmooze 'em style. And his overall speaking mode maintained a constant ingratiating tone which struck me as excessively chummy and artificially laid back. Even though I got to know him and learned he was being genuine, it still felt off by default. Fake and insincere.

Even when I disagree with Matt, though, I never feel like he's being insincere or manipulative. Just that he's trying to communicate with enthusiasm and clarity.

 

[Distracted DM]

I don't know if Matt's speaking style predated it, but IMO it's note perfect for the original video from the Running the Game series. It's a high energy, enthusiastic sales pitch for becoming a DM. Talking about how fun it is and how easy it can be, reassuring and enthused and eager to help.

He does vary it up a bit depending on the topic, and TiQuinn is dead-on that it's a broadcast/theater tone. Meant to entertain and to carry.

I can absolutely get why some folks would prefer different or more laid back presentation styles, but the idea that it comes off angry or offensive is kind of shocking, honestly.

I guess it was like, what, 8+ years ago? Within the first dozen or so RtG videos. Colville was really very inspirational for me, even though I'd been DMing on and off for years (playing for longer). I went from running once per two weeks, to running once or twice per week. His manner is a little "performative" yeah but he injects passion in there and that definitely translated to me.

 

[Mannahnin]

I guess it was like, what, 8+ years ago? Within the first dozen or so RtG videos. Colville was really very inspirational for me, even though I'd been DMing on and off for years (playing for longer). I went from running once per two weeks, to running once or twice per week. His manner is a little "performative" yeah but he injects passion in there and that definitely translated to me.

Same. I do get annoyed at Matt occasionally. Sometimes he's simply wrong (and can be confidently so), or comes off a little condescending or dismissive. That's been a really infrequent note, though, and IME it's almost only ever in a livestream, where he's speaking off the cuff and doesn't have the time to think about it and edit.

 

[Bacon Bits]

Think of Matt's live streams on Twitch as a stream of consciousness mind dump that will have some raw gem stones that will be refined into fully cut gems that have coherence and a through line in a later YouTube vid. The live streams are not to everyone's taste.

Even then, only sometimes do those gems end up in a vid. Like this Forever DM video has clearly been bouncing around Matt's head for a couple years. Most of the things in this video are things he's had discussions about before.

To me, Colville reads not as angry but as aggressively opinionated, like he's talking at me, not to me. But I'm a Canadian West Coaster with a lot of social anxiety, so take my perspective in context.

I find him almost unwatchable for more than a few minutes - he makes me very uncomfortable and annoyed. He makes me want to disagree with him on principle. I totally understand what someone else posted about his wife calling Colville the "angry man" - I can see how he could read that way.

He comes off like the ultimate mansplainer.

This is entirely alien to me. While it does read that he's strongly opinionated to me... it's a video where he's going to explain his opinion. It's entirely what I'd expect. Speaking directly and assertively is, well, just basic rhetoric. If he doesn't articulate himself that way, well, he's going to sound like he's just whining and complaining, or has vague and incomplete ideas. "Tell me what you think... but don't be straightforward about it."

It reminds me of when people say, "Well, it sounds like you're speaking in absolutes and not giving me room for disagreement." A speaker isn't supposed to do that in a persuasive essay! It undermines your rhetoric and sabotages the persuasive elements of your writing. You're not supposed to carve exceptions into every statement where other opinions can live. That puts you in a passive voice, which is not as persuasive. You speak assertively with confidence because that's more persuasive and less ambiguous. That doesn't mean listeners can't have a different opinion; it just means the listener's confidence in their existing opinions is not the speaker's responsibility. Listeners should be expected to be able to manage their own minds in the face of differing opinions.

 

[payn]

This is entirely alien to me. While it does read that he's strongly opinionated to me... it's a video where he's going to explain his opinion. It's entirely what I'd expect. Speaking directly and assertively is, well, just basic rhetoric. If he doesn't articulate himself that way, well, he's going to sound like he's just whining and complaining, or has vague and incomplete ideas. "Tell me what you think... but don't be straightforward about it."

It reminds me of when people say, "Well, it sounds like you're speaking in absolutes and not giving me room for disagreement." A speaker isn't supposed to do that in a persuasive essay! It undermines your rhetoric and sabotages the persuasive elements of your writing. You're not supposed to carve exceptions into every statement where other opinions can live. That puts you in a passive voice, which is not as persuasive. You speak assertively with confidence because that's more persuasive and less ambiguous. That doesn't mean listeners can't have a different opinion; it just means the listener's confidence in their existing opinions is not the speaker's responsibility. Listeners should be expected to be able to manage their own minds in the face of differing opinions.

It's true that persuasive writing often will aim to frame, counter, and thus minimize counterarguments. What I find often in these influencer videos (I dont know about this one, but ive seen it in plenty of MCs other ones) is to over-exaggerate the counter point and build it up as an existential threat and thus invoke victimhood in agreeable viewers. Its polarizing, and not conducive to constructive discussions. Which is why I find that kind of rhetoric most distasteful.