It doesn't get much worse than this!

[nedjer]

Sitting watching UK Channel 4 comedy the IT Crowd last night. (There's a link to the VoD show at the bottom of the page - Episode 1 Series 4: Jen the Fredo). A full half hour of taking the rip out of D&D bigtime.

It was pretty funny for mocking the kind of darkened room, leather-seated, beard-stroking nonsense that popped up in a certain set of WotC linked videos earlier this year.

Unfortunately, it does such a good job of showing up that kind of image that it confirms how games like D&D are thought of in the UK now. It's not the 'these games are evil cults' rubbish. It's much worse, what was once 'fringe' is now subject to plain ridicule.

Looks like there's a long way to go, and a lot less beard-stroking with hats needed, if TRPGs are to escape the compound

 

[Aegeri]

It was pretty funny for mocking the kind of darkened room, leather-seated, beard-stroking nonsense that popped up in a certain set of WotC linked videos earlier this year.

Is this the Robot Chicken writers playing DnD? The only guy who was stroking his beard was, well, a guy who was stroking his beard because he happens to have one. Hell, if you can see me right now I am stroking my beard in righteous indignation that you would think I should not in fact be stroking my beard while writing my DnD for tomorrow.

It's because you can't grow a beard isn't it? You hate me for my long gorgeous locks of celtic hair that flow freely from my face like a bushy red waterfall.

You monster

Also they totally didn't give Chris Perkins a leather chair OR a cape. I was most displeased.

Incidentally you didn't mention in the OP this is available only to viewers in the UK sadly. Those outside of the UK won't be able to view it from that site and will have to wait until it airs somewhere accessible.

 

[nedjer]

Is this the Robot Chicken writers playing DnD? The only guy who was stroking his beard was, well, a guy who was stroking his beard because he happens to have one. Hell, if you can see me right now I am stroking my beard in righteous indignation that you would think I should not in fact be stroking my bear while writing my DnD for tomorrow.

It's because you can't grow a beard isn't it? You hate me for my long gorgeous locks of celtic hair that flow freely from my face like a bushy red waterfall.

You monster

Also they totally didn't give Chris Perkins a leather chair OR a cape. I was most displeased.

Incidentally you didn't mention in the OP this is available only to viewers in the UK sadly. Those outside of the UK won't be able to view it from that site and will have to wait until it airs somewhere accessible.

There is, hopefully, quite a difference between sporting a fine Celtic beard, (presumably dipped in lime and worn while naked apart from some blue body paint and a muckle great sword); and pretending you're on a school outing at Harry Potter World.

Unaware that C4 were so stingy with their VoD. Perhaps YouTube will provide soon

 

[Aegeri]

There is, hopefully, quite a difference between sporting a fine Celtic beard, (presumably dipped in lime and worn while naked apart from some blue body paint and a muckle great sword); and pretending you're on a school outing at Harry Potter World.

Of course! What self-respecting New Zealander who wants to maintain his Celtic heritage would not DM a game of high fantasy while wearing only a kilt, some blue body paint and slamming his claymore into the middle of the table. The hell you want to make an impromptu check and derail my story. Not to mention how handy a long sword is for pointing to each player when its their turn.

Actually most of my DnD games are VTT now, as I still can't figure out why I would constantly get arrested after my IRL games.

Unaware that C4 were so stingy with their VoD. Perhaps YouTube will provide soon

I think it was on youtube but it was removed pretty quickly due to copywrite infringement. That's fair enough too actually, because it was actually put on the website before it had even been shown on TV in the UK (I think?). Hopefully though it will be on TV/DvD soon enough so I can appreciate it (I loved the previous three seasons).

 

[nedjer]

Of course! What self-respecting New Zealander who wants to maintain his Celtic heritage would not DM a game of high fantasy while wearing only a kilt, some blue body paint and slamming his claymore into the middle of the table. The hell you want to make an impromptu check and derail my story. Not to mention how handy a long sword is for pointing to each player when its their turn.

Actually most of my DnD games are VTT now, as I still can't figure out why I would constantly get arrested after my IRL games.

I think it was on youtube but it was removed pretty quickly due to copywrite infringement. That's fair enough too actually, because it was actually put on the website before it had even been shown on TV in the UK (I think?). Hopefully though it will be on TV/DvD soon enough so I can appreciate it (I loved the previous three seasons).

Your plot, he says rather nervously, is safe with me

The IT crowd is pretty funny. That's why it made such a scary compariosn to the Chris Perkins videos. It was real hard to see much of a difference between how WotC presented D&D and the parody.

 

[crazy_cat]

It was real hard to see much of a difference between how WotC presented D&D and the parody.

What!! - The IT Crowd episode was a parody? I thought it was an awesomely creative piece of product placement paid for by WOTC!

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

[sblock="SPOILER!"]
Hey! the RPG nerd had the exec sexist pigs in tears by the end with his roleplaying!!
lol that was funny!
[/sblock]

as for the geek RPG player stereotype, the show IS a play on stereotypes you know, hehe

Oddly the UK has gotten worse, IMHO with, a sort of way sections of society views folk who are "different", in last few decades: it's like while the traditional victims are finally getting protection, other folk are needed as targets/outlets for negativity.

Also, bad as things were in my day at school (and they were very rough days), it seems far worse now in terms of them HAVING to "fit in" with their social peers to the extent it's almost homogenous due to fear of being the social outsider. Where as we had punks, mods, rockers, as well as nerds, sporty types etc.

Damn, I have become an Old Farte (tm)

 

[nedjer]

[sblock="SPOILER!"]
Hey! the RPG nerd had the exec sexist pigs in tears by the end with his roleplaying!!
lol that was funny!
[/sblock]

as for the geek RPG player stereotype, the show IS a play on stereotypes you know, hehe

Oddly the UK has gotten worse, IMHO with, a sort of way sections of society views folk who are "different", in last few decades: it's like while the traditional victims are finally getting protection, other folk are needed as targets/outlets for negativity.

Also, bad as things were in my day at school (and they were very rough days), it seems far worse now in terms of them HAVING to "fit in" with their social peers to the extent it's almost homogenous due to fear of being the social outsider. Where as we had punks, mods, rockers, as well as nerds, sporty types etc.

Damn, I have become an Old Farte (tm)

Sadly you're right. It's a hugely negative culture. People will weep, rage and obsess about major stuff like first rights on an mobile phone.

Which would kind of make them the crusty ones, as, ultimately, a sexed-up phone is about as rock n'roll as the telephone directories they're based on.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Sitting watching UK Channel 4 comedy the IT Crowd last night. (There's a link to the VoD show at the bottom of the page - Episode 1 Series 4: Jen the Fredo). A full half hour of taking the rip out of D&D bigtime.

Funny, I had a completely different attitude to the program!

I love Moss, and he was excellent as nerdy D&D guy (as would be expected), but the thing that I really liked about it? It made a difference! The corporate jerks got drawn into it, and Roy came to a resolution about his lost girlfriend.

Rather than the typical take of it being something connected with losers, I felt that they actually made it quite appealing

 

[nedjer]

Funny, I had a completely different attitude to the program!

I love Moss, and he was excellent as nerdy D&D guy (as would be expected), but the thing that I really liked about it? It made a difference! The corporate jerks got drawn into it, and Roy came to a resolution about his lost girlfriend.

Rather than the typical take of it being something connected with losers, I felt that they actually made it quite appealing

Maybe had a kind of Father Ted affectionate angle to it. And I'd rather be labelled a 'likeable fool' than a Gandalf-head. Hell most of my games are based on Bob and Bing 'On the Road' anyway - and that's a secret. My players must not know