The Tielfling and The Gnome: On the Set of 4th edition

[Aeolius]

Comedy, by its very nature, is rooted in hostility. Find me a joke, a funny situation, or humor that is not. Can't be done.

Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get to the other side.

(you didn't say it had to be a GOOD joke)

 

[jasin]

Couple of quick points:
1) The tiefling was just portrayed just as I feared they would, as a lame attempt to be "dangerous", "ultra cool", and "Sexy". Her portrayal was really dull and irritating to me.

I wouldn't read too much into it. Surely, the beholder's performance in the previous cartoon doesn't mean that in the actual game, beholders will be portrayed as Isaac-Hayes-voiced artistes that get all teared up when people appreciate their talent!

I mean, right, WotC?

Right?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Alas, everytime I say "English Major" somehow its automatically equated with spelling and grammar. It makes me twitch more. Its. . . not. . . about. . . . spelling. *goes off to weep, and kick more puppies*

Since it's about written communication, both spelling and grammar count.

Besides, as my Professor said in my one and only college level grammar class: Local dialect is a valid form of written and verbal communication despite the claims of the Patriarchal Language Nazis.

Which college do you go to? I'd love to read their Web site. (And ask their English department if they grade based on spelling and grammar.)

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I suspect that 4E will be a success because of its game mechanics. Lamentably, WotC will mistakenly also attribute this success to their (mis)treatment of fantasy. :\

Not if the settings sell like crazy and people continue to tell them how they feel about the core setting. I think people on the Internet letting something go is unlikely.

 

[Jedi_Solo]

Comedy, by its very nature, is rooted in hostility.

Find me a joke, a funny situation, or humor that is not.

Can't be done.

'I see' said the blind man as he picked up the hammer and saw.

(Most puns would likely qualify for this.)

There are three kinds of people in this world; those who can count and those who can't.

 

[Remathilis]

What do you do with an elephant with three balls?

Walk him and pitch to the rhino.

 

[Scribble]

LEAVE THE D&D GNOME ALONE!!!!!

LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!!!!

YOU'RE LUCKY IT EVEN GOT ON D&D INSIDER AND PERFORMED FOR YOU #@!&*$#@!!!!

LEAVE THE D&D GNOME ALONE!!!!!

 

[Nightchilde-2]

LEAVE THE D&D GNOME ALONE!!!!!

LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!!!!

YOU'RE LUCKY IT EVEN GOT ON D&D INSIDER AND PERFORMED FOR YOU #@!&*$#@!!!!

LEAVE THE D&D GNOME ALONE!!!!!

Today, you win the internets.

 

[Wormwood]

LEAVE THE D&D GNOME ALONE!!!!!

*applause*

 

[jester47]

Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get to the other side.

(you didn't say it had to be a GOOD joke)

The hostility here is not in the words of the joke but towards the straight man. The obvious answer makes the person you ask look the lesser. Thats why its funny.

'I see' said the blind man as he picked up the hammer and saw.

Hostility to the common conventions of language. Breaking the conventions by using the rules creates the surprise that causes the humor of the pun.

There are three kinds of people in this world; those who can count and those who can't.

This humor is based on hostility towards the self.

What do you do with an elephant with three balls?

Walk him and pitch to the rhino.

This is based on hostility towards non-sports fans and people who jump to conclusions. This joke assumes that the person asked the question would make two assumptions:
1) The only balls an animal like an elephant would have are anatomical.
2) The person is not immediately thinking about sports.

So it is hostile against the straight man because he does not think about sports too much. But it also sets him up as a pervert because he assumes that the balls are anatomical.

I think it is OK to be hostile in this sense when people are obviously overreacting.