WOTC ad - insulting to gamers?

[Kanegrundar]

Your parents sound like saints.

No kidding. My parents would have gotten rid of me at the first signs that I was getting comfortable. Don't get me wrong, my parents love me and all that, but they were ready for me to get out from under their roof.

Kane

 

[The Persian]

Sorry about that, I admit, i've seen the media's, or at least the popular idea of your what your token nerd or geek is or *should* be. Growing up though, I took the mentality of uniqueness to an extreme, in which I brushed off or never acknowledged stereotypes (they fit more to race, but that's not pertinent to this thread) So, to answer your question, it probably is the most common view of how we should be, but then again...appearances don't always dictate behaviour.

THOUGH, that ad still does seem a bit tasteless to me.

 

[StupidSmurf]

Hmmmm...this reminds me of a Shakespeare play

"Much Ado About Nothing"

 

[Diremede]

Well I am certainly not offended by the ad, I actually thought it was very funny. Being both an online gamer and a table top gamer, I have found myself in my basement many a night having forgotten what time it is and realized everyone has gone to bed. I guess the reason while I don't find it offending is because I own my own basement and wasn't really thinking about my parents house, which actually doesn't have a basement in it.

Its a joke, people take themselves way to seriously, if you can't laugh at yourself and especially at stereo types, then well you must be offended quite often

If anything I think we focus too much on things like stereo types being offensive when we could instead look at them and find the humor in them. My family has pretty much taught me to find the humor in everything, and I mean everything. Life much more enjoyable when you can laugh at everything.

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

So you had to go to some kind of odd extreme to discredit another person's view, to alienate it or make it look slightly absurd? Please, i'm sure you're more intelligent than that.

Your point is somewhat absurd. There's nothing in the ad to be offended by. He's neat, he's clean, he's reasonably good looking (obviously a ad model) in decent surroundings. You claim he's part of the stereotype, but much of the stereotypes paint us as fat, bearded losers who have no life, don't bathe, live in the basement of our parents house and have no life. Or worse yet, as drug using perverted devil worshippers who will commit suicide or multiple homocides any second.

But you're offended.

Fine, then give me reasons that it's offensive.

Who does it denigrate, and how? Is it racist? Is it sexist? Does it slander another religion? Does it cause undue mental or emotional tramau, and if so, how?

Surely you can elaborate on your point more than "it was offensive" and give us concrete, hard reasons why it was offensive. Otherwise, you're just looking for something to be offended by.

(I might as well give you the warning, I am the LAST person you want to start slinging backhanded insults at}

 

[Teflon Billy]

Sorry about that, I admit, i've seen the media's, or at least the popular idea of your what your token nerd or geek is or *should* be. Growing up though, I took the mentality of uniqueness to an extreme, in which I brushed off or never acknowledged stereotypes (they fit more to race, but that's not pertinent to this thread) So, to answer your question, it probably is the most common view of how we should be, but then again...appearances don't always dictate behaviour.

THOUGH, that ad still does seem a bit tasteless to me.

Ok, I might be misunderstanding your answer; but are you saying that you agree the stereotype of the "Gamer" is overrepresented in gamer society, but it is becasue of the media portraying gamers that way?

 

[MonsterMash]

Why would they? The guy portrayed, if anything, appears on the top half of gamers as far as social fucntionality.

Seriously man...the stereotype of gamers as bearded guy's with eating disorders in sandals and grubby t-shirts is borne out if you just attend Gen Con--or most any Convention--and look around.

Just don't inhale man!

Stereotypes don't develop in a vacuum, they develop around a kernel of truth.

This particular Kernel of Truth is pretty damn big

Should we be portrayed by the media and ourselves as the pinnacles of human beauty and achievement?

Because...on the whole, we aren't We have our good points, but by and large "Traditional Good Looks" and "Social Aptitude" are not as well-represented in our peer group as their opposites.

Quoted for truth

 

[The Persian]

I'm shaking in my leathers, to be sure. Thanks for the warning.

The reason I gave is simple, the protrait, the image of gamers while having some similarities from yesteryear, is changing...I would think in such a politically correct society (America) that they would avoid this type of advertisement. They didn't, and well, I am just here so that the side which believes that one doesn't have to "take things to seriously" to be upset at a false portrayal of a good deal of gamers isn't ridiculed or brushed off into obscurity.

Just because an idea i hold as true isn't popular here, doesn't mean it should be taken lightly, as you and a few others have done so with a prejudice.

"Take themselves too seriously"

That is ALL I hear, please, vary your complete analysis of us a bit more.

 

[frankthedm]

This particular Kernel of Truth is pretty damn big

300 to 400 pounds on the average

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

The reason I gave is simple, the protrait, the image of gamers while having some similarities from yesteryear, is changing...I would think in such a politically correct society (America) that they would avoid this type of advertisement. They didn't, and well, I am just here so that the side which believes that one doesn't have to "take things to seriously" to be upset at a false portrayal of a good deal of gamers isn't ridiculed or brushed off into obscurity.

What false portrayal? That most gamers don't look like a warthog and that they actually bathe regularly and wouldn't mind actually socially interacting with people?

Just because an idea i hold as true isn't popular here, doesn't mean it should be taken lightly, as you and a few others have done so with a prejudice.

"Take themselves too seriously"

That is ALL I hear, please, vary your complete analysis of us a bit more.

Us? What, you have a mouse in your pocket? You and a few friends the only bastion of "true gaming" left in the US of A?

I have YET to see post the reasons the advertisement is so horrifying and cruel and mentally scarring, much less slightly offensive. Nice dodging and weaving though.