Parody Gamestop Training Video Pokes Fun

John Funk

U.N. Owen Was Him?
Dec 20, 2005
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Parody Gamestop Training Video Pokes Fun

A fan-created parody video telling "Gamestop employees" how to treat female customers is so awkward and hilarious that it almost seems like the sort of training video a giant corporation might actually release.


On the one hand, the tongue-in-cheek style of the parody is obvious: "Ima Smartone," the instructor, has an English accent that sounds so painfully fake it's almost impressive. The whole thing is done in a Crocodile Hunter / Animal Planet style, further adding to the absurdity.

On the other hand, despite always being just one step shy of horribly offensive - referring to different types of female customers as "hunters" and "gatherers," for instance - it somehow feels ... oddly plausible. We live in a world where corporate executives greenlighted the SongSmith commercial [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/88656-Microsoft-Songsmith-Commercial-is-Excruciatingly-Hilarious], after all: Maybe I'm a cynic, but I can see this actually passing muster at some companies.

Or maybe it's the fact that in the few months I worked at a Gamestop during my college years, I saw conversations between employees and customers that were eerily like the ones in this video.

I guess the moral to take away from all of this is that you should never underestimate peoples' capacity for stupidity.


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Sir Ollie

The Emperor's Finest
Jan 14, 2009
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That accent is just so terrible

Edit - Notice the raised chin? what the fuck
 

unangbangkay

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Oct 10, 2007
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Funny, I've yet to see any of that behavior, or any supposedly "Gamestop-y" behavior at my local branch. It might be because the high traffic (it's in the middle of a major tourist destination) keeps the staff behind the counter, but I don't know.

In any case, what kind of behavior do you shoppers at "regular" gamestops expect? Do they strike up conversation, walk up to you, what?
 

Doug

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Apr 23, 2008
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Ollie596 said:
That accent is just so terrible
Quite. Circa 1950's Essex (England), I think.

Also, is it me, or is "the deer in headlights" example actually a racist reaction to the clerk?
 

Mariena

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Sep 25, 2008
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Ha, funny video. Although the acting was pretty poor and forced, the stereotypical "on safari attenborough" sassy British girl was quite funny.

I thought the promotion stuff was just an example, though. It could have done without the last minute. After that it felt more like I just watched a commercial.
 

Sir Ollie

The Emperor's Finest
Jan 14, 2009
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Doug said:
Ollie596 said:
That accent is just so terrible
Quite. Circa 1950's Essex (England), I think.

Also, is it me, or is "the deer in headlights" example actually a racist reaction to the clerk?
I feel ashamed to be British listening to this crap, power to the players fool!
 

Doug

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Apr 23, 2008
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Ollie596 said:
Doug said:
Ollie596 said:
That accent is just so terrible
Quite. Circa 1950's Essex (England), I think.

Also, is it me, or is "the deer in headlights" example actually a racist reaction to the clerk?
I feel ashamed to be British listening to this crap, power to the players fool!
Indeed. Sadly, our accents will always be butchered by people pretending to be on safari. Peace, dawg!
 

Trivun

Stabat mater dolorosa
Dec 13, 2008
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Americans can't pull off a successful British accent, simple as that. Dick van Dyke couldn't do it, and this girl sure as hell can't. Makes me proud to be British, sadly... :D. [/sarcasm]

As for the video itself, it is pretty sexist, but funny as well. I quite enjoyed it, although I just noticed mostly that it's just a ploy to get more women to spend their money and let the high ups at Gamestop get bigger bonuses, rather than attract more females to the world of video games. Worth watching, though :).
 

Osloq

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Mar 9, 2008
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The biggest issue with this video is not addressing how you're supposed to interact with Marge Simpson. We know how to deal with women shoppers now Gamestop but what do we do if a cartoon walks through that door and asks for Viva Pinata?!? TELL ME DAMMIT!!!

(I'm talking about 0:43 btw, Mom from Futurama is also on the bottom right :p)

Haha at 1:53, anyone reminded of that scene in total recall where arnie's lady disguise stops working(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V17duGlHEYY the thing i'm talking about if you don't know what I'm talking about)

Man, what an ordeal. I reckon there should be an escapist badge for watching that all the way through. "You survived the terrors, poor acting and even poorer voicing of the gamestop training video. Power to the players!"

P.S. there's different comments about the video because I noticed them on the way through and I needed something to take my mind off the film
 

nova18

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Feb 2, 2009
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I refuse to believe that this is real, if it is then the corporate training people have a LOT to answer for.

And that British accent is offending my ears, I have never met anyone here in the UK who speaks like that.
 

mGoLos

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Nov 7, 2007
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This training video works on so many levels. I especially enjoyed the hunter/gatherer information.

Anthropology and learning is cool ;)