I Hit It With My Axe: Episode 10: Trying To Kill The King Has Consequences

[slipknot4]

I also know not to play serious D&D/RPG campaigns with women. It's the difference I am trying to convey. Each player I looked up with a bio showed to have a great professional appealing personalty and assets (ya sorry about the pun).

It's not the players faults they are losing our interest when trying to play a pro-dominant mathematic game. No, that doesn't mean women are bad at math and I don't devalue talent on the screen. Paper RPG's require imagination to stay enthralled into the game. It feels like your substituting it for beautiful ladies and it's starting to insult us all.

P.S. Please ask one of the players to motor-boat (yes with a bra) the GM. I would hope this would be entertaining to us all for 20 seconds and give him a more enthusiastic tone for him.

I'm a 25 year old female graphic designer who's played her fair share of pen and paper rpgs amongst other things and I think that was an incredibly offensive and generalized statement. Sometimes I'll play a game lightlyheartedly, sometimes deadly serious - it depends on the gm, the party, the story, etc.

More on topic: The initial idea of this show didn't really appeal to me, but I was curious and it's definitely hooked me in. It's also awesome seeing the production quality go up every episode. Keep up the awesome work, guys!

I totally agree, that ought to be one of the most sexist posts I've ever read in my entire life.

Op: Loved this episode, especially the "let's get the fuck out of here" thing. Keep it coming

 

[EchetusXe]

The girls are, for the most part, plain unattractive, so focusing on them over the actual game makes this difficult to watch.

You sure you were watching the same video as the rest of us?

 

[Firia]

[sub]Psst, "D&D with strippers" is a pretty disrespectful tagline. While I can't speak for how your players feel about it, the tag doesn't speak very highly of how you view them as people, as women, and as your players. Something worth considering.[/sub]

It's their job. It would be like having a series called 'I hit with my wrench' and filming a bunch of plumbers playing D&D. I would expect, neh DEMAND, the occasional tool shot *cough*.

Since my little post script comment has drawn more attention than the critique of your show and GM habits itself, I'm going to address it, post this whole thing in my original post, and call it good, since I'm rather tired of people making assumptions about what I meant by a "disrespectful tagline."

I'd like to lead off with stating for the record that I used to work in a strip club myself as a waitress. I often fooled around with one of the girls there, and later dated another that starred in many of the home grown pornographies that was even shown on in house TVs. I have no disrespect for the profession of exotic dancing, porn, or the sex industry.

When I say "disrespectful tagline," I'm looking at it as how I would try to promote a show. That icon hasn't changed since episode 1, some weeks ago, which tells me that you were trying to grab peoples attention... with sex. Yes, they're women- very attractive women. Yes, they work in the sex industry. That is also very sexy. I base this next part on the three episodes I've seen, but, it's a show about women playing D&D. There is no apparent connection with these womens profession, and D&D. So when I say that it's a disrespectful tagline, I say that you're using these women as sexual icons to sell your show. I see the tagline, and I read "these women are sexual objects; come see them roll dice!"

Now, some of your players have replied to me, telling me they don't find the line disrespectful (and they enjoy your style of GMing). And if they don't mind being used to draw in viewers, more power to them. I just know that I would demand more respect than that of myself to draw in viewership.

You don't have to appease me. I'm done with your show. If I'm the only one that finds your advertising methods questionable, then that's more power to you.

[sub]And that's it. Not replying to any more comments on the topic. I am in fact deleting any and all quotes I get from this thread. While I haven't been swamped with replies, I've gotten more than I care for in varying degrees of hate. I've addressed it, and I am done with it.[/sub]

 

[Firia]

Psst, "D&D with strippers" is a pretty disrespectful tagline. While I can't speak for how your players feel about it, the tag doesn't speak very highly of how you view them as people, as women, and as your players. Something worth considering.

You're totally right. Over on our D&D column, "Check for Traps," we were just discussing how gamers are stigmatized. Given all the social stigma we point out in that article, I bet these girls are really embarassed to be outed as D&D players.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/checkfortraps/7581-Check-for-Traps-The-Stigma-of-Role-Playing-Must-Die

Oh...wait... you meant they should be embarassed to be identified as strippers and porn stars.
***
Yes I'm being sarcastic. I hope that I have successfully pointed out the irony at work here.

You have not been successful. check the reply I gave to the shows producer concerning that tagline response.

 

[Erie Isle RP inSL]

Zak, I dig the series and think it's a riot. I regged on Escapist just to say "good job" really.

 

[Archon]

You have not been successful. check the reply I gave to the shows producer concerning that tagline response.

I appreciate your response, Firia, and I'm sorry you have received hate mail. Since my glib post earlier failed to make clear what I am saying, I'll elucidate further.

To me (the person initially responsible for concepting the show), what's interesting about Axe is that it simultaneously breaks TWO stereotypes. It breaks a stereotype about gamers, and it breaks a stereotype about porn stars. It breaks a false stereotype that all D&D gamers are men who can't get laid. It breaks a false stereotype that all porn stars are bimbos with no brains. The show proves that neither stereotype is true. If we were to market the show as "just women who game" that would be missing the whole second element.

Which element is controversial will depend on which website you visit. I don't think readers on The Escapist hold stereotypes against gamers, because they ARE gamers. But I've read enough to know that there is a set that does stereotype porn stars. I've personally received hate mail saying that the show is obviously fake, that the girls aren't really gamers, etc. Well the show's not fake, and the girls are really gamers.

Likewise, there are other communities where they don't stereotype porn stars, but they do stereotype gamers. Such people have trouble believing that porn stars would actually have fun playing D&D because they think D&D is for losers with nothing going on in their life. Well, D&D is not for losers and you can have a lot going on your life and part of that be D&D.

The show is not just about "attractive women playing D&D" or about "D&D players". It's a *subversive* show, subversive in the literal sense of subverting conventional views of things. If there is a way we could present the show's subversive premise in a way that quickly and immediately summarizes exactly what it's about other than "D&D with porn stars and strippers", it has escaped me.

The only people I know who would say that this show is not subversive is Chick Publications, who would argue that D&D is overtly shameful and wrong, porn stars are overtly shameful and wrong. And so of course porn stars play D&D, when they aren't busy sacrificing to Satan, that is. But I'm happy to be of the opposite view point than them.

 

[Ekonk]

And now, a moment silence please for Frank Frazetta.

And that other dude I don't know.

 

[Low Key]

It's getting better each week. It went from "oh god, what's this?" when I first discovered the series to being pretty fun to watch. Keep up the good work.

 

[vcdaniels]

Are there any pictures of the characters or player's minis?

 

[BillionSix]

Everyone talks about the Mandy Boob Shots, but does anyone else think she has pretty eyes? I do.

 

[fleischwolke]

Funny as always...please keep it up

 

[Mordicai Caeli]

And now, a moment silence please for Frank Frazetta.

And that other dude I don't know.

KIDS THESE DAYS. Well, you've got your priorities straight though; if you could only know one of the two, Frank Frazetta is the one to pick.

 

[mandymorbid]

Pretty good episode but you need to stop with the boob shots. We get it, they're Women.

Oh stop it.... No one's trying extra hard to make a point of them. They just get in the way. Would you prefer I wear more concealing clothing? Gonna take it there?

I'm not trying to insult or manipulate anyone--you'd be self centered to think so. It's about ME not you.

....

I can understand how what I said might have been misconstrued and I apologize if I caused any problem for you.

No problem with you. Really I just figured it was time to say something about that since the "wtf boobs" comments were not stopping. And it's hard to say "It's about ME not you!" with any credibility (especially online and not in person) without giving a bit of an explanation as to *why* that is so.

 

[mandymorbid]

Great episode! ... What's even better is when Mandy or one of the other girls gets on to post a righteous rant in their defense.

Haha--I wouldn't use the word "righteous" myself but obnoxious when presented with ignorance--well yeah. Especially sexist ignorance. What fun/good are forums if one doesn't speak up? As someone just pointed out a few posts ago this show is all about being subversive.

 

[Jaranja]

Pretty good episode but you need to stop with the boob shots. We get it, they're Women.

Oh stop it.... No one's trying extra hard to make a point of them. They just get in the way. Would you prefer I wear more concealing clothing? Gonna take it there?

I'm not trying to insult or manipulate anyone--you'd be self centered to think so. It's about ME not you.

....

I can understand how what I said might have been misconstrued and I apologize if I caused any problem for you.

No problem with you. Really I just figured it was time to say something about that since the "wtf boobs" comments were not stopping. And it's hard to say "It's about ME not you!" with any credibility (especially online and not in person) without giving a bit of an explanation as to *why* that is so.

Fair play to you.

Well, at least I know a bit more about the people I'm watching other than what they do/did for a living.

In the end, I like this show. It's pretty interesting to see how people play D&D.

[sub][sup]Also, it has beautiful women in it, that's always a bonus.[/sup][/sub]

 

[zsd]

Another excellent episode. You guys have really been on fire with the last three.

It doesn't hurt the girls all just seem like really cool people. KK has really great enthusiasm in a way that makes me want to play D&D again. Mandy is very savvy and collected, and always seems to have her stuff together and knows what to do. Frankie is sulky and non-confrontational in a way that totally reminds me of myself. Satine is extremely nice and cool. Justine is cool and crafty, but she is also warm and sweet at the same time. She is dangerous. I don't think there has been a whole lot of focus on Connie, but she seems laid-back and kinda just happy to be there.

I look forward to more episodes. I am just a dowdy gamer dude, so the faces around my table aren't as pretty, but it's always fun to watch people sharing in this tiny niche hobby and having a good time.

 

[Roamin11]

So what I want to know is.... Was at the one point where Mandy was talking was the Camera looking at the cookie in her hand.... Or her breasts..... Cuz I saw cookie, and I wonder.... If it was delish....

 

[mandymorbid]

So what I want to know is.... Was at the one point where Mandy was talking was the Camera looking at the cookie in her hand.... Or her breasts..... Cuz I saw cookie, and I wonder.... If it was delish....

Those heart shaped cookies were amazing--Satine brought them.

 

[Roamin11]

So what I want to know is.... Was at the one point where Mandy was talking was the Camera looking at the cookie in her hand.... Or her breasts..... Cuz I saw cookie, and I wonder.... If it was delish....

Those heart shaped cookies were amazing--Satine brought them.

Lucky, we don't have cookies when we play D&D.... The best we have is esspresso.

 

[chepenoyo]

Are there any pictures of the characters or player's minis?

Request seconded.