Jimquisition: Too Cool To Be Cool

[Hollock]

It would be cool to have a game with a Duke like character at your side, only he's completely incompetent while you did all the work. Like a big trouble in little china videogame where your wang and Jack Burton is your npc partner

 

[johnnnny guitar]

Oh that was great love the bit when he talks about himself laughed so hard keep them up jim love the show

 

[loc978]

I guess the irony of Duke runs too deep for these tykes. Good point on Sonic, though.

 

[beefpelican]

I think it's a bit too early to tell what Duke Nukem will be from just the trailers. That said, this episode was well made and clearly argued, so good work with that.

 

[WaysideMaze]

I'm actually starting to really like this series.

Keep it up Jim

 

[ZeroDotZero]

That was badical. This series is getting better, but it needs higher production values. Please, Escapist, send the good man a better camera.

 

[dmcc85]

beeing cool and beeing arrogant... that 's two things...

 

[AgentNein]

Did you play Bulletstorm? It was almost anticipating the return of Duke and parodied the fuck out of the "too cool to be cool" character. Many dismiss Greyson as simply a "generic bad-ass space marine" but frankly in the games he's the only person who thinks he is cool. Everyone else thinks he's the dick he definitely is, and rather than being the god of his world he often causes catastrophic fuck ups based on his rash and indefensible behaviour. Bulletstorm, despite being a comedy at heart, is also quite a strong piece of character satire.

As much as the gameplay of Bulletstorm was most definitely not made for me (it bored me, I watched my roommate play through), the story and characterization was actually really well done at times. And yes, Greyson was definitely a send up of all those "shoot first ask questions later" types. Showing how much of an asshole these archetypes would really probably be (yeah crashing my ship into their ship sounds like a pretty good idea).

Best comedic moment of the game was being stuck in a room with a bomb, but wait! We've found a way out. Going through some vents, going through some vents, you know I really think we'll make it out of this oh we're back in the room with the bomb. Fuck, how did that happen. Great moment. Great comedic timing, which is hard to do in a game in the middle of gameplay.

In the end though, the Duke works for me too. I like how it doesn't take time to wink to the camera. We're getting a glimpse into the kinda world where a guy like Duke would be a national hero. And it's a completely absurd world. This character isn't taken seriously in the games, but the games aren't obvious about that fact.

I good analogy would be the Evil Dead movies. Ash started out too cool for school, and only by the time we got to Army of Darkness was the series very obviously poking fun at his character. And I enjoy both approaches.

 

[Epic Fail 1977]

Today was the first time I lol'd at Jimquisition.

Also, it's good to see someone saying something negative about Duke Nukem. I didn't get why people liked Duke in the 90's, let alone now.

 

[Alma Mare]

Looking for character depth and undertones in Duke Nukem.lol. Couldn't miss the point harder if he tried. What's next? Trying to improve a chess game with a backstory on the feud between the Kings? Pimping Tetris with emotional tension between the differently shaped blocks? Some things are worth for what they are doing in a straight and simple fashion, complicating and convoluting them just detracts from it.

 

[cardinalwiggles]

Whiile i could agree on the Sonic point, i don't really see Duke as Jim describes him. I mean, ever since Duke Nukem franchise started it was a very obvious satire and DN3D probably was the pinncale of it. It was absurd, over the top, it was the bad-assery on the level of action movies featuring the 'manly-man' like Stallone or Van Damme creations.

Sure, you might say, times moved forward and the perception surely has changed, but a quick look at recent action flicks says "Hell no!". We still get the same type of movies in cinemas, the same type of ubermench that gets the chick, blows stuff up and saves the world, and that's why Duke fits in it. I don't see seriousness in the franchise at all, and satire does not need a giant, flashing clue in terms "OH LOOK IM FAILING TO BE FUNNY" to be satire.

i completely agree with this post Duke is never meant to be a serious game and ur not meant to actually like him as a person which is shown by his obvious douche baggery. there is no seriousness in this seriess. and thats where the comedy derives.

theres always a thing about jokes within christmas crackers. they're not meant to be funny, as that splits people who find them funny adn those that don't. but because their intentionally unfunny everybody is agaisnt the joke and comes together. thats where i think duke nukem comes in where all in it together in dukes unfunniness.

 

[Thespian]

Oh, wow Jim, don't worry. No one is taking you seriously.


How to make an episode of Jimquisition:
1. Pick a random topic
2. Invent a side to that topic contrary to your opinion
3. Make fun of your audience for not liking your show
4. Now make fun of that contrary opinion even though it barely exists
5. Attempt to be ironic in a self-referential way... AGAIN
6. Rinse, Repeat for next week.

 

[Irridium]

...
People actually take Jim's whole podium shouting narcissistic persona seriously?

Really?

Thats just fucking scary.

 

[Zom-B]

A more thoughtful, understated outing that didn't make me want to smash a 2x4 into his face repeatedly. However, I think Jim has the Alanis Morissette definition of irony stuck in his head, as there's nothing ironic about a fat blogger with a whiny British accent dressing up in a trench coat and sunglasses. It's mostly just a sort of sad affectation.

 

[plugav]

Those last lines really made your point, Mr. Sterling.

 

[pokepuke]

So basically any character that tries to be cool has to recognize that he is doing himself a disservice and ultimately appearing uncool?

Big old fat Jim doesn't seem to quite get it that Duke is also funny because the character is played straight, or even understand the inspiration of the character. You're supposed to be reliving the life of the ultimate 80s action star. Why would a bit of self-detriment add to it? It's supposed to be over the top and his world is supposed to be going along with it; he did save it after all.
­
­
And why is Jim's suit so over-sized? Did he recently lose a hundred pounds or something?

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I thought that episode was better presented, at least he's dropped the crap paint art. Getting there Jim.

I don't agree with him about Duke Nukem, I pretty much think of him as a joke, but then again anyone with ovaries would. I completely agree with him about Sonic however that would make the character work much better.

 

[EvilPicnic]

Not rushing to defend Duke Nukem or anything (as I am *gasp* not a big fan), but just because the irony that is Duke isn't signposted in glowing neon lights doesn't mean it doesn't exist. We are supposed to laugh at the absurdity of the action-hero archetype.

The idea that a character who has built statues to himself and has an autobiography entitled Why I'm So Great is supposed to be taken seriously is absurd, especially in this age of gritty brown realism.

And unfortunately Jim, pointing out the shortcomings in the production of your show does not excuse them, or improve them at all. Get a better mic, and learn to use it. The differences in quality between the VO and non-VO parts of this show are shockingly bad.

 

[Dastardly]

Too Cool To Be Cool

What does Duke Nukem and Sonic The Hedgehog have in common? Let Jim Sterling, a literal graduate of the School of Cool (it does exist), explain.

Watch Video

There is, of course, the opposite problem in many cases: situations in which we're beaten with the "drumstick of irony" a little too hard. It gets to a place where we say, "Yeah, we get it, he/she thinks he/she is super awesome, but really they're the laughing stock of the enlightened masses."

There's a balance to be struck. And as with any balance beam, it's possible to fall off either side. Perhaps the folks behind Duke Nukem Forever are working out a better balance than we all think.

Duke isn't meant to be "idolized." He's meant to be a "guilty pleasure." He's all id. He's living out all of the adolescent-boy-power-fantasy garbage that we all used to think would be "so awesome." And on one level, we're supposed to eat it up--blow things up! make wisecracks while blowing things up! get lots of hot girls for blowing things up!

And on another level, I really think the intention is that we see just how ridiculous it really is. Everyone in the game is all about Duke. But we, as the audience, are intended to be part of the "enlightened masses" mentioned earlier. We realize how ridiculous it all is, without having to have a surrogate character in the game telling us to realize it.

In the end, we're not supposed to laugh at Duke as much as we're supposed to laugh at the other people/characters who don't. They're the real butt of the joke here, I think. Is it a great joke? Eh, not really. But I think it's clearly there.

Duke Nukem generally trusts its audience a bit more to find the irony for themselves... and, of course, they don't mind making "boob money" off of the few that don't. Really, though, with all the free boobs (and boob mods for games) to be had on the internet, do we honestly think there are people buying this game solely for the womanizing element?

So basically, yes, you have to make a character like this ridiculous enough that people can't take him seriously (check), but you also can't go the other way and beat your audience in the face with the fact that you're not being serious by going too far over the top. (Finding that balance, in fact, is the main thing that is slowly and gradually improving your own videos. Keep dialing that in by not trying so hard.)

 

[Static Jak]

Sonic thing is absolutely spot on. As it is, Sonic is a parody of himself, but in a way that we laugh "at" him rather than with him. What he needs is to have more of that Dante flair, where he considers himself a parody or those around him consider this.

With Duke, it seems like some guys here missed the point. It isn't that we take him too seriously, it's that the games world does. It's trying to be a comedy but then tries to make Duke out as a serious badass at the same time. And while that worked once upon a time, not so much now. Exact same thing that happened to Sonic.
The humour they represented has either changed completely or just stopped being funny. Both characters are stuck with humour that this society doesn't fully care about anymore.

But, you have to be careful not to go too far. Which is also a possibility. It's more or less finding the right mix. Btw, love to see a weekly write up on a subject too from Jim. Maybe one that comes out after the video that lets Jim go into more detail about the subject.

Funny side note: The way Jim portrays this show is satire, not to be taken seriously in that sense like others have said they don't with Duke. But with a topic starter and point mixed in with that form of satire to portray it.
Yet they end up taking this super cereal