Metal Gear Solid

[marche45]

Seriously, showing loot dropped from a downed baby is not a punchline. I'm actually not sure what a good punchline would have been, which is why I called it a terrible idea in the first place.

How WERE they going to follow up on that second panel in a way that was remotely funny?

The joke is that the baby is not dead and only people who have played the MGS series would get this joke, making it doubly funny for them to read the outraged people in this thread. Only knocked out enemies drop supplies in MGS, so the joke is that it's not actually a dead baby joke.

Mind you, I think it's a clever joke, no because it's a good joke, but how this was set up. I already posted my main opinions on the second page, so yeah.

Oh good... he shook the baby until it PASSED OUT, that fixes everything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaken_baby_syndrome

So it's likely just brain damaged forever. Significantly better.

Well,the elements of black comedy ARE horrible when taken into closer inspection,since they are usually about rape/murder/*insert horrible act here*.
That alone doesn't make it not funny(Although,funny is an objective term.)

...and as I said before, "lol he shook a baby and probably permanently injured it" is NOT a punchline. That's supposed to be the vehicle for a dark punchline, not the punchline itself.

Sure, you might find it funny, but I find it about as funny as farts.

I thought the punchline was the items scattered around him.

The scattered items directly translates to "lol he knocked out the baby".

I know.
I think the main point would be the absurdity of a baby dropping that many items,which is where video game humor usually comes from.

 

[KeyMaster45]

And for those of us who've never played an MGS game it just looks like Snake killed his kid and sits weeping with regret among the items drops. For those in the know it's a mildly clever joke, for those who aren't it's just a needlessly vile and dark scene portraying a frustrated father murdering his crying child.

Today's strip was bad and the author should feel bad.

So far: every comic strip that isn't understood by everyone all the time is a bad strip? It's a comic strip about MGS, a well sold video game. Sure not everyone will get it, but its totally legit.

No, in-jokes are fine but this was handled very poorly. It's one thing for uninformed readers not to get the joke. It's something else entirely when not getting it leaves the closest assumption being that a parent just murdered their child for the very selfish, humorless, and horrifying reason that the child's crying annoyed them.

That is why this strip is bad. It's a complete failure of both the artist and author to get across their in-joke without it doubling as the shortened plot a snuff film.

 

[Darkmantle]

I don't really get what's funny about this... is it an MGS in-joke I'm missing?

Guards drop items when you knock them out.

So it was kind of a bait and switch joke I guess, It could've been funny if I got it at first.

Just reading it though all I could think was "kay, he killed a kid... where's that punchline?"

 

[Spambot 3000]

I thought the punchline involved the baby dropping all that loot. Because like, babies don't normally do that.
Like, say if it was a comic where a guy was standing in an office foyer, pulled a foldable bike out his backpack and placed it down the 'punchline' would be Professor Oak appearing behind him whispering in his ear 'You can't use that here!'. Because in real life that wouldn't happen the guy would normally just be standing there with his bike out. So yeah, I think maybe the loot drop, although it did show that the baby was dead (or knocked out or whatever), was meant to be the joke because he's sitting there surrounded by floating swag.
Or yeah, maybe I'm just wrong and/or going to hell, whatever, I liked it.

 

[nexus]

Why... Why.. Do so many people think they need to point out something for being "inappropriate".

 

[nexus]

No, in-jokes are fine but this was handled very poorly. It's one thing for uninformed readers not to get the joke. It's something else entirely when not getting it leaves the closest assumption being that a parent just murdered their child for the very selfish, humorless, and horrifying reason that the child's crying annoyed them.

That is why this strip is bad. It's a complete failure of both the artist and author to get across their in-joke without it doubling as the shortened plot a snuff film.

Are you for real.

Did you know that "Snake" is a cold, heartless, mass-murdering government killing machine, with post-traumatic stress disorder?

Maybe it's a joke about how we play these characters in video games, and that they are so implausible and absurd, that it warrants an equally implausible "joke" to get the point across to some people?

You know, just putting that out there.

 

[lacktheknack]

Seriously, showing loot dropped from a downed baby is not a punchline. I'm actually not sure what a good punchline would have been, which is why I called it a terrible idea in the first place.

How WERE they going to follow up on that second panel in a way that was remotely funny?

The joke is that the baby is not dead and only people who have played the MGS series would get this joke, making it doubly funny for them to read the outraged people in this thread. Only knocked out enemies drop supplies in MGS, so the joke is that it's not actually a dead baby joke.

Mind you, I think it's a clever joke, no because it's a good joke, but how this was set up. I already posted my main opinions on the second page, so yeah.

Oh good... he shook the baby until it PASSED OUT, that fixes everything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaken_baby_syndrome

So it's likely just brain damaged forever. Significantly better.

Well,the elements of black comedy ARE horrible when taken into closer inspection,since they are usually about rape/murder/*insert horrible act here*.
That alone doesn't make it not funny(Although,funny is an objective term.)

...and as I said before, "lol he shook a baby and probably permanently injured it" is NOT a punchline. That's supposed to be the vehicle for a dark punchline, not the punchline itself.

Sure, you might find it funny, but I find it about as funny as farts.

I thought the punchline was the items scattered around him.

The scattered items directly translates to "lol he knocked out the baby".

I know.
I think the main point would be the absurdity of a baby dropping that many items,which is where video game humor usually comes from.

I just don't think it translates that way.

It feels the same way to me as if they had done <link=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/comics/critical-miss/9541-Mass-Effect-3-Retake-This>this comic but left out the whole merchandise part of it.

 

[Dr. Mongo]

Wow.

I haven't felt that offended in a long time. And all it took were three pictures and a severely flawed punchline.

I cannot (and don't want to) understand the people who think that this strip is funny.

 

[Hirumakage]

Seriously, showing loot dropped from a downed baby is not a punchline. I'm actually not sure what a good punchline would have been, which is why I called it a terrible idea in the first place.

How WERE they going to follow up on that second panel in a way that was remotely funny?

The joke is that the baby is not dead and only people who have played the MGS series would get this joke, making it doubly funny for them to read the outraged people in this thread. Only knocked out enemies drop supplies in MGS, so the joke is that it's not actually a dead baby joke.

Mind you, I think it's a clever joke, no because it's a good joke, but how this was set up. I already posted my main opinions on the second page, so yeah.

Oh good... he shook the baby until it PASSED OUT, that fixes everything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaken_baby_syndrome

So it's likely just brain damaged forever. Significantly better.

Well,the elements of black comedy ARE horrible when taken into closer inspection,since they are usually about rape/murder/*insert horrible act here*.
That alone doesn't make it not funny(Although,funny is an objective term.)

...and as I said before, "lol he shook a baby and probably permanently injured it" is NOT a punchline. That's supposed to be the vehicle for a dark punchline, not the punchline itself.

Sure, you might find it funny, but I find it about as funny as farts.

I thought the punchline was the items scattered around him.

The scattered items directly translates to "lol he knocked out the baby".

I know.
I think the main point would be the absurdity of a baby dropping that many items,which is where video game humor usually comes from.

I just don't think it translates that way.

It feels the same way to me as if they had done <link=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/comics/critical-miss/9541-Mass-Effect-3-Retake-This>this comic but left out the whole merchandise part of it.

But, people were angry over that too. Even though it had a clear punchline. People will get upset over anything.

A question though. Doesn't that comedian Tosh make dark jokes all the time? Yet, people love his work (though I really don't). What's the difference?

 

[Krantos]

A question though. Doesn't that comedian Tosh make dark jokes all the time? Yet, people love his work (though I really don't). What's the difference?

It actually has to be funny.

The strip wasn't.

Failing dark humor is worse than failing regular humor. If you fail regular humor you just come across as being a bit lame, but failing dark humor makes you look like you're trying too hard or just looking for attention.

I don't think (most) people are upset about the baby being killed/ko'd/shaken. It's more that Carter just tried so hard (and failed) to make a baby abuse joke.

 

[lacktheknack]

Seriously, showing loot dropped from a downed baby is not a punchline. I'm actually not sure what a good punchline would have been, which is why I called it a terrible idea in the first place.

How WERE they going to follow up on that second panel in a way that was remotely funny?

The joke is that the baby is not dead and only people who have played the MGS series would get this joke, making it doubly funny for them to read the outraged people in this thread. Only knocked out enemies drop supplies in MGS, so the joke is that it's not actually a dead baby joke.

Mind you, I think it's a clever joke, no because it's a good joke, but how this was set up. I already posted my main opinions on the second page, so yeah.

Oh good... he shook the baby until it PASSED OUT, that fixes everything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaken_baby_syndrome

So it's likely just brain damaged forever. Significantly better.

Well,the elements of black comedy ARE horrible when taken into closer inspection,since they are usually about rape/murder/*insert horrible act here*.
That alone doesn't make it not funny(Although,funny is an objective term.)

...and as I said before, "lol he shook a baby and probably permanently injured it" is NOT a punchline. That's supposed to be the vehicle for a dark punchline, not the punchline itself.

Sure, you might find it funny, but I find it about as funny as farts.

I thought the punchline was the items scattered around him.

The scattered items directly translates to "lol he knocked out the baby".

I know.
I think the main point would be the absurdity of a baby dropping that many items,which is where video game humor usually comes from.

I just don't think it translates that way.

It feels the same way to me as if they had done <link=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/comics/critical-miss/9541-Mass-Effect-3-Retake-This>this comic but left out the whole merchandise part of it.

But, people were angry over that too. Even though it had a clear punchline. People will get upset over anything.

A question though. Doesn't that comedian Tosh make dark jokes all the time? Yet, people love his work (though I really don't). What's the difference?

Referring to his "hilarious" "Wouldn't it be funny if this heckler got raped right now?" "joke" (the only one I know about), it suffers exactly the same problem. It treats the black part of the joke as the punchline, without actually delivering a real one.

And people got really ticked off about that one.

 

[Mysnomer]

-snip-

Look at the context, though. Snake is in a bath robe, with a son. So I immediately think, This is one of those "video game character acts incongruously with real life" jokes. Then he shakes a baby (which could have used better visual indication, because there are no shake lines or anything), and regardless of whether or not the baby is dead (pretty likely in the given scenario), it still probably has Shaken Baby Syndrome. This is a perfectly logical train of thought, because the comic has indicated that you should be applying real life logic to the situation, even if the puchline is videogame logic. And if Snake has only "knocked the child out," then why is he crying? Unless there's a consequence, there's no reason for him to feel remorse. So the comic visually indicates to me that something sad has happened, but the super-secret, too-subtle-for-the-stiffs humor is telling me that I shouldn't feel bad because "it's only knocked it out." The comic is clashing with itself and even if you get it, the joke is not that funny. This is a poor quality comic strip, and I hope they return to form with their next.

 

[nexus]

It actually has to be funny.

The strip wasn't.

Failing dark humor is worse than failing regular humor. If you fail regular humor you just come across as being a bit lame, but failing dark humor makes you look like you're trying too hard or just looking for attention.

I don't think (most) people are upset about the baby being killed/ko'd/shaken. It's more that Carter just tried so hard (and failed) to make a baby abuse joke.

You are just completely serious aren't you.

Have you ever considered it *is* funny to quite a lot of people, who *do* realize it's not just a "baby killing joke"? Barring that, have you considered this isn't even offensive. Should I take up your duties at reading what you consider offensive, so you don't have to?

Better yet, I'll make sure the Escapist runs everything by you to make sure it isn't considered 'inappropriate'. If we want to include other things, including things I find offensive, then this could get pretty tricky. I think advertising games like "Call of Duty" and their gratuitous "kill-trailers" that show drone killings and aerial bombings is offensive. But you know what? Not that big of a deal. It's my personal issue. I've come to realize as an adult, that I have the free-will to pay it no mind, or realize most people don't see it that way and they just enjoy it as a game. So I walk the other way, and understand there is more to the world than myself, or my perceived righteous view of the world.

Anyway, since you seem to be the Grand Emperor King of Comedy, and what doesn't make you laugh, doesn't make anyone in the world laugh.. I will alert all professional comedians to run everything off your royal decree, so we live in a better funnier world.

 

[Krantos]

You are just completely serious aren't you.

Have you ever considered it *is* funny to quite a lot of people, who *do* realize it's not just a "baby killing joke"? Barring that, have you considered this isn't even offensive. Should I take up your duties at reading what you consider offensive, so you don't have to?

Better yet, I'll make sure the Escapist runs everything by you to make sure it isn't considered 'inappropriate'. If we want to include other things, including things I find offensive, then this could get pretty tricky. I think advertising games like "Call of Duty" and their gratuitous "kill-trailers" that show drone killings and aerial bombings is offensive. But you know what? Not that big of a deal. It's my personal issue. I've come to realize as an adult, that I have the free-will to pay it no mind, or realize most people don't see it that way and they just enjoy it as a game. So I walk the other way, and understand there is more to the world than myself, or my perceived righteous view of the world.

Anyway, since you seem to be the Grand Emperor King of Comedy, and what doesn't make you laugh, doesn't make anyone in the world laugh.. I will alert all professional comedians to run everything off your royal decree, so we live in a better funnier world.

Sorry, I forgot on the internet saying "I don't like this because..." is akin to saying "THIS SHOULDN'T EXIST NOR ANYTHING LIKE IT! RARARRGH!!"

If you reread what I said, I never said anything like what you seem to think I said. I simply pointed out that what (most) people don't like about the comic isn't that it was dark, but that they didn't think it was funny. I then explained why that was bad (to them). Dark comedy that isn't actually funny (and YES I KNOW THAT IS SUBJECTIVE) is worse than normal comedy that isn't funny.

There seems to be a lot of willful misinterpretation of a lot of people's opinions on this. Most people are not "Offended" by this, despite what those who like it seem to think. They just didn't find it funny.

The common misconception is that people who don't like your humor just don't get it. We get the strip. It's just not funny to us.

There's no law against voicing one's opinion. In fact, I really like Crit Miss (usually), which makes me MORE likely to criticize it. Do I think the writers have to follow my opinion? Of course not. It's important, however, for artists to know what people think of their work. They don't have to agree, and they don't have to do anything. Feedback however, is important.

So chill.

 

[Jumplion]

-snip-

Look at the context, though. Snake is in a bath robe, with a son. So I immediately think, This is one of those "video game character acts incongruously with real life" jokes. Then he shakes a baby (which could have used better visual indication, because there are no shake lines or anything), and regardless of whether or not the baby is dead (pretty likely in the given scenario), it still probably has Shaken Baby Syndrome. This is a perfectly logical train of thought, because the comic has indicated that you should be applying real life logic to the situation, even if the puchline is videogame logic. And if Snake has only "knocked the child out," then why is he crying? Unless there's a consequence, there's no reason for him to feel remorse. So the comic visually indicates to me that something sad has happened, but the super-secret, too-subtle-for-the-stiffs humor is telling me that I shouldn't feel bad because "it's only knocked it out." The comic is clashing with itself and even if you get it, the joke is not that funny. This is a poor quality comic strip, and I hope they return to form with their next.

Exactly, I agree with your assessment, read my last paragraph. This particular comic strip is basically a huge inside-joke for people who play MGS, purposefully inclusive so that they could draw attention and relish in the outrage of the people who don't "get" the joke. Not really ethical or well set up.

 

[Fallen Paladin]

Exactly, I agree with your assessment, read my last paragraph. This particular comic strip is basically a huge inside-joke for people who play MGS, purposefully inclusive so that they could draw attention and relish in the outrage of the people who don't "get" the joke. Not really ethical or well set up.

You relayed everything I was about to post much more succinctly than I was going to. Thanks.

 

[burningdragoon]

*sigh*

[HEADING=1]The baby is not actually dead. It is knocked out. Only enemies who are knocked out in MGS drop supplies. Hence why the blurb of Metal Gear Solid in the description.[/HEADING]

False.

<youtube=W1LEtFNwcUo>

Whether or not Grey meant for the baby to be actually dead or not is one thing. To go all header text to hammer in a point, when you are wrong is another.

(yes, seeing people make this point bothered me enough to go and film the wrongness. Yes, I'm aware that doesn't paint me in an awesome light. )

 

[Jumplion]

*sigh*

[HEADING=1]The baby is not actually dead. It is knocked out. Only enemies who are knocked out in MGS drop supplies. Hence why the blurb of Metal Gear Solid in the description.[/HEADING]

False.

<youtube=W1LEtFNwcUo>

Whether or not Grey meant for the baby to be actually dead or not is one thing. To go all header text to hammer in a point, when you are wrong is another.

(yes, seeing people make this point bothered me enough to go and film the wrongness. Yes, I'm aware that doesn't paint me in an awesome light. )

More or less what you can do in MGS, I suppose, though fair enough.

 

[aba1]

I am surprised nobody is point out that snake could never have a child outside maybe adoption which even then I doubt they would let him do.