It does not help the community to get righteously indignant every time someone derides our pet passtimes. The teacher may be wrong but you shouldn't go nuclear over it, just cite the aforementioned games-as-art recognitions and suggest that they maybe play a couple good ones before they write them off.
Pissed at my English teacher, justified?
- Thread starter renegade7
- Start date
Art is whatever you consider it to be.
A sunset can be art, games can be art too.
If she wanted the typical painting piece or something of the like she should have made it much more clear in the instructions. You should complain about this.
Besides if they get wise-ass on you and say art is only 'actual pieces', you can easily say that Pokemon red had pixel/sprite art and no matter how you look at it - it will always be art.
A sunset can be art, games can be art too.
If she wanted the typical painting piece or something of the like she should have made it much more clear in the instructions. You should complain about this.
Besides if they get wise-ass on you and say art is only 'actual pieces', you can easily say that Pokemon red had pixel/sprite art and no matter how you look at it - it will always be art.
depends, how long are you stuck with her?
because no matter what you do, most teachers won't admit they may be wrong and even if you win an argument, teachers are just people and some may be so pissed at you as a result that you can kiss your English results goodbye. So you might ask yourself if defending what you believe in here is worth the potential backlash.
Also the smart choice would have been to convince her that videogames are art BEFORE you start writing.
because no matter what you do, most teachers won't admit they may be wrong and even if you win an argument, teachers are just people and some may be so pissed at you as a result that you can kiss your English results goodbye. So you might ask yourself if defending what you believe in here is worth the potential backlash.
Also the smart choice would have been to convince her that videogames are art BEFORE you start writing.
This is not a point of discussion. This is an instance of her simply being wrong.
The US Government (through a branch organisation) has officially recognized video games as an art form, which puts you on the side of the legal system. Politely make your teacher aware of this fact, and that should be the end of that.
EDIT: Oh yes, one more thing: As much as you're in the right here, with a topic like this it's never a bad idea to take one or two minutes after class to talk to your teacher, to clear up any potential misunderstandings.
The US Government (through a branch organisation) has officially recognized video games as an art form, which puts you on the side of the legal system. Politely make your teacher aware of this fact, and that should be the end of that.
EDIT: Oh yes, one more thing: As much as you're in the right here, with a topic like this it's never a bad idea to take one or two minutes after class to talk to your teacher, to clear up any potential misunderstandings.
There are lots of arguments that art is in the eye of the beholder. While true, in an academic setting you need facts.
The fact is that videogames have been legally defined as art and the Smithsonian is even doing an exhibition called "The Art of Video Games" [http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/archive/2012/games/]. So no, you need to stand your ground ans show her that the video games are legally art otherwise you set a bad precedence for anytime in the future when she, or any of the other faculty, want to imply their own definitions to assignments that exist only in their head.
Imagine doing a semster long project on tomatoe's for a project on favorite fruits. Them the teacher tells you its a vegatable so they take a letter grade off. That is bull since while most believe it is a vegetable since that is how you treat it in cooking it is in fact, by scientific definition, a fruit. Crazy example I know but it helps to take the arguement outside of the gamer centric passions that revolve around this question.
The fact is that videogames have been legally defined as art and the Smithsonian is even doing an exhibition called "The Art of Video Games" [http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/archive/2012/games/]. So no, you need to stand your ground ans show her that the video games are legally art otherwise you set a bad precedence for anytime in the future when she, or any of the other faculty, want to imply their own definitions to assignments that exist only in their head.
Imagine doing a semster long project on tomatoe's for a project on favorite fruits. Them the teacher tells you its a vegatable so they take a letter grade off. That is bull since while most believe it is a vegetable since that is how you treat it in cooking it is in fact, by scientific definition, a fruit. Crazy example I know but it helps to take the arguement outside of the gamer centric passions that revolve around this question.
I'm just going to say, that there is such a thing as "terrible art". Paintings, books, movies etc. are all forms of art, but there are plenty examples of each that are considered "terrible". It certainly isn't the issue in this case considering the paper he wrote clearly proved the overall quality of the game and it's importance in his life. He was docked points for the simple fact that the teacher placed a stamp on something that is completely subjective.crudus said:
Perhaps if you qualified why you consider Pokemon Red art, then she would have room to work with. I'm sure that your teacher gave clear examples as to what she considered appropriate subjects for art, and you really should've taken time after class to ask her if Pokemon Red was an acceptable subject or at the very least argue why it should be considered. If I wrote an essay about why I considered Chinese Checkers or Blackjack a work of art that influenced my life, I'd probably get a few uneasy looks myself.
So: Next time make the effort to explain why you thought Pokemon Red should be considered art, OR choose another video game that would be easier to demonstrate the artistic merits of video games to a broader audience (I'm talking about your Okami, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and Silent Hill 2 games here).
Pick your battles carefully. You'll have an easier time diving into the character archetypes of Alan Moore's Watchmen and the terror of the constant threat of all out nuclear war during a heated arms race than discussing the dualistic nature of the Kool-Aid mascot's fight against his nemesis the Thirsties in The Adventures of Kool-Aid Man and how his tireless, never ending struggle may be comparable to the plight of Sisyphus who was condemned by the gods to ceaselessly roll a boulder to the top of a mountain, only for it to fall again under its own weight.
vs.
A better example: If I'm going to write about the artistic merits of pop music videos, I'll go with Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal, not Rebecca Black's Friday.
In fact, I think I'll watch Smooth Criminal right now.
So: Next time make the effort to explain why you thought Pokemon Red should be considered art, OR choose another video game that would be easier to demonstrate the artistic merits of video games to a broader audience (I'm talking about your Okami, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and Silent Hill 2 games here).
Pick your battles carefully. You'll have an easier time diving into the character archetypes of Alan Moore's Watchmen and the terror of the constant threat of all out nuclear war during a heated arms race than discussing the dualistic nature of the Kool-Aid mascot's fight against his nemesis the Thirsties in The Adventures of Kool-Aid Man and how his tireless, never ending struggle may be comparable to the plight of Sisyphus who was condemned by the gods to ceaselessly roll a boulder to the top of a mountain, only for it to fall again under its own weight.
A better example: If I'm going to write about the artistic merits of pop music videos, I'll go with Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal, not Rebecca Black's Friday.
In fact, I think I'll watch Smooth Criminal right now.
Okay while i dont nessicerily belive that we should class video games as art, i do belive you have basis to argue, though i suggest going to say the headteacher or whatever instead rather than just arguing with her. Whatever your opinions are on games being art, the fact is that she docked points purely on her own bias and so whatever way you spin it, thats wrong.
Besides i belive this is a lot more like art,
Than this will ever be..
Besides i belive this is a lot more like art,
Than this will ever be..
I feel The Madman needs to be emphasized here. Now, granted, the OP brought his case to probably the best possible place for it, since I'm assuming 80-90% of the Escapist is adamant on getting games considered to be art, but let's all take a step back and analyze what's being said here.The Madman said:
He's saying that Pokemon Red Version is the "art" that "influenced" his life. Now, no one can deny that it had an influence, and no one here's denying that SOME video games can be art, but Pokemon is NOT one of them, especially not Red/Blue. The Pokemon games are as much art as their movies, and I know no real movie buff is gonna look at ANY of those and think they're the Citizen Kane of Anime (That's reserved for Studio Ghibli and we all know it)
Look, you got an 85%, that's commendable. I've known some teachers to dock as much as 30-50% off an essay because it didn't cover the desired material. I know we all want to get it across to the world that Video Games can be Art, but lobbying Pokemon under that banner is NOT the right message, not by a long shot.
Yes, justified. What is not considered art is not fact, but ones personal opinion. I believe that heavy metal is an art. Others believe it is just screaming/yelling/growling and repetitive guitar riffs. If your teacher does not understand that, go above her head to her boss and raise this issue. She is an English teacher. She should understand this argument perfectly and should actually be on your side, considering how books have been treated (Which is rather central in English) over the span of the last thousand years.
That's the same argument FOX News pulled (but with more ping pong and less soccer). They ARE classified as art, because art is all about perception: if you perceive something as art, it is art. You may not think of it as art, but someone else might, and that makes it art.Ixnay1111 said:
Soccer is not art. It's not something creative, that can create something that makes you think. It's a sport.
The text was supposed to be about art. There's no way to make facts about why something is art, really, other than that you think it is.DeeWiz said:
If you'd gotten a crap score and been told video games were not works of art, then I guess your anger would be justified.
But 85%, to my knowledge, is a damn good score.
And remember, films were not considered art for a very long time; there will surely be a day when everyone respects games as potential works of art.
But 85%, to my knowledge, is a damn good score.
And remember, films were not considered art for a very long time; there will surely be a day when everyone respects games as potential works of art.
Print out the article that claimed that video games have officially been declared art. Put in on her Desk. Wait and see what happens.
Otherwise, you should go to someone with power (Teacher, Dean, etc.) and reason with them.
And yes, that is a legitimate reason to be angered. If it hurts your quarter grade because your english teacher is ignorant, you have a right to be pissed, but you also have a right to do something about it.
Otherwise, you should go to someone with power (Teacher, Dean, etc.) and reason with them.
And yes, that is a legitimate reason to be angered. If it hurts your quarter grade because your english teacher is ignorant, you have a right to be pissed, but you also have a right to do something about it.
Video games are art but that does not mean that every video game has significant artistic merit. It is just the same that you wouldn't consider some porno as artistic as X movie but it still counts as expression and it can still be interpreted. But this comes down to the individual, what makes something a work of art and does its primary function of entertainment detract from that. Highly subjective stuff. So yes I believe you re just to argue it but if I were you, I'll write them another essay on why it is art and also give them that US thingy that games are art stuff what'sitcalled I don't know, I'm sleepy 
If it makes a signifigant portion of your grade then i would go complain but if you really want a hope of success, get your parents on board. A parent complaining is a lot more effective than a student when they are the ones with a still-can't-remember backing them up and lots of shouting. I'm quite tired, sorry if that didn't make any sense... Good luck with your task!
If it makes a signifigant portion of your grade then i would go complain but if you really want a hope of success, get your parents on board. A parent complaining is a lot more effective than a student when they are the ones with a still-can't-remember backing them up and lots of shouting. I'm quite tired, sorry if that didn't make any sense... Good luck with your task!