WGDF

[Shaitan051]

Spoiler

but we're the bad guys here of course.

 

[Vegosiux]

Yaknow, I've been thinkin'.

People seem to be way anxious for "dis g'nna b gud" one way or another, so maybe aside from a short WGDF miniseries, we could also do with a "Which pony are you" weekly quiz, and a "Gun control" No Right Answer.

Next time we feel the community's getting a tad boring, I mean.

 

[Cerebrawl]

*slight rant over* all that aside, I don't think zimmerman should have gotten off the way he did, but from what I had read in the original case, the plaintiff did not play it smart and went for home runs when they could've for sure gotten him jail time on smaller charges, especially considering they had the burden of proof and had to find a way to not make the "stand your ground" defense okay in this instance.

I don't agree that he should've been hit with any charges, much less convicted. There wouldn't even have been a trial if not for the media lynching, it's that clear-cut.

It's been a while so I can't remember, but are there no harrassment/stalking charges that can be brought to court? just genuinely curious here.

No, he was acting in his role as neighbourhood watchman coordinator, and was on the phone with a 911 operator during the whole following period. Indeed he exited his vehicle to follow Martin only after the operator had asked him where Martin went, he was trying to provide that information to the police. 14 seconds later the operator asks if he was giving chase, which he was, and told him that they "didn't need him to do that", which basically translates to "you don't need to put yourself in harms way on our account", at which point he stoped running(the heavy breathing on the 911 recording stops).

It's notable that Zimmerman was training in mixed martial arts on a weekly basis. It has bearing on the fact that he didn't land a single blow on Martin, the only injuries aside from the gunshot wound at the end that Martin had was scraped knuckles. According to Zimmerman, he was punched from behind while walking back towards his car, which would certainly explain how he ended up in such a bad position to begin with, in a fair fight without the element of surprise, he should've acquited himself better.

 

[SquidSponge]

I liked Critical Miss (past tense), I really did. The games-themed ones (back when the majority of the games-themed comic on a games-themed website was, you know, games-themed) were great, and the ones that mixed politics & gaming (eg criticising the state of games journalism) were a nice change, but the purely political tend to be just... Offensive. I genuinely wasn't sure whether the last WGDF comic was straight-up "["x"-ism] is bad, except when it's directed at [whites/men/cis] - then it's funny" or satirising the aforementioned hypocrisy amongst many SJWs. Either way, it was deliberately inflammatory, and was done in a spiteful manner, and the kind of abhorrent attitudes (on both "sides", such as there were, of the issue) that emerged rather put me off the Escapist - both the forums, and in general (honestly this is about the 3rd time I've posted since then). The political statement, whatever it was, was made, but it simmered down again. Dredging back up one of the darker moments (and aspects) of the Escapist's history and community now, however, is inexcusable. And the Escapist itself, in allowing such behaviour a second time, is effectively condoning it.

I suppose this boils down to an "I quit" post, however feeble that is, but it's about the only power a single user holds in this situation. Better to do very little than nothing at all - I guess I felt it's important to let someone know that these guys have not only lost their own custom/clicks/traffic whatever, but have driven it off for other escapist writers/features/etc as well. But then, who needs quality, integrity and the users' respect when you can just post some clickbait? Congrats on descending to the level of Kotaku, Escapist. You used to be better than this.

 

[Queen Michael]

I'd just like to draw your attention to the fact that what you're reading right now is post #316 in reply to a comic that just featured a picture with no commentary. That's pretty weird, guys.

 

[Atmos Duality]

I don't much like that as a metaphor for what's happening here. A stirred pot of shit cannot help but stink because it is a lump of inert mass. Stinking is the only response to being aerated it can produce. We as a community could have chosen not to stink, but we elected to anyway.

An ugly metaphor suits an ugly subject; I just call them like I see them.

I'd just like to draw your attention to the fact that what you're reading right now is post #316 in reply to a comic that just featured a picture with no commentary. That's pretty weird, guys.

My God. It's almost as if...context of something mean can be conveyed with few (to no) words!
Man that IS weird!...It's sorcery! IT'S MADNESS!

 

[JimB]

I don't much like that as a metaphor for what's happening here. A stirred pot of shit cannot help but stink because it is a lump of inert mass. Stinking is the only response to being aerated it can produce. We as a community could have chosen not to stink, but we elected to anyway.

An ugly metaphor suits an ugly subject; I just call them like I see them.

I don't care how ugly the metaphor is. If you want to compare this thread to the rancid, half-solid puddles of rot that splatter out of an ass, that's fine with me. I just think there is an unfair amount of blame on the strip's creators and not enough on the community for our choices in how to respond. We could have done better with this subject, but we chose not to. Provoking us...by drawing a picture of a dude in a sentai suit...only explains our responses, not absolves of us the responsibility for them.

If that's not the point of your metaphor, then that is fine too. I just get wary when I see a person's choices compared to a mechanical process devoid of free will.

 

[Atmos Duality]

I just think there is an unfair amount of blame on the strip's creators and not enough on the community for our choices in how to respond.

It's fair as is if you ask me.

Round one, yeah. That's on everyone that choose to respond poorly to the subject. Shame on "us".
Round two? That's the creators deliberately re-opening old wounds for a laugh.

 

[JimB]

I just think there is an unfair amount of blame on the strip's creators and not enough on the community for our choices in how to respond.

It's fair as is if you ask me.

Round one, yeah. That's on everyone that choose to respond poorly to the subject. Shame on "us."

Round two? That's the creators deliberately re-opening old wounds for a laugh.

Why are the creators expected to have learned from the previous incident but we aren't?

 

[Atmos Duality]

Why are the creators expected to have learned from the previous incident but we aren't?

Because people with those kinds of opinions don't learn.
Take a look at the first 3-4 pages: Everyone is anticipating a shitstorm because they know those folks will never learn.

Bang on about ideology if you must, but I never assume the angry masses will "learn" save possibly by accident. I'm not trying to absolve them from blame; I'm assuming it will always be there.

That, and the subject this all hinges on (the Zimmerman case) was already in dangerously cloudy realm of controversy, in case you weren't paying attention.

Men in Black nailed it perfectly: "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it."

 

[lacktheknack]

I liked Critical Miss (past tense), I really did. The games-themed ones (back when the majority of the games-themed comic on a games-themed website was, you know, games-themed) were great, and the ones that mixed politics & gaming (eg criticising the state of games journalism) were a nice change, but the purely political tend to be just... Offensive. I genuinely wasn't sure whether the last WGDF comic was straight-up "["x"-ism] is bad, except when it's directed at [whites/men/cis] - then it's funny" or satirising the aforementioned hypocrisy amongst many SJWs. Either way, it was deliberately inflammatory, and was done in a spiteful manner, and the kind of abhorrent attitudes (on both "sides", such as there were, of the issue) that emerged rather put me off the Escapist - both the forums, and in general (honestly this is about the 3rd time I've posted since then). The political statement, whatever it was, was made, but it simmered down again. Dredging back up one of the darker moments (and aspects) of the Escapist's history and community now, however, is inexcusable. And the Escapist itself, in allowing such behaviour a second time, is effectively condoning it.

I suppose this boils down to an "I quit" post, however feeble that is, but it's about the only power a single user holds in this situation. Better to do very little than nothing at all - I guess I felt it's important to let someone know that these guys have not only lost their own custom/clicks/traffic whatever, but have driven it off for other escapist writers/features/etc as well. But then, who needs quality, integrity and the users' respect when you can just post some clickbait? Congrats on descending to the level of Kotaku, Escapist. You used to be better than this.

You think WGDF was a "dark moment" in Escapist history?

Ooh.

OOH.

Man, you should be SO GLAD that you weren't here the year that Zynga faced off against Valve. You want dark moments? THAT was a dark moment. Same with the Extra Credits split. And Jimquisition Talks Adblock. Etc. Hell, I'd say that the Mellow Leprechauns break-off was a more tragic incident than WGDF.

WGDF was a significant but ultimately unimportant novelty in Escapist history.

WGDF brought a pretty ugly undercurrent on the forum to the surface. It's nothing compared to the absolute sick, awful shit we saw people saying when Extra Credits left.

EDIT: Typos.

 

[Vegosiux]

Why are the creators expected to have learned from the previous incident but we aren't?

Because people with those kinds of opinions don't learn.
Take a look at the first 3-4 pages: Everyone is anticipating a shitstorm because they know those folks will never learn.

A more cynical person (like me) would say "Everyone's hoping for a shitstorm so they have a reason to feel good about themselves."

I mean, these threads always get kind of moral-masturbatory in the end.

 

[Hagi]

A more cynical person (like me) would say "Everyone's hoping for a shitstorm so they have a reason to feel good about themselves."

I mean, these threads always get kind of moral-masturbatory in the end.

I'm reminded of a childhood prank, you'd take a coin and you'd glue it to the floor in a public space where it was easily visible and then you'd wait for someone to pick it up and laugh.

Often, since it was just a coin, you'd have to wait for ages, not to mention the time and coin spend setting the whole thing up.

Now I wonder who really was the butt of that joke, the guy/gal wasting 10 seconds trying to pick up that coin or us hiding in plain sight nearby for entire afternoons waiting for that to happen?

 

[Amir Kondori]

The best thing to come out of that original comic were the ones fans made. Some of those were hilarious.

 

[Revnak_v1legacy]

Why are the creators expected to have learned from the previous incident but we aren't?

Because people with those kinds of opinions don't learn.
Take a look at the first 3-4 pages: Everyone is anticipating a shitstorm because they know those folks will never learn.

A more cynical person (like me) would say "Everyone's hoping for a shitstorm so they have a reason to feel good about themselves."

I mean, these threads always get kind of moral-masturbatory in the end.

Watching people commit forum suicide by commenting on sexism related featured content is also humorous in its own right. Also, given that I have a terribly low self-esteem as it is, I also don't really see what's wrong with reading a whole bunch of moronic shit to make myself feel better. I need the good feelings, they provide the idiocy, everybody wins! Except the people who aren't me I suppose.


Seriously though, if you get mad enough to bet yourself banned over one of these comics then you probably shouldn't be here anyway. It is rare to lose a truly quality poster to a ban. You should know this, you frequent R&P.

 

[happyninja42]

Bronies get enough **** for going against the grain for what they love.

Not an MLP fan myself but I can empathize with them on this one.

Eh, considering that MLP fans told me, when I told them I wasn't a fan of MLP, that :

1: I fucking sucked.

2: I had no soul because I didn't appreciate the thing they loved.

I have little to no real sympathy for their "plight".

Considering they were more than happy to give me shit for not agreeing with them and liking what they like, them turning around and saying "People hate me for what I like!!" I have to just roll my eyes.

And to clarify, all I said was "I'm not a fan of MLP personally" I didn't mock them, or say anything negative about them or the show, I simply said I wasn't a fan of it, and they lost their shit.

I don't care what you like, but if you are obnoxious about your enjoyment of it, shoving it into other people's faces, and then get offended when they express an opposing view to yours, well, you kind of brought it on yourself.

So yeah, *In my The Count voice* Zero fucks given!! Ah, Ah, Ah! xD

Edit: OT: Meh, don't really care about the WGDF, mostly because I didn't find them terribly funny. Whenever the Critical Miss comics stray away from game related stuff, and try and tackle "real" issues, I find their humor value to decline markedly, replaced with simple "topical edginess".

 

[Arslan Aladeen]

You know when I saw the top of the pic which looked like a big red helmet with a V symbol on it, and the tag line "most men have given up," I had my hopes that this would be somehow related to Viewtiful Joe and him making some kind of comeback. *Sigh*

 

[JimB]

Bang on about ideology if you must, but I never assume the angry masses will "learn" save possibly by accident.

Using cynicism to absolve people of responsibility just so you can heap it onto a party that doesn't deserve it is extremely unfair, not to mention insulting to pretty much all of humanity, though I suppose that second bit was probably intentional.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Using cynicism to absolve people of responsibility just so you can heap it onto a party that doesn't deserve it is extremely unfair, not to mention insulting to pretty much all of humanity, though I suppose that second bit was probably intentional.

So, now one internet forum = all of humanity.
After that claim, you lost the right to make any reasonable argument involving "fairness".
I cannot even begin to take you seriously anymore.

So, is there any other wildly exaggerated claims you want to make?
Perhaps you can go Full Godwin, perhaps?
Because at this point, your attempts at preaching to me are making me chuckle more than anything.

EDIT: Nobody wants to dredge up this farce again, so I'll edit my responses in here.

No, the angry masses you mention are all of humanity. Two people together in a bad mood are an angry mass, so if enough people in a bad mood get together, they are apparently completely incapable of being held responsible for their actions, according to your standard.

1) You are bending over backwards to justify your hyperbole. 2 people = an angry mass. Yeah. Sure.
2) I never said they shouldn't be held responsible. Ever. I said I don't expect to hold them responsible. Why? Because it's a meaningless gesture, because the masses of angry idiots on the net never learn and I don't expect them to learn. Ever.

It's like expecting a dog to eventually feel shame for licking his balls. It's stupid.

But the people I do expect to learn are the creators. Carter and co are clever folks, I know this. More clever than to rely on a shitstorm to bring in the ad-hits and comments.

I note that your inability to take me seriously has not stopped you from responding to me so you can announce your superiority to everyone still reading this thread.

Tragedy ain't it?

If you think I have misrepresented your argument, then please tell me where and how I've done so, but I'll thank you not to mock me by accusing me of making statements I haven't even hinted at.

I'll mock you for all the foolishness you've stated where I see it and as I please.

If you wanted to get to the heart of the matter, this comic wouldn't even exist if the previous White Guy Defense Force strip didn't cause such an incredible shitstorm. Yeah, a lot of folks behaved badly. Shame on us. In fact, that's the punchline of this comic: that this is going to cause another shitstorm.

A fact that you've gone out of your way to downplay just to jab at me for being rightly cynical.

What do you think preaching is, if stating my own opinions in disagreement with your own is preaching?

You aren't just sharing your opinions like you're putting them out there, but are directly attacking mine with them. That's preaching 101 bucko.

And as long as I'm asking you questions, why do you think I care either positively or negatively about what level of comedic amusement you derive from this conversation? Am I supposed to hold your esteem of me so dear that this should somehow matter to me?

Well it obviously mattered enough for you to ask.
But I'll grace you with the answer: Because I'm arrogant. Deal with it.

 

[JimB]

So, now one internet forum = all of humanity.

No, the angry masses you mention are all of humanity. Two people together in a bad mood are an angry mass, so if enough people in a bad mood get together, they are apparently completely incapable of being held responsible for their actions, according to your standard.

I cannot even begin to take you seriously anymore.

I note that your inability to take me seriously has not stopped you from responding to me so you can announce your superiority to everyone still reading this thread.

So, are there any other wildly exaggerated claims you want to make? Perhaps you can go Full Godwin, perhaps?

If you think I have misrepresented your argument, then please tell me where and how I've done so, but I'll thank you not to mock me by accusing me of making statements I haven't even hinted at.

Because at this point, your attempts at preaching to me are making me chuckle more than anything.

What do you think preaching is, if stating my own opinions in disagreement with your own is preaching? And as long as I'm asking you questions, why do you think I care either positively or negatively about what level of comedic amusement you derive from this conversation? Am I supposed to hold your esteem of me so dear that this should somehow matter to me?