#especially given how final fests influence the next game (and like they definitely will make splatoon 4 this series sells like hot cakes)

[darkstarcore]

IT’S NOT IDOL VS IDOL VS IDOL LET’S GOOOOOO!!!!

[hecallsmehischild]

Recent Media Consumed

Books

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. About ten or fifteen years ago, I tried to read this and was totally overwhelmed by it. I kept it around, hoping maybe someday I might be able to read it. I finally have, and here are my impressions: WHY SO MANY NAMES. WHY YOU HAVE TO NAME EVERYBODY, AND EVERY TRIBE OF PEOPLES, AND EVERY INANIMATE OBJECT, AND EVERY LANDSCAPE FEATURE. WHY. *ahem* So. I have a general comprehension of the events of The Silmarillion, but I dealt with it by doing what you do for an impressionist painting. I (mentally) stepped way back and let all the names flow by me, and if there were names that were repeated a lot, then I mentally attached appropriate plot points and character details to those names so I could track with who they were and what they were doing. And, actually, I found myself able to hang on and enjoy the book for the most part. This is going to lead into a re-reading of the Lord of the Rings books, since I haven’t read those in about as long…

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I haven’t read some of these books since pre-teen years, with one required re-read of The Two Towers in high school (i.e. it’s been many an age since I’ve read these and my memory of the stories has been far more heavily influenced by the movies). In re-reading the first book, I was struck by the extreme tone shift for the Elves and Dwarves. Elves seem much closer to happy, mischievous fairies than these ethereal, solemn pillars of elegance and grace the movies show them to be. And Dwarves are far more bumbling and craftsmanlike than the movies show. Aside from that, The Hobbit was a pretty solid adaptation from the book, and the book also reminded me that this story was the first time I experienced “NO, MAIN CHARACTERS DON’T DIE, HOW DARE YOU,” and probably was the first book to make me cry. I must have been 8 or 10 years old. I FORGOT HOW MUCH THIS STORY INFLUENCED ME.

A Conflict of Visions by Thomas Sowell. I have a longer-than-usual list of things to say about this book. First is that it was just that level of difficult that I was struggling to understand while reading it (on Audible), but I think I got it. Sowell has several base concepts that I see repeated throughout his books, though he does like to dedicate whole books to specific aspects of the same topic. He is pretty damn thorough that way. So, for example, I would put this book in the middle of a three-book spectrum of similar concepts: Intellectuals and Society (most concrete and easiest to read), A Conflict of Visions (next-level abstraction, a little difficult to read), Knowledge and Decisions (root abstract concept, very difficult, I have not been able to get past chapter 2). The second thing I have to say is about a couple interesting concepts it proposes. Its whole point is to help readers understand the roots of two ways of seeing the world that come into severe conflict politically, and he calls them by their root titles: the constrained and the unconstrained visions. He traces the path of each back through the intellectuals that most spoke of them (tending to contrast Adam Smith with William Godwin and Condorcet). Though he leans heavily toward the constrained vision (based on reading his other works) he does his best to make this book an academic study of both, with both of the visions' strengths and flaws and reasoning and internal consistencies fairly laid out. In doing so, he helped me understand a few things that make this situation really difficult for people on opposing sides to communicate. One of them is that root words and concepts literally mean different things to different people. I had some vague notion of this before, but he laid out three examples in detail: Equality, Power, and Justice. It was kind of astounding to see just how differently these three words can be defined. It makes me think that arguing about any specific issues rooted in these concepts is fruitless until first an understanding has been reached on terms, because otherwise two parties are endlessly talking past each other. Another really interesting idea he brought up is the existence of “hybrid visions” and he named both Marxism and Fascism as hybrid visions. This was especially fascinating to me because I have seen the accusation of “Nazi” flung around ad nauseam and I wondered how it was that both sides were able to fling it at each other so readily. Well, it’s because Fascism is actually a hybrid vision, so both sides have a grain of truth but miss the whole on that particular point. In any case, this was a little difficult to read but had some fascinating information. For people who are wondering what on earth this gap is between political visions, how on earth to bridge the gap, or why the gap even exists in the first place, this is a really informative piece.

Movies

The Hobbit & Fellowship trilogies (movies). I mean, it’s definitely not my first watch, not even my second. But I went through it with Sergey this time and that means the run-time is double because we pause to talk and discuss details. This watch came about partly due to Sergey’s contention that Gandalf’s reputation far outstrips his actual powers, so we ended up noting down every instance of Gandalf’s power to see if that was true. Conclusion: Gandalf is actually a decently powerful wizard, but tends to use the truly kickass powers in less-than-dire circumstances. That aside, this movie series was always a favorite for me. I rated The Hobbit trilogy lower the first time I saw it but, frankly, all together the six movies are fantastic and a great way to sink deep into lore-heavy fantasy for a while. And I’m catching way more easter-egg type details after having read the Silmarillion so it’s even more enjoyable. (finally, after about a week of binge-watching) I forgot how much this story impacted me. I forgot how wrenchingly bittersweet the ending is. I forgot how much of a mark that reading and watching this story left on my writing.

Upside-Down Magic. Effects were good. Actors were clearly having fun and enjoying everything. Story didn’t make enough sense for my taste, but it was a decent way to kill flight time.

Wish Dragon. So, yes, it’s basically an Aladdin rewrite, but it’s genuinely a cheesy good fluff fest that made me grin a whole lot.

Plays

Esther (Sight and Sound Theatres). < background info > This is my third time to this theatre. There are only two of these in existence and they only run productions of stories out of the Bible. The first time I went I saw a production of Noah, the second time I saw a production of Jesus. My middle sister has moved all the way out to Lancaster, PA in hopes of working at this theatre. My husband and I came out to visit her. < /background info > So. Esther. They really pulled out all the stops on the costumes and set. I mean, REALLY pulled out all the stops. And the three-quarters wrap-around stage is used to great effect. I tend to have a general problem of not understanding all the words in the songs, but I understood enough. I highly recommend sitting close to the front for immersive experiences. This theatre puts on incredible productions and if you ever, ever, EVER have the opportunity to go, take it. Even if you think it's nothing but a bunch of fairy tales, STILL GO. I doubt you'll ever see a fairy tale produced on another stage with equal dedication to immersion.

Shows

The Mandalorian (first two seasons). Well. This was pretty thoroughly enjoyable. It felt very Star-Wars, and I’d kind of given up after recent movies. Felt like it slipped into some preaching toward the end? Not sure, I could be overly sensitive about it, but I enjoyed this a lot (though I did need to turn to my housemate and ask where the flip in the timeline we were because I did NOT realize that the little green kid IS NOT ACTUALLY Yoda).

Games

Portal & Portal 2. Portal is probably the first video game I ever tried to play, back when I had no idea what I was doing. Back then, I attempted to play it on my not-for-gaming Mac laptop. Using my trackpad. Once the jumping-for-extra-velocity mechanic came into play, I just about lost my mind trying to do this with a trackpad and gave up. Later I returned to the game and played it with my then-boyfriend on a proper gaming computer. Now, after having played several games and gotten better at "reading the language" of video games, I decided I wanted to see if I could beat the Portal games by myself. Guess what. I BEAT 'EM. Yes, I remembered most of the puzzles in Portal so that's a little bit of a cheat, but I'd say a good 2/3 of Portal 2 was new puzzles to me. It is crazy how proud I feel of myself that I could beat Portal 2, especially. Learning how to play video games at this age has really knocked down the lie, "You can't learn anything." Though I still suck at platformers and games that require precision. Since I find those types frustrating, I probably won't be playing many. Games are about enjoyment, so I'll push myself a little, but not to the point where I can't stand what I'm playing.

The Observer. I like the concept and the art but I don't think I could keep trying to play this game. It's really depressing. My in-game family members all died of illness or accident or committed suicide. I also kept getting executed by the state. In order to keep us all alive I'd have to do pretty terrible things that I have a hard enough time contemplating even in a fictional setting.

Baba Is You. Fun and interesting concept, but I got stuck pretty early on. Don't think I want to push as hard on this one.

[itsclydebitches]

Preacher Review: Viktor

A.K.A. “It’s Game of Thrones”

Sorry for the nearly 24 hour lateness of this review, folks. We’ll jump right in with my most humble apologies.  

Episode four has two major themes arcing through it: the old-school ‘people are the real monsters’ and a newer, optimistic take on how technology (specifically television) can solve almost any problem. I’ll be touching on both throughout.

We begin with Tulip though, still surrounded by men in that laundry mat, ominously telling Viktor that they’ve succeeded in locating her. We’re given close ups of Tulip handing over her gun and smooshed between two of the thugs in the car, both of which amp up the dangerous, claustrophobic feeling for Tulip and viewer alike. The tension started last week with Tulip methodically putting coin after coin into the machine—delaying the inevitable, sending a message that she’ll go when she’s ready—and these feelings are amplified when she doesn’t even bother to take the smokes with her. Oh well. Someone else’s gain I suppose.

There’s a time jump as Jesse finds Dennis’ place the next morning, which is notable due to its ordinariness. This is specifically not the time lapse we’ve come to associate with supernatural characters (Fiore waiting for the bus, the Saint catching up with the trio). All Jesse gets is a simple cut, despite Genesis riding shotgun next to his soul. It’s a nice, cinematic touch that tells us Jesse remains more Human than Other.

Jesse certainly thinks so. He emphasizes to Cass that there was a woman—no, not like that—who was in trouble, “so I helped her.” When Cass isn’t impressed with Jesse’s bragging he drops it fast enough, launching into an explanation for how staying out so late without contact is “typical for Tulip,” especially when they’re fighting. This sets up the conflict between Cass and Jesse in this episode and it’s one that we can easily see both sides of. Jesse is (rightly) reading the situation through his long intimacy with Tulip while Cass is (also rightly) basing his interpretation off of what he thinks Tulip currently needs. In short, misunderstandings on both sides waste a whole lot of time.

And for once Tulip might actually need the assistance. She squirms in Viktor’s office, and though Tulip employs her impressive acting skills later while sobbing and insisting how sorry she is for leaving, the viewer is left with the distinct impression that these first set of nerves are real. Plus who wouldn’t be squirming with screams and a buzz saw sounding in the next room?

Cass sends a heartfelt “are u ok?” but Tulip doesn’t have time to answer. The texts will grow more and more frantic as the episode continues, coming to a head in what proves to be a wonderfully shocking final scene…

But we’ll get to that.

For now Eugene is still in hell and oh boy, I still have Thoughts about this plot-line. The Worst Memory machine is currently malfunctioning in Eugene’s block (is he somehow the cause?) and it gives the writers the chance to do the exact thing I had prayed they wouldn’t do:

Humanize Hitler.

Here’s the thing, they’ve just introduced a whole new cast of characters, so go ahead and humanize the soft-spoken Romani! Or the Native American in the background! Literally anyone other than the genocidal maniac whose atrocities are still very much a part of our present. This is hell, no one is going to be “good,” but that doesn’t mean you try to redeem the one possible character who is, as an icon, entirely irredeemable. But oh, does the show try.

Hitler is a skinny, soft-spoken man who immediately positions himself as Eugene’s defender. He takes Eugene under his wing (explaining a little about how the Machines works) and invites him into his own worst memory in Munich, 1919 when Eugene gets locked out of his cell. There we see that Hitler most regrets a time when he was trying to woo a pretty girl (and failing), was embarrassed by a Jewish man, is incredibly hesitant about labeling anyone as “vermin” worthy of extinction, and is nervous about showing his art to a gallery owner. This Hitler is later horrified to see his own salute and just wants a crossword puzzle to do. As one of the other prisoners asks, “What happened to you?” Provided he isn’t faking (Eugene’s “Are you still... bad?”) we’re presented with a ‘redeemed’ Hitler that is not only insulting, but beyond implausible. Who grows a conscious in a hell that actively encourages you to be your worst? “Act accordingly.” How does Hitler grow a conscious there? Admittedly we didn’t get to see the entirety of his memory, but as it stands the show pulls out all the idiotic evidence that’s used to try and lessen Hitler’s actions. He loved his dogs! He could have been a painter! So what? Jake, help me out here.

Thank you.

By the time Hitler is being beaten up we’re supposed to feel mighty bad for him. I don’t. What’s more interesting though is Eugene’s self-preservation. In some ways I think this is a little out of character—he’s spent a whole season actively putting himself in harms way while trying to get back in the town’s good graces—but perhaps the idea of the hole is too much for him. Regardless, Eugene re-starts the kicking of a broken and bleeding Hitler in order to save his own skin, emphasizing that hell is only as awful as the people who make it up. We’re seeing more and more how there’s very little mystical about these other worlds. Hell isn’t scary because it’s some supernatural torture-fest, it’s scary because it’s made up of people in power encouraging others to act at their worst. It’s scary because it’s a reflection of how bad humans can be—“no one had any idea the numbers we’d be getting.” Even ‘good boys’ like Eugene aren’t safe from that influence.

It’s exactly like Earth.

But you know what? I actually have a theory here, one that would explain away all of Hitler’s inconsistencies, get the writers (somewhat) off the hook, and come back to haunt Eugene later: what if that’s not actually Hitler? What if that’s just some guy pretending to be Hitler to keep himself safe? Protection based on others’ fear and respect? It would be a good twist.

I’m holding on to that. Tightly.

Meanwhile, we segue into our second theme with Cass playing couch potato and consuming the most hilariously over-the-top infomercial, which is hilarious because of how accurate it is. Flooded houses, shot of a sad dog (because we all know people care more about the dogs than the humans…), and a black woman eating out of the trash. I’ve literally seen commercials structured exactly like this. But the whole point is not a commentary on the commercial industry itself (though there’s definitely some of that), but rather it gives Cass the chance to spot fake!God on TV, just like how he spotted Fiore two episodes back. Noticing a pattern? It’s pretty on the nose: watching TV is a good thing! Watching TV will give you leads in your case! It’s the answer to your questions and the solution to your problems! The fact that Cass later claims to be representing Game of Thrones—the other ultra-violent adaptation airing this month—and succeeds in getting the information they need just reinforces this message that television is an all around excellent tool, that you should totally keep watching, especially at 9:00 on Monday nights. 

I see what you’re doing, Preacher. Although as someone who studies television, I do also agree lol.

Television (or rather, tapes) help them again as we get to see fake!God auditioning for his part, working through many of the lines he tried out last season, and ultimately getting shot when he accepts the job (an excellent touch). It’s after this that Cass can’t take it anymore, finally getting straight with Jesse about the fact that Tulip is missing.

Ah Tulip. This was set up very well. “I made you a part of my family.” Oh, so Viktor is acting all mob boss like, it’s that kind of ‘family.’ Why does Tulip have free reign in this house if she’s a prisoner? Eh, probably just a mistake on the writer’s part. That little girl was awfully mad, but that’s normal for a child of someone like Viktor. Why did Tulip threaten to kill Viktor instead of just escaping? Well, she needs to make sure he doesn’t come after her again. And remember back to the almost-wedding? Tulip just had bigger things on her mind than marrying Jesse. Right?

Nope, nope, nope, nope and nope. Everything falls into place when Tulip announces that Viktor is her husband, a twist I personally never saw coming. She’s literally family, this is presumably her house, that little girl is her step-daughter, they obviously have a relationship, and Tulip can’t marry Jesse if she’s already got a husband. That “let me go” line takes on a whole deeper meaning by the end of the episode. Things just got way more complicated, which is exactly what the trio doesn’t need with the Saint back on their trail, and Jesse is beyond pissed. Anyone else notice how he chokes Viktor harder after Tulip’s admission?

My biggest question though:

Was the baby Tulip lost Jesse’s … or Viktor’s?

We’ll have to wait to find out. 

Thanks, friends <3

Other Minor Things Worth Noting 

Dennis’ kitchen looks remarkably like the kitchen back at the church: same drab, brown coloring; slightly grimy surfaces; a single window with sun shining through that Cass needs to avoid. It’s a part of Preacher’s aesthetic—these characters don’t belong in fancy places—but it was also a lovely, nostalgic touch.

We get another angry spew of French from Dennis. “It’s French,” Cass says. Yes. Yes it is. Okay. Who’s taking bets on whether Dennis will try to kill Cass before this is all over?

Jesse tells the conspiracy theory loving, “this is probably the Terminator,” “I swear I saved you from government clones” vampire that he’s discovered a secret organization. God bless.

Love the distorted voice of the Superintendent. A creepy touch to this otherwise bureaucratic depiction of hell.

Why hasn’t Eugene questioned why he’s in hell yet? Did he actually meet Jesse in the church that one time? Are the hallucinations Jesse had last season the real Eugene? If they weren’t, isn’t Eugene wondering when and how he died? Or does he just accept all this given his guilt over Traci? The facts here are all rather muddled…

Very nice long-shot of Tulip coming up those steps. She looks incredibly small in that massive, ostentatious house.

An epic fight to “Uptown Girl’ with severed arms and a fire hose used as weapons? Yes please.

We’ve finally got “arseface” into this canon! Or rather, “assface.” I wonder if Eugene will claim this name like he did back in the comics.

[breakingarrows]

Discourse Conversations During E3 2019

Watching press conferences and livestreams of various talking heads discuss whatever video game thing they saw that day is only part of E3. Another major part is the social media discussions that unfold faster and accumulate more conversation than any ten hour IGN livestream could. However, like any form of discourse being developed on Twitter and elsewhere, it can be easily lost if you aren’t in the moment, and nearly impossible to find due to some of the best commentary coming indirectly. This is a small attempt to capture some of that discourse that unfolded during this week of E3 2019.

Before E3 even started we already had a large social media argument about “spoilers” for the press conferences. Essentially: people went back and forth on whether or not to share/publish/promote leaks of things like, “This game surprise is going to happen!” While things like Breath of the Wild direct sequel being announced is a fun secret to watch live, a headline report spreading online beforehand isn’t something to condemn. The sort of corporate love-fest E3 already is will only continue when gamers are actively antagonistic to anything other than the publisher message being put out. As many of these discourse conversations will go, this is the same old song and dance we have seen for over a decade. If you don’t want to see anything before a corporation hits “go” on a press conference, just stay offline and don’t bitch about it at whoever it is that’s publishing details earlier than the publisher dictated commercial. People trying to frame this as hurting developers feelings should redirect that energy towards unionization and fair pay advocacy, not, “Please don’t publish details early, these people worked really hard to sell me this game.”

Perhaps the biggest thread-spawner was the reappearance of Cyberpunk 2077 from CD Projekt Red at the Microsoft press conference. Developer CDPR also owns GOG, which has previously tweeted a gamergate related gif of Postal 2, a, “did you just assume their gender?” response tweet from the Cyberpunk account, and using the #WontBeErased for GOG games. Eurogamer has a rundown of it all here. Then this week, you have Keanu Reeves making a surprise appearance in the game Cyberpunk 2077 as well as on the Microsoft stage to announce the release date. The internet goes wild, fueled by post-John Wick 3 hype and long-lasting Keanu love. Then an advertisement in-game for ChroManticore appears, bearing the image of a presumably trans-female with a large erect dick and the phrases, “Mix It Up,” and, “16 flavors you’d love to mix.” CDPR’s explanation via Polygon was: “This is all to show that [much like in our modern world], hypersexualization in advertisements is just terrible,” Redesiuk continued. “It was a conscious choice on our end to show that in this world — a world where you are a cyberpunk, a person fighting against corporations. That [advertisement] is what you’re fighting against.” Responses were generally critical of the ads message, intentional or not, as well as critical due to CDPR’s past actions. “Also, as a note, and this is all i'm gonna say: in proper context, that ad could absolutely be a meaningful statement in a cyberpunk world, and we don't know the context. But also, sadly, CDPR has burned all their trust and have given us little reason to take them in good faith.” [source] That about sums up most of the opinions coming from trans critics, CDPR has failed to properly respect them in the past, why should this be treated in good faith?

Discussions about cyberpunk weren’t limited just to the one game, as it also extended a previous conversation about the origins of cyberpunk as a genre and if the genre has any inherent themes no matter its adaptation or usage. One thread making the rounds argued that cyberpunk is inherently xenophobic, playing on fears of Eastern Asian cultures spreading and taking over the world. Other pushed back against this, citing early Japanese media that heavily influenced western cyberpunk fiction, not the other way around. The opinion I most agreed with was, “Maybe I'm being naive, but everyone keeps saying ‘Cyberpunk is good’ or ‘Cyberpunk is bad’ or ‘Cyberpunk is X’ as if cyberpunk is a cohesive, monolithic thing. It's a genre that has been around for decades which countless different creators have contributed to, and all of those creators were trying to say different things within the genre.” [source] “I am beginning to feel like strongly emphasizing genre as an acting force is kind of formalist nonsense? Like, cyberpunk or whatever isn't any *thing*--it's just a set of ideas some people have used, and other people can take or not take or use or not use.” [source]

Another big topic was the continuing saga of games as non-political and the back and forth between media and developers/publishers/PR in the lead up to a game’s release. Games have messages, but their creators, whether intentionally or due to PR, won’t engage with those ideas during pre-release coverage most of the time. Those sorts of conversations don’t happen until post-release, because the previews are generally focused on the gun-feel or summarizing slideshow pitches. There is also a disconnect between what “political” even means. “They think ‘political’ means being explicitly literalist about what every single moment means instead of being in any capacity complex or open to audience interpretation, for better or worse.” [source] Chris Avellone, longtime games writer, had a statement in a VG247 article about whether stories can be apolitical. “If you’re purposely pushing an agenda or point of view in your game – especially a real-world one that’s clearly divorced from the game world – and you’re dictating that perspective as correct vs. asking a question or examining the perspective more broadly, then it’s left the gaming realm and the ‘game’ has become a pulpit.” However, in an example like Far Cry 5, a game that doesn’t “push an agenda,” actively, still promotes a specific perspective or viewpoint as valid with its endings, as I detailed before. “But, another (very reasonable group, to which I largely subscribe) would say that ‘asking questions that emerge from perspectives in the fiction’ is *exactly* what being political is--interrogating our relationships to each other and the world.” [source] This topic also seemed to collapse in on itself when Watch Dogs Legion was announced, playing on the fears of a post-Brexit London and an authoritarian surveillance state, and coopting the “welcome to the resistance” which is mostly mocked by leftists online whenever someone from the right is kicked out of their group. Definitely not political.

This is also a very tired subject. Ubisoft for years, and other publishers as well, have avoided talking about their games messages relating to the current events during events like E3. Continually the press laments and pushes back against it on social media and sometimes in previews, but the cycle continues. “You know how I've argued ‘We need to stop debating if games are art and just do the job of treating them like art?’ It's also time to move past ‘Can games be apolitical?’ and just focus on continuing critical cultural analysis. Do the work, make it unavoidable, shift the frame. To be clear, I think we needed to spend some time on that earlier debate just to have a mass-level, stakes-setting conversation. But at this point, the best way to push back on ‘No, no, we just make games just ask questions’ is to show how those games actually offer answers.” [source] This is true, but it’s also something others (mostly non-staff people) have been saying for years now.

The annual, “E3 is weird huh?” conversation also happened, like it has for at least the past five years. In May it begins with, “Man what is E3 going to be like this year?” Then E3 happens, everyone does their shit, and at the end they go, “Boy what’s next year going to be like?” The major difference this time was Sony’s complete absence from the show. Despite not having a press conference or show floor presence with demos and presentations, games media still had plenty to talk about, including E3’s relevance. It seems to be the same old song and dance, with the ending statement being, “Well I guess we’ll wait and see what next year is like.”

Another repeated conversation was that of video game streaming platforms, with Stadia having another presentation pre-E3 and Microsoft coming out with console and internet streaming plans for later this year. No real advances were made in this conversation other than confirmation that, yeah, Stadia streaming for those with data caps on internet or smartphone use are going to be fucked if they want the best presentation, which of course they would. Not a ton of talk about the details behind how developers would be paid, though going by how streaming has been slowly killing the movie and music industries, it is not going to be good. Of course the usual access and archivist arguments continue, which I am 100% behind.

New game details sparked lots of speculation, mostly in regards to a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, one of the few good Zelda games. Being a direct sequel to a previous entry and having a trailer with a darker tone, mean Majora’s Mask became a recurring subject in regards to what this follow up could be. The inclusion of visuals and audio cues seemingly from Twilight Princess also fueled the “darker” Zelda sequel. Some also speculated about a playable Zelda, which, don’t get your hopes up people, this is Nintendo after all.

A game closer in release and in my heart is Final Fantasy VII Remake, which looks to be a big fucking hot mess. Broken up into parts, each seemingly equivalent to a mainline Final Fantasy game in content, this first one releasing next March (we’ll see about that) will only cover the Midgar section of Final Fantasy VII. You know, that section that takes about five hours to complete in the original release. Now that’s going to be extended into probably 30+ hours, which means lots of new original content coming from Square Enix, who are great at adding great new content to the already existing universe of Final Fantasy VII! Despite that I’m still very interested in getting my hands on it and playing through it all. I really like the opening hours of Final Fantasy VII, I just have little faith that they are going to do anything interesting with the new content and not make it feel like filler. It appears Jessie will have a much more expanded role, but still no word on the crossdressing or squats minigame. Combat has been very much changed, and everything is super overproduced in terms of visual flairs, which might explain why there will be TWO blu-ray discs! TWO! Red Dead Redemption 2 is the only other game to do this!

Back to Nintendo, Animal Crossing will now allow players to choose their skin tone, something that has been asked for a very, very long time now. They also confirmed they will let you use whatever hair type you want, which some people took and ran with as equivalent to them saying trans rights, which, no? “You guys please these are fucking table scraps. This is not pro-trans this is just a bare minimum feature for thee love of god.” [source] “Not only is that animal crossing thing a bare minimum there weren't hair restrictions in new leaf anyway???” [source] This was giving me flashbacks to when Soldier 76 was shown to be gay in a tertiary comic from Overwatch and people went nuts despite it not being represented in the game at all. Also, “quick reminder that nintendo fired a support team member bc of ppl making trans flag stages in smash bros” [source] [source]

There was some good news, Ikumi Nakamura came out and presented her new game Ghostwire to rapturous reception. A female creative director, a visually interesting trailer, and an excited jump at presenting her game made her the darling presenter alongside the likes of Keanu Reeves. She was previously an artist on Bayonetta, The Evil Within and its sequel, and made her own Twitter account during E3 to celebrate with her fans. Some of the reaction is probably rooted in how Asian women are treated as adorable and infantilized when compared to others, but she’s been having a good time gathering all the fan art of herself on Twitter, so for now it’s a nice break from the usual depressing nature of AAA publisher presentations.

Lastly, this wasn’t so much a part of the discourse but just an amazing moment, Dr Disrespect was banned from Twitch and thrown out of E3 after he live streamed in a bathroom without censoring other people’s faces, violating a California privacy law. As Alex so wonderfully stated, “this is our generation’s version of Capone going down for tax evasion.”

There was probably a lot of other conversations going on and this isn’t even the full depth of what I tried to find but boy does going back on timelines and searching for threads and responses and quote tweets and subtweets take way too much time. Anyway hope this proves to be a good time capsule for E3 2019 discourse and can’t wait for next year where a majority of these topics are readdressed again and again and again. Video games!

[michrob87]

Talking about “talk shows.”

By

Rob Hoffman

on November 16, 2017 at 5:30 AM

1

Let’s face it, there’s only one way to speak to somebody, and that’s from behind a desk.  The next time you have to speak to somebody regarding just about anything, and you are not behind a desk, chances are they are not going to listen.  In other words, America loves “talk shows.”

For reasons that will most likely be lost to future generations, the American people enjoy watching people talk, and if the host of that conversation is behind a desk, it would seem to carry a gravitas that the American viewing public responds to in a way that says, “Sure, that guy is qualified to ask questions of Paris Hilton, Bryan Cranston, LeBron James, and Supreme Court Associate Justice, Sonia Sotomayer,”  (By the way, that’s a pretty enviable line-up for any talk show.)  after all, even though nobody could possibly be qualified to interview such a diverse group, the fact that the person is sitting behind a desk makes him instantly qualified.

For those of you who are not familiar, this kindly looking gentleman is Jack Paar, the second host of “The Tonight Show.”  The original host was comic “genius,” Steve Allen, the man who invented everything.  Paar would run afoul of the censors when he uttered the shameful phrase, “Water Closet,” when telling an excessively tame joke on his show.  The censors cut it from his broadcast without consulting with him, infuriating the mercurial Paar.  Personally, in a nation where every other public figure of any renown has turned out to be a serial sexual abuser, it’s refreshing to see our sense of decency defended by the friendly neighborhood censor.  (You Tube)

The concept of the television talk show can really be broken down into three categories.

The Late Night Talk-Show – This was made popular by the late, great Johnny Carson

The Afternoon Talk-Show – Here is where you’ll find oodles of pleasant personalities like Ellen DeGeneres, Dinah Shore, Mike Douglas, and of course Oprah!!!! This brand of entertainment is rarely controversial, and the content is “light.” How light you ask?  So light your television might literally float away.  Sometimes on these programs, the host can be seen giving out advice, crooning the occasional standard, dancing awkwardly, and handing out gifts like a new car!!!!!

The Splashy/Trashy Tabloid Influenced Talk-Show – This brand of television talk is populated by the likes of Jerry Springer, Maury Povich, and Geraldo Rivera.  Here you’ll find the hard-hitting discussions that typically revolve around crazy “Klansman,” jealous girlfriends, and contested paternity cases.

Could you live with Regis Philbin?  Well, Phil Donahue did at Notre Dame,and after surviving that ordeal, he went on to practically invent daytime talk television.  He also married that girl.  You know that girl who starred in “That Girl.”  She’s free to be you and me?  (Getty Images)

The late night talk-show is probably the most copied format in all of entertainment history, and it really owes its existence to two individuals, Johnny Carson and David Letterman.  The format is essentially this: A pleasant, midwestern looking man in an expensive suit comes out to wild, over-the-top applause, tells some topical, supposedly biting jokes that attack the status quo, pokes fun at the modern foibles of the era, including what is usually a harmless and superficial attack on whomever the current occupant of the White House is, and then follows their monologue up with a skit or some sort of comic segment where the host sits at his desk and does some sort of bit.  Then the first guest comes out, usually for one or two segments, followed typically by a second, less famous guest, and then finally, either a young or “B” level comedian comes out and does a few jokes, or a singer or band performs their latest song.  There’s usually a ton of commercials, and the television viewing audience rarely makes it to the end of the show since they are too tired.

One of my all-time favorite bits from “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” Carnac the Improbable.”  One of the things that I loved about Carson was that he seemed to be letting the audience in on the bit, and that he knew that at best it was corny, and at worst it was awful.  However, Johnny used this idea to make the skit even funnier, while also appearing to be drifting in and out of character, thus increasing his “hip-ness.”  Of course, it was all an act, but he was so effortless at it, the audience never really caught on.  (You Tube)

I have nothing against the current crop of late night television talk show hosts, in fact, some of them I try to watch on a fairly regular basis.  I loved the “Daily Show” with Jon Stewart, and I enjoy his replacement, Trevor Noah.  I like Stephen Colbert as well as Jimmy Kimmel.  I appreciate Jimmy Fallon’s talent, and the fact that he tries to do something different, as well as the fact that he’s a local boy done well, hailing from nearby Saugerties, New York, and attended even “nearer-by” St. Rose College.  However, I find his giggling, and adolescent schtick a bit much for my ever-increasingly curmudgeon like attitude, especially since he’s only a little younger than me.

The fact that there are three fairly successful late night talk shows on at the same time is a borderline miracle, and a sign of how much the times have changed.  For decades, ABC and CBS attempted to dethrone Carson from his late night perch, only to see the “King of Late Night” swat away would-be pretenders to his throne, including Joey Bishop, Pat Sajak, Joan Rivers, Arsenio Hall, and Dennis Miller, (The great impressionist Rich Little used to do a killer Johnny Carson.  I always thought that ABC or CBS should have just hired him to do his Carson impression on their networks.  It could have worked.  Carson was just mailing it in the last ten years he was on the “Tonight Show” anyway.

Johnny definitely had his regulars that would appear every few months on his program.  Angie Dickinson was definitely one of his all-time favorites.  When Johnny wasn’t listening to one of Angie’s inane stories, the two were usually making “googly eyes” at each other.  (You Tube)

For many baby-boomers, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson represented a coming of age.  I can remember when I was first able to stay up late enough to watch “Johnny,” and I can recall thinking, wow, I’m like an adult now.  There was something “cool” about being old enough to stay up and watch Johnny.  I remember thinking how “hip” Carson seemed, and that in some way, he represented “adult” humor.

As it would happen, Johnny wasn’t really all that hip, especially when he was compared to the man most people considered his heir apparent, David Letterman.  Like Carson, Letterman had a laid back “Midwestern” attitude, but delivered his comments with a sarcastic edge that let the audience know, “Yeah, a lot of this stuff is stupid, and I’m aware that we’re not exactly curing cancer here.”

David Letterman might not have been the classic “good-looking” television host, but his “painted on hair,” and his famous gap-toothed smile, seemed to enhance his outsider, “wise-ass” status.  (Getty Images)

David Letterman actually got his start as a television weatherman.  Letterman became a legendary stand-up comedian out in Los Angeles, and eventually became a fixture on the Tonight Show.  After a failed stint as a daytime talk-show host,  he became the host of Late Night, and it was in this gig where Letterman took Carson’s model, and made it all his own.  He innovated such famous bits such as “Stupid Pet Tricks,” “Stupid Human Tricks,” games with the studio audience where he gave out to all contestants, canned ham, pre-recorded shtick that was filmed outside the studio, and of course, his greatest gift to the world “Larry Bud Melman.”  Letterman’s program appealed to older high school students, as well as the college crowd.  Letterman represented “hipness” on television, and while he was unceremoniously passed over by NBC in favor of Jay Leno when it was time to replace Carson, Letterman was given a late night show on CBS , and he established the network as a competitor in the late night television market.

It’s not exactly Abbott and Costello, but David Letterman and Larry Bud Melman, a.k.a. Calvert DeForest, produced some memorable moments on the Late Show.  (You Tube)

Afternoon talk-shows tend to be a little softer and fluffier.  Oprah Winfrey of course is known as the “Queen of Afternoon Talk.”  Oprah parlayed this success into becoming one of the most influential and wealthiest women in entertainment.  Oprah has established herself as the last word on love, race, which books to read, how to seek forgiveness for a public transgression, who we should vote for, and how to give away a car to a television audience.  However, most afternoon talk-shows were a little bit like “lite” versions of the late night fare.

Mike Douglas was an extremely likable crooner who hosted a very popular afternoon “schmooze-fest,” that featured guests as eclectic as John Lennon, (Who along with Yoko, actually guest hosted with Douglas for a week’s worth of shows.) to Moe Howard from the legendary Three Stooges.

There are two things I’d like to point out here.  First, give it up to Mike Douglas, always a good sport, duking it out with Moe in a pie fight, and secondly, you gotta love Moe keeping his classic hairdo, even though his hair is all gray.  He’s dedicated to the look.  (You Tube)

Even more incredible though was the fact that John Lennon and his wife, Yoko, appeared for a week straight on the Mike Douglas Show as special guest hosts.

This is one of those odd curiosities.  The ultimate square breaking bread with the ultimate in cool.  (And John Lennon wasn’t too shabby either.)  I wonder if 50 Cent ever appeared on Oprah?  (You Tube)

Basically, the afternoon talk-show is good for learning tips on how to keep your children safe at Halloween, dieting ideas, fashion advice, and of course, the inevitable cooking segment. Occasionally an “A-list” celebrity will appear, and act very humble while pretending to be best friends with the host, or if it’s Ellen, they’ll dance, and act a little silly.  The most probing question that will be asked on an afternoon talk-show would probably be something along the lines of, “So tell me Julia Roberts, how do you keep your skin so exfoliated?”

Perhaps the most popular type of daytime talk-show, at least for a few years, was the “flashy-trashy” kind.  This is the Jerry Springer, Maury Povich, or Sally Jesse Raphael category of talk where literally anything can, and often does happen.  These are the programs where Nazis, Klansman, as well as dead-beat Dads crawl out of their rabbit holes and appear for us so we can all rail against them.  Jerry Springer, the former mayor of Cincinnati hosted what was by far the wildest and most popular of this brand of talk-show.  However, once it came out that Springer’s program was scripted, and basically the equivalent of professional wrestling, he lost a lot of the buzz that had at one time made “Jerry” the name to beat in afternoon trash-talk.

I’m not sure what Jerry has cooked up here, but I’m sure it’s classy, and um, fake.  (You Tube)

The sad part regarding daytime trash-talk, is that most of it can trace its roots to Phil Donahue.  Donahue’s program dealt with serious issues, particularly those that impacted women.  Donahue would frantically run around his studio, trying to make sure that as many members as possible of his audience could be heard.  However, from Donahue’s noble beginnings, an unfortunate sideshow emerged where sizzle eclipsed substance, which unfortunately took us from Donahue to Springer.

Of course today, in addition to the three white males who host late night talk-shows, there is Bill Maher, Chelsea Handler, very late night talk-shows featuring the likes of Seth Myers, as well as the soft-spoken Charlie Rose, the professorial talk-show host who can be found late-nights on PBS.  Rose’s talk-show is a bit of throwback to the days of Dick Cavett.  Cavett’s softer approach allowed for real conversation to take place, minus the bells and whistles one finds on so much of today’s distracted talk-show programs.  It’s amazing what one can learn about an individual when the audience isn’t “hooting,” and the band isn’t blaring.

Dick Cavett may not be a household name today, but in his prime, he interviewed all of the biggest stars in politics as well as in the world of entertainment.  For instance, did Dick Cavett interview Groucho Marx?  You bet your life!  (You Tube)

If Johnny Carson and David Letterman were the gold standard in television talk-show excellence, who are the all-time bottom feeders.  Well, since nobody asked, here are my all-time worst talk-shows:

The Magic Hour – This starred Magic Johnson as a late night talk-show host, with Sheila E. as his musical director.  It only last two months, and that may have been too long.  The highlight of Magic’s program, an appearance by the Howard Stern band, “The Losers.”

The Chevy Chase Show – This lamentable effort lasted only three weeks, and that was probably too long.  Let’s just say that this wasn’t in Chevy’s wheelhouse, and he was much better suited for hosting “fake news” on Saturday Night Live.

The Pat Sajak Show – CBS “spun the wheel” on Sajak, the very successful host of Wheel of Fortune, but the quips he dropped so effortlessly on “Wheel,” seemed to elude him on his late-night attempt.  Not even having Vanna White turning letters behind him naked was going to save this program from going “bankrupt.”  (Now that was a healthy amount of “Wheel of Fortune” jokes to squeeze into one blurb.)

Wow, I can’t understand how Sajak’s program failed.  I mean, this is a “heavyweight” line-up.  By the way, and I’m just spit-balling here, I’m guessing that this picture was taken before Rush’s “Oxycontin phase.”  (You Tube)

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the worst, most fascistic talk-show that ever existed, “The Morton Downey Show.”  Downey was a chain-smoking lunatic who screamed at his guests, while his meat-headed audience would get all of their “Nazi-like” anger out, and egg on old Mort in his insanity.

As always, it will be interesting to see who the next great talk-show host will be.  I’m thinking that Howard Stern could still take a run at it.  He already does the best interviews on radio, why not take a crack at television.  How about Barack Obama?  I think people would like to “open up” to the ex-president.  Perhaps Harvey Weinstein can find employment as a talk-show host?  They say that the best way to elicit interesting answers from your guests is to not let them feel too relaxed.  Is there anybody who can make people less relaxed than pervy Harvey?