19 May, 2011
Unless you were blinded by the light, you have probably run across a North Carolina parent that has taken offense to the jokes made about adoption in the game. Apparently, Neil Stapel has a 10 year old daughter who happens to be adopted. When he heard the jokes in the game, he was flabbergasted and upset, not knowing how to comfort his daughter over the seething remarks made by GLaDOS.
Now, I feel bad if someone has taken offense to a game that in itself is over the top and ridiculous by nature. I mean, if anyone can tell me the last time they were using their portal gun to get to obscurely placed companion cubes in their daily life, let me know, because I want to move there. I think the point missed here is that we as a society have forgotten how to laugh at things. Sure, there are adopted people in the world, and this joke might sting a bit, but I never once heard Mr. Stapel complain about the numerous fat jokes in the game that GLaDOS makes about Chell. Of course, this probably has more to do with the fact that his daughter is not overweight and therefore that does not bother him, and most likely, both of them got a chuckle out of that.
But why is it that we cannot joke about things anymore without one person being offended at some point. Look, I heard several jokes about dwarves in Dragon Age II, but because I am short, I didn’t go flying off the handle because someone was making fun of people that are short by nature. We have to remember that it is okay to laugh at insensitive subjects in life. There are going to be people that are fat, skinny, bulimic, adopted, and so on. Games also look to humor to break tension and offer up some levity to a situation that may be rather glum in nature.
In the last few days, I have been playing L.A. Noire, and it is a period piece, and because of that has several jokes and barbs that make fun of the Polish, the Irish and African Americans. And you bet your ass, I chuckled at several of these references. Does that make me a bad person? To some, probably, but I think it is okay to have a laugh about something that may offend someone.
Again, going back to my situation, I have had health problems my entire life, which was treated at a young age by the only treatments available at the time – cortical steroids. Problem with that is that cortical steroids in young children tend to stunt their growth, leaving me at a less than statuesque 5 foot six inches on the measuring stick. Yet, when I hear a short joke in a game, I don’t lose my shit. I tend to chuckle along, because it is funny. I tend to make jokes about my medical condition, my height and pretty much everything else about me, because you have to be able to make fun of a bad situation. Unfortunately, in today’s society, there is too much political correctness to let people just laugh at a bad situation.
I am sorry if the young lady was offended at the adoption joke, but we really need to learn that a little rib poking isn’t such a bad thing. Take that from someone that would need a seven foot ladder to dunk on an eight foot basketball rim.
Argh!
I don’t know how to reply to this. Initially, I want to agree; as a Family Guy-watching individual, I feel you’re right – sometimes we’re afraid to laugh, and not everything is meant with ill-will.
But, donning my professional hat … where is the line? What’s malicious, and what is rib-poking? What’s appropriate, and what is not? It’s great that you’re able to laugh at yourself, but is it fair to chastise the individual in the same position as you but who might not share your view?
For example: lots of people use the term ‘lame’, ‘retarded’ and ‘gay’ as synonyms for something that is crap, useless or worn out. For many they’re acceptable … but me personally, I abhor them, and say as much whenever they’re said in earshot (or within an e-environment that I control). One person’s freedom ends where another begins and I don’t believe any one individual can instruct another on what they can legitimately be upset about.
Like I said, I honestly have NO IDEA where I fall in this argument, but I enjoyed reading this and considering a response. Interesting thoughts, Joe!
Sure, there are somethings that no one wants to joke about, but sometimes I think we take it too far. Sure, I hate when someone uses the term “getting raped” when losing at an online match, but at the same time, I don’t go apeshit insane.
People have made mention of the term spazz or spastic in a game, and my wife has a form of epilepsy, but I don’t then go to the media talking about how troulbled I am by this topic of joke.
At some point, we have to be allowed to have fun. If you look at any joke ever told, someone, or something is at the bott of the joke. Someone is bound to be offended by it. As I said, I am short, and that is a topic comedians and games have used frequently as a mechanism for humor. I don’t care, and I never will, but there are some that will lose their mind over it.
Where is that line drawn is the problem, because no one is going to be happy where it is set. Someone is going to be offended, no matter who you poke fun at. If I make fun of plankton in the ocean, Greenpeace will probably come to the plankton’s defense. Sure, it sounds stupid, but there is a reality that someone might go that far to suit their agenda.
I was lucky enough to watch an American news report about this before work today so I had a whole afternoon to think about it.
I’m upset because the people reporting this Certainly made sure that nobody wise to the franchise or even gaming believes this is an Evil, insensitive product and the likes of this is the lowest of the low in the history of video game entertainment.
They used a phrase “builds it self as Educational” Blinkering the non-savvy watchers with use of words intentional or not. It’s made to sounds like its been put on shelves for the sole purpose of teaching through interaction, through a gaming medium so massively influential, an out of school up-market-fisher-price-alternative for 10s and up… oh but look how Could they do X!. *sigh*
In part 1 they say something along the lines of “We contacted Sony… they said to contact Valve… Passing the buck *scoffs* certainly seems that way” and there it is again. That’s low. You don’t have a bloody clue do you! People Not wise are going to suck-up this side of the story, make a little hell in its wake
It’s obvious the reporters And the father Chose what they wanted to hear in this case and blew it our of proportion, considering the bigger picture of what happens in-game they are missing out if they haven’t paid attention properly, somehow manage to drag it through dirt to make a statement.
They cut short what I think are important pieces of dialogue for the sake of Smearing 1 line.
I love how on the followup they put blind outrage and anger on a back gas but have still done little to no in-depth contextual research but keep uneducated comments to themselves.
GLaDOS – “Can’t you see that she’s obviously not fat?… For the record, you are adopted, but that’s terrible”(‘That’ being Wheatley’ poor delivery of demotivational insults) That’s my interpretation.
Not being serious for a moment if I hadn’t of completed the game thrice or 8 times over I would of been Really, Blindly angry that they SPOILED the story for me. While I hope all of this is swept under the carpet I also hope 3million+ Steam users have torn WBTV? a new one for this. I’m pretty sure they’ve been trolled already.
What a way to send gamers back 3 – 5 years. Thanks News. Where are were now, minus what?… You know, because we’ve all played GTA now were all closet murderers and thieves and Valve is now The evil and insensitive corporation and us gamers are just as bad for not giving a damn.
As for Valve, I’ll bet they get Chet or Doug on the case to make Angry-Portal-Dad double-take on his stance on this and you’ll be seeing him come and go on Know Your Meme by the end of next week.