Since I visit GameFAQs.com every day to participate in the daily poll, I also tend to check out the latest in video gaming news. When I see something interesting, I like to share it here with you. Today, I found an interesting news piece about Jimmy Kimmel posting a video about the "avalanche" of backlash he received from gamers about a joke he recently made.
It was probably a few days ago that I saw that Jimmy Kimmel said, "[t]o me, watching another person play video games is like going to a restaurant and having someone eat your food for you." Although I mostly disagree with his statement, I think it's funny. It's obvious that a lot of the gaming community doesn't agree. Some wished death and disease upon him and his family, which I think is going completely overboard.
I do enjoy watching people play video games on YouTube, like Paul Soares, Jr. Sometimes watching people play helps us figure out how to play a game or beat a difficult challenge. Sometimes it's also good to watch someone else play a game that we're unsure about buying or just one we've never heard of before. I can tell you I've found out about a few games just by watching Paul's channel alone, which I'm very grateful for. Maybe Jimmy isn't a gamer and he doesn't get it, that's ok with me. He watches football, which I don't get. We all have our own preferences, we're all unique, and that is why we should have some tolerance for others.
I bring this "controversy" here because we are not YouTube. We are a small and tight gaming community comprised of adults. I'm going to "go out on a limb" and assume no one here was offended by his joke. I believe that the Cheerful Ghost response to the joke is going to be quite different than the backlash he received, especially since we know how to spell and write.
What do you think of Jimmy's joke? Were you offended by it? Did it make you laugh? What do you think about the backlash he received? Was that fair?
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/jimmy-kimmel-responds-to-avalanche-of-gamer-backla/1100-6430226/?utm_source=gamefaqs&utm_medium=partner&utm_content=news_module&utm_campaign=homepage
It was probably a few days ago that I saw that Jimmy Kimmel said, "[t]o me, watching another person play video games is like going to a restaurant and having someone eat your food for you." Although I mostly disagree with his statement, I think it's funny. It's obvious that a lot of the gaming community doesn't agree. Some wished death and disease upon him and his family, which I think is going completely overboard.
I do enjoy watching people play video games on YouTube, like Paul Soares, Jr. Sometimes watching people play helps us figure out how to play a game or beat a difficult challenge. Sometimes it's also good to watch someone else play a game that we're unsure about buying or just one we've never heard of before. I can tell you I've found out about a few games just by watching Paul's channel alone, which I'm very grateful for. Maybe Jimmy isn't a gamer and he doesn't get it, that's ok with me. He watches football, which I don't get. We all have our own preferences, we're all unique, and that is why we should have some tolerance for others.
I bring this "controversy" here because we are not YouTube. We are a small and tight gaming community comprised of adults. I'm going to "go out on a limb" and assume no one here was offended by his joke. I believe that the Cheerful Ghost response to the joke is going to be quite different than the backlash he received, especially since we know how to spell and write.
What do you think of Jimmy's joke? Were you offended by it? Did it make you laugh? What do you think about the backlash he received? Was that fair?
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/jimmy-kimmel-responds-to-avalanche-of-gamer-backla/1100-6430226/?utm_source=gamefaqs&utm_medium=partner&utm_content=news_module&utm_campaign=homepage
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Promoting this to main.
We talked about the Internet Hate Factory in an early episode of the Cheerful Ghost Roundtable and since then gaming has gotten even more toxic, which is a feat in itself.
Sweet, I figured it would get promoted (like nearly everything I post to the forum section). Again, I wasn't sure, so I thought I'd post it there. I remember that Roundtable discussion.
So, Jon, what are your thoughts on this?
I want to see a flame war between Kimmel and Conan now! ;)
Honestly, I mostly agree with him. I'll watch videos to get an idea of what a game is like, or watch a video if I get really stuck (though I prefer text for those), but generally I'm happy for you that you have a 374 part Let's Play of Skyrim, and I'm glad people enjoy watching it, but I'll pass.
Going back to the Skyrim example, I loved seeing early gameplay videos before launch. And if something truly unique, funny, or interesting happens, I enjoy that. But an 30 minutes of someone walking through the snow and fighting bandits, or 30 minutes of someone mining out cave walls looking for gold ore for their pickax? Nah. That's time I could be spending PLAYING the game. The analogy of having someone eat food in front of you is pretty apt, for me.
As for the backlash, nobody ever deserves death threats, period. But he didn't even deserve flaming for this. He's a comedian and he shared an opinion in an amusing way. Maybe people didn't find it funny, but that's their business.
One caveat: If it's like a Starcraft 2 tournament, or something like that, then it can definitely be fun to watch. Even Halo matches can be fun to watch. Videos of people playing single player are useless to me as a form of entertainment.
I enjoy watching people play video games, especially (as I often mention) Paul Soares, Jr. The first series of his I watched was his Minecraft tutorial series. I watched the entire 30+ episode playlist before playing. I loved watching him play and explain how to do this and that in the game. He also adds a role playing aspect of it and it's really entertaining to me. I've watched some of his other series (10 or 20+ videos) and have thoroughly enjoyed them. I did watch someone else play some Stranded Deep, which was cool, too. In fact, (as I've already told Travis) part of my nightly routine before I fall asleep is what I call my Kindle time. That's when I get on and play a few games with friends (like Words With Friends) and then I go to Paul's channel to see if he's posted something I want to watch (like his ARK series). Sometimes I'll look for other things that I'm interested in.
Vinny, my son, on the other hand watches people play games on YouTube all the time. Although, he also watches game related music videos and cartoons as well (he's watched some of the classic Ghostbusters cartoons, some Dragonball Z, and others).
I respect Jimmy and his opinion. I think he's a funny guy, I like him. I don't think he was trying to be offensive, just funny, and he actually has a good point. He may not understand that some of us like to watch those videos because it helps us learn to play or play better or even that they can be entertaining. But that goes back to his football analogy, he doesn't get watching people play video games and I don't get watching people play football. That's ok to me, not everyone fully understands why everyone else likes certain things.
I don't know the ages of the people who gave him that huge amount of backlash, but my guess is that they were probably teens or younger, immature, and unable to take a joke. I'm sure none of us (adults) here was at all offended by what he said and I think that kind of speaks for itself.
I think so too Greg. That said there are a ton of adults on all sides of whichever issue that can't take a joke either. Personally I enjoy laughing at myself but some people are very self serious.
I watch a handful of "people playing games" videos but not many. I agree with Jimmy, I'd rather play it myself. I might watch a Hearthstone video to see something or learn something but I think the best way to learn Hearthstone is to play it.
With all that, if people want to watch hours and hours of gameplay videos that's fine by me. Not like anyone needs anyone's approval to do anything, which might be part of the problem here.
Yeah, I agree with you, too, Jon. America loves to hate and that's what many of them seem to think the Internet is for. If you don't believe me, post something on Facebook about religion or politics and you're sure to get some negative comments. Everyone has their own opinion about things, we all see everything with different perspectives. We need to be more tolerant and respectful with that, I think. Jimmy's a comedian, not a gamer, and he was clearly making a joke. I don't think what he said was really all that bad. It's not like he said something like, "all gamers are lazy and stupid and deserve to die a long and horrible death." So, he wasn't really attacking anyone, just stating his own preference with a funny example. One could also say something about cooking shows like, "why watch someone make dinner when you could be doing it yourself?" Obviously there are good reasons to watch those kinds of shows, if that's what you're into.
I would often rather play a game than watch someone else play, too. But, as I've said, there are times when I want to watch someone play so I can learn from them. YouTube really helped me tackle tough challenges I came across with Hyrule Warriors, for example. Speaking of which, I'd like to see Travis play Assassin's Creed so I can figure out how the heck to play the demo I downloaded for my PS3.
I like that Jimmy showed us examples of the "avalanche" of hate he received, calling out all those hateful gamers. It's not like he really said anything bad about gamers, but now that so many people have expressed such negativity towards his joke, he could easily get the impression that most gamers are angry and don't know how to spell.
I don't find it funny nor offensive. Seems like an opinion.
Part 1 of 2
Kimmel's satire of YouTube Gaming, or game streaming in general, is about as relevant as making fun of Colorado for legalizing pot. It's been going on long enough now, that pointing it out just makes you look out of touch. YouTube Gaming is Google's answer to Twitch, which exists because viewership of game streaming was outpacing general content on Justin.tv. This has been going on for near half a decade. The Wall Street Journal reported in January of this year (2015, for posterity), that Twitch viewership had reached 100 million per month, globally. Kimmel heard about it YouTube's "new thing", doesn't know anything about it other than the basest bullet point "watch other people play games" and makes a derogatory joke about it, calling it stupid. He then carries the stereotype further by telling these viewers to "go outside and play," which carries the usual insinuations of gamers being lazy, over-weight, cave-dwellers.
I don't watch Jimmy Kimmel's show, so his comments mean very little to me, and probably would have never known his opinion on the matter if they weren't brought to our humble site. Jimmy Kimmel is to me what game streaming appears to be to him.
Not everything on Twitch, or YouTube Gaming, is quality content, I think that's fair to say (maybe an understatement), but it doesn't need to be. Not everything on TV or the Internet, or life for that matter, is a quality experience. I enjoy watching League of Legends tournaments on Twitch. I also watch people play games that I haven't purchased, to see what it's all about. Sometimes I'll watch someone because I like their personality and love to hear their banter, despite the game they are playing. Watching game streams is exactly like watching an NBA game, or NCAA game, or any sporting event, or social event that you could just as easily recreate yourself. You don't have to be in the NBA to play basketball, as Jimmy implies. Get off the couch, pick up a basketball, and go to the park: it works the same way. It's a double standard to think otherwise.
Part 2 of 2
Sometimes a joke isn't "just a joke." Otherwise, Jon Stewarts career at The Daily Show was just a big laugh-fest, and not the poignant satire that a lot of us looked forward to in shedding light on the political landscape of the country. This Kimmel joke about YouTube Gaming is irrelevant, and hardly clever satire. It's a backhanded comment about a very large group of people's pastime, given by someone from the outside looking in, and not understanding any of it. Who cares? Jimmy Kimmel isn't going to affect game streaming the way Jon Stewart shutdown Crossfire. The fact that this is garnering attention is stupid. The fact that he made a response in a following episode, reiterating the fact that some people on the internet have anger issues (or simply don't care, and gladly say whatever they want to say under anonymity), is even more stupid. Now I'm commenting on all of it, which feels stupid, but I've been sick in bed for days and am having a claws-out moment. Or maybe it's because I just got back from PAX, surrounded by the people that Jimmy is making fun of, being one of those people, and finding the whole thing ignorant and unfunny.
The moral: People shouldn't fire cheap shots into a void of their own ignorance, and then highlight the consequences. The ones that get hit shouldn't lash out in a flailing fury, and instead shrug it off (albeit, annoyingly), realizing that they were just hit with a Nerf ball.
"People shouldn't fire cheap shots into a void of their own ignorance, and then highlight the consequences. The ones that get hit shouldn't lash out in a flailing fury, and instead shrug it off (albeit, annoyingly), realizing that they were just hit with a Nerf ball."
Absolutely.
That said, I do enjoy a few cheap shots among friends. But I heard something from the Daily Show without Jon Stewart podcast where they talked about how they approached jokes. When they were being punchy with humor they always wanted to punch upward. So taking a swing at power systems, oppression, suffering, war, etc. In this case Kimmel is punching downward or across and the joke is that he doesn't get it. Which can be funny if you are attached to the presenter but like all of you, Kimmel isn't my go to for anything except the occasional mean tweets video.
"In this case Kimmel is punching downward or across and the joke is that he doesn't get it."
The joke to us may be that he doesn't get it, but that's not the joke that he was trying to deliver.
Fair enough, does anyone have a link to the original joke that spawned this? I haven't seen it, just the response.
https://youtu.be/Ji9KmXwrA5Y
That reminds me of The Onion's video "Newsroom : Warcraft Sequel Lets You Play A Character Playing Warcraft " https://youtu.be/Rw8gE3lnpLQ
It's a slightly different premise, but similar :)
I dunno, the whole point of the joke is that he doesn't get it. He doesn't understand why people would watch people playing video games. To a point, I totally agree with him, with a few exceptions. From the way he presented it I gather he *does* play video games, at least, and if that's the case he's not making a joke about a community he doesn't have any attachment to.
The Onions video is funny but it was done YEARS ago and was pretty original back then.
OK I just watched Kimmels bit and it was kind of ho hum until God was watching people, I liked that part. So after watching Kimmels original it seems he "doesn't get it" and is pulling the "old man, back in my day we didn't do that" sort of joke. Which is fine, but yeah it's not top brow or anything. That said, it's not that uncommon for comedy shows and if I had a nickel every time Bill Maher did that particular line i'd have a few bucks. Which isn't that big of a deal as I already have a few bucks in my wallet.
What a great reply, scrypt, thank you! I see your points and agree with you, pretty much. It's clear that he doesn't "get it" like I don't "get" football. Some people watch people play sports, video games, cooking, etc. Not all of us "get" others preferences. I read something about YouTube's new Gaming service that showed how big video gaming is on YouTube. If it wasn't for video gaming, YouTube just wouldn't quite be the same, I think. Anyway, thanks for the great reply!
The Onions video is funny but it was done YEARS ago and was pretty original back then.
I don't get your "but."
Here is the article I mentioned in my last reply about the new gaming service.
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/youtube-gaming-launches-tomorrow/1100-6430014/
@Travis, I guess I don't know how it's not obvious that the joke is that game streaming is stupid, and people that spectate are stupid. People in the audience aren't laughing at Jimmy being out of touch. They are laughing because he's calling this particular activity stupid. The punchline of the joke is God watching a daisy-chain of streamers, commenting on how he made a "race of idiots" and then getting into it himself, thus making God an idiot. Humans can be idiots, no doubt, and I can be King Idiot from time to time. This idea doesn't offend me. Kimmel's joke doesn't offend me. His parading of angry tweets in the subsequent episode is stupid, in my opinion, because it doesn't do anything but perpetuate further animosity toward gamers, but I don't find it particularly offensive. However, to gather that he's subjugating himself because of his lack of understanding regarding "what the kids are doing", seems to miss the point entirely. Whether or not he has a particular attachment to the gaming community is irrelevant, in this case, because, in telling this joke, he is publicly setting himself apart from that community. Which is fine. You can be an American and still think Texas is crazy. But if you proclaim it in public, don't expect Texans to be peaceful about it ;).
I doglegged a little with the "that doesn't offend me" tangent, and it seems out of place. I was thinking/writing this because I meant to say that I was trying to dissect the joke analytically, and not particularly taking offense to any point of it. It made sense in my cold-ridden brain.
@AdamPFarnsworth
I mean't that the Onions joke was made quite a long time ago and much more original because it was a sort of fresh concept. Kimmels joking about it is kind of like joking about the Internet loving cats. It's way past it's prime and totally obvious at this point.
Sure, that's the ultimate joke, but it comes out of him not understanding why anyone would want to watch it. I don't think he literally thinks everyone who watches game streaming is stupid, that's just an extension of the joke to absurdity, which is common in those kinds of late night talk show segments. Yes, the joke is "look how stupid this is," but many jokes are "look how stupid this is." George Carlin's entire catalog is "look how stupid this is." That doesn't mean he literally thinks everyone who doesn't think like him is stupid, it's just exaggeration for comedic effect.
People just don't have a sense of humor about themselves anymore.
As for "Whether or not he has a particular attachment to the gaming community is irrelevant, in this case, because, in telling this joke, he is publicly setting himself apart from that community" I disagree, he's only setting himself apart from the the portion of the gaming community who watch other people play games on youtube.
"George Carlin's entire catalog is "look how stupid this is." That doesn't mean he literally thinks everyone who doesn't think like him is stupid, it's just exaggeration for comedic effect."
Perhaps, but Carlin was very harsh on people he disliked and often times that was the "dumb masses." I love Carlin and think his comedy is hilarious even if it crosses into territory I enjoy, which isn't often. Damn I miss Carlin.
PS I also love RedLetting Media because they mock everything including video game culture, which is odd that they don't get this kind of backlash. That said they also run a video game show too.
"People just don't have a sense of humor about themselves anymore."
To whom are you referring?
Carlin was like Leary or Black, or Louis CK to some extent. Their hook is that they are angry/frustrated at the stupid things that people do. I find some of it funny, but it's not entirely my cup of tea. I think what Carlin did came easier for him, because he was genuinely angry at stupidity. Just like Jon Stewart is genuinely frustrated with politics, or how Kinison was genuinely frustrated with religion. The funny stuff doesn't just come from nowhere. They may not be speaking literally, but I believe there are speaking genuinely, which is what makes most of the jokes relatable.
Of course Kimmel's joke comes from him not understanding, but that's not the joke. He's banking on an audience agreeing that "This stuff is stupid, right? What kind of idiots want this crap?"
To whom are you referring?
The people who flamed him or got legitimately offended
He's banking on an audience agreeing that "This stuff is stupid, right? What kind of idiots want this crap?"
He's banking on the audience finding it funny, which I did, even though I wouldn't say watching video games "stupid." A youtube channel where you watch people watch video games *is* stupid. A channel where you watch people watch people play video games is even stupider. He's extending the premise to absurdity.
For example, if you make a joke about dentists being sadistic, you aren't banking on an audience thinking "Yeah you're right, dentists ARE sadistic!" you're just hoping they'll find the way you're presenting it amusing enough to laugh at it. Of course dentists aren't sadists, but if you highlight certain characteristics of their job you can make them seem that way for humorous purposes.
That comment two up should say the following, I didn't proofread it well enough:
A youtube channel where you watch people watching people play video games *is* stupid. A channel where you watch people watching people watching people play video games is even stupider. He's extending the premise to absurdity.
"He's banking on the audience finding it funny, which I did, even though I wouldn't say watching video games "stupid.""
Your first post: "Honestly, I mostly agree with him."
That's what he's banking on.
Generally speaking, if topical jokes aren't relatable, they won't be found funny. Your analogy to dentists being sadistic proves the point (contrary to your argument), because most people will agree that a person standing over your pried, gaping mouth with power tools in their hand, is one step away from Jason Voorhees. Again, they don't literally think dentists are sadists (maybe some do...), but it's very easy to imagine that proposal, because people can relate with experiencing pain at the hands of a calm, casual-speaking dentist. If someone had never gone to a dentist, or know what a dentist is, they would likely not find such a joke very funny. They might smile and nod at everyone else's camaraderie, but they would doubtfully enjoy the actual joke.
Kimmel couldn't have told that joke at a con like PAX or E3 or Comic-Con, because it would have fallen flat, or worse, he would have gotten booed off the stage. I would think that he feels safe telling a joke like that on his home turf, because he's been in the business long enough to know what his audience, or the general unknowing public, might appreciate. The public already thinks that 'gamers' are a joke, wasting time participating in an activity that's tantamount to watching paint dry. Making fun of gamers is like making fun of Trump's hair. It's easy.
My "honestly I mostly agree with him" was from the single sentence about the restaurant which is all I had heard at that time. Before I had watched the video. I agree with the sentiment that he doesn't get the appeal, and I'd rather play the game than watch it, not that it's stupid.
In fact, in the video segment, there's nothing to agree with because it's all satire.
I'm not saying it isn't an easy joke, or that it's a good joke, just that it's not malicious at all. Poking fun of things and exaggerating for effect is old hat in comedy.
To put it more clearly, Greg presented this as gamers rioting over that single statement. I thought that was the end of it until you posted the link to the original segment. I would have qualified my "mostly agree with him" with some conditions if I'd known the rest.
I still think the whole thing is funny, though.
"Making fun of gamers is like making fun of Trump's hair. It's easy."
Yeah, that's a good point.
For the record, I want to state that this is the second time today I came to CheerfulGhost and have/had 15 notifications. Wow! Is that good?
I have an interesting email from an obvious throwaway address.
"I hope you and Kimmel both choke on each other's dicks and die."
Not one of you, I assume ;)
@Travis, Now I think I'm mostly agreeing with you :).
Maybe ;).
You can agree with satire. Depending on context, of course, it's probably more appropriate to agree with the underlying point of the satire. The whole thing that makes satire work is that it's poignant. Like Swift's Modest Proposal. It's not slapstick or dick jokes. Not that I think Kimmel was being malicious, but I felt he was being ignorant and intentional (or his writers were), due to the fact that they build a skit around it...
https://youtu.be/Z9oZplyzDKc?list=PLs4hTtftqnlA-DrZlPTpbCbYzhVHRLPCU
aaaand this proves my point :)
Which point does that prove? And how? I'm not sure which one you mean :)
Also you wouldn't happen to be the one who hopes Kimmel and I choke while fellating each other are you?
Sorry, I can't get over that.
(that was a joke, I know that wasn't you :D)
"The public already thinks that 'gamers' are a joke, wasting time participating in an activity that's tantamount to watching paint dry.
Scrypt pointed out something that I think is definitely serious and that is the stereotype that gamers are just wasting their lives away, fat, and lazy. You know how when you talk to people and they ask what you're doing, well there have been times when I've told the person I was playing a video game and they either said something negative or something in their tone or whatever contained a good hint of disapproval. Yet I'd say that playing video games all day is probably at least a little better than watching TV all day. I'd say it's more intellectually stimulating, but I'm also biased. At least we're not out in the real world causing chaos, killing each other, or doing other worse things (granted there are those that are out there doing those things). It just seems to me that gamers are still not taken very seriously by the general public. It may take some time. In the scope of time, you could say that video gaming is still perhaps young. But, it seems people still associate video gaming with kids, without realizing that adults play video games, too, and lead "normal", healthy, and productive lives.
The backlash, though. It's not like he came out and said something like Trump's message that Mexicans are rapists and murderers, etc. The backlash that Jimmy received is what I would expect for something like what Trump said, which was clearly racist and not meant to be funny. Jimmy on the other hand, while perhaps showing his lack of understanding of watching people play video games on YouTube, was just trying to get a laugh, which worked.
There was another piece of gaming news I thought about sharing, which could perhaps also lead to some discussion....
Greg, leave it to you to make it about a Republican presidential candidate :D
But yeah, I agree. The backlash is what brought us here, and I think we all agree it was ridiculous.
Also, don't leave us hanging man, what's that gaming news? POST IT! POOOOOST IIIIIIIIT!
Well Trump was already mentioned, so I just dived further into that example. I'll post the other bit here soon.
Sorry, @Travis, the point that he was being intentional, trying to get a rise out of gamers. Basically, he was trolling :)
Oh hell yeah. At this point, he's definitely totally trolling. I'm not sure he was to begin with but now he's trying to milk this for all it's worth. I imagine he's gotten more youtube hits than he has in ages, so he's going to troll the hell out of us for as long as he can keep it up.
I find it amusing, still, but it could wear thin if he doesn't know when to stop.
(and I'd say now would be a good time to stop, probably)
Thanks for the link, scrypt, showing that this has continued. I still find what he says humorous and the comments he received as way over board. I don't think Jimmy's fat, in fact I think he looks slimmer than whatever it was I saw him on before, which I can't recall at the moment. I like that he said he'd sit down with some gamers to judge whether for himself whether or not he still agrees with his joke. Yes, he said if he disapproved he'd shut down Twitch and YouTube, he was clearly joking about that, which I also thought was funny. I don't know the ages of the people who sent him so much hate and I'm sure they all weren't 12 year old boys, but I bet they were mostly people around that age.
I strongly disagree with what he said about not being a part of a community because you don't leave the house. You don't need physical contact to be a part of a community anymore as the Internet is full of them, even if only one of them really matters (Cheerful Ghost), hahaha how do you like that joke?
Travis, you really got an email saying that? How? Did you post a comment some where like on YouTube? Those guys are mad! I mostly find what Jimmy said humorous and I find the comments he received were too extreme. But, I'm not going to post that where I know I'll get flamed. LOL
@Greg
Yeah I disagree with him saying the bit about never leaving the house, but that was obvious trolling. He's trying to get a rise out of the people flaming him.
And yeah I got an email saying that. this is the only place I've discussed it, so maybe this showed up from a google search about "Jimmy Kimmel game streaming" or something. Or maybe one of the ghosts here doesn't want to voice things publicly. I dunno. I find it amazingly amusing.
That is strange. I didn't get an email (thank goodness). I did check my spam folder which looks really nasty, but it doesn't seem like any flaming is in there. Did anyone else get an email like that?
@Travis - Oh, wow! No, that wasn't me! :D I didn't realize you actually got that. I thought it was another of Jimmy's comments.
I couldn't find the original clip, because it seems to have disappeared, but here is a response video to an incident last summer, when Kimmel was harassing cosplayers at Comic-con: https://youtu.be/s9yNq0UXVcU
Comments from Leno regarding Kimmel's "mean streak": http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jay-leno-jimmy-kimmel-mean-streak_55ccfc75e4b0cacb8d336802
Interesting perspective on the Kimmel/Comic-con incident:
http://www.salon.com/2014/07/29/jimmy_kimmels_comic_con_stunt_reveals_the_limits_of_man_on_the_street_comedy/
*the original Kimmel/Comic-con video from 2014 has been marked "private", and is not accessible. Convenient!
It's hard (for me, at least) not to come to a conclusion that Jimmy Kimmel prides himself on being a dick and a bully. With that, and the way he's milking the "attacks" on him, I'd say that he's actually, almost literally, asking for it. To that extent, I wish him success, and I hope he gets everything that's coming to him. Forgiveness is always around the corner, but if the man wants to be abused and threatened by attacking other people, then why should he be deprived of his pleasures :).
My reply to the first Comic-con video:
Was it "inappropriate" for him to ask a COSPlay person if they have sex in costume? That is someone's personal life and really none of anyone else's business. So, I guess that makes it inappropriate. I do wonder why someone would even care about whether or not someone has sex in costume. Sure it may not be the "norm" or largely socially acceptable but that norm is obviously not what everyone else practices. Is having sex in costume really that odd? Some people enjoy role playing, some don't. We all have our own preferences. I think the real question here isn't what Jimmy's trying to ask, but why would you even ask that of someone? I think the answer is so that you can poke fun at them and get a few laughs.
I kind of disagree with the guy talking about comedy (see about 1:50 in the video for what he says). Basically, he says that comedy ceases to be comedy when it's not funny, but a painting is still a painting even if it's ugly. In this he clearly deems what happened as not comedy just because he didn't think it was funny. Yet, some people thought it was funny, so isn't it still comedy? I personally don't think the whole thing was funny, but I'm not going so far as to agree that it's not comedy just because some of us didn't find it funny.
I didn't like the insinuation that Jimmy said that since the guy said he's had sex in the costume he was wearing when asked the question that it was by himself an hour ago. That clearly seems to say something negative about him or perhaps the stereotype of cosplayers. So, I do agree with the guy in this video that it was disrespectful. I also agree with his final statement in that if someone with a camera asks you a question that you find inappropriate, just walk away.
Of course most of his comedy comes from rubbing people the wrong way. He was a total dick on Loveline back in the day and has actually gotten better since then.
He pushes people's buttons. Many great comedians do. I'm not saying Kimmel is great, he's kinda mediocre overall, but that doesn't mean he deserves fucking death wishes.
"but that doesn't mean he deserves fucking death wishes."
Not what he deserves, but it is what he's looking for. We disagree on whether that was his plan all along.
@GregoPeck: If your kid gets bullied at school, but other kids laugh, is that comedy? Just because a comedian says something doesn't make it a joke, nor does that make it comedy. To some people, bullying is funny, but that doesn't mean the bully gets a pass because of comedic license. I think that's what that guy in the video meant.
I removed a comment because it didn't adequately say what I wanted to say, so I'm sorry if that disrupts the flow. There weren't any replies when I made it.
This conversation is taking things into an analysis of his previous jokes, which doesn't necessarily inform this one. He had no chance whatsoever to bully anyone in that first bit about streaming, and he hasn't had a chance since then, though if he goes through with his plan to talk to someone about game streaming he'll have ample opportunity.
We agree that he's egging people on *now*, after things started ramping up, and we agree he's been a dick to people in the past, but initially he was making a joke about game streaming, which has gotten kinda lost in the conversation. There's no bullying going on, and the worst things he's said (which have been pretty mild) have been when he's making fun of people wishing things upon him like cancer, aids, and apparently death by fellatio by proxy. The conversation is getting muddled significantly.
I didn't really notice Jimmy's trolling until you guys pointed it out with video proof. Leno says Jimmy has a mean-streak and that seems to be showing, which makes his things less funny.
I wouldn't think it's funny, I don't think bullying is funny, I was a victim of it in my school days. I think bullying is a serious issue. So, then how do we define comedy? Maybe what's comedy to one isn't comedy to another. Maybe a painting to one is trash to another. I'm not sure, but good point.
I think the fact that he's feeding off the frenzy is evidence enough that he doesn't mind hurting people to get a laugh. He's used nerddom as a target more than a few times in the past. I would argue that he knew exactly what was going to happen (hoping would happen?), based on similar jokes/bits that he's done, and the fact that he has a running bit called Celebrities Read Mean Tweets. Oh, and the fact that he shares the little not-so-secret "I love making people mad." He knows that the Internet is a gold mine for vitriol. To some degree, I think he's counting on it.
Regardless, again, it's irrelevant and people are overreacting and feeding the troll. Honestly, at this point, I think it would be every young man's dream to have their best insults read on live TV. I think that's another danger that's being perpetuated there.
Yeah, that seems clear to me now, especially since he said, "I love making people mad." Maybe initially I didn't take that seriously, but you've shown good proof of that being the case. In which case, well I think that sucks and yeah if he's asking for it, which seems to be, then it's no surprise at the response he's gotten. Still, death threats and such? That seems to be a bit overboard. I'd expect Trump to be the one getting those. Personally, I don't "love making people mad," which is why I don't post every opinion I have on Facebook (I have other venues for that).
"He had no chance whatsoever to bully anyone in that first bit about streaming"
Do you think that someone has to be physically present in order for bullying to take place?
In the original post, Greg was asking what we thought of the joke and the subsequent backlash. The second video is the header. I brought in the first video later. Then I used research on previous jokes for character reference, to help inform my opinion of the comedian's motivation and the joke in question. I don't see any muddling going on, but maybe I'm bad at forumming! :D
(You can tell me I'm bad at forumming. I won't get offended :)
I don't think you have to be physically present for bullying. I think messages (email, texts, FaceBook posts, tweets, comments, etc.) are used to bully others.
I do thank you for posting the original video and further videos showing Jimmy's style. In the end, you see, I feel much more enlightened as to what was really going on with this story, not just the top, most visual layer of it. Seeing that he pretty much instigated it just makes his "comedy" much less funny than I initially thought.
I don't think you're "bad at forumming," in fact I think you've done a fantastic job of showing that this story has more than what "meets the eye." I think you've done a great job expressing your opinion and have successfully enlightened me.
It wasn't my intention to stir any controversy here and I think we've all been discussing this issue, which is great because, as you noted, that's pretty much what I asked for. I got more than I expected, sure, but it's made Cheerful Ghost quite active today, which I think is good for the site. It's also good for us as we are a close (not opposite to open) and tight gaming community. And yes, Jimmy Kimmel, you can be in a community without leaving your house, in fact you could say you are part of a community in your house (especially if you live with others like I do).
I hope I didn't come off sounding like I thought there was any conspiracy or anything. I guess sometimes I'm more interested in why someone is saying something, rather than just what they are saying. A what's-in-it-for-them, follow-the-money kind of thing. I knew little to nothing about Jimmy Kimmel before this thread, and I still don't. I typically don't like comedy that picks on the little guy. I don't think Kimmel should be reprimanded or banned, or anything like that. I do think, however, that his actions and words, should they continue in this manner, will manifest consequences that aren't worth the laughs that they bring.
You guys are my community, and I'm sorry if I get argumentative, or nit-picky, or go off on rabbit trails.
I don't think there has been any real controversy here, @GregoPeck. Maybe I should pace myself more? Am I posting too quickly with my responses? I don't want to be exhausting!
I'd say that's what's happened here is that I saw something and noticed what was said and didn't look any deeper. You looked deeper and found a connection, it seems. It's clear who here did the most analytical thinking between the two of us. I'd say that's a good thing, a sign of intelligence. I'd say more people should view things more analytically instead of always just accepting something at face value.
Yeah, if he keeps it up, he could end up making the wrong person mad. These days, it seems, you have to be really careful about that, especially since a lot of people are proudly carrying their guns around.
You guys are my community, too, and I have nothing but love for Cheerful Ghost. I've been really enjoying getting to know you guys, along with finding out about some awesome video games I might not have known about if I wasn't here. I kind of fit Kimmel's stereotype as I mostly stay indoors and I don't go out or socialize very much at all. I think Cheerful Ghost is pretty much the extent of my social life. Hahaha.
I don't consider what we've done here to be argumentative. We've had a good discussion and, as I said, I feel like my eyes have been opened a bit regarding this story, something I wasn't expecting. It's good to discuss things, even if there may be differences in opinion. And, even though we all may have had a difference of opinion on some of the things we've discussed here, we've been able to remain civil, like true mature adults. Plus, I don't recall seeing anything that was misspelled, we obviously have a firm grasp on how to write. LOL
Personally, I'd rather you be as open as you want. I wasn't complaining about having so many notifications here. I think it's been good for the site (even though Travis received some hate mail). It's good to discuss things, as I think we've done here. I don't think any of us had the attitude of "I'm right and you're wrong." So, I'd say it's been a healthy discussion. =)
You don't have to be present for bullying but taking shots at an entire group of people isn't bullying, and heckling hecklers isn't bullying (unless you're Michael Richards).
There is an update to this story as Kimmel joined a couple of YouTubers. In the end, I don't think it really ended all that well.
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/jimmy-kimmel-educates-himself-about-video-games/1100-6430318/