Lev Lafayette found this over at rpg.net:
http://www.johnmccain.com/McCainReport/Read.aspx?guid=181471d0-5456-4434-9f78-2f30ffc39459
"It may be typical of the pro-Obama Dungeons & Dragons crowd to disparage a fellow countryman's memory of war from the comfort of mom's basement, but most Americans have the humility and gratitude to respect and learn from the memories of men who suffered on behalf of others"
I would have though McCain to be fully trad, but it sounds like he is going for the swine vote.
Well, to be fair, it was Michael Goldfarb doing the alienating, not John McCain.
!i!
Quote from: Ian Absentia;236647Well, to be fair, it was Michael Goldfarb doing the alienating, not John McCain.
!i!
That's how it reads to me too. Attention to detail and all that.
Walkerp, if you are going to play political reactionary to get attention, shouldn't you be choking that particular chicken over on RPGnet?
What the fuck? Talk about waaay outta left field.
It's like he'd been looking for a flimsy excuse to put D&D into a negative article for months.
Quote from: jeff37923;236651That's how it reads to me too. Attention to detail and all that.
Like I know or give a fuck who Michael Goldfag is. It's on McCain's website, so I'll take it that it represents his voice.
Quote from: jeff37923;236651Walkerp, if you are going to play political reactionary to get attention, shouldn't you be choking that particular chicken over on RPGnet?
Um, I found this over at rpg.net. Attention to detail and all that. Anyways, I posted it because I thought it was funny. Others seemed to as well.
You know I really thought I had gotten rid of you. I even didn't reput you on my ignore list after the forum switch. Before I do that, I guess I must remind you once again that:
(http://www.conventionofassassins.org/blog/Reid.jpg)
Okay, now off to the User CP...
It's not the first time he's done this apparently.
I sent an email to the blogger. I suggest we all do so. Remember, be polite! ;)
Quote from: walkerp;236654- A Queenie Little Hissy Fit! -
Revenge!!!
Frank Mentzer got real bent out of shape the first time over on Dragonsfoot (http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=30956).
Let's be clear....the first time was in the NYT, now this time it's on McCain's website. If McCain doesn't KNOW what is being written about him and doesn't approve, that's no excuse. Especially from a guy asking the whole country to 'respect the memories' of his own little focus group. In fact, that kind of gross ignorance of your own campaign rhetoric sure doesn't make McCain look very capable of managing an administration.
Apparently, he's already made comments like these earlier, comparing the editors at the New York Times to bloggers "sitting at home in his mother's basement and ranting into the ether between games of Dungeons & Dragons."
He later apologized for the comment (http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0808/Goldfarb_keeps_experience_points.html) a few weeks ago, saying:
Quote from: Michael GoldfarbIf my comments caused any harm or hurt to the hard working Americans who play Dungeons & Dragons, I apologize. This campaign is committed to increasing the strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma scores of every American.
But then here is, a few weeks later, pissing in my cheerios again.
I'll bet he plays Sorcerer.
Am I the only one who thinks Goldfarb might be a "closet gamer" who was disgusted by (and possibly banned from) RPG.net after posting on Tangency and finding out that most of his fellow gamers there are left-leaning? And now he has a hate-on for the entire hobby?
Anyways, as someone pointed out elsewhere, its probably a bad move for McCain, seeing as how there are a great number of Military Gamers, who (at least according to prevailing ideas) are supposed to be republican-voting, that could be offended by this. Shit, its one of those nothing-to-gain-everything-to-lose scenarios.
RPGPundit
Quote from: shewolf;236665It's not the first time he's done this apparently.
I sent an email to the blogger. I suggest we all do so. Remember, be polite! ;)
This is awesome:
We politely tell him he can fuck himself as long as he´s calling us liberals!
I like that, D&D-players not wanting to be equated with furries or liberals.
Just awesome.
Quote from: RPGPundit;236677Am I the only one who thinks Goldfarb might be a "closet gamer"
I think this might be close to the mark. Self-hating gamer as it were.
In his "apology" for the first disparaging remark he said (http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0808/Goldfarb_keeps_experience_points.html): "This campaign is committed to increasing the strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma scores of every American." Tongue-in-cheek, but it sounds like he knows what he is talking about. And why else would he make two references to D&D - a pretty obscure pastime - unless he had some personal involvement?
Maybe he felt burned by 4e.
I'm guessing he says "Dungeons & Dragons" for the name recognition. It does seem stupid when D&Ders have traditionally been more libertarian-to-right-wing compared to most RPGers, and there are plenty of other games more played by lefties; notably World of Darkness.
I think his apology more than makes up for it. That's some funny shit right there.
Quote from: walkerp;236654Like I know or give a fuck who Michael Goldfag is. It's on McCain's website, so I'll take it that it represents his voice.
"Goldfag?" Really? You don't think that's...nevermind. I'm sure it's nothing.
I think perhaps the assumption that because it appears on McCain's website, he tacitly approves of it, is politically naive. In every sort of media, there are people who speak for the candidate, over whom the candidate has little if any control over the moment-to-moment behaviors of. Every week, you'll see a new talking head on CNN, representing the candidate's views, until something comes out of that spokesperson's mouth that goes off the reservation and gets press attention; then they're quietly - or loudly, sometimes - removed from the public spotlight.
So make this get press attention; make the candidate himself [or at least people closer to him in the campaign chain-of-command] address you and your fellow Dungeons and Dragons players. Find out whether the alienation was the spokesperson's, or the candidate's. Turning the other roleplayers in anger is a good start, but that anger must be focused in order to be anything more constructive than furious and violent masturbation.
QuoteWe politely tell him he can fuck himself as long as he´s calling us liberals!
C'mon...why bother to be polite?
QuoteIn his "apology" for the first disparaging remark he said: "This campaign is committed to increasing the strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma scores of every American."
But is he going to push for demi-human level limits? Or tell us why McCain's wife looks so much like the Succubus in MM1? Poser.
It's also lazy writing.
The Internets Is Offending Me!!!!!11!!!!1!!!
Are people really offended by this? I don't think much of McCain- but really who cares about this kind of thing?
I don't think anybody is really offended. It's just kind of funny to see a reference to our world pop up in the mainstream political discourse. Unfortunately, it does happen to be a fairly negative reference and actually, as previously mentioned by other posters, way off the mark.
Quote from: Aos;236755Are people really offended by this? I don't think much of McCain- but really who cares about this kind of thing?
I'm offended that walkerp would read about this on RPGnet and then post it here, basing its importance on the number of threads in Tangency that this created.
And to think that it is unique or funny to see a reference to our hobby in political discourse (I don't think Michael Goldfarb is mainstream anything) demonstrates ignorance because when Gary Gygax passed away notable political pundit Michelle Malkin and political comedian Stephen Colbert both talked about his influence on their lives. This isn't anything new or special, its just another excuse for Nurd Rage.
Quote from: The_Shadow;236685I think this might be close to the mark. Self-hating gamer as it were.
In his "apology" for the first disparaging remark he said (http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0808/Goldfarb_keeps_experience_points.html): "This campaign is committed to increasing the strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma scores of every American." Tongue-in-cheek, but it sounds like he knows what he is talking about. And why else would he make two references to D&D - a pretty obscure pastime - unless he had some personal involvement?
Maybe he felt burned by 4e.
More likely he's full of self-loathing for all the years he spent in his mom's basement playing the game, not getting chicks, etc. which he later blamed on the "loser" liberals. "it was their bad influence that made me a 36 year old virgin" or something like that.
RPGPundit
Quote from: Settembrini;236681This is awesome:
We politely tell him he can fuck himself as long as he´s calling us liberals!
I like that, D&D-players not wanting to be equated with furries or liberals.
Just awesome.
Not what I meant. I encourage all gamers to tell them how you feel.
I specifically asked him if he'd found Patricia Pulling and didn't bother finding out the facts.
As long as you're not doing things like calling him
Goldfag or swearing. That level of polite.
Well, the name walkerp chose to call the blogger would be social suicide in Germany. At least in 99% of cases.
It would be constructed/perceived as antisemitism. Which is ironic, thinking about the exchange gleichman and walkerp had on the subject of racism.
walkerp manages to push a lot of buttons for many people, without redeeming features like being funny or being right.
Quote from: jeff37923;236791And to think that it is unique or funny to see a reference to our hobby in political discourse (I don't think Michael Goldfarb is mainstream anything) demonstrates ignorance because when Gary Gygax passed away notable political pundit Michelle Malkin and political comedian Stephen Colbert both talked about his influence on their lives. This isn't anything new or special, its just another excuse for Nurd Rage.
Links?
How come it's anti-semitic? I would've thought homophobic, if anything. But that would by people who are easily offended.
My disrespect for goldfag is because I consider people in his profession to be lower than the politicians they shill for. These losers who latch onto a specific dogma, ideology or individual and then make their living cheerleading for them. They are Wormtongue.
Quote from: gleichman;236892Links?
Michelle Malkin (http://michellemalkin.com/2008/03/04/dd-co-creator-gary-gygax-rip/)
Stephen Colbert (http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=156302)
They've both publicly talked about playing D&D several times previously, as well. Roleplayers end up in all walks of life, from political pundit to, you know, Vin Diesel.
Quote from: RPGPundit;236677Am I the only one who thinks Goldfarb might be a "closet gamer" who was disgusted by (and possibly banned from) RPG.net after posting on Tangency and finding out that most of his fellow gamers there are left-leaning? And now he has a hate-on for the entire hobby?
DUDE!!! Nailed it. I think you're totally right.
I mean, I doubt it was actually RPG.net and Tangency, but I'll bet he was kicked out of his college gaming group because they wanted to invite some women to play, and they took offense at his Lesbian Ninja Stripper, or something along those lines.
"Cool liberal kids won't let me play with them. ::mutter:: I'll show them."
QuoteAnyways, as someone pointed out elsewhere, its probably a bad move for McCain, seeing as how there are a great number of Military Gamers, who (at least according to prevailing ideas) are supposed to be republican-voting, that could be offended by this. Shit, its one of those nothing-to-gain-everything-to-lose scenarios.
I kind of doubt it will cause any serious loss of support, but yeah, totally a no-gain-all-fail path to tread.
Quote from: walkerp;236894How come it's anti-semitic? I would've thought homophobic, if anything.
His last name is Jewish. The Germans' grandparents killed a couple million of them, so they're touchy about ragging on anyone who's a Jew because they don't want folks to confuse them with their grandparents and think that they want to kill Jews.
Also, don't forget that Yanks and most other foreigners don't find our mean Canadian sense of humour funny. S'an acquired taste.
Quote from: Pseudoephedrine;236929His last name is Jewish. The Germans' grandparents killed a couple million of them, so they're touchy about ragging on anyone who's a Jew because they don't want folks to confuse them with their grandparents and think that they want to kill Jews.
Seriously? So you just aren't allowed to make fun of anyone who is Jewish in Germany anymore? Or is it the manipulation of the last name that makes it a bit more touchy. I could kind of see that, but it still seems a bit much.
I think Sett is just after me because my presence keeps reminding him that Encount4rdization was born and raised in the fires of 3.5.
Quote from: Settembrini;236888It would be constructed/perceived as antisemitism. Which is ironic, thinking about the exchange gleichman and walkerp had on the subject of racism.
Read again, moron. And yes, the name thing is/would be the problem.
BTW, making fun of people´s names is always inane, no matter which culture. Actually, dissing someone by abusing his name is so savourless, only the recent Ron thread tops it.
Quote from: walkerp;236654Like I know or give a fuck who Michael Goldfag is. It's on McCain's website, so I'll take it that it represents his voice.
Point taken. This is an issue that's proven rather a sticking point during this (and previous) election season. The respective campaigns are increasingly having difficulty riding herd on vocal supporters and keeping them from proclaiming their personal opinions as the candidate's own rhetoric.
!i!
Quote from: Pseudoephedrine;236929Also, don't forget that Yanks and most other foreigners don't find our mean Canadian sense of humour funny. S'an acquired taste.
What the hell are you talking about? We import your comedians by the dozens.
!i!
Quote from: Ian Absentia;236952What the hell are you talking about? We import your comedians by the dozens.
!i!
except for the greatest television series ever, Trailer Park Boys, which for some reason is too risque for U.S. sensibilities.
I can't decide who to weep for: the Jews, the Germans, Homosexuals, nerds, John McCain, Canadians or those oh so sensitive Yankees.
I need a bit of guidence on this one.
Quote from: Aos;236957I can't decide who to weep for: the Jews, the Germans, Homosexuals, nerds, John McCain, Canadians or those oh so sensitive Yankees.
I need a bit of guidence on this one.
Don't weep for any of them.
Just ignore the silly bit of minor news, call your friends , invite them over, roll some dice and have a really good RPG session.
- Ed C.
As I said on RPG.net, I still can't fathom a reason in which I would vote Obama, but at the same time, I have't played D&D in years, either.
Quote from: Ian Absentia;236952What the hell are you talking about? We import your comedians by the dozens.
!i!
All the meanness drops out of them when they go south.
Quote from: kregmosier;236955except for the greatest television series ever, Trailer Park Boys, which for some reason is too risque for U.S. sensibilities.
Kregmosier, you are a man of impeccable taste!
I think they did try to bring it over, but it was really the constant swearing that caused the biggest problem. They would have had to beep out every third word. We Canadians do swear a lot. The women too. It's hot.
Quote from: Settembrini;236942BTW, making fun of people´s names is always inane, no matter which culture. Actually, dissing someone by abusing his name is so savourless, only the recent Ron thread tops it.
One day, I hope to be mature also, Settemfagi.
Quote from: walkerp;236940Seriously? So you just aren't allowed to make fun of anyone who is Jewish in Germany anymore? Or is it the manipulation of the last name that makes it a bit more touchy. I could kind of see that, but it still seems a bit much.
You can still make fun of Jews. The Germans'll just icily refuse to talk to you.
Quote from: kregmosier;236955except for the greatest television series ever, Trailer Park Boys, which for some reason is too risque for U.S. sensibilities.
Really? You can't watch the TPB down in the States?
Quote from: Pseudoephedrine;236971All the meanness drops out of them when they go south.
It's true. They are often still funny, but the edge has to be sanded down or it won't play to the American audience. Actually, let me correct that. I bet the American audience would appreciate it. It's the Hollywood producers who get in the way who are the real problem. But that's another rant.
Quote from: Koltar;236962Don't weep for any of them.
Just ignore the silly bit of minor news, call your friends , invite them over, roll some dice and have a really good RPG session.
- Ed C.
It's decided; the nerds get my tears.
This is AWESOME news!
A national political campaign named D&D in a press release. That's free advertising and publicity is good, especially when D&D is combined with Obama with his strong high school and college demographics.
That's free product placement!!
Quote from: Settembrini;236888Well, the name walkerp chose to call the blogger would be social suicide in Germany. At least in 99% of cases.
It would be constructed/perceived as antisemitism.
Germany has become so panicked and pussified its embarrassing. It is one thing to be polite and another to be dickless. Ancestor guilt is lame.
If you want to see some Jew slamming, read the forums on the Jerusalem Post or Haarretz when Israelis go at each other. Politically correct is not on the menu! I suspect many Israelis would get in trouble in Germany for their opinions. What's really amazing are fanatical groups of Jews calling to dissolve Israel. If you want to get better view of what's going on in the Middle East with far more insight, I suggest reading those papers online at least once a month while reading Al-Jazeera that same day.
But yeah, calling him Goldfag is weak. Gay dudes deserve better than getting accused of associating with McCain.
Quote from: Spinachcat;237053But yeah, calling him Goldfag is weak. Gay dudes deserve better than getting accused of associating with McCain.
Good point. I apologize to homosexuals everywhere. I officially change his name to Goldfuck.
Now you're just gonna piss off the people having sex...
He's safe on this site.
Quote from: Aos;237075He's safe on this site.
:rotfl:
May your wit never fail, sir! :hatsoff: