So, I’m a big fan of the Simpsons. The classic era is one of my favourite shows. Recently, the Simpsons responded to the criticism it received over its caricatured portrayal of Apu. This response was prompted by Hari Kondabolu’s documentary about South East Asian American representation ‘The Problem with Apu’. In the documentary, Kondabolu interviews notable South East Asian American actors regarding their feelings about the character of Apu. This documentary included Kal Penn, who you may know as Kumar from Harold and Kumar or as Kutner from House, whose intense dislike of Apu extended to the Simpsons as a whole. Kondabolu himself enjoys the Simpsons but finds the character of Apu to be a racist stain on the show.
Category: Essays
Democracy 3 or How I Learned to Perpetually Worry and Build a Socialist Utopia
So, there’s this game called Democracy 3. The game is an intense political simulation. The goal is to be continually re-elected. That’s not my goal when I play the game. My method of gameplay could more be described as an ideological crusade. I’m quite left-leaning by nature, which is unsurprising considering my environment (economically lower-middle class, university educated creative who has had first- and second-hand experience with the welfare system). With this left-leaning nature, I tend to be in favour of higher taxes for those in the top brackets of society. Call me crazy (and also not an economist) but one percent of people owning most of the wealth while homelessness is still a problem and people are routinely harangued by the welfare system over less than a billionaire earns in a second, doesn’t sound like a great system. Does that make me a socialist? Sure, if that’s what you want to call me.
Rants aside, why is my admittedly simplistic view of the situation important to how I play this game. Well, like I said, for me this game becomes an ideological crusade. Every time I play I convince myself that I can increase taxes and welfare spending, but something goes awry. Here is the story of how I keep getting targeted by capitalists and conservatives in Democracy 3.
The Trouble with Trolls in GTA Online
So previously I’ve spoken about the problems with the GTA Online. While previously I spoke about how hacking and griefing can make the game un-fun at times, I didn’t really examine why individuals do these things. I looked at how the system doesn’t really disincentivise this behaviour, but I didn’t look at the psychological profile of the trolls. So what are the reasons for a person to act this way?
Why You Should Play D&D
I am a new but passionate advocate for Dungeons and Dragons. I can’t recall where I first heard of D&D but because of the circles I travel in, it existed around me. I probably first encountered it in films like ET. Being a player of fantasy RPGs like the Elder Scrolls, you’d think that I would have been all up in D&D since I was fifteen or something, but no. So, first I’ll explain how I got interested in D&D and why the game isn’t necessarily what you think it is if you’re not all that familiar with it.
Harry Potter and Thanatophobia: Is Death Natural?
Recently I’ve been getting into the hobby of Dungeons and Dragons. This is, I admit, an odd way to start a conversation about Harry Potter. The reason I mention it is that in the spell lists of D&D there is resurrection magic. Online communities for D&D openly discuss what the meaning of resurrection means for their game table. Mechanically, it means that a player can continue playing their character that they’ve grown attached to. While I was ruminating on resurrection, I began to think of the most influential fantasy text of my generation. When it comes to healing and resurrection in the world of Harry Potter it is a painful, slow process that more often involves potions than spells.
Batman is Boring … for Now
Look, I hypothetically like the idea of Batman. You’ve seen the title. Over the past decade, Batman has become the patron saint of white male internet geekiness. That’s why I feel I have to jump on the defensive. I like Batman, I do. Just, he’s boring right now. Batman has stagnated since he was re-invigorated for the mass audience by Burton. The Batman of Keaton is only marginally different from the Batman of Affleck, or even the Batman of Bale. For twenty-nine years, Batman has remained a brooding, black-clad, boring bastion of a male power fantasy.
I Am A Space Ninja: Movement in Warframe
So recently I’ve been getting into this game called Warframe. I’ve heard it described as ‘Destiny, but good and free-to-play’. Interestingly, this isn’t my first attempt at playing Warframe. When I owned a PS4 at launch there wasn’t much to play so I attempted Warframe. Something about the game left me confused at the time and the whole thing just didn’t click for me. Returning to Warframe, however, has been a blast and the game turns for me in a way that it didn’t before. So, with all that noted, I wanted to look at one of the things that makes Warframe work for me. The movement system.
Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame and the Madonna-Whore Complex
I’m a big fan of Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame. Look, there are plenty of reasons to not gel with this film. It has weird tonal problems, the villain wants to commit genocide and feels weird about his boner, it’s an adaptation of a French novel that seems largely concerned with architecture over people. In my younger years, I was certainly more of a Lion King fan but as I entered adolescence my tastes changed. Hunchback was now the film for me. There is a lot to like thematically in Hunchback of Notre Dame, and themes tend to pull me in. The tyranny of godly men, the oppression of minorities, don’t judge a book by its cover, and so on. When I was an angst-ridden teen, convinced that I was an un-loveable monstrosity, that last theme appealed a lot. Now that I’m older, there’s another theme that grabs me. How do the men of Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame view and objectify Esmeralda?
Why I Think Nintendo Labo Will Be a Success
So, a week or so again, Nintendo released a trailer for a new piece of tech they have coming for the Nintendo Switch. This is Nintendo Labo. Nintendo Labo is a set of constructible cardboard accessories for the Switch. The Switch and its JoyCons are placed within this cardboard and this set-up allows for strange and wonderful uses of the Switch. The base set includes a piano, a fishing rod, and a house among other things. The response from those interested in the Switch has been mixed to say the least. However, I have great faith in Nintendo Labo for a few reasons.
Slow Burn and the Benefit of Looking Back
So, recently I’ve been listening to a podcast called Slow Burn. The podcast is about Watergate. The podcast’s thesis statement could be ‘what was it like living through Watergate’. Now, why would I care about Watergate? Well, there’s a certain poetry at creating a comprehensive look at Watergate now. In the midst of political scandals and suspected top-level corruption, it’s interesting to see the moments in which Watergate turned. Now, chances are, if you’re of my age or younger, you know some things about Watergate e.g. ‘the Watergate is a hotel in Washington’, ‘something about a break-in’, ‘Nixon’s secret tapes’, “I am not a crook”, ‘Woodward and Bernstein’, ‘Deep Throat’, ‘President Impeached’. (Though notably, articles of impeachment were never filed against Nixon as he resigned before then, and was pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford).
Zach Eastwood - Writer 