November 7, 2007
Recently GamePolitics reported on Blogs for Brownback, a conservative political site which referred to the Nintendo DS as an "abomination".The site was ostensibly created to support the now-defunct presidential campaign of Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), himself a frequent critic of the video game industry and sponsor of the Truth in Video Game Rating Act, a piece of legislation currently before the Senate.
At the time of our report, however, certain subtle clues (like the image at left) caused GP to speculate that B4B was a clever hoax.
Speculate no more.
The Raw Story outs the site as the ultimate in low-key satire. In fact, B4B is flying so far below the radar that it is has fooled the likes of MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, the liberal Center for American Progress and the conservative strategist Patrick Ruffini. Atlantic Monthly editor Andrew Sullivan, another victim, told Raw Story:
Yes, they suckered me at first. [B4B's parody is] sublime. Colbert-level.
Even Kotaku was apparently taken in as it picked up GP's Nintendo DS story. As for B4B, editor Sam Brown holds fast to the idea that it is genuine:
To our critics I say this: B4B is real. We're here. Deal with it. And please try to keep your head from exploding. B4B is not responsible for any mental anguish you may suffer when exposed to the truth.
And Brown cited typical feedback from a reader:
Congratulations, this is brilliant satire and I love it but if it's not I really hate it and you should just die.
Comments
It has two screens!
TWO!!
Whats wrong with just one screen! People cant even keep up with the action on one screen and the DS has TWO!!!
It really only shows that people are gullible in the fact that they go "WHAT THE , THIS LOOKS LIKE A PARODY, BUT IT IS DISGUISED SO POORLY IT MUST ACTUALLY BE REAL! FACT IS STRANGER THAN FICTION, AFTER ALL, AS MY DEAR AUNT SALLY USED TO TELL ME."
well... you've seen some of the anti-games people around... its a bit more extreme than some we've seen, but its not completely unbelievable.
well, the DS story about the paedophile using picto chat WAS completely unbelievable... heh, lol.
I think that about covers my opinion of the site.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary
Wiskey Tango Foxtrot.
i got that from a TV show Law and Order SVU not a video game
thank you Jesus
id rather blow him up with the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioc
Amen
To paraphrase Krusty the Klown,
"It's a JOKE. Whenever you give me that look, it means it's a joke."
It's the easiest way to excuse yourself from the brunt of your idiocy-based hate.
There's not a "good chance" it was parody or satire. I've seen more subtle material from 4chan.
And the 4chan mêmes were the biggest giveaway ever. It was a joke because it was incredibly joke-like. It had material which called it a joke.
And I think there was a disclaimer of sorts somewhere.
I thought it was obvious, then again some people got fooled by it because they get to meet these real honest to goodness rightwing nut jobs!
I suppose that if you JUST read the DS article, than the fact that this site is parody wouldn't be obvious. (I understand that as our interactions with John Bruce prove, it's about the same level of loony!)
However, if you read the other entries, it becomes more and more evident. I suppose for anime fans, it even becomes more obvious with the 4chan meme's and the Higurashi comments.
"I watched a random episode to see if anyone died. I WIN." (Something like that, he was referring to the last episode of "The Massacre Chapter" *laughs* .)
As for the 4chan...What happens on 4chan needs to stay there. Sorry, but the pool's closed.
...damn it!
but I do find it funny that Kotaku seems to have fallen for it.
I am actually in no way surprised by that, they sure are a slowpoke on catching things like that and www.mavav.org(I think I remember them bringing it back up, and taking it seriously when the hoax had been proven to be a hoax-related class assignment).
And they frequently act like they know certain things they are reporting, I am probably not the only one who drops my face in my palms while asking "why do they even try?"
Now it is massive win.
Baramos, you're a moron. Let me introduce you to logic, logic meet Baramos. I hope you get to know each other someday. Doubtful, though.