"Pulling a Brad" meme has taken its toll on him

Brad Shoemaker(@Brad) confesses about anxiety that we all might have caused:

What I'm honestly really bad at is putting my anxiety out of my head and focusing purely on playing the game. Ironically, the more I worry about screwing up, the more likely I am to screw up. That idea seems too subtle or obscure for all the people out there who can't get past the myopic narrative of "Brad sucks at games and I can't take his reviews seriously and I deserve that job more waaaaaaaaaaah" but it is what it is.
I know this is all sour grapes and I should just ignore those people but the sheer amount of vitriol makes it tough sometimes. Thanks for the couch, TherapyGAF.

Link

This "pulling a brad" meme has taken its toll.

I'm most likely looking too much into this.

Its just the same kind of anxiety one would get trying to not fuck up in front of thousands of people. Nothing sinister about it.

:(

But I love Brad. I do find the meme quite funny/dumb though.

Anyway, all the GB dudes suck at videogames. Watching Ryan is the hardest. Who cares? I suck, too.

Hopefully he doesn't CHOKE playing Doom II then...

ahaha

I "used" to get mad at Brad, but then I realised that when we see him playing a game he is under pressure. I for one have trouble playing games at peak performance away from my setup at home. I have a 24" 2ms 1080p screen that seems like the perfect size. My 52" LCD in the lounge overwhelms me. My 5.1 speaker system makes a tonne of difference. If I had to play games on the spot like Brad then I too wouldn't always have a stellar performance 100% of the time. Plus he hasn't "pulled a Brad" in a while, that I have noticed.

@ryanrulez said:

Hopefully he doesn't CHOKE playing Doom II then...

@darthvader300 said:

ahaha

The juxtaposition of these posts could not be any better.

If someone made a list/meme/graph about how I failed, I'd be miffed a bit too. Don't let the internet get you down, you can't be a master at all the games you play, especially in your profession.

The internet is full of idiots, and people with good intentions, who do unintentionally hurtful things. Don't let 'em get to you.

Awww. Poor Brad. :(

He should try to spin it positively. He's now really achieved greatness for his deaths in video games, and we all love him for it (at least, us nice people do). He should try to embrace it and accept it, speaking with my psychology hat on.

We all tend to suck more at playing games when someone else is watching because of the social anxiety, so I just hope people cut him some slack.

I bet Brad has nightmares of "pulling a Brad". Or about the bathroom guy from the Mile High Club.

So Brad effs up sometimes. I eff up sometimes. You eff up sometimes. Even nature effs up sometimes (read: Platypus). No big deal.

You can't really be great at any one game when you are forced to play so many different games.

I'd say that all of the GB guys are guilty of it anyway, TNT last night was seriously bugging me watching Jeff try to play Burnout and I've never even played it before and have absolutely no idea how hard it is.

Some people just take the meme too far. Just because Brad dies a lot doesn't automatically make him terrible at video games. If that were true, then he wouldn't be doing what a lot of us wish we could be doing. Brad's actually one of my favorite GB guys, because he plays a game similar to how I do. If I see something (especially a collectible), I'm gonna try to go get it even if it means me dying a ton. Can't wait for the new Trials, though. That should be fun...

Sorry you feel that way Brad. I know you are one of my favourites on the crew, PC gamers have to stick together, but just because you screw up from time to time doesn't make you bad at games or anything. Just try to push that internet crap out of your head and focus on the game, because no matter how good you do there will be idiots online trying to take you down and insult you.

Have you tried just ignoring the camera and just look at it as if you were talking to the other guy in the room and you trying to show him a new game rather then being recorded and others will be watching it later?

Anyway, I think you are great Brad. Just ignore the assholes trying to bring ya down and keep doing your thing.

I think this is really funny, while also feeling bad that I think this is really funny.

When I played a sc2 match live on a stream in front of 100 viewers it was the most nerve-racking experience of my life. Imagining having to do that in front of both large live audiences and an even larger audience that can watch the video of it at any time is scary. I have huge respect for all the quick look'ers, not just Brad.

I saw the Quake III TNT recently and no...that dude does not suck at games. He kicked butt pretty much the whole time while I was celebrating every kill and it was awesome. Keep doing whatcha doing Brad and it will be fine. For the record I think you deserve your job ;)

How long will it take for somebody to say, "It looks somebody finally...broke Brad" before linking to that CSI Miami thing? Or am I the only person so severely stupid as to reference that?

Adam Boyes made a joke about 99 lives in World Gone Sour QL, and it felt like he took a giant shit on Brad. When someone from the outside who is not a part of the core tries to make the joke, it really hurts like a motherfucker, I think.

It's a shame, since Brad has actually been more entertaining lately, as has all of them really. He's not been near asleep or on his way to just get the Quick Look over with. So thanks for that, Gamespot. I wonder how long it will be till they return to their usual summer lull.

@gbrading said:

Awww. Poor Brad. :(

He should try to spin it positively. He's now really achieved greatness for his deaths in video games, and we all love him for it (at least, us nice people do). He should try to embrace it and accept it, speaking with my psychology hat on.

In fairness he does take it in his stride, see: Breaking Brad. A show all about Brad dieing over and over in video games.

The thing is, I like the meme, but that doesn't mean I don't like Brad. In fact, I tend to agree with Brad's reviews the most. It's funny watching Brad screw up in games, sometimes it gets frustrating like with the SotC quick look, but that got so ridiculous that it went right back around to being funny. 

The problem of how to prevent decline in performance under situations of high stress is one that has plagued great minds for centuries until scientists in the military discovered the secret cure: amphetamines. Coincidentally the problem of how to get people of all ages to pay attention has also plagued great minds for centuries- same solution: amphetamines. Mild aches and pains: amphetamines. Drowsy? Amphetamines. Mild malaise? Amphetamines.

So the solution is obvious: Brad should ignore idiots on the internet, it's just a meme and amphetamines are awful for you and ruin your sex drive.

On another note, I made a joke just recently about Brad and Ryan being the best combo for deaths; Ryan tends to try to convince whoever he's copiloting in to die in their game anyway and Brad just tends to get very into the conversations about the game usually dying while talking about some facet of the gameplay, which is preferable to him being silent and just playing well as far as quick looks are concerned, really.

I hope all the haters are very proud of themselves.

this is sad. brad's reviews are always bang on. and i don't even use that term

@IBurningStar said:

I hope all the haters are very proud of themselves.

@FluxWaveZ said:

There's your answer.

@EuanDewar said:

Its just the same kind of anxiety one would get trying to not fuck up in front of thousands of people. Nothing sinister about it.

I had to give a grad school presentation last night. Had anxiety the ENTIRE day until I was able to do it and sit down. The thing of nightmares.

Brad would benefit from therapy regarding his anxiety. I hope he's able to work on it.

The only time It gets hard to watch any of the guys play games is when they try to show off a a game in a quicklook that they are obviously not familiar with the genre or series. Then again... what can ya do? They probally try their best even when they don't know much about the game. I try not to judge too badly.

I think the thing that matters most is that out of the whole bomb crew, I think I respect his opinion the most. Brad doesn't seem as cynical about things and that is refreshing. And aren't there charts that say that other people have died more during quick looks?

I always thought that the meme was affectionate. Besides he apparently beat all the metroid prime games, something i could never do and i respect him for that.

Ironically, Ryan is like 10 times worse at playing games than Brad and he ain't got a meme.

It's a light-hearted jab, that's all. I'm not counting assholes, of course.

Brad sucks at most games that aren't Doom and SC2 and that's it.

It is like in the schoolyard. The more he tries to reason with them, the stronger the trolls get. Should try to roll with it better and laugh it off.

I can't enjoy or perform well playing a game when there is even anybody else in the room let alone being filmed, sitting with another person and having to narrate what you're doing and vocalise concepts. I totally get what Brad is saying.

It is understandable. I never joked about him, as I know how hard it can be to perform in public. But the more you think about not screwing up the more it tends to happen, as before you think about avoiding it you are already thinking about how you might screw up. And it happens.

Personally I would say for him to be himself as no good comes from giving importance to baseless statements.

@Ghostiet said:

Ironically, Ryan is like 10 times worse at playing games than Brad and he ain't got a meme.

It's a light-hearted jab, that's all. I'm not counting assholes, of course.

This is the truth, yes. For some reason, though, it's way funnier to see Brad fail than it is to see Ryan (in his case I find it somewhat frustrating).

Some people thrive under pressure, others do not.

I personally like to show off when I have an audience.

Many other sites would ban people for harassing site employees to the point that they experience actual emotional stress. Nice of our community to take advantage of that fairness to abuse Brad for not obeying their definition of good play.

I enjoy the meme and it's entertaining to see Brad "pull a brad" but I have never thought Brad to be a lousy gamer. He just places more thought into his words while trying to be funny, talking and playing a game at the same time.

Ryan Davis, on the other hand, is on an entirely different level.

@H2Oyea said:

The thing is, I like the meme, but that doesn't mean I don't like Brad. In fact, I tend to agree with Brad's reviews the most. It's funny watching Brad screw up in games, sometimes it gets frustrating like with the SotC quick look, but that got so ridiculous that it went right back around to being funny.

This, we all are crap at something, and while i have no doubt that brad has no clue who i am, i like to think that its kinda like a "Bro-ing out" thing that guys do. Although having said that, i do think that sometimes it turns from playful fun, to just ganging up on him.

And im not saying hes crap at games, but SOME games are clearly not his forte.

maybe think about what you say about the staff when it's somewhere they can actually see it?

in this situation least of all really

@FluxWaveZ said:

@Ghostiet said:

Ironically, Ryan is like 10 times worse at playing games than Brad and he ain't got a meme.

It's a light-hearted jab, that's all. I'm not counting assholes, of course.

This is the truth, yes. For some reason, though, it's way funnier to see Brad fail than it is to see Ryan (in his case I find it somewhat frustrating).

I feel the same way. For the most part Brad just gets kind of flustered and makes mistakes, Ryan seems like he doesn't pay any attention to what's going on in the game and constantly runs into trouble because of it.

That said, I still think they're both great.

i can play while my gameplay is being filmed or someone else is watching as long as it isn't being taken seriously. otherwise i'm totally prone to mess up and embarrass myself.

i totally get what Brad goes through with that kinda stuff, so i don't always find it funny unless he embraces it. that usually makes me feel much better about the entire thing.

@FluxWaveZ said:

@Ghostiet said:

Ironically, Ryan is like 10 times worse at playing games than Brad and he ain't got a meme.

It's a light-hearted jab, that's all. I'm not counting assholes, of course.

This is the truth, yes. For some reason, though, it's way funnier to see Brad fail than it is to see Ryan (in his case I find it somewhat frustrating).

I haven't laughed so hard from anything on GiantBomb more than I've laughed watching Ryan fail over and over at that kinect horse-riding game.

He just kept trying on trying and just kept on failing and then Jeff would do it right and Ryan would come back and just fucking fail again and again oh man I'm laughing just thinking about it. And then he just gives up on the game and fosters such hatred for it and the sequel. Perfect.

Never really understood people's desire to make others feel upset. The pulling a Brad meme is all fun, but at times you do get the worst of it. Brad doesn't deserve that kind of treatment.

This meme needs to die simply because some people take it too far and just ruin it for everyone. I've never used it myself mostly because I think it's dumb and because Brad has never and probably will never annoy me just because of the way he plays a game, but some people genuinely seem playful when they say it and others seem hellbent on putting him down as hard as they can. I mean they're fucking video games for fuck's sake. Calm the fuck down (this is directed at the Brad haters fyi lol). "But did you see the SotC quick look?" I did and it didn't bother me one bit. Ever see me play SC2 or DotA? It's like watching a blind kid with no limbs trying to ride a bike without any help.

@FluxWaveZ said:

@Ghostiet said:

Ironically, Ryan is like 10 times worse at playing games than Brad and he ain't got a meme.

It's a light-hearted jab, that's all. I'm not counting assholes, of course.

This is the truth, yes. For some reason, though, it's way funnier to see Brad fail than it is to see Ryan (in his case I find it somewhat frustrating).

I feel the same way. For the most part Brad just gets kind of flustered and makes mistakes, Ryan seems like he doesn't pay any attention to what's going on in the game and constantly runs into trouble because of it.

That said, I still think they're both great.

Oh fuck here it is. Goddamnit look at him keep trying. It's glorious.

He should embrace the meme. That's what I would do. Most people arent saying it menacingly. More lovingly

I was always under the impression that the "pulling a brad" meme focused specifically at him being on camera. I'm pretty sure 99% of the community would have the same issue when trying to record live for people to watch. Never equated the meme to "Brad sucks at games." Also his reviews are still great, so whats a few deaths in a QL...