Did Ben Kuchera Say Something Dumb Recently?

So did he? I mean -- let me back up and give some context. This morning I awoke to a good (if opinionated) friend linking me this. While I know that Tumblr is LESS than less than reliable, this combination does not look good on its face. But I was completely lacking on context and therefore didn't know entirely what to make of it.

My opinion on Kuchera is already not great; I think he and I have opinions that just do not collide, and so I do not go out of my way to read his content. That said, I have neither seen or heard something which would cause discussion seemingly so pointed as to lead to him blocking someone making what is, in my opinion, a salient point.

So I am missing information here. I do not want to jump into bed with my own confirmation biases along the lines of my title. Instead I would like to know if there is a reason why he would block someone making a pretty honest comment, even if he disagrees with the person's stance.

As a little aside, I do know that Ben has been at the fore of some pretty nasty debacles in the past - things which have helped generate my current opinion on the man.

The answer is usually yes.

Wheres the link?

watcha ya talking about willis...

What a weird thread to make.

God it's always something. The link should be there now.

No, fuck, that's the wrong link.

Okay now it works. Let this be a testament to my incredible clumsiness.

HEY DID BEN KUCHERA SAY SOMETHING STUPID RECENTLY
DID HE

JUST CHECKING
ALRIGHT I'LL SEE YOU GUYS AROUND

OKAY BYE THANKS

While we like to believe that game journalists (or 'critics' as the popular nomenclature is these days) are somehow above the pettiness and juvenile behavior so often observed all across the internet, they are in fact regular people like you and me who happen to get paid to do what we all do on an everyday basis with the small caveat that they also write about it.

Kuchera blocks just about anyone that criticizes him on Twitter no matter the tone or justification.

Well to be fair, that's a really weird criticism to make considering that you'd have to really like and appreciate video games (be a "fan") in order to criticize them, same thing with other forms of media like movies, comics, and books. Kuchera could have been more discrete about blocking the guy though since a lot of people do follow him. Although I pretty much lost all my respect for him with the way he handled the Erik Kain situation. That shit reflected his character very, veeeery poorly.

Is this like some kind of isitchristmas.com thing?

And so I was just wondering if this regular human had let slip anything ridiculous recently. Is that a crime? Not strictly, but it probably speaks to my own confirmation biases. Perhaps I feel the need to validate my vindictive and judgmental inner child.

But I could also just be curious. Sometimes curious people want to have knowledge about curious things, without grand and honestly patronizing statements of the obvious. Thank you for your time in any case.

Does the person he blocked realize that every critic is a fan? You don't become a movie, book, or food critic if you aren't a fan of films, reading, and eating. What a dumb comment. Isn't game criticism negative enough as it is? If I had a twitter I would block this person too!

It's a day that ends in "y" so yeah, probably.

@hunter5024 I suppose at the core of it is whether one considers "Fan" a pejorative or not. If so then the comment could be taken as being directed toward the interaction between video game companies plus affiliates and the people who work for sites that provide news about video games (the "Doritos King"). If not, then yes, certainly your criticism holds merit.

@milkman: +1

Though to be fair to Kuchera, I think everyone on earth has probably said something dumb recently.

pffffffffffff fuck that person.

blah blah pretentious blah im so smart blah blah

I would block idjits like that sun up to sunrise if I had to read that garbage all day.

Can't fans be critics, too? It doesn't have to be a dichotomy, and critics don't have to be cynics.

Ben's full time job is to get in kindergarten level arguments over twitter and then block the other person when his mom tells him it's time for his nap.

Haha.

Right up their with Gies as class acts in the video game press.

honk honk

+1

@crembaw: I don't know man, you started a thread and I was just putting in my two cents about the issue without the intent of being patronizing to anyone, naively thinking that maybe someone would get something out of it, but apparently your inner child felt the need to be incredibly snarky and patronizing.

I think that was from an argument that happened awhile ago. I seem to remember that same tweet and same answer from like, 3-4 months ago. You know, when Kuchera really said something stupid and got the entire Internet angry at him.

Can't remember what it was about, though.

I know little about Kuchera, but he couldn't be much more irritating than the person he responded to there.

Thats what it should be and its just a static page constantly at 'Yes'.

You don't see any irony in what you're saying?

@video_game_king: not at all as I don't think it's ironic when you respond to snark with snark of your own.

@humanity:

Isn't criticizing snark with snark of your own a great example of irony?

@video_game_king: you've yet much to learn of our Earthly ways

I used to enjoy reading his stuff on Ars Technica. But something about his stint at PA Report kind of bums me out.

It's a well know fact that Roger Ebert was not a fan a movies at all

I can't tell if this is sarcasm or if it's something he actually said.

@video_game_king: it's a joke. The idea that critics aren't fans is one of the dumbest I've seen

Who?

I just checked. It's a really old tweet:

So, probably not recently.

I suppose it's easier to block and ignore criticism directed towards yourself then to actually try to "combat" it. Then again I'm sure he has to deal with it on a day to day basis, and the internet being...well, the internet, then I can understand why he blocked it.

Fully agree. T he notions of critics not being fans is idiotic. Why did they become critics in the first place. You have to be a fan of an art form you critic, imo at least.

He's like Ryan Davis used to be except most people liked Ryan.

Has no one mentioned him comparing a controller to boobs yet?

...He did that?

You say that as though he's the only one.

i don't respect anyone whiling to work with Penny Arcade.

For the record, I'm not one to defend Kuchera at all but that tweet is so stupid that that dude deserved to be blocked.

http://penny-arcade.com/report/article/the-playstation-4-conroller-is-just-slightly-better-than-the-best-thing-eve

he did!