@paul_tillich: Risking the embarrassment of engaging video games, but doing it anyway, really indicates those engaging our communities see values in our beloved hobby
Perhaps in the next election cycle we'll get candidates to argue and call eachother out (in a more mainstream way) about the use of videogames in their campaigns to reach their followers. But when you think about it, trying to embarass someone over videogames is quite predictable and one dimensional and can be easily parried. Especially when it's not just something that they do purely to de-stress and relax but also has a relation to their job of being a politician.
'While Candidate A was playing videogames in their basement, i was doing important work'
'I focus on issues in the real world while candidate A rather runs away from reality and dives in their fantasy worlds'
These kind of messages only really hit hard when candidate A acts embarrassed about it as well. 'Oh no i got caught behaving like a child! Spending my time on useless cartoon crap. I swear i only played it one time!' Instead, candidate A could use this attack to launch into an entire monologue about how important it is to be in touch with the community they want to represent and how important it is to get their message across through a plethora of different media to reach out to all kind of folk that may not be reachable through the traditional channels and don't feel represented by the system yet. Or they could turn the attack around with a: 'Wait... it's 2024 and you still perceive gaming as something for kids and nerds? You do know that the gaming industry is one of the countries biggest entertainment industries right Grandpa? This is a typical response from someone that's entirely out of touch with today's society, yet wants you to believe they are capable to govern in your best interests.'
It's easy to go 'hhahaaha Nerd!' and take some high fives across the room, but i still think a good response to that stereotyping hits home for more people. Especially as more and more people have their own gaming history and gaming friends and know that it's not just something kids and nerds do. Sports is a real life game yet no politician would attack watching sports as a waste of time because they know it has been widely accepted as an beloved pastime. Watching films & reading books are accepted ways of diving into fantasy worlds. As time passes, mocking someone for playing a videogame will be less and less effective.
It reminds me of that event where footage of AOC dancing to Phoenix - Lizstomania during college, was dragged up with the intention to smear her as a vapid commie that belongs on a stripper pole. She doubled down on the dancing with a new dancing clip and turned it into a positive event for her. I think any attacks towards the use of videogames in a campaign could be turned around on the attacker just as easily as long as you double down on it and showcase that you're absolutely not ashamed about something that you don't consider shameful.
Log in to comment