(no subject)

[prog]

Just had to shut off a Gaming Steve show cuz one of his co-hosts was sprinkling his commentary about the GDC with wingnut watchwords like "the whiners in this country" and "feminazi". And instead of taking the proper countermeasure of immediate rhetorical decapitation and staking, Steve would just say something about video cards or whatever. To his credit, he would completely ignore the comments, which is better than chuckling at them, but still... if it were my show, I'd react as if the other dude had just stood up and pissed in my coffee.

Man, I hate the possibility this raises. Steve's show is my favorite amateur-produced podcast (at least among those not made by me or people on my fllist, ha ha) and for many months now I have looked forward to each new episode. But I dunno if I could continue listening to it in good faith if I learned that he had the taint.

He doesn't bring up politics much. I know that he doesn't have much love for his senator Clinton, but this is mostly because of her silly video game legislation and not because she lays with incubi and drinks the blood of Republican babies or whatever they say about her down on the farm.

Maybe I can write him a nice letter suggesting that he ask his future co-hosts to please cool it with the political asides, because that sort of thing is sure to alienate half of his listeners. I would have to write without any implication that I'd like to have a political discussion with him, because if he actually is working for the other side, I just don't want to know. I'd rather just keep enjoying his show in ignorance and avoid another Lileksian tragedy.

---

I would also like to write a letter to the other podcasting Steve I know about, the fellow who makes the often-delightful Escape Pod. He's sort of erring overmuch in the other direction, recording warning messages before many of his shows whenever they contain sex, or naughty language, or even just tragic imagery.

His second-to-most-recent episode was MPAA-equiv of PG-13 at "worst" but he still felt the need to open with a lengthy preamble about how dark and upsetting the story was. And for the life of me the only reason I can conjure for that is a character remembering how a doggy he worked with had died. It was a brave doggy caught in a very bad situation, and the telling was non-gratuitous and indeed central to the story. But I know that some people just can't deal with doggy death.

Eh, it also dealt with terrorism and city-trashing forces of nature, and these are certainly topics with close nerve clusters close for many. Maybe that was it. But still, whenever the-other-Steve prefaces a show with one of his content advisories, I spend the whole listening on edge, braced for the content. And when the story ends, my primary reaction is "Whew! That wasn't so bad! Thank goodness!" And, man, that's not the feeling that the author was trying to convey, I'm pretty sure.

Comments

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

I usually enjoy the warnings on Escape Pod as they're kind of entertaining. I could do with less of the daddy drivel, but it's like whatever, I'm not paying close attention since I'm working out anyway.

Sorry about the random asshole on the gaming show. I agree that if the show is not actually about politics, and the political issue is not directly relevant to the content, it should be avoided. ::shudder::

[prog.livejournal.com]

You have a point, in that I don't find the warnings annoying in their presentation... its more that their mere presence puts me in the wrong mood for listening. I guess I prefer to get into a story not knowing what to expect.

On another level I'm kind of upset for some reason that other people can be squeamish about this stuff. But if I can be squeamish about wingnuts, I guess it's only fair.

[kahuna-burger.livejournal.com]

So basicly pod-steveI needs to take a page from pod-steveII and begin his programs with: "Content warning: today's guest, while really cool from a gaming standpoint, is kinda a tool when it comes to presenting his political opinions, and if you don't agree with those opinions (or even if you do but aren't a tool) you may be distracted from his gaming coolness and overall entertainment value by the fact that he thinks this is a talk radio call in.... listener discretion is advised."

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Maybe I can write him a nice letter suggesting that he ask his future co-hosts to please cool it with the political asides, because that sort of thing is sure to alienate half of his listeners.

Would you write him the same kind of letter if his co-hosts were condemning the war and making side comments about Bush? (Which, likewise, can alienate half his audience.)

I'm asking this just because I think alienating half the audience is a bad argument in this case. Quite frankly, I'm sickened any time someone I enjoy reading or listening to goes off on a rant about invasions from Mexico or whatnot. So I am with you on the "squeamish about wingnuts" -- I'm just not sure how to present it.

--Kynn

[prog.livejournal.com]

Yes, actually. By "half" I meant one or the other.

[prog.livejournal.com]

But you're right in your implied conjecture... if it had been the other color of sudden political off-mouthing it might have just rolled off of me, since I tend to hear that all the time anyway (when I'm not generating it myself). It's hard to say.

Allow me to turn to the camera with a melancholy expression and express my regret that it's come to this.

[kahuna-burger.livejournal.com]

I can't see how this in any way weakens your "case" that strong political content is a bad idea in these podcasts. One does not have to be personally neutral to think or suggest that public neutrality can be a good idea in some contexts. Fall not prey to the specter of false hypocricy which attempts to stifle all critcism from those who lack god-like perfection.

[prog.livejournal.com]

The hell of it is, it wasn't really strong political content, at least not in the sense that this guy launched into a screed about anything. He just tossed off some verbal signals, maybe without even giving it much thought, that identified the faction with which he identified. From that moment on I didn't want to hear a thing that he said, even about games.