And the prize for the most pretentious comment of the week goes to ... James Cameron!
James Cameron's Avatar has been criticized by anti-smoking groups for daring to show a character do something normal like having a cigarette. That, in and of itself, is pretty stupid and pathetic, but it's Cameron's justification for having Sigourney Weaver light one up that truly makes us facepalm -- apparently it's some clever allegory for how gamers treat their bodies.
"We were showing that Grace doesn’t care about her human body, only her avatar body," warbles Cameron, adding that the character "is a negative comment about people in our real world living too much in their avatars, meaning online and in video games."
Just when I didn't think Cameron could get even further up his arse about Avatar, he manages to astound me. Can he not just accept that he made a fairly decent Fern Gully flick with unrealistic CGI that made the whole thing look like a Pixar movie? Just admit it and move on, man.
Cameron: Smoking in Avatar a Critique of Gamers [Wired]
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
6:30 PM on 01.04.2010
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I swear, all he's done for the past 12 years is masturbate over how awesome he thinks his script is.
All I can say really.
The main character is sooo deeeeeply in love with that blue monkey chick that he ends up giving up is human body for a blue monkey one. Movie ends.
Your argument doesn't work Cameron.
I guess he's a fan of the Wii.
This completely overshadowed the whole article for me. I mean Cameron is a condescending jerk. That's not news.
Even then, is the movie even about a gaming world? Context sir, give it to me.
I miss camel joe...
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Well. Maybe.
if he wants to make a character, and a socio-political comment burried within it, he can. It's his movie.
stop be whining bitches.
the majority of us are fat lazy bitches.
what, we're not?
we're the picture of health aren't we? lol.
when's the last time y'all went shopping for clothes for yourself? when's the last time you stared at your tv and picked out an outfit for your avatar?
I haven't bought clothes for myself in months.
I spent about 40 minutes on my sackboy, about 15 minutes looking over the new avatar stuff for my xbox, and a couple of minutes changing my hair in home.
I guess I'm the only one though.
BULL FUCKING SHIT
The main character is sooo deeeeeply in love with that blue monkey chick that he ends up giving up is human body for a blue monkey one. Movie ends.
Your argument doesn't work Cameron."
^ THIS!
The guy is just pissed off because he said this film would be moar awesome than any movie evar and likened it to the immersive factor in video games. Gamers told him he was a bag of hot air and his movie was mediocre. So he finds something in his masterpiece that could potentially, loosely, maybe, possibly, but only in a sweeping manner symbolize a negative aspect of us and completely pulls a weaksauce insult from his ass. I dunno what I would prefer though--him trying desperately to dis us or him adding everyone that goes to see it on his friends list.
brilliant.
At least you acknowledge you may be the only one. I'm almost convinced you are, at the very least, the minority.
I've shopped for my own clothes since before I even had to pay for my own clothes. And who here is saying he can't provide commentary? Can't we, being the ones he's criticizing, disagree?
Dude, what the hell are you talking about?
Whether some of us work out or Brad has big guns or not, that doesn't change the fact that many gamers do not take care of their health. There are many how many people in Korea that play 12+ hours per day of Starcraft, how many WoW gamers that spend more time grinding than sleeping, etc., etc.? His take is a valid one. Just because a good number of us know how to game in moderation or take care of ourselves doesn't mean that his assessment is wholly incorrect.
And for God's sake, for a community where NOTHING is off limits to joke about, we sure get our panties in a bunch when a musician shits on Guitar Hero, a gossip rag blames games for a murder or remarks like this get made. I guess those who are quickest to dole out insults also tend t have the more sensitive feelings, eh? Who gives a fuck what Cameron says? Either you're mad because he's making a valid point, or you shouldn' give a shit because it doesn't apply to you.
O and Cameron = teh lame. I came to that realization about ten seconds into my first viewing of the Titanic trailer.
That guy has more failed marriages than Liz Taylor, and O yeah, Avatar sucks balls. So lame that Avatar: The Last Airbender's movie has to be named only The Last Airbender for this piece of crap movie.
I hope Cameron gets AIDS and dies. Tomorrow.
That said, if Mr. Cameron had spent more time on making his movie concise and less time on allegories, his movie would have been the better for it. That movie was 45 minutes too long!
Way to prove Cameron's point.
And lastly, Avatar surpassed the $1 billion mark worldwide yesterday. If Cameron wants to make a social commentary or a political commentary in his blockbuster film, then he can do it and you can't do shit about it. You know why? Because he's James Cameron, one of the most visionary filmmakers of the modern generation. Is the movie perfect? No. Does the story drag at parts? Yes. But anyone claiming the visuals look like any other movie, or even worse, a video game is a total idiot. This movie represents one of the most important technological leaps in filmmaking since the Schufftan process.
But ... I did?
We'll recommence our little chat when you actually understand what the fuck you're talking about, son.
The guy spent ten years making the god damn film, and he's a little proud about it, yeah we get it, that doesn't mean we have to call it the worst film of all time because it didn't "reinvent the movie or gaming industry"
C'mon Jim, I never thought you'd be the one to be butthurt over this.
Also, @askthatoneguy, I agree
Or do I just live under a rock and in the rest of the world:Gaming == Self Destructive Tendencies
Makes sense.
And more intellectual discussions of the pros and cons af Avatar can be found elsewhere, like the Cinema Discusio thread at Something Awful.
B-b-b-but, I'm confused! You hate little people like me who don't use custom pics and avatars in the comments section! People like me are worthless! They are not even FIT to comment!
Cameron 2
Sterling 0
I find this hard to buy. I'd agree that people who play videogames may be overweight but I'd have a hard believing it's because they play videogames or even moreso because they live in their avatars.
For one I think people who play videogames a lot are more prone to desk jobs. I don't blame videogame for that.
I agree he has the right to have his social commentary, and more power to him because we need more of it in our mainstream, but I don't feel like his comment is fully justified.
In any event I won't lie there are gamers who don't take care of their bodies but claiming it's because they're gamers is a stretch. It's a problem all across the board. It has nothing to do with living inside of an avatar.
Am I missing some chain of logic here?
And, no, I haven't seen the movie.