I've got no beef with Uwe Boll. The industry is full of really sh*tty movies, and Boll is just another guy out there trying to make a buck. I think he's become an easy guy to blame. In the end, movies, like games, are for fun, and I think that we sometimes forget that and become too critical of these forms of entertainment.
But, for some reason, Stride Gum does have a beef with Uwe Boll. In fact, they're urging their customers to sign the Stop Uwe Boll petition, and are offering a free pack of gum as incentive.
UGO tells us that Stride would like to see the petition reach its one million signature goal, so they're going to release a coupon online for a free pack of gum for signers on May 23. I think they're making a statement with the date, as Postal is released on the 23rd.
“Since gamers are one of our most supportive groups, we’ve been looking for ways to return the favor,” said Gary Osifchin, Stride North American Marketing Director. “And what better way is there to get gamers’ backs than by helping them rescue their cherished videogames from the clutches of Uwe Boll?”
Of course, we see right through this; it's marketing, and they're trying to be "hip" in our eyes. But isn't this a little mean? Targeting someone's career for marketing purposes? What if we created a petition against Stride gum (really, Orbitz tastes better) and endorsed it here on Destructoid?
Is a pack of gum incentive enough for you to sign this petition? Or have you already signed it? Or is this just too mean-spirited for you?
Contest:
11:12 AM on 05.07.2008
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Never let another girl like you, whip me over
Never let another girl like you, drag me under
If I meet another girl like you, I will tell her
Never want another girl like you, have to say - oh!
Frankly, I don't consider anything short of physical assault too mean-spirited for Boll. The guy is a greedy troll who knows his own work is shit. The guy even set up a chance to beat the shit out of his critics (after carefully screening them to make sure he wouldn't face anyone with an actual chance). So scratch that, maybe physical assualt is okay too.
Dupont = 1000pts
M$ = 500pts
Apple = 500pts
Sony = 250pts
. . .
And you know something? I'm kinda looking forward to Posatl. He's taken some of the piss out of himself on this one, and it looks like it's got a great tongue-in-cheek sense of humour (with plenty of dick and fart jokes for filler).
I think the Stride campaign is full out redonk(ulous). It's pretty mean-spirited. Sadly, I think the unwashed internet masses (read: fanboys, forum trolls, etc) will buy it, hook, line and sinker.
When the hell did Stride start to give a fuck about gamers anyway?
On the other hand, I do love free gum.
I remember reading that somewhere, involving Pixar being told to "Stop making only good movies" and such. Uwe Boll I'm sure, gets his funding to support this tactic.
- Uwe Boll
I just pulled that off the petition site. Okay, he has one redeeming factor. I still signed it though.
so they can both lose for me :-)
That's exactly how Boll markets himself, calling Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay pussies so he gets attention for his movies.
I guarantee you that he friggin loves the attention that this anti-Boll petition has generated and this Stride thing has got to have him pissing his pants with glee.
Everyone just needs to ignore him, he'll go away.
We're supporting Uwe Boll now? I mean, I'm all about doing what you want to do, but seriously. I TiVo'd Bloodrayne once and my TiVo recommended I punch myself in the dick.
If the petition reaches 1 million, will he really keep his promise, or will he back out saying he's awesome and that those signing the thing have no taste in movies and have no idea what they are talking about?
I think the best thing that can come out of this fucked up situation is if Uwe Boll chokes to death on a piece of Stride gum. The comedy overload might just kill me too.
Uwe Boll's movies fucking suck, everyone knows that. so i don't see them. but if you wana offer me free shit to try to bring boll down ill do it in a heartbeat (save box him :X).
ill def be signing this come may23, sorry uwe . . . its free gum
2.) I feel bad for Zach Ward -- he's a good actor who keeps getting involved in terrible movies.
3.) When your big sales pitch is "Watch Verne Troyer get raped by monkeys", something is terribly wrong.
Time to sign with my 37 known aliases.
Unlike the rest of yall, I have no problem with making fun of American Suffering. And I live here.