"The Most Dangerous Gamer" felt more like a portrayal of Taylor Clark's admiration of Jonathan Blow than an in-depth depiction of his character. Perhaps what made me think this was her choice to insert the bit of dialogue in which she analyzes the meaning of his previous game. I get it. This what supposed to inform non-gamers about Blow's past work. However, instead of being intrigued by the atomic bombs, I was appalled by Clark's blatant bragging. You made Blow smile. Great.
And if that was not enough self-indulgence, Clark transcribes Marc ten Bosch's rant about some 'fourth dimension.' The article lost me here. Because Clark did a poor job of earning my attention and trust in the first part of her profile, I was not willing to attentively read about game play-intensive analysis.
Clark clearly admires Blow. She at one point in the article calls him a "Spiritual seeker," an alliteration I find vague and inaccurate. That Blow could be pursuing profound spirituality through the context of a video game was not justified in her article. I felt as if I hardly got a handle on Blow, perhaps knowing only that he was, as Clark constantly reminded us, very wealthy and successful.
Maybe this is all just a reaction stirred up by the fact that I am an outsider to the video game world. A non-gamer. But Clark could have at least extended a hand and invited me in, if only briefly.
Interesting thoughts. I was also kind of surprised that Clark felt the need to insert herself into the narrative. When I thought about it further, though, it seemed like a way to try and make him more accessible. He wouldn't explain his games very well and wouldn't comment on his life. Her analysis of the game and, by extension, his life story helped me to get a clearer idea of his inspiration, since he more or less agreed with her assessment.
ReplyDeleteThe fourth dimension discussion, on the other hand, seemed a little pointless to me too. She clearly had no idea what the fourth dimension was, and her telling me that didn't clarify the concept in my head either. She could have just mentioned that Blow's friend was working on a game that toyed with new dimensions of space and left it at that.
I agree with you, Cam and Maggie. I didn't think Clark's insertion of herself into the narrative warranted that much attention. In my opinion, it made her account seem less reliable.
ReplyDeleteI think that her insertion of herself in the narrative allowed her to state her opinion more clearly. At times this was helpful for me to better enter the text. For example when she was commenting on the mindless of some current video games, I was like amen.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I'm interested in her bias as well. At times she was condescending to the reader and even a little sexist.
How was Clark sexist? I'm 99% sure that Clark is a man btw...Cam,
ReplyDeleteYou make some excellent points! I think we can definitely view the piece as a portrayal of Clark's admiration and I agree that the 'fourth dimension' discussion is not super relevant too. However, do you agree that there were other good moments that were worth reading for?