Is it so much to ask for a black Colbert Report?
I was looking forward to watching the Nightly Show featuring newly retooled segments such as The Word, Yo and Tip of the Hat; Oh No You D’in’t, but instead we’re stuck with a panel of experts playing “Would You Rather…”
It may be unfair to be so critical of a show that just started out, but I’m already starting to miss any sort of biting, insightful writing now that John Stewart has announced he’s leaving the Daily Show, thus jeopardizing the block of time from which I get all of my political views.
With that out of the way, it’s time for me to yell back at the TV in the form of a rant in the form of a video game blog.
A couple of weeks ago, the Nightly Show was discussing the American Sniper phenomenon that was sweeping the US. Audience were rallying around this movie as a “feel-good” experience about that war that is now a proven lie.
A military veteran was appearing on the Nightly Show panel, and perhaps due to his equipped inventory, was able to deflect any criticisms fired his way. This veteran’s bottom line was the very first thing he said: “Even though we’re talking about this subject on a comedy show, it’s great that veterans are getting this kind of attention, and since we’re not picky, we’ll take any positive attention we can get because we need it.”
‘Dem libs are always careful to mouth off to a member of the US military, so this veteran was given the delightful honor of being ignored by the other guests for the rest of the show. But, since no one cared to confront him, this is my chance to talk back to the TV.
If I had the chance, the first thing I’d say is, “I’m very sorry to have to begin my words by correcting you, an esteemed member of the armed forces who has served his country with pride, but I think you meant to say, “hilarious comedy show…” and then wink at the host Bill (?) Nightly.
Once the crowd settled down, I’d continue. “I think it’s really too bad that US veterans are in such need of attention that suburban garage bands are feeling inadequate by comparison.” After acknowledging the audience, I’d continue with: “This lack of discrimination towards the attention you receive will inevitably lead to a reversal of your own opinion when the public’s attention is turned towards something that doesn’t portray veterans in as favorable a light as American Sniper, a nationalistic knee-slapper that already has the word American in its title and a flag in its marketing to mirror the one waving in your hand.”
At this point my allocated time is already over, so I’d hold up a finger and just try to power through to my final point in one breath: “The Iraq war isn’t ready to be told as a “soldier’s story” like in American Sniper because as much as veterans have given for this war, ordinary US citizens also carry the burden of knowing they supported a false war against a hollow enemy for nefarious reasons.” At this, I would point my finger for the one and only time you can point at a veteran: “You can have World War II, Korea, and Vietnam… but you can’t have Iraq until we’re ready to let you have it.” *
And that’s what Medal of Honor (1999) is: the sanitized, feel-good game about a just war with a clear, identifiable enemy that you can demonize for being completely wrong and eating a different food than you. As bad as Hitler was (sooo bad), he’s awesome for having become the highest insult with which you can compare your online enemies with, and one of the few historical figures that was deemed suitable to battle as an endgame boss suited up in a monstrous mech.
Medal of Honor was the video game industry’s turn to shake the money barrel from having landed on the right side of history with World War II. This game went one to inspire multiple games about adopting the role of the Greatest Generation, albeit with power-ups.
By contrast, a game set during the Iraq war would be horrible. Who is the enemy? What is the mission? Without the “moral authority” that is so easily affordable with the passage of time, there’s no way to enjoy such a game, or to take liberties in finding different perspectives other than what we get from the news.
Medal of Honor gets it right by finding the right context for which we can enjoy violence as entertainment. And, as we can see after dipping into the well too many times, modern war shooters have not used any recent wars as a backdrop for their games.** Instead, Russians have perennially served as the bad guys, just as they have done so well in the past, or gamers are flung into the near-future to do battle with drones and droids.
It doesn’t have to be World War II; any war is fine, just so long as it isn’t “our war” of the present that the public is still dealing with. But with all of these different choices, some of you may be saying, “Which war is right for me?”
To answer that question, you can always turn to your local veteran, who is always looking for your attention.
* And if I were a guest on the Nightly Show of a lower class of character, I would lean back in my chair, mime pumping a shell into my shotgun, and finger-blast my worthy constituent with the words, “BOOM. Headshot.”
** There was Five Days in Fallujah, but that didn’t turn out so well.
How far I got in 15 minutes: was finally able to commandeer a machine gun, but it was already the end of the level. But my sense of historical justice!
The good: everything but the graphics.
The bad: What, no one-hit headshots? What kind of WWII is this?
Would I play this game again once this year is over: The war isn’t over, yet
Days so far in the Year of the Play-a-DayStation: 22
Play-a-Daystation 