July 24, 2007 -
With each passing day, GP becomes less convinced that the online world of Second Life is politically relevant.Witness the outcome of the Kirby "scandal" we covered last week. Readers may recall that an aide to an unnamed senator claimed his account was used by a houseguest to deface images of Nintendo's Kirby character with swastikas and the words Kirby hates our troops.
There were unanswered questions in the badly written item on Second Life News Network, most prominently, which senator was involved and what exactly happened? MediaLoper waded into the confusion yesterday with a detailed report that answers most of the questions but which at the same time makes the idea of Second Life as a serious political venue seem ludicrous. From MediaLoper:
When mainstream political pundits grouse about the risks of swimming too far into the deep end of the new media pool, I’m pretty sure this is exactly the scenario they have in mind...
Sources revealed the Senator to be Mike Gravel. While Gravel is an active presidential candidate, he hasn’t been in the U.S. Senate for over 20 years... the word Senator is used as an honorific... As I was to find out, the Kirby incident had nothing to do with Mike Gravel’s campaign.
Legoean Ferraris (aka Lego) is a volunteer for the Mike Gravel presidential campaign in real life AND in SL... he’s already developed a concept for a consulting business designed to help Congressional candidates build and maintain virtual campaign headquarters... The first step in Lego’s business plan was to... build an office...
...a store called the Kirby Emporium opened across the street... Somehow Lego felt that Kirby’s goofy presence would damage his business prospects... Lego had nightmares about meetings with potential clients who wanted to know why there was a enormous spinning pink puff ball across the street...
At some point Lego got the bright idea... to build a kind of weird monument protesting Kirby. He constructed... signs depicting Kirby as a little pink nazi, raising an arm in salute to Adolph Hitler... I find it unfathomable how anyone involved in real world politics could ever think that portraying a beloved video game character as a nazi is a good idea.
Lego briefly tried to coverup his involvement... claiming that a house guest had accessed his computer and built the signs using his account. As excuses go, it was just one step removed from “the dog ate my homework”.
...If Lego really wanted to take down the Kirby Emporium, he might have had better luck contacting the Nintendo legal department.
GP: Nice report by MediaLoper. But as if this isn't silly enough, IntLibber Brautigan, the owner of the Kirby Emporium claimed that Lego's anti-Kirby activities were racially motivated. IntLibber is also reportedly a backer of another no-chance presidential candidate, Ron Paul, so there may have been some meaningless political competition afoot as well.
Comments
Regarding about Paul and Gravel not having a chance. Well history has shown us differently in the past that no names rise up from no where and become front runners and/or President. At this stage it too early to even guess what might happen. I do know people who think Paul or Gravel say great things and believe in what they say, but don't feel it worth voting for them cause they think it won't make a difference doesn't help the problem. The way I think of it is no vote is ever wasted, vote for who you want not for who supports them or the party line, or how much money they might have.
Yes I'm a Gravel supporter and I do believe he has a chance.
Gravel has to compete against Obama and Clinton, the well loved and funded Titans of the party. I thought he wouldn't stand a chance too, but after watching last night's debate I think he is moving up on the ladder(along with Richardson, Edwards, Obama) and Clinton is going to fall down several pegs. The democratic candidates seem to alternate on who they try take down some pegs: first debate was Obama, second I couldn't hear cause of fighting at home, and third was Clinton. If gravel continues to perform well in the debates he will move up, which will spur up his fund raising(currently he is second to last, Kucinich, in fund raising for both parties) .
@AstroPhysicist... yes, good point. I rather admire some of what Gravel - and Paul - have had to say. I'll look over the story & see if the Gravel non-involvement issue needs reinforcing.
The fact he thought Kirby was bad for his political views...
Or that he forgot that anyone could possibly walk into the sim with a 20m erect phallis as their avatar without a problem.
Damn! Did something crawl up your ass and died or are you always such a fucking asshole?
Fight!!
There is no association between Lego's actions, and the Mike Gravel for President 2008 campaign. I want that to be blatantly clear. Say what you'd like about our campaign, and Mike being a 'no-chance presidential candidate,' but do not associate our candidate, campaign, or anything of the like with this absurd Kirby affair.
"backer of another no-chance presidential candidate"
Now that is just disgusting to say. Every candidate has a chance at becoming president despite what you may or may not think. For the record, Gravel has my support.
I hope that former Senator Gravel fires that idiot. Does he really want such an immature imbecile representing him to the masses (even if just virtually)?
I thought that house guest excuse was flimsy, and now we know it to be a lie.
/Picard Sigh
Well someone is about to lose what could have been a rather profitable short term venture. Sucks to be him.
Kinda said to see my personal suspicion confirmed.