Barack & Michelle Obama Available as Second Life Avatars

Barack & Michelle Obama Available as Second Life Avatars

July 22, 2009

For a price, Second Life users can now cavort in avatars which are close to being dead ringers for the President and First Lady.

New World Notes reports that a very realistic Michelle Obama avatar has just been completed, while the Barack Obama avatar has been available for some time. Both are the creations of SL entrepreneur MrSigmund Fride:

As one would expect, [Michelle Obama] is on default elegantly coiffed and smashingly dressed, and about as instantly recognizable as Mrs. Obama as the avatar version of her husband. (Creating avatars based on identifiable real world celebrities, as this series strongly suggests, is no easy task.) One significant shortcoming: the avatar's arms aren't as perfectly sculpted as the First Lady's most famously are...

Other popular avatars based on real-life figures are Italian President Silvio Berlusconi and Chinese actress Gong Li.

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Comments

Re: Barack & Michelle Obama Available as Second Life Avatars
Submitted by jedidethfreak - July 22, 2009 at 4:42 pm -0500

Who gives a fuck?!

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Freedom of speech means the freedom to say ANYTHING, so long as it is the truth. This does not exclude anything that might hurt someone's feelings.

Re: Barack & Michelle Obama Available as Second Life Avatars
Submitted by JustChris - July 22, 2009 at 7:25 pm -0500

Second Life + these avatars + rule 34 = Barack uh-oh...

GameSnooper

Re: Barack & Michelle Obama Available as Second Life Avatars
Submitted by jedidethfreak - July 22, 2009 at 9:48 pm -0500

wha....?

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Freedom of speech means the freedom to say ANYTHING, so long as it is the truth. This does not exclude anything that might hurt someone's feelings.

Re: Barack & Michelle Obama Available as Second Life Avatars
Submitted by Im_Blue - July 22, 2009 at 10:18 pm -0500

................This is totally off topic but I only just noticed it. Jedi im pretty sure freedom of speech means the freedom to say ANYTHING, regardless of whether its the truth. The theory being that having free speech allows greater deliberation and hence helps us discover the truth.

Re: Barack & Michelle Obama Available as Second Life Avatars
Submitted by jedidethfreak - July 22, 2009 at 11:13 pm -0500

By truth, I'm talking about the opposite of lying, seeing as slander and libel (the intentional telling of lies in vocal and print media, respectively) are illegal in America.

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Freedom of speech means the freedom to say ANYTHING, so long as it is the truth. This does not exclude anything that might hurt someone's feelings.

Re: Barack & Michelle Obama Available as Second Life Avatars
Submitted by Im_Blue - July 23, 2009 at 4:46 am -0500

Well you should clarify it then because freedom of speech and free media are totally different things. Media outlets are bound by certain conditions namley being honest (though Fox news tests that) But Freedom of speech is a totally different concept, applying to individuals and groups.

Re: Barack & Michelle Obama Available as Second Life Avatars
Submitted by Im_Blue - July 23, 2009 at 4:46 am -0500

Gah I sounded rude in that last post. Don't take it that way.

Re: Barack & Michelle Obama Available as Second Life Avatars
Submitted by jedidethfreak - July 23, 2009 at 9:26 am -0500

Every media outlet tests the boundaries of "truth."  Remember five years ago, Dan Rather told some lie about the Bush Administration (I can't remember what it was) openning up an FBI investigation, getting members of his staff fired for telling outright lies.  Also, newspapers are almost as bad, writing big stories on the front page, finding out weeks later the whole story was a complete fabrication, then writing a "retraction," but burying the retraction in the middle of the D-section of the newspaper, most likely so nobody would actually read it.  I have no problem with retractions, I just think they should be on the same page of a later issue of a newspaper as the original story.

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Freedom of speech means the freedom to say ANYTHING, so long as it is the truth. This does not exclude anything that might hurt someone's feelings.

Re: Barack & Michelle Obama Available as Second Life Avatars
Submitted by Puck - July 22, 2009 at 4:46 pm -0500

I'll post just to mention: the term 'Available' gives the impression, to a retail-centric audience, that SL or Linden Labs themselves are offering these avatars.  The linked article makes it clear that they're created by a user in Italy and sold for in-game currency, as are many designs and objects of wildly varying quality in Second Life.

I haven't logged in myself in many years, but the extremely open player-run economy was always the most unique yet little-known things about SL.

Re: Barack & Michelle Obama Available as Second Life Avatars
Submitted by Overcast - July 23, 2009 at 8:46 am -0500

I downloaded a 'SIM' for SIMS3 - that looks just like Obama. You know, I really don't care for his politics a whole lot - but I respect him as a human being and all.

Not one I'd play in SL - if I ever did actually feel compelled to try that again - 99.95% chance - not... but I wouldn't play in an Obama skin - but on that - he/she did a pretty good job on those.

GamePolitics ShoutBox

Posted 11/20/09 at 05:42pm
ZippyDSMlee: oh may the cute stab out your eyes, http://www.youtube.com/user/simonscat
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:17pm
JDKJ: O.K. Suit yourself. But when you're wearing Ray-Bans, sitting on a curb with a white cane and a cup of pencils, and doing Stevie Wonder impersonations, don't say I didn't warn you.
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:10pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No thank you I don;t want your cooties...or STDs...
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:01pm
JDKJ: Me. I'm rehearsing the role just in case I do get dubbed Zippy The Soecnda.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:59pm
DarkSaber: Wait, is that meant to be Zippy, me or you?
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:49pm
JDKJ: I cud caer lez. =^^= *wakes up in mid-afternoon after staying up until 3:00AM soldering resistors on to circuit boards, stumbles around in formerly white but now grey underwear, while simultaneously scratching groin with vigor and making coffee*
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:46pm
DarkSaber: knell? Don't you mean Neil? Anymore of tht and I'll dub thee Zippy The Soecnda
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:44pm
JDKJ: Now, now, Saber. Don't be salty. You weren't the first one to knell and bob and you ain't gonna be the last one, either.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:42pm
DarkSaber: JD's feeling rather desperate it seems.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:33pm
JDKJ: C'mon, Zip. You already touch yourself way too much. Spread the love. Before you go blind.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No and I ain't touching any part of you or your friends!! :P
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:25pm
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Lik Mitaint?
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
ZippyDSMlee: neill and bob,oldest giveing head joke and most lamest...
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
JDKJ: But thanks for the memory. MIB's a classic. *sings* "Here come the Men in Black. Galaxy defenders. Here come the Men in Black. They won't let you remember."
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:for the record I told you you can suck your own dck.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:07pm
JDKJ: Naw, man. That's Mueedeegiaap and Bob. And you can stop bobbing. I got Zippy bobbing now, too.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:56pm
DarkSaber: OH I get it now! It's Men In Black quote! The twins that run the comm centre in HQ.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:49pm
JDKJ: I'd like to introduce you to them. First, Neil. Then, Bob.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:47pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I know they are intimate friends of yours...
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:44pm
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Neil and Bob?
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