I'm not one to post this much about Twitter, but I just read the gifted Leigh Alexander's "tweet" regarding my Bogost post:
Based on this and some of the other reactions from yesterday, I feel I must ease the tension I created. Call me overly cautious, but it's my fear that, being a relative newcomer to this particular community of gaming bloggers, any passing reputation I gain will be that of a malcontent, misfit, or troll.
If that is how the Bogost piece came off--as a potentially hyperbolic tirade--then I sincerely apologize to Dr. Bogost and all readers. Sure, it was meant to be sarcastic and biting, but that was in service of a larger point. On the other hand, if nothing else, I come from a long line of over-reactors (in my family, we call them the "New York kind of Jew"), full of spit and gumption and all those other funny words that seem to indicate that I have a short fuse for what I consider to be an injustice.
That said, I still feel that it is better to speak out than remain silent about something that offends you, even if the result can be considered overblown (and trust me, that was not the intention). After all, I'd be something of a hypocrite if I didn't own up to the words I wrote and account for reader reactions. I had no idea at the time of writing that I was piling onto a seemingly mooted Twitter discussion, the angst of which Ian had already allayed, but that says little for what I think is the most important point to take away from my post:
The game studies celebs have to be careful about what they say. They can't help that they've gained something of a celebrity status; God knows, many of them probably never wanted it and still do not consider themselves as such.
Nonetheless, in a burgeoning critical field, the last thing you want to do is even inadvertently stratify its contributors into academic castes, whereby some contributors are beyond reproach and others seem to be "just those self-important and annoying bloggers." It's not just counterproductive; it can be hurtful... and, lest we all become too big for our britches, it's always nice to give ourselves the reality check that we are all discussing games, after all. That isn't meant to be a pejorative comment about gaming, by the way... but let's remember the inclusive spirit of the subject matter.
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