Of late, I have listened to Fear the Boot with an awfully critical ear – despite my abiding affection for the hosts. I’ve settled into a habit of enumerating all the many ways Chad and Dan are wrong, suffering from narrow perspectives and absence of vision as they are. In fact, I wrote about some of that this week.
In episode 144 of Fear the Boot (a show about tabletop role playing games and a little bit more), there’s a lot to dislike and to quote Dan, “Here’s why:”
- The hosts presume to review and critcize character motivation for the new Star Trek movie, which doesn’t open for another two weeks!
- The inane discussion that a true Science Fiction movie emphasizing science over action-adventure cannot be commercially viable (please reference CONTACT and ANDROMEDA STRAIN for my rebuttal).
- Dan’s assertion that Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a plot-driven story. “It’s about what’s happening,” He says, “It’s not about the people, it’s not about the place…” Horse. Shit. I’m sorry has he not seen the film? The movie’s A-story is all about Khan’s burning need for revenge against the man that beat him 15 years earlier. The B-story is focused on Kirk’s mid-life crisis. Without these two elements, none of the story happens! WoK is not just a character-driven story, it’s a freaking prime example of a character-driven story!! AIGHHH!
Deep breaths.
There are other things that drive me crazy about the episode, and right as I was about to toggle to something else… Chad says what’s been on my mind, and the minds of many others for awhile now. In fact, Chad references things that have been mentioned on this blog and elsewhere:
Dan, here’s the flaw I see in your reasoning… not in your negative reasoning. It’s a flaw I see in you… Some people in the forums have pointed this out. Some people on blog posts have pointed this out about you and I have come to totally agree with it. When we start doing debates on can you play, like in the last episode, can you play an Anthro, or can you play an animal. And you say things like… things such as ‘I really can’t get into it. We’re playing in a wolfpack, and I don’t really see how you can do an extended (campaign)… you can do a one or two shot in a wolfpack, but I don’t see how you can carry it on…’
I’m sorry to say, but I have to agree with them, you’re not being imaginative enough. You are not following the thought out enough. You are not saying enough ‘what-ifs.’ You are holding on to certain prejudices…
Bam!
I whole-heartedly agree with Chad’s assessment, a sure sign of the end times. Chris and Pat were awkardly silent during this intervention.
I went from ready to turn off this ep, to listening through it, eager to hear how it resolved. A compelling podcast, I must say.
Dan, who held up under Chad’s criticism with grace, suggested that they make episode 144 the first of two parts in which the co-hosts and listeners help Dan develop his vision. The test-case: get him excited about a supers campaign.
For the first time in awhile, I am eager for next week’s FtB.