Pwned

Earlier this week, Pure Pwnage wrapped up on ABC2. I sat through all of it becuase, very much Good Game, any show about gaming is good enough for me even if the end result leaves me dissatisfied. True I watch Good Game but it's the only gaming show on TV - thus it is a chore for me to sit through the nonsense in order to find something informative.

So did I come away from Pure Pwnage dissatisfied? Of course.
Much of it stems from the lead protagonist, Jeremy, being a deplorable one. He's lazy, rude, narcissistic and down right obnoxious. Thus, Pure Pwnage breaks a key rule in fiction by not having a character the audience can connect with. If such a connection isn't made, the story isn't going to go very far. Thus, Jeremy is not someone I'll give up twenty-odd minutes of my life for - no, he is someone I want to punch in the face.
By comparison, Kratos from God of War is too an unlikable character but at least this is balanced out through giving him a decent motivation (well at least in the FIRST game).

In addition, Jeremy's actions seem to enforce the equally detestable perception of gamers and how they interact with the real world. You know what I mean (don't pretend you don't): The stereotypical gamer who plays games with an almost religious devotion, has a grudge against society and who can't function properly on a social level.
I mean, considering that games are now more popular than ever, this stereotype seems to have severely challenged with games attracting people of many walks of life. Seriously you don't see people reacting to movies or books with the same passion as people who like games now, do you?
Thus, Jeremy's misadventures comes across more as being a backward step.

Some say these observations are precisely the point, inspiring a car-crash element to the series but I refuse to buy that. Stereotypes aren't there to be celebrated, they are there to be mocked. I don't want to hear about a guy who walks away with having learned nothing from his experiences. I don't want to know about guy who exists in his own little universe. I don't want to know about a guy who achieves victory without having to lift a finger to earn it. I don't want to know about a dude who has no admirable qualities to balance out his faults. I don't want to know about a guy who refuses to accept his shortcomings even when they're staring him directly in the face.
Indeed, I would rather watch a movie about a guy who wins with blind optimism despite everyone knowing he's a moron (case in point, Tim Burton's Ed Wood) than a serial about a guy who wins with obnoxiousness and immaturity despite everyone knowing he's a moron.

That being said, do I think I can come up with a better story?
Oooh, now there's a challenge...