Idiocracy Is Right (But Not Why You Think It Is)

XKCD, one of my favorite webcomics, ran one about a month ago called "Idiocracy" after the movie. Basically, it "shows" that the movie is laughably incorrect, in that the general populous is not getting dumber; rather, the standard for "intelligent" is getting higher, dragging the "mediocre" benchmark up with it. While many of these comics are delightfully insightful, witty, or otherwise engaging, this one got me thinking, and I have my rebuttal.

Quite simply, you are correct; the standard for intelligence has gone up- quite drastically, in fact. Someone I know put it thusly; "2000 years ago, you were a fucking genius if you could read or write". The average intelligence hasn't gone up or down, but rather the perceived brilliance of individuals has become more obvious. The problem with the argument is that the requirement for average intelligence has gone up. For example, 2000 years ago, reading and writing was a skill reserved for (usually) royalty, the rich, and those who showed a great aptitude. Now, it's taught to everyone in free, public schools. Driving a car would have made Aristotle shit bricks; hell, the EXISTENCE of mechanical transport would have blown his mind.

So when someone doesn't understand why a retail worker can't materialize a Wii console out of thin air, I can see why people leap to the conclusion that people are "getting dumber". I think the real problem is a lack of good parenting. I'm a retail monkey, so I see all of it. I've seen parents buying kids candy every time they ask for it, and the ones who tell them no. I see kids that are free to run around the store, doing as they please, and I see the byproducts of this- the teens who, later in life, go around the store and knock things over, steal, hit all the "Help" buttons throughout the store, and the like.

I think parents, who often lack in "common sense" themselves, pass this inconsiderate nature onto their kids twofold. That might be the single biggest factor in the "people are getting dumber" thought movement. It makes sense, really- in the movie, the dumb people breed indiscriminately while people of intelligence wait until they are in good financial position, but wait so long that one or both become infertile. Such is the case in my scenario- social stigmas prevent intelligence from breeding. Abortion's negative stigma forces many to keep babies fathered from rape, accidents, or "that one time in Cancun". Sexual education in the nation is less effective than "pulling out", as most of the "education" is abstinence only, which has been show to be completely ineffective against teenage hormones.

In short, we as a people are not doing enough to keep people from becoming the dystopian drones that Idiocracy depicts; it will not be from lack of intelligence, but rather the wasting of it.

Your Proudest Gamer Moment

An article on Gamespy recently caught my attention, and started bringing up memories of many years past. The article was about the proudest moments in gaming- those achievements that, while on paper seem rather mediocre, for those that know are badges of honor. Beating Guitar Hero II on Expert? Good. Beating "Jordan" on Expert? Better. Beating the entire game, 5-starring everything, and FC-ing the main setlist? That's a sight to see.

I saw a lot of comments from gamers relating their proudest moments. I started thinking, and I the first one that came to mind was a night to be envied on the COD4 servers. Knifing my way up from a 60-point deficit, against numerous 55's, many of them prestiged many times over, I managed to get a last-second, luck-would-have-it, once-in-a-lifetime double kill. As I knifed my way to 120, I saw a sniper lying behind a truck, face the other direction. I wanted this one to be one for the ages, so i cooked my last frag as long as I dared and bounced it off his skull. I pops as he starts to stands, and the match ends. For a short time, I was the target- the guy to go after.

Then, working later that day, I started thinking about other times an achievement in a game had ever made me proud to sit on my ass and play games. I remembered outracing my gearhead brother in Gran Turismo 3 the first night we had our first PS2. I remembered, at a LAN party, being so frustrated by a player named "Hitler" that I changed my name to "Anne Frank" and gunning for him the entire match. Seeing "Anne Frank killed Hitler" was so epic, the entire LAN went AFK for a few seconds from the sheer force of laughter.

I thought long and hard, and I finally remember my single most favorite gaming moment. I was 6 years old at the time. I had spent a good 2 hours walking with my family at one Disney park or another- I don't rightly remember which- and we stopped in to get some lunch. I ate quickly, and saw a 4-seat cluster of a Mech-game sitting in the corner. As I looked on, a kid stormed out of the booth. He looked to be about 16, so I decided I'd take a turn. I hopped in quietly, dropped in my quarters, and joined the match. Much like my COD4 story above, I quickly began an utter domination the likes of which I could never replicate in that genre of game. When the match ended, I heard banging, grunts, and sighs of disappointment from the other three booths. Pissed and wanting to see what asshole had just dominated them, they pulled back the curtain to find 6-year old me, grinning like an idiot, not even realizing how badly I had beaten them. After watching three teens' jaws drop in rapid succession, I walked away with my family, still smiling ear to ear.

So I'd like to know from you, the readers; What's your favorite gaming moment? What made you stand up and want to proclaim your badassery to all you can see? What moment of self-accomplishment cements your place in the Halls of Gaming? What's your story?