Duped, Again
For Christmas, I got a DVD box-set of the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Sports Night, a wonderfully written and amusing show by the talented Aaron Sorkin. One of the greatest scenes in the series is when Sports Night producer Dana Whitaker(Felicity Huffman), whom had been bragging all afternoon about her little brother who plays college football, breaks a news story about college players using steroids. As she reads the list of names, she realizes to her horror that her little brother is on the list.
In the next episode, she confronts her brother for the first time and starts to, predictably, explode at him. But she ultimately realizes that it's only self-fulfilling for having unrealistic expectations of her brother and being completely and utterly disappointed. She realizes that, at the end of the day, she's still his sister, and she should start acting like one.
As much as I may begrudge the people who post on BlueGartr, it is one of the few places to go to discuss Final Fantasy XI intelligently, once you separate the wheat from the chaff. The best players post there, and it is often a good reasource if you're a nerd like me who loves to analyze things. Not to say its all daffodils and roses; some of the worst drama whores post there too.
So when the news broke early this morning that about 1,000 accounts are facing temporary or permanent bans with more getting account warnings for duping salvage gear, I was originally pleasantly surprised. I was also shockingly appalled at the amount of grandstanding and faux self-riteousness that is going on. A lot of these people who have been hit have given a lot to not just the game, but the community as a whole. For them to be struck while they're down by people, for whatever self-motivated reason, is kind of appalling.
Not that it makes the duping right. They cheated, and did not get away with it, and as such have to take their due lumps. I still don't know if I wouldn't have done the same thing, but the phony self-riteousness is ridiculous. There are some people whom I am glad to see gone, and there others who will be sorely missed.
One stupid action does not mean that you should categorically and systematically dismiss people.
A-ha. Found a transcript. Here you go.
Dana's Office
KYLE Hey.
DANA Hey.
KYLE Dana, I'm--
DANA Shut up. I'm so mad at you I could cry. Mom and dad are totally freaked.
KYLE I'm gonna see them at the end of the week.
DANA Kyle--
KYLE I'm sorry.
DANA Do you remember the hours, the years, the studying, the weight rooms, the practices, the two-a-days--
KYLE You don't have to tell me how hard it is to play pro ball, Dana. I play pro ball.
DANA Who turned you on to this stuff?
KYLE Dana--
DANA I know that locker room. Was it Jason?
KYLE Listen--
DANA Was it Jason?
KYLE It's not important.
DANA What the hell kind of judge are you of what's important? I have stood and cheered for you since your were 10 years old, from the second you picked up a football. I have lived and died with your games. I walked around here last Monday night strutting. "Did you see my brother play?" I've had to report this idiot story four days straight. Do you have any idea the kind of... (Dana stops to breathe, appearing to see Kyle for the first time) You look tired.
KYLE I'm a little tired, yeah.
DANA You got a lot of people mad at you.
KYLE Yeah.
DANA Your teammates?
KYLE Yeah.
DANA The fans?
KYLE Yeah.
DANA Mom and dad?
KYLE Yeah.
DANA I'm not done being your big sister yet, and it seems to me that these are the moments that big sisters get paid for, so, what do you say I be the one person in your life that isn't pissed at you right now? It's gonna be ok. You're gonna face the music, and you'll work hard in the off-season, and you'll be back, only this time, not quite so stupid. Meantime, I'm your sister, and I'm here for whatever you need. Come say hi to everyone.
