Take, for example, this track. Note the passion and commitment that the singer, Patrick Stump (last seen as the lead singer of Fall Out Boy) brings to the lyrics He is a scientist/he's an inventor/he built a robot friend:
Or, to put things into perspective for us old fogeys, think about the Thundercats theme song:
This works in other languages too. This is a song celebrating the virtues of, among others, Toothbrush-man, Uncle Jam, Rice ball-man, and Sliced Bread-man. Yet it is sung as though it matters:
On the contrast, attempts at humour or efforts to make a kids' show appeal to an adult audience rarely work. The best example of this, for British viewers, is I think Hey Duggee, which is full of tongue-in-cheek references and often pretty funny, but which I have found is something that only the adults in the household really want to watch. It seems to leave most kids I know a bit cold.
What does this have to do with RPGs? Only that if you're going to do something well, you probably have to take it seriously on its own terms and not hedge it with humour.
One data point here, but Hey Duggee is a hit for all ages in our house. The gold standard, however, of kids TV that also appeals to adults is Bluey. "Flat Pack" is one of the best episodes of any TV show I've ever seen, ever. I am completely serious. IMO, some episodes of Bluey are in "genius hits a target no one else can see" territory.
ReplyDeleteMore generally, I agree that earnestness is so valuable for almost any endeavour. Especially creative work. It's a lesson I wish I'd learned much earlier.
Humour definitely has a place, but that place is in supporting and enhancing the earnestness (a la Bluey), not undercutting it (as often happens when kids TV seeks to appeal to adults). So many animated "kids" movies fall into this trap of having too many adult-centric jokes, or even a plot that only makes sense to an adult.
I think Pepa Pig manages to have a lot of humour for adults ("Madame Gazelle") while still taking itself seriously enough for children. The original Star Wars films are another example of humour supporting rather than undermining the show; Raiders of the Lost Ark also I think.
DeleteAgreed, Peppa Pig is a strong example. Miss Rabbit's multiple jobs is one of my favourite running jokes. Peppa Pig is almost like a vintage sitcom for kids.
DeleteI don't mind Peppa Pig actually. I totally agree about Bluey and it's really refreshing to have a realistic depiction of a father who isn't a) stupid, b) evil, or c) absent/boring.
DeleteWhen I was a kid, this was about the most edgy and badass thing I'd ever seen on TV:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVcCB4fze94
There were other good shows on but I knew where I wanted to spend my time.
Honorable mention to things like Pokemon, which had a lot of humor but took its core arc seriously and had an intro that sort of imparted its earnestness
Where’s the Yoon Suin Kickstarter? TAKE MY MONEY!
ReplyDeleteHa! Too close to Christmas now and I think it immoral to launch a new one before my previous one is properly fulfilled. That goal is getting close, though. I think Yoon-Suin will launch mid-January.
DeleteYep. Kids stuff is for adults only. Adult stuff is for the entire family.
ReplyDeleteI think this is one reason why the recent Disney Star Wars trilogy failed compared to the original trilogy, and why even Lucas's badly done but earnest prequels tend to be regarded as superior.
ReplyDeleteScooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated. Fantastic for children, fantastic for adults.
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RPG related: A mixed thing. I think earnest is a good tone but Humorless and Grim is not always desirable (present company excluded). The old Gygax and Jaquays 1e stuff always had moments of levity or little puns which were balanced with a serious treatment of the subject matter. I would argue in general the statement holds true, but a moment of levity goes a long way.
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