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[Little Green Frog]

"I know you are considering me to be your enemy right now, but I am really not. I am trying to help."

Alright, despite being personally insulted, I'm going to take you at your word.

Why do you feel personally insulted? I do not remember aiming any of my criticisms personally at you.

You can help by offering a superior image.

I am already helping by raising concerns. You are welcome to take them into consideration or ignore them entirely. I did explain my point of view well enough. What you do with it now is up to you, but my role is done. Unless I will have more objections, in which case I will voice them again.

[Arctic Force.]

"hey, look, these guys are racists"

I for one would like to avoid anything being labeled as "racist", but when the company is from another country run by someone that is a native of said country there is not much one could do that would not be labeled as "racist" when the focus is what it is.

Frog is there a picture that you think would be a better suggestion than the one that has been created. So please help us with this.

[VyoletRose]

We don't want to appear negative to any one culture. But we are criticizing NCSoft, which just so happens to be a foreign company. We should keep in mind Frog's point of view because that might be the way the general public might see it.

Lets remember - this is for Steven Colbert. He himself is a satire of conservative political pundits. Would such a conservative be against corporations? even evil ones? Or would he poke fun at the way some news corporations profit off of fear by demonizing another country's big business methods? Methods which hurt our western market.

However, I am curious.... if we changed the image to portray EVIL CORPORATION DESTROYED HIS SUPER GROUP! - would that get the point across as a satire against a foreign company destroying his beloved American Supergroup?

I am working on an alternative image though...

[Little Green Frog]

I for one would like to avoid anything being labeled as "racist", but when the company is from another country run by someone that is a native of said country there is not much one could do that would not be labeled as "racist" when the focus is what it is.

Frog is there a picture that you think would be a better suggestion than the one that has been created. So please help us with this.

Why not use the one posted here http://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php/topic,5707.msg70149.html#msg70149 ? It's brilliant, it's funny and  it's to the point. If any image deserves to be the "face" for the campaign, it is this one.

edit: and most of all it illustrates corporate indifference that killed the game effectively. I am not championing for this particular image, mind you. But it shows that it can be done without stepping on a thin ice by using an image of a stereotypically portrayed Asian person with a handfull of dollars and American flag in the background.

[Colette]

:: Bangs head on keyboard. ::

...strolls in here, tactlessly throws around fightin' words like "racist," then when asked to actually -- do -- anything, wimps out. Why did I see that coming?

Alright, I'm going to assume Froggy has a point. I will spend another day finding a decent Godzilla shot we can paste over Mr. Angry Asian. V.V., Vy, Mandrake and the rest of y'all who've worked so hard on this can judge which is better for SaveCoH.

To work...!

[dwturducken]

I thought the "Angry Asian Guy" was Colbert himself at first....

This. I mean, the guy looks vaguely Asian, but, at first glance, it looks like Angry Stephen.

[Little Green Frog]

:: Bangs head on keyboard. ::

...strolls in here, tactlessly throws around fightin' words like "racist," then when asked to actually -- do -- anything, wimps out. Why did I see that coming?

Yes, well, I am rather disappointing, am I not? But here's an idea: we are all together in this boat and those concerns stems from me caring about both the game and thus also the outcome of your campaign. Not because I am trying to upend your work. I could have taken my toys and left after the first personal attack. Or a second one. Or one of the later ones. I didn't because I. Care. For. The. Outcome. Of. Your. Work. So... Maybe stop seeing me as a simple villain and start talking to me like one adult talks to another?

[JanessaVR]

Oh, for the love of...

Ignore Mr. Excessive Political Correctness.  We have a fine image here - and it's for the Stephen Colbert show - it's supposed to be over the top!

Moving on, we're good to go.  How are we doing with attracting his attention - any nibbles that we know of yet?

[Colette]

Thanks, Janessa, but I feel like I should see this through, if for no other reason than to show Froggy there what I'm made of. V.V.'s all over the Colbert front. Let her work.

This is obviously a rough draft, and would take a lot of effort to clean up. Still, how do people feel about this mockup?



...maybe put the NCSoft bandanna on him.

[JanessaVR]

[dwturducken]

The pose on the Godzilla one looks like an ad for something. I vaguely recall something like that used on posters to sell some kind of soda or other canned drink when I was in Japan a few years ago. It's good, but it loses something from the first one.

[VyoletRose]

Maybe this will convey the message.

[Andy]

Touchy subject, but when I saw the first image (as well-done as it was!), I thought, "Youch, that's opening us to up some potentially not-so-good stuff." I'm quite certain the intent is to target NCSoft, but other people might not see it that way. I think to keep the focus on getting the game sold, we should avoid even the appearance of targeting a group of people based on Characteristic X. It's not hyper-sensitive political correctness, it's being aware that as Americans we enjoy a pretty unique place in the world and what we think of as "casual" or funny may not look the same to other people or cultures. I would rather err on the side of caution and keep the attention on CoH rather than end in a situation with, "Wow, are those CoH fans racists?"

Not that I think anyone here is going for that, but the appearance of something can often matter more than the intent. Case in point: Virgin Mobile released an ad this week that had a guy standing behind his wife with a gift. It said something like "gift or chloroform" and while I didn't see it as all that offensive at first, other people certainly did and the company had to apologize. I doubt the person who came up with that ad was advocating rape or knocking someone out and stealing their stuff, but the message's intent didn't translate well.

I really like VyoletRose's ad!

[Colette]

Hmm...

Okay, I will work on the Godzilla image on my own time. If the Colbert people think Mr. Angry Asian is inappropriate, we'll have the backup ready to switch out instantly. I believe that addresses the Frog's concerns, yes?

Frog, we welcome contrary opinions and ideas here, we really do. I know that I personally need friends to yank my leash every once in a while, and I appreciate their trouble. But you better learn some tact and some humility, or you'll deserve every bit of the misery you're calling down on yourself. Look how Andy did it. That's how it's done.

Vy... dang, you're good! I think that might be interpreted as "blackface" now, but I adore those fireballs! Could you add those to Mr. Angry Asian? And don't delete the fire. The fire rocked.

[Andy]

Vy... dang, you're good! I think that might be interpreted as "blackface" now, but I adore those fireballs! Could you add those to Mr. Angry Asian? And don't delete the fire. The fire rocked.

His hands are black too, so it looked more like a silhouette to me. Maybe make him grey versus black? And I agree, I love those fireballs!

[VyoletRose]

Should I put the American Flag back in?

[Andy]

Should I put the American Flag back in?

Is there a flag with Statesman's star or something?

[Colette]

"Maybe make him grey versus black?"

Narrow the nose, give him long straight hair like Eddie Van Halen. Make sure the eyes aren't almond-shaped. Make him as "caucasian" as possible. Leave the flag out of this version. A few fewer fireballs, maybe? Little busy. We'll save this as our backup.

Do that, Vy, and I'll cancel Godzilla. Love your work! 

[Little Green Frog]

Frog, we welcome contrary opinions and ideas here, we really do. I know that I personally need friends to yank my leash every once in a while, and I appreciate their trouble. But you better learn some tact and some humility, or you'll deserve every bit of the misery you're calling down on yourself.

I would appreciate it if you refrained from such backhanded conciliatory efforts. Instead give it some time. I do not hold any grudge against you and I do realize that I hurt your ego several times today, but hopefully a couple of days will bring some perspective to the whole thing and you would be able to reach out to me again, this time with honest intentions.

[Colette]

::: Grinds teeth! :::

Well... sorry for the drama today, everyone! I hate drama.

On a more positive note, big hand for V.V., Vy and Mandrake. Thanks all for the feedback and support. This is exactly the sort of teamwork the City taught us.

I think this appearing on TV will be checkmate for NCSoft.