Hate

All posts tagged Hate

I Hate Driving

Posted by Karl Weller on February 6, 2025

Posted in: Feature. Tagged: Driving, Fear, Gaming, Hate, Kids, Life, Parents. Leave a comment

Is there anything more stressful than driving? The banality of having to deal with other equally irascisble humans, eager to toot their horns at any minor provocation. I’m lucky in the sense that much of my driving responsibilities are relegated to necessity. My primary usage is travel to work, which is a relatively short venture considering others more exhausting journeys. It’s also an evening routine once traffic has mercifully subsided. My secondary capacity as a driver is often simply that of a chauffeur. Often recruited as the statutory taxi to ferry my daughter and partner to various, often exasperating places. It’s rare that I drive for pleasure, if such a thing exists. More often than not, driving is merely a means to an end. I’d rather inconvenience myself by walking half an hour to a designated place, because I loathe driving so much. And I frequently do.

I find a lot of pleasure in walking. With the destination being a secondary consideration, just the satisfaction of being able to think. A simple reprieve from the strains of, well whatever issues you are facing. Could be work related. Might be the stressful responsibilities of child rearing. Or it might just be as simple as getting out of your own head for a few minutes. Weather permitting, there’s rarely an occasion when a gentle stroll to the shops, park or around the block, doesn’t yield significant reduction in stress. A stress I only find is exacerbated by driving. Perhaps it’s the sense of being trapped. A kind of mobile incarceration. The sterility of it all. Maybe it’s the knowledge that you will have to deal with others that harbour similar resentment towards other motorists? Really though, I think it’s the idea of maintaining a level of concentration for an extended period, so as to prevent the untimely deaths of your family or yourself.

This may seem like a morbid contemplation to a routine staple of society, but these are often the things I think about when I get into a car. Now it’s true that you can have an accident just about anywhere and that worrying about careening off the road into a petrol station, and being engulfed in a fiery blaze that’s intensity is only matched by that of the sun, is about irrational of a fear as one could have. But the road, specifically the idiots that have somehow managed to obtain a license, presumably by some sort of government funded lottery, is so unpredictable. It only takes one person, suffering an emotional breakdown, rushing to a destination, because in that moment it’s vitally important that they get to the hairdressers on time, to cause an accident. And then you are just another statistic. A footnote in the local news. Yeah, I think that’s why I hate driving.

“The Last Of Us II” Controversy Represents Everything I Hate About Modern Gaming.

Posted by Karl Weller on July 9, 2020

Posted in: Feature. Tagged: Console, Critics, Game, Gaming, Hate, Last Of Us Part 2, Life, Playstation. Leave a comment

“The Last Of Us II” is at a crucial impasse. The growing annomosity that has swelled between the developer and the “fans” has reached a critical stage, where some kind of mutual armistice seems unlikely. We’re at a point where critical reasoning and objective perspectives are being distorted by an isolated, though vocal contingent that have beset the online community with a profusion of abusive harassments, escalating a situation to what can only be described as a reckoning! The death threats directed towards actress Laura Bailey only deepens the lingering division. Though this behaviour doesn’t accurately reflect the opinions expressed by the majority, it does diminish them. Endorsing this kind of negligent bile simply because of the scripted actions of a fictional character she has portrayed in a computer game, is the equivalent of blaming “Downfalls” Bruno Ganz depiction of Hitler for the deaths of 6 million Jews. And if you think that’s an embellishment, then you probably shouldn’t check out some of the comments fluttering around on Twitter!

The active facilitation of blind hatred has become so repugnant that you truly have to question the mental stability of some of these cretins. Bereft of all rational instinct, these hostile views have only propegated the volitile nature of public discourse further. Constructive analysis of the games faults is something that has alluded much of the criticism in the wider gaming firmament. The censure directed to NaughtyDog and anyone associated with the game is frankly intolerable. Instigated by an obsessive culture that thrives on this kind of hostile behaviour. It is possible to dislike a game without conveying those opinions like J K Rowling degrading trans-advocates. Thoughts are fluid. Instinctive. Harmless. It’s only when we assign words to those thoughts that they become harmful. You have every right to be upset, just think about what you’re writing before you type!

Now I’m not a Druckmann apologist by any means. The controversy surrounding former creative director, and all around literary genius Amy Hennig and her sudden unexplained departure from the company, that may or may not have something to do with Druckmann has tarnished my perception of him. Sifting through his social media only re-enforce’s my judgment about his dubious character. He comes across as insincere. A myopic observation considering I only have random Tweets and unsubstantiated speculation to support my intuition. He seems like the kind of person that filters comments to reflect their own burgeoning narccism. Surrounding himself in a bubble of passive enablers that massage his ego. People that would assert that he was some kind of scholar. A pioneer that will be admired for his bold vision long after we’ve all reached the game over screen. Cultivating the illusion that he is impenetrable to criticism. “You didn’t enjoy the story?”. You’re sexist. “You didn’t like characters skulls being used as a golf ball?”. You’re transphobic. He is defended vehemently for its trailblazing furvour and challenging the established conventions in computer games. Personally I don’t think he is half as good as he hubris tells him he is.

To me there’s nothing worse than an entitled white guy, exerting his privilege and pretending that what they’ve written, however good, is the most important work ever committed to the English language. That killing a key figure from the last game is justified because of the character’s adaptable ethical standards. That he was willing to kill indiscriminately to preserve their own self interest. When really all it does is epitomises the banal concept that people that use violence as a means of resolution are no heroes. Personally I would never have accepted that anyone in this cruel world to be inherently good or evil. There were characters capable of good that were ultimately forced to do unspeakable acts to survive. Understanding of the morality that they are constantly forced to compromise.

Such inflammatory social debates leave little room for compromise. And unfortunately whatever constructive criticism that could be ascertained through an open, composed discussion has been undermined by the irrational resent of those who believe their opinions are right and their destructive words can’t be seen by others. But they can. I’ve always found it curious how people feel emboldened by the partial anonymity afforded by social media. To express themselves in a way that they never would to someone in person. That doing so online is in anyway an acceptable means of expression. That somehow civility is a prison that can only be sated by an outpouring of hate? I truly hope that isn’t true.

I Hate Politics.

Posted by Karl Weller on December 19, 2019

Posted in: Feature. Tagged: Conservative, General Election, Hate, Labour, Lies, Life, Politics. Leave a comment

Politics is a topic I try to avoid vehemently. It’s such an inflammatory subject that brings out the absolute worst in people. And yet we can’t help but talk about it either. It’s impossible for two people, with distinctly polarising views to discuss any political discourse in a calm, eloquent manner without one/both of the opposing parties descending into puerile insults or invective mocking. A general election, especially one of such significance to British sovereignty only escalates these morally deficient sentiments. The level of petulance on display from supporters is something I’d expect from a couple of Star Wars fans bleating on about how Rhian Johnson did/didn’t ruin their beloved franchise. Professing a political affiliation can negatively influence a person’s opinion of yourself, as people seem fit to judge you purely on a set of principles that conflict with their own morally ambiguous standards. Posturing has become or has perhaps always been the common vernecular in political circles, something I abhor in general, let alone attributes intended to inspire confidence in a politician I’m supposed to trust.

Being a politician seems to contradict every value I’ve ever been taught. There’s a facilitation of division and promotion of lies, all distributed through various literature and advertisements which I find most egregious. Yet what’s more execrable is that someone has taken the time to articulate complete and utter bullshit! They’ve knowling and deliberately constructed full sentences for the purpose of deception. How can supporters be so conditioned to accept and even defend the fallacious propaganda of a political organisation and vote favourably? Since when has lying been considered democratic? That may seem like naive reasoning I suppose, but is it honesty really such liability? Now I’m not singling out any specific party, I certainly don’t have a dog in this fight. Though it’s fair to say that Boris Johnson is certainly not a man I can personally endorse, but then again none of them are. The Borough that I live in has been a conservative held constituency for nearly 2 decades, that has subsequently re-elected the same MP for a third term. Being a small town means that any impactful development is largely negligible: Cleaner streets. Less crime. Reliable bus services. Nothing too challenging. Its evident from the results that a majority of the voters appointed this local representative because of his individual efforts, not because of BJ’s blow hard boasts. But he still represents BJ and the party as a unifying entity. Surely a general election should be less about the cart, but rather the slightly blithering horse pulling it? A more informed vote would be whether or not we want BJ to be prime minister?

This is where division starts to metastasize into other irrational tangents. Brexit for instance, which to me has always been less concerned with preserving the sovereignty of our nation and its values, and totally subservient to discriminating against racial and cultural diversity. Sure it doesn’t explicitly stipulate that, but the emphasis on immigration as well as being proponent of “British jobs for British workers” is inherently discriminatory. There’s a small yet critical distinction between being racist and exercising racially insentive views. Sadly the perpetuation of the former is startling apparent, especially when politicians like Trump and BJ only propagate such attitudes. People feel emboldened by it, secure enough to express deep-rooted beliefs that previously would have been subverted by rational thought or you know, decency! Whether this was intentional or not, perhaps to exhume some allies that secretly share the same ideology is unclear. But what I do know is that politics is an underlying contribution to a bigoted society we find ourselves in.

We argue, taunt and relish in the failures of others differing political views. Social media is an autonomous network of connectivity utilised to deliberately undermine a user they will probably never meet, without fear or accountability. Division isn’t simply an attitude adopted by far right extremists you don’t see, but extends to co-workers, friends and even family. Politics is as influential now as it has ever been, for good or ill. But the people entrenched in the political vacuum seem less concerned with the sanctity of human life than they are about the preservation of some arcane philosophy that conserves segregation as a means of independence. Left. Right. Centrist. It doesn’t matter when no one can be honest with themselves let alone to others.

Popular Games I Hate: “Stardew Valley”.

Posted by Karl Weller on May 30, 2018

Posted in: Feature. Tagged: Farming, Games, Gaming, Hate, Nintendo, Stardew Valley, Switch. 8 Comments

Have you ever arrived at a party or a social gathering where friends are assembled around one dynamic individual, enraptured by some hysterical anecdote he/she is narrating with reviting elegance? You arrive at the throes of their dramatic tale that culminates in the assembled audience bellowing in sympathetic laughter, the narrator chortling along and inviting further ridicule to their unfortunate series of events with additional probing details that extends the amusement. Completely oblivious to the context you stand idly, making a concerted effort to mingle into the besotted mire with a vaguely appropriate smile and forced chuckle. “What’s so funny?” you enquire, eagerly anticipating a rousing situational narrative that I can recite to my grandchildren one day. Instead they drape an arm around your neck, recant a conceited story, interjected with sporadic sniggering as they struggle not to laugh at their own account and burst into a rapturous cackle that renders them incapable of finishing their sentence, slapping your back repeatedly and keeling over as if his stomach had finally begun digesting last night’s hastily consumed vindaloo. You soon discover that their perceived witty story is nothing more that a hollow anecdote that isn’t nearly as entertaining as they think it is. This rather broad analogy is what I think of “Stardew Valley”: I just don’t get it.

My apathy for this revered title is curious really, more likely attributed to expectation more than anything. Everything I read/heard/felt indicated that this would at the very least entertain. Reviews espoused similar trajectory of positivity ranging from glowing to, at the very least complimentary. So I downloaded it to my Switch, thinking that portable functionality would allow me to engage with its considerable complexities with regular consistency. And it did, to a fault. Being a PC game converted onto a portable console does effect how intuitive the controls are, but isn’t something you can’t adjust to in time. The graphics seem to rely on being overly niche and nostalgic, attempting to avoid modernisation to remain in keeping with its rustic aesthetic. Which is fine, just not an art style that offers any significant benefits. Everything Stardew Valley does is quirky and for the most part distinctive, just nothing special.

The biggest grievance I have is the tedious concept. I’ve played farming simulators before, experienced the time dependent strategies that effectively manages each of the crops I’ve sowed, waited hours, even days for them to flourish and harvest them for financial gains. Yet somehow the acceleration of this benign process is arguably more tedious. Let’s be clear here, this isn’t a design floor with the game itself, just an exasperation of the games trivial simplicities of buying seeds, planting them, nourishing, waiting, harvesting repeat, with some mild, time constrained exploration. I’d probably be fine with this if it then didn’t try to rush me.

The natural compunction is to plant a bag of seeds, shear some overgrown shrubs, trees and rocks that litter my property, wander into town, interact with the local community and perhaps purchase some more seeds before taking a gentle stroll back to my novel looking farm to sleep, ready for another day of horticultural growth. But it isn’t like that, it’s “Chop chop, pick those potatoes, plant some strawberries. Come on! Water them now! We’ve got to deliver these berries to Mrs Tiddlywinks, gather daffodils and investigate that weird looking cave before dusk!”. Don’t rush me! I’ve just had a very long and stressful day at my real job, for which I get paid real money, just to come home and be harried into a horticultural nightmare! If I was left at my own pace and at my own accord, to harvest my crops at my own volition, with a casual care free attitude I would probably find significantly more joy from this experience. But sadly I don’t.

It’s evident really that the fault lies with me, not the game. People seem to love Stardew Valley for reasons I don’t think I’ll fully comprehend. If they ever develop “Pub Life” or “Bed Simulator” you’d better believe I’d be playing that though?! God I’m old.