Forthcoming Second Life movie will inevitably be awful
Variety is reporting that director Gore Verbinski is working on a film about virtual world Second Life. Universal Pictures will be releasing it, and it’ll be based on this article from the Wall St Journal in 2007.
I’m worried. Worried in the same way that I was worried when I saw Twister, and The Day After Tomorrow. Worried because Hollywood has a tradition of aggressively reinforcing stereotypes, mercilessly mocking what it sees as ‘geeks’, and bending the truth to fit what middle America wants to happen.
In the article, we’re introduced to middle-aged, married, moustachioed, chain-smoker. He plays a whole lot of Second Life, where he’s a muscley, manly, moustachioed entrepreneur, who owns an in-game chain of shops and cafes. In-game he’s married to another woman, who’s not his wife.
The article isn’t exactly complimentary to the man’s choice of lifestyle, and you can bet your bottom dollar that the film won’t be either. If you end up going to see it, remember the last time you saw a film about real events, and ask yourself how closely the events of “Pearl Harbour”, or “Braveheart” resembled the reality of the event.
The vast majority of Virtual World inhabitants are just like anyone else, but they feel ostracised from society, and forced to conceal their pastime for reasons like this. No-one should be made to feel ashamed of their hobbies. Let’s give people who spend their time in virtual worlds a break, yeah?
Right. I’m off to play World of Warcraft.
Variety (via Wired)
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