# Donkey Kong (and Jr.) Record holder - Billy Mitchell...again. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 11, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912 "2010-08-11T04:02:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/1 "2010-08-11T04:02:32Z")
Yep, he has reclaimed the DK record. 1,062,800 for Donkey Kong. Have to give him credit, he is good at that game. [Read about it here](http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/-king-of-kong-villain-reclaims-donkey-kong-throne/1407410) Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/2 "2010-08-11T13:37:53Z")
If _King of Kong_ was fair to the man, he’s a serious prick. I hope Wiebe kicks his ass. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/3 "2010-08-11T17:39:31Z")
Never met him, but I think he is less of a jerk than the movie portrays. (still think he is a bit jerky, but his jerkyness was exagerated) Now IIRC Captain Amazing seems very jerky. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/4 "2010-08-11T18:56:55Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > If _King of Kong_ was fair to the man, he’s a serious prick. I hope Wiebe kicks his ass. I’ve heard editing was a major factor in making him look bad. I’m not saying he’s a saint, but I do know that he has interacted politely with Wiebe many times, including times before and during the filming of that documentary. They edited it to make it look like he avoided him. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/5 "2010-08-14T13:11:13Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I’ve heard editing was a major factor in making him look bad. I’m not saying he’s a saint, but I do know that he has interacted politely with Wiebe many times, including times before and during the filming of that documentary. They edited it to make it look like he avoided him. At the end of _King of Kong_ when Steve Sanders and Billy Mitchell are sitting in the restaurant booth the cameraman asks both of them what they thought of Wiebe, Sanders said he was really impressed and it seemd like his Mitchell hero worship was faded. After this entire ordeal Billy simply said, “I’m not familiar with his situation.” Ass. Selective editing can make anyone look bad but there were plenty of uncut scenes in that movie that made Billy look like a jerk. Cowards talk smack then duck competition. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/6 "2010-08-14T18:12:10Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I’ve heard editing was a major factor in making him look bad. I’m not saying he’s a saint, but I do know that he has interacted politely with Wiebe many times, including times before and during the filming of that documentary. They edited it to make it look like he avoided him. The film shows Mitchell deliberately snubbing Steve Wiebe on several occasions, pointedly ignoring or avoiding him in ways that aren’t influenced by editing, and from some of the deleted scenes, Mitchell comes off as being even more of an ass than portrayed in the released cut of the film. Director Seth Gordon claimed that Mitchell was even more jerkish but intentionally diluted down his portrayal so as to keep the film lighter in tone. (Mitchell: “No matter what I say, it draws controversy. It’s sort of like the abortion issue.”) If anything, Gordon seems to have done more to beatify Wiebe rather than distort Mitchell’s reputation; an excessive amount of time is spent on how Wiebe has suffered one bad break after another, excusing his near pathological obsessive behavior and neglect of his family. Jillian Wiebe: I never knew that the Guinness World Record Book was so…I never knew it was so important. Steve Wiebe: I guess a lot of people are… yeah, a lot of people read that book. Jillian Wiebe: [while directly looking at Steve, her father] Some people sort of ruin their lives to be in there. Really, the only genuinely sympathetic person in the film is Wiebe’s long-suffering wife, who stands by him even through the most absurd tribulations will barely an eyeroll at being “the wife of the Donkey Kong guy.” This woman is a brick. “Stop playin’ Donkey Kongggggg!” Stranger ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/7 "2010-08-14T18:45:11Z")
I think they all need to get over themselves. I remember all of those old games with fondness and enjoy putting a few quarters in them on the rare occasion I happen across one, but seriously, who cares? All so they can have their name in a book next to some other jackass who spent countless hours on some other trivial and dubious “record,” like bouncing on a pogo stick for 12 hours or chewing a piece of gum for months. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/8 "2010-08-20T01:38:45Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Really, the only genuinely sympathetic person in the film is Wiebe’s long-suffering wife, who stands by him even through the most absurd tribulations will barely an eyeroll at being “the wife of the Donkey Kong guy.” This woman is a brick. > > “Stop playin’ Donkey Kongggggg!” Thats harsh, she understands the setbacks he’s had and accommodates, thats called love. Wiebe is a sympathetic character, he continually tries but doesn’t succeed, not only that, he is robbed of victory. The little girl statement is heart breaking but so is _his_ story. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/9 "2010-08-20T02:12:47Z")
As a long-time arcade gamer, I think this is sad. I know there’s a lot of outdated activities people do competitively (e.g. rubbing two sticks together to make fire) but seriously, Donkey Kong? Pac Man I can somewhat understand, but some of these older games just don’t have the “wow” factor. Right now, for example, I would be impressed if somebody set some sort of mark at say EA Sports Madden games. Would I still be impressed in 10 years, or 20 years? Maybe not. Imho, Donkey Kong is a relic, not a classic. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/10 "2010-08-20T02:20:56Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > but seriously, Donkey Kong? Pac Man I can somewhat understand, but some of these older games just don’t have the “wow” factor. Pac Man is apparently all mapped out - it’s just a matter of memorization. Donkey Kong has a (somewhat) element of randomness in it (the hammer throw level) that requires a lot of skill/reflexes. That’s what all the fuss is about. DK is apparently the gold standard. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/11 "2010-08-20T13:25:07Z")
That and Pacman has already been beaten, you can’t do better than a perfect score. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/12 "2010-08-20T18:09:19Z")
Yeah, but wouldn’t Defender be better? ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/13 "2010-08-20T20:35:14Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > As a long-time arcade gamer, I think this is sad. I know there’s a lot of outdated activities people do competitively (e.g. rubbing two sticks together to make fire) but seriously, Donkey Kong? Pac Man I can somewhat understand, but some of these older games just don’t have the “wow” factor. > > Right now, for example, I would be impressed if somebody set some sort of mark at say EA Sports Madden games. Would I still be impressed in 10 years, or 20 years? Maybe not. Imho, Donkey Kong is a relic, not a classic. Donkey King is a classic. Almost as much a Pac Man (and I think it was a much better game). And Donkey Kong (and Mario) certainly are more relevant than Pac Man is nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Sablicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Sablicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sablicious)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/14 "2010-08-21T03:32:13Z")
lol - I loved that documentary(?). 😃 If nothing else, it sure made one feel the ‘cool gamer’ given how obsessive and utterly caricatured these children-grown-older were. That Mitchell twat is a flog-off however. The machinations he orchestrated to try thwart that Wiebe fellow’s attempt(s) were pretty infantile and pathetic. …Great viewing though! > [@Superhal](#): > > As a long-time arcade gamer, I think this is sad. I know there’s a lot of outdated activities people do competitively (e.g. rubbing two sticks together to make fire) but seriously, Donkey Kong? Pac Man I can somewhat understand, but some of these older games just don’t have the “wow” factor. > > Right now, for example, I would be impressed if somebody set some sort of mark at say EA Sports Madden games. Would I still be impressed in 10 years, or 20 years? Maybe not. Imho, Donkey Kong is a relic, not a classic. The Wonder Boys, Wardner/Pyro, Bubble Bobble, 1942, Flying Shark et al all raise their pixelated middle fingers to you, ‘Wii Gen’ gamer convert! \>\_\> ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-and-jr-record-holder-billy-mitchell-again/549912/15 "2010-08-21T04:57:33Z")
IIRC, I heard an interview with Wiebe who said Mitchell got a bit of a bad rap from the film. Now, this leaves three possibilities. One, Wiebe was just being cordial. Two, Mitchell was made out to be the villain and wasn’t. Or three, Mitchell loosened up after getting flack for being such a dick in the movie.