# Let's Ban All Theater and Drama! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 20, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984 "2007-04-20T19:36:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/21 "2007-04-21T22:51:23Z")
One of the dudes mentioned in the article is named Isaiah Triforce Johnson. That is a kickass name. ---
**Author:** ![aclubs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@aclubs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aclubs)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/22 "2007-04-22T03:55:11Z")
Dude’s middle name is Triforce? Kickass indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/23 "2007-04-22T05:37:43Z")
[QUOTE=rayh] I’d just like to say, I play Counter Strike. BE AFRAID. BE VERY AFRAID!!! Bwah bwah bwah. [/QUOTE] And I play “Harvest Moon.” Be careful, Mr. Thompson. I will spontaneously marry your daughter after courting her with token gifts and small acts of kindness. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/24 "2007-04-22T07:36:56Z")
As quoted on LiveJournal’s metaquotes, Jack Thompson said,“This is not rocket science. When a kid who has never killed anyone in his life goes on a rampage and looks like the Terminator, he’s a video gamer.” Someone on LJ said, “Because it totally couldn’t have come from, you know, watching _Terminator_.” Anyway, they’re right, you know. I mean, I played _Tetris_ as a kid, and now here I am, working as a tile-layer. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/25 "2007-04-22T08:16:42Z")
Yes, and I played a lot of **Infocom** adventures when I was young, and now I am afraid to sleep with the light off in case I get eaten by a grue. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/26 "2007-04-22T10:02:58Z")
I spent most of my time playing Tomb Raider and Resident Evil during my teen years. I spend every weekend scaling mountain ranges in order to plunder lost civilisations of their medi-kits and ammo caches, then come home to spend my weekdays fighting zombie dogs that bust through windows and working to bring down a multi-national bioweapons company by killing zombies. In a miniskirt. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/27 "2007-04-22T19:41:09Z")
[QUOTE=Miss Purl McKnittington] And I play “Harvest Moon.” Be careful, Mr. Thompson. I will spontaneously marry your daughter after courting her with token gifts and small acts of kindness. [/QUOTE] See, games turn people into homosexuals too. This menace must be stopped! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/28 "2007-04-22T19:51:28Z")
I spent the weekend playing a marathon session of _Civilization IV_, and now I fully intend to colonize Alpha Centauri, as soon as I figure out how flint knapping works. ---
**Author:** ![LucyInDisguise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucyindisguise/32/18064_2.png) [@LucyInDisguise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LucyInDisguise)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/29 "2007-04-23T20:59:28Z")
Hmmmph. I guess it must be true. I spent most of my youth playing chess. Seem all I get now is rooked. Lucy ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/30 "2007-04-23T21:06:49Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] I spent the weekend playing a marathon session of _Civilization IV_, and now I fully intend to colonize Alpha Centauri, as soon as I figure out how flint knapping works. [/QUOTE] I play the Sims and I get a little purple heart over my head that says woohoo when I want to have sex. Comes in very handy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/31 "2007-04-23T21:16:22Z")
I’ve learned to enjoy conquering large parts of the world by playing Civilization and Europa Universalis games. Jack Thompson should be very afraid- there won’t be much room for his type when I apply that knowledge and take over the world. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/32 "2007-04-24T00:07:36Z")
[QUOTE=Sierra Indigo] I spent most of my time playing Tomb Raider and Resident Evil during my teen years. I spend every weekend scaling mountain ranges in order to plunder lost civilisations of their medi-kits and ammo caches, then come home to spend my weekdays fighting zombie dogs that bust through windows and working to bring down a multi-national bioweapons company by killing zombies. In a miniskirt. [/QUOTE] Hi. How _you_ doin’? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/33 "2007-04-24T00:15:19Z")
[QUOTE=Elenfair] Ok - I mean, Andrew Lloyd Webber can go. Seriously. But Sondheim? LEAVE STEPHEN ALONE. If were going to take the murdering, the blood guts and gore, revenge killings, incest, slaughter of innocents, plagues, all that… can we take the bible out too? I mean, shit, have you read that thing? Yikes! 😉 Elly, Musical theatre and theatre geek. [/QUOTE] Party pooper. If we take out the murder, blood, guts, gore, revenge killings, incest, slaughter of innocents and plagues we’re left with frogs and locusts. You want modern theatre to turn into Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom??? DO YOU ??? Some people. You have to look at The Big Picture. 😛 Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/34 "2007-04-24T00:17:37Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] I spent the weekend playing a marathon session of _Civilization IV_, and now I fully intend to colonize Alpha Centauri, as soon as I figure out how flint knapping works. [/QUOTE] It’s pretty straightforward. All you need is a plate of cookies fresh from the oven and warm milk with a bit of nutmeg stirred into it. Those flints will be knapping in no time at all. Thank you, thank you. You’re so very kind. I’ll be here all week. Try the veal, it’s marvelous. ---
**Author:** ![enigm4tic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@enigm4tic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigm4tic)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/35 "2007-04-24T00:36:08Z")
I’ve been playing a lot of Medieval Total War II also. I think I’ve got a fairly good grasp of running kingdoms and swordplay to try my hand at it in real life. Using my time machine (ya see, I watched Back to The Future, also) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/36 "2007-04-24T10:02:24Z")
If I walk up to a polar bear in the zoo and make cooing noises at him, I’ll be able to teleport him in and out of existence? Somehow I dooooon’t think so. Yet I’ve had a white bear 'porting in and out of existence for 60 levels, and I’ve tamed and discarded two other white bears… Being able to drop a bear on top of some people’s desks would certainly be nice. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/37 "2007-04-24T12:58:54Z")
[QUOTE=Nava] If I walk up to a polar bear in the zoo and make cooing noises at him, I’ll be able to teleport him in and out of existence? Somehow I dooooon’t think so. Yet I’ve had a white bear 'porting in and out of existence for 60 levels, and I’ve tamed and discarded two other white bears… Being able to drop a bear on top of some people’s desks would certainly be nice. [/QUOTE] But I can really summon demons. Right? Right? All I need to figure out is out to drain souls into soul shards and I’ll be in business. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/38 "2007-04-24T13:20:13Z")
[QUOTE=fluiddruid] But I can really summon demons. [/QUOTE] Silly humans. A Demon of the Second Kind has infected the Dope at every level for quite some years now. See Stanisaw Lem’s _The Cyberiad_ if you want to know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/39 "2007-04-24T13:30:53Z")
Karel van 't Reve, my favourite Dutch writer, did an essay on this phenomenon. The public has learned to have a different moral standard to stories then to real-life. People laugh at anecdotes about straying husbands, when in real life a straying husband would meet with stern moral disapproval. This mechanism enjoys us enjoy reading and watching works of art depicting violence, crime, and other immoral stuff. Now, with new media, people have not yet learned to apply the detached “story-insensitivity” and they apply their real-life morals on the contents. It is as if they yet have to learn that it “isn’t real” and they have yet to learn to apply their _other_ set of morals. That’s why parents and teachers opposed cartoons for instance, even when there’s nothing in them that you can’t find in Shakespeare as well. We’ve watched the same moral outrage when books, theater, film, TV, comics, and games were new. So, shrug. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984/40 "2007-04-24T17:13:07Z")
[QUOTE=fluiddruid] But I can really summon demons. Right? Right? [/QUOTE] Why so can I, or so can anyone. But will they come when you do summon them? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-all-theater-and-drama/400984.md?page=3)