Ben Hudson | University of Kent (original) (raw)
PhD in Drama, Practice as Research. Researcher in comedy and digital media performance. Instructional Designer and education consultant - e-learning, participatory facilitation, and arts education.
Address: United Kingdom
less
Uploads
Papers by Ben Hudson
Engaging With Videogames , 2014
Videogames can be comedies that are amusing as a result of artistic choice, but they can also b... more Videogames can be comedies that are amusing as a result of artistic choice, but they can also be seen as artifacts: objects (or virtual objects) that have their own intrinsic man-made qualities that are often unintentionally funny or can be exploited for comic value. Players experience videogames by interacting with an imperfect simulation – virtual worlds pre-defined by rules and boundaries that govern the player’s ability to express their ideas and individuality. The virtual environment is therefore immersive, yet incongruous with the experience of reality. This chapter will examine this incongruity as a potential source of humour. By embodying avatars and inhabiting virtual realities, it will be suggested that individuals must confront what Bergson terms a ‘mechanical inelasticity... where one would expect to find the wide-awake adaptability and the living pliableness of a human being.’1 This chapter will look at examples of online gaming culture, from shooters such as Valve’s Counter-Strike (2000) to experimental modifications such as Dean Hall’s Arma 2 ‘mod’ DayZ (2012), where communities of players have found comic ways to utilise artificially limited ranges of expression and draw on the game world as a shared reference-point for humour. Fan-made internet memes and ‘Machinima’ proliferate videogame-based humour, lampooning videogame tropes and logic for an audience familiar with their subjects, but discussion will also include the impact of videogame slapstick in popular culture, looking at the work of comedians such as Dara O’Briain and Seann Walsh who have recently parodied videogame content in their acts. Lastly, with reference to the practice as research presentation Ben Hudson, Live in Virtual Reality (2009), a Stand-up Comedy performance hosted in Sony’s online social network PlayStation Home, this chapter will examine the potential for virtual spaces to act as venues for comedy performance.
Talks by Ben Hudson
Conference Presentations by Ben Hudson
Engaging With Videogames , 2014
Videogames can be comedies that are amusing as a result of artistic choice, but they can also b... more Videogames can be comedies that are amusing as a result of artistic choice, but they can also be seen as artifacts: objects (or virtual objects) that have their own intrinsic man-made qualities that are often unintentionally funny or can be exploited for comic value. Players experience videogames by interacting with an imperfect simulation – virtual worlds pre-defined by rules and boundaries that govern the player’s ability to express their ideas and individuality. The virtual environment is therefore immersive, yet incongruous with the experience of reality. This chapter will examine this incongruity as a potential source of humour. By embodying avatars and inhabiting virtual realities, it will be suggested that individuals must confront what Bergson terms a ‘mechanical inelasticity... where one would expect to find the wide-awake adaptability and the living pliableness of a human being.’1 This chapter will look at examples of online gaming culture, from shooters such as Valve’s Counter-Strike (2000) to experimental modifications such as Dean Hall’s Arma 2 ‘mod’ DayZ (2012), where communities of players have found comic ways to utilise artificially limited ranges of expression and draw on the game world as a shared reference-point for humour. Fan-made internet memes and ‘Machinima’ proliferate videogame-based humour, lampooning videogame tropes and logic for an audience familiar with their subjects, but discussion will also include the impact of videogame slapstick in popular culture, looking at the work of comedians such as Dara O’Briain and Seann Walsh who have recently parodied videogame content in their acts. Lastly, with reference to the practice as research presentation Ben Hudson, Live in Virtual Reality (2009), a Stand-up Comedy performance hosted in Sony’s online social network PlayStation Home, this chapter will examine the potential for virtual spaces to act as venues for comedy performance.