Chris

Idle Thumbs 202: Poopwater, New Mexico

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I rarely drink because it can make me sleepy so I've never really got drunk while gaming

 I completely get that.  It's one of the reasons I don't enjoy it while gaming.  Another reason, other than becoming a social worker, why I gave up casual marijuana use.  I feel like that is one of the things that rarely gets talked about with weed -- it makes you sleepy!  Although weed naps are terrific, it zaps my energy to the point I don't (or wouldn't) want to do anything period.

 

It's probably safe to assume she wouldn't have talked about it on the podcast if she had any fears of repercussions.

Fair enough -- I guess it still kind of stuck out to me though. 

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Even if they wanted to, if Polygon took action over someone admitting to smoking weed in their free time they would come across as so incredibly out of touch and draconian. I imagine video game journalism is not an industry with a lot of drug testing.

 

If anything I tend to take someone smoking weed (or having smoked weed) as a given almost as much as I take someone drinking alcohol as a given. Sure, plenty of people don't do it regularly (and many not at all), but it's so incredibly common. 

 

If anything I was a little taken aback that it was even worth mentioning on the podcast until Danielle said she headshot an eagle and it became my favorite thing ever.

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Also I dunno about polygon specifically but I know the idea of most gaming related companies giving a shit about weed is pretty goddamn laughable. Especially in California.

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If anything I was a little taken aback that it was even worth mentioning on the podcast until Danielle said she headshot an eagle and it became my favorite thing ever.

 

I really appreciate that it was brought up because it's just nice to hear someone flat out admit it rather than beat around the bush. I often find myself listening to a podcast and hearing stories that I'm almost certain came about because of some kind of illicit substance use but I'm always left wondering because that's just a thing you're not supposed to talk about publicly for various reasons. When that suspicion is confirmed it's kind of awesome because it adds a whole new slant to the story.

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Also I dunno about polygon specifically but I know the idea of most gaming related companies giving a shit about weed is pretty goddamn laughable. Especially in California.

While I am personally against drug use you hit the point on the head. Video games feature drug use heavily, many gaming companies are in California where it's legal and to be honest people like Danielle are a personality to whom is allowed freedom of speech in her work about her issues which brings in a following. If being a recreational drug users adds to the following the companies are probably for it.

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I spent a lot of time playing smoking "reefer" and playing audiosurf in years past. Its probably the best weed game besides counterstrike and Dota. Exploration games are great too. A lot of games pair well with drugs now that I think about it...

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The whole podcast is pro-marijuana propaganda. "Poopwater, New Mexico" is clearly a euphemism for bong water.

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I spent a lot of time playing smoking "reefer" and playing audiosurf in years past. Its probably the best weed game besides counterstrike and Dota. Exploration games are great too. A lot of games pair well with drugs now that I think about it...

 

Speaking of exploration games, Minecraft is a pretty great weed game. Especially when paired with Tiesto. Nothing like venturing out to explore new areas with some nice beats going and then having it all come crashing down when a creeper murders you.

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I do have to admit that hearing about the smoking was the most off-putting thing I've heard on any episode of Idle Thumbs. Not enough to get up in arms about but it felt awkward for some reason.

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I do have to admit that hearing about the smoking was the most off-putting thing I've heard on any episode of Idle Thumbs. Not enough to get up in arms about but it felt awkward for some reason.

 

Wasn't the time they did game ads really bad?

 

 

If drugs aren't a problem in IT, how would they be in Games'.

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I guess I should stop making bong water jokes and chime in to say that I'm not bothered by references on the podcast to smoking marijuana recreationally. Has there ever been a reference to the Thumbs drinking alcohol? They're on the same level to me, like a movie podcast recommending a six-pack of beer to go with a crappy slasher movie. I'd balk at tales of shooting up heroin, but anything up to that wouldn't be jarring to or disapproved of by me.

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Yeah, they've definitely talked about alcohol. Chris talked about getting drunk and playing Super Hexagon way back in Episode 75: Save the Razzin'.

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Passing reference to marijuana use in this kind of context is so refreshing. Even now, as it's legalized in more and more places stateside, I rarely encounter discussion or admission of pot use in anything that isn't explicitly about pot. Like stoner comedies, or whatever. 

 

I didn't consider it would make anyone uncomfortable, though, so I guess that's why people don't do it.

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Poopwater? Go ahead and run that Olympics mod -

 

http://gawker.com/brazil-cant-clean-its-shit-up-in-time-for-the-olympics-1693447063

 

"Despite promises to clean the Rio de Janeiro bay in time for the 2016 Olympics, mayor Eduardo Paes was forced to admit this week that some of the athletes are just going to have to deal with competing in the raw sewage expelled by a large, poorly managed city. ... Paes offered assertions that the athletes will only compete 'in the cleanest part of the bay'"

 

Poopwater! Come for the Olympics, stay for the dysentery!

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I do have to admit that hearing about the smoking was the most off-putting thing I've heard on any episode of Idle Thumbs. Not enough to get up in arms about but it felt awkward for some reason.

 

Same, however I respect the Idle Thumbs team quite a lot to give them a pass. Not to mention while its not legal in my country (New Zealand) it is legal in their state.  

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As a Dutchie I find this whole kerfuffle baffling. And Danielle's anecdote hilarious.

 

Is that because, to a certain level, it is legal in your country? 

 

Then you should understand how its baffling to those who live in countries where its NOT legal. 

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Is that because, to a certain level, it is legal in your country? 

 

Then you should understand how its baffling to those who live in countries where its NOT legal. 

 

I mean, it's not legal, but tons of people do it and are fairly open about it. I live in the US, and I really didn't find Danielle's admission, framed as it was with a little shame and discretion, more or less uncomfortable than Chris' occasional drunk gaming stories, which is to say that the story itself was okay if not unbearably funny, but the teasing that followed was sublime.

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I mean, it's not legal, but tons of people do it and are fairly open about it. I live in the US, and I really didn't find Danielle's admission, framed as it was with a little shame and discretion, more or less uncomfortable than Chris' occasional drunk gaming stories, which is to say that the story itself was okay if not unbearably funny, but the teasing that followed was sublime.

 

Fair Enough, here in NZ Weed is illegal and commonly only used by teenage men and criminals. Its really not that prevalent, societally. 

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In the land of the illegal weed, all who smoke weed are criminals. In the land of legal weed, it's just a thing some people do that makes you giggle a little more and kinda makes your mouth dry.

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Is that because, to a certain level, it is legal in your country? 

 

Then you should understand how its baffling to those who live in countries where its NOT legal. 

 

It's more legal in the US than in the Netherlands. Consumption is not legal (just ignored within private or "special" enclosures), production is illegal, sale is strictly regulated, but transportation is illegal. (Yeah, something is not right) So, it's easy to get, and easy to use. And most people don't really give a shit. If our PM admitted he smoked weed when he was young, nobody cares. If he admitted he still does after he had a 16 hour meeting, most will probably don't care. (As long as he doesn't do it before the meeting, or before driving, ... just like alcohol). Heck, a nickname for our current king used to be "Prins Pils".

Even though weed it easy to get and consume in the Netherlands, consumption per capita, and people who ever consumed is much much lower than in countries where it's not legal (or was not).

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While I am personally against drug use you hit the point on the head. Video games feature drug use heavily, many gaming companies are in California where it's legal and to be honest people like Danielle are a personality to whom is allowed freedom of speech in her work about her issues which brings in a following. If being a recreational drug users adds to the following the companies are probably for it.

This kind of sentiment is okay on some levels, but I don't generally like it. I hear it a lot in America, and, I mean, good for the people who like to show themselves to be open-minded, but it still contributes to the stigmatization of drug users, which on some levels justifies things like the war on drugs or the marginalization of people affected by addiction. I don't know, it's just a sentiment that I understand but still don't like.

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This kind of sentiment is okay on some levels, but I don't generally like it. I hear it a lot in America, and, I mean, good for the people who like to show themselves to be open-minded, but it still contributes to the stigmatization of drug users, which on some levels justifies things like the war on drugs or the marginalization of people affected by addiction. I don't know, it's just a sentiment that I understand but still don't like.

 

It really is the biggest catch-22 going. I personally see drug use as wrong and IMO should remain illegal. To some degree I judge those who use drugs but as someone who did his degree in Psych and worked for social services I feel for those who are are addicted and its controlled their lives, on the same note if it's legal in your place I can still have my feelings but I really can't scold you are further than I would those who drink. Their is no one stance you can take in regards to drug use and remain clean.  

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