pouët.net

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?

doesn't make any sense, it's also horribl;e

Kevin the fuck you doing

plus idk who made this demo but im pretty sure that jco is involved

What FishyFlashy said. But in a so bad it's good kind of way. More demos should follow this animation (story based?) principle instead of the usual music & visuals.

This isn't bad, it's excellent. As "joke" prods go, this one is exceptionally well produced, has tons of original ideas and content, and executes on it like hell. Sure, it's pure nightmarefuel, but that's what it's supposed to be. Super-thumb!

Oh Kevin

Hihi hoho hyhy! Weeeird, straaange and twisted! GG, love it!

Yes!

awesome!

it's soooo horrible and ugly that my thumbdown counter was overflowed =)

Kevin for presiDENT!

I will dream about this ... in my NIGHTMARES!

I just love it.

Oh my.. that was scary like hell... a total nightmare :D

really creeped the fuck out of me.

I don't even...

Kevin should start coding Amiiigggaaa demos.

Funny. Second place in the compo was a bit over the top though.

This was very strange. Kind of became its own meme until the end of the party.

Favorite prod from the weekend. 😍

excuse me but what?

Thank you for playing Wing Commander!

how drunk do you need to be to find that funny?

Should have been first!

hello kevin

BEST DEMO EVER

Well done, Spacepigs

Sanity discontinued.

What Has Been Seen Cannot Be Unseen

that moment when you've got no balls left

Best I've seen on Revision 2017. Well done!

that's kind of humor, I suppose? 2nd place!?!

Some call that "a joke", for my part I see a lot of work, many good ideas, references to things all over (social media popups, micro-transactions, hiding shitty skills at playing a musical instrument with heavy BPM beats, never ending production house logos, etc...)

I really like it :)

Not in this lifetime, kevin.

From which circle of hell does this come from ?

not funny. :(

Pure madness and horror! :D

Honestly, I almost pissed my pants. I never had such a good laugh at a party before. This made my monday morning. ;)

Brillianto

Látjátuk feleim szümtükhel, mik vogymuk: isȧ, por ës homou vogymuk. Mënyi milosztben terömtevé elevé miü isëmüköt Ádámot, ës aduttȧ valá neki pȧrȧdicsumot hȧzoá. Ës mënd pȧrȧdicsumben valou gyimilcsëktűl mondá neki élnië. Hëon tilutoá űt igy fá gyimilcsétűl. Gye mondoá neki, mérët nüm ënëik : isȧ, ki napon ëmdöl az gyimilcstűl, hȧlálnek hȧláláȧl holsz. Hȧdlȧvá holtát terömtevé Istentűl, gye feledevé. Engedé ürdüng intetüinek, ës ëvék az tilvot gyimilcstűl. Ës az gyimilcsben hȧlálut evék. Ës az gyimilcsnek úl keseröü valá vizë, hugy turkokȧt migé szakasztja valá. Nüm hëon mogánek, gye mënd ű fajánek hȧlálut ëvék. Haraguvék Isten, ës vetevé űt ez munkás világ belé: és lëün hȧlálnek ës pukulnek fëszë, ës mënd ű nemének. Kik azok? Miü vogymuk. Hugy ës tiü látjátuk szümtükhel: isȧ, ës nüm igy embër múlhatjȧ ez vermöt, isȧ mënd azhuz járou vogymuk. Vimádjuk Uromk Isten këgyilmét ez lélekért, hugy jorgasson ű neki, ës kegyigy-gyën, ës bulcsássȧ mënd ű bűnét!

Ës vimádjok szen[t] ȧhszin Máriát és boudog Miháël ȧrhȧngyëlt ës mënd ȧngyëlkot, hugy vimádjanak érëttë! Ës vimádjok szent Pétër urat, kinek adot hatalm oudaniȧ ës këtnië, hugy oudjȧ mënd ű bűnét! Ës vimádjok mënd szentököt, hugy lëgyenek neki segéd Uromk színë eleüt, hugy Isten iü vimádságok miá bulcsássȧ ű bűnét! Ës szobadohhȧ űt ürdüng ildetüitűl ës pukul kínzatujátúl, ës vezessë űt pȧrȧdicsum nyugalmȧ belí, ës adjon neki münyi uruszág belé utat ës mënd jouben részët! Ës kíássátuk Uromkhuz hármúl: kyrie eleison!

I couldn't find a translator that accepted that.

Best. Demo. Ever.

Better than OD2.

Well executed strangeness, no milking of any one thing longer than it should, original ideas. What's not to love <3

simply put a surreal masterpiece! (and thanks for the greetings.. has been a while.. ;))

Was zum Teufel stimmt nicht mit Euch!

what did they smoke? must have been some good shit!

I’m sorry but this kind of mocking unbearable. I was sitting by the screen, thinking “wtf?!”. Laughing at disabled people or people with physical conditions is not acceptable. Thumbs down. Please do not do that again.

If this mocks disabled people, I don't want to know what External World or Salad Fingers does. Terribly disturbing, yes, but mocking?

That said: Well done, Kevin. Loved the Wing Commander reference. No wait, I actually loved all the references and bits and pieces. Perfect way to end the first block of the PC demo compo. ;)

This one was uh.. disconcerting

WTF !!!! No interest.........

...the winner for me...can't remember any other demo that made me laugh that hard - in the best sense - ! Great shit, keep it coooooming :-) I really can't get the mocking thing...for me it never felt like that at all.

No.

The slimy WTF stays.

The influence from The Stanley Parable is evident. I can only start to imagine how insanely fun this must have been to make. Thank you for sharing your fun with us. Also what Gloom said.

I think this product is amusing and imaginative. It is satisfying (among some other moments) when a ball hits teeth. I have got my teeth hit by a puck once, but luckily it was not a professional puck but a softer one, so nothing really happened. I am confused whether Kevin's computer is PC i386 or Atari ST. Is Kevin not afraid of kilrathis? Zany Golf would have maybe suited him better. I am not sure about what does "demo" mean these days, so I welcome the discussion about that as well.

What Gloom said.

Thank you for playing wing commander

man this was good

most funny demo release since sumotori dreams!

Thank you, Kevin

Damn, this is so awesome. I was laughing so much during the compo. Totally should have won!

disturbing...but entertaining somehow :-)

Laughed hard. Kudos for investing so much work into such a fun production! (At least it looks like a lot more work than usual for a joke prod)

this is funny

The direction and especially the sound design is painfully tight and visceral.

I had a nightmare last night that all my teeth got pulled out so...bravo Kevin.

It's like Star Wars or David Lynch movies - either you love it instantly or hate forever. In this cale I love to hate this demo. Would probably never see it again in my life, but looking forward to see this character as main theme for Rev2018.

Well done guys - at least there was something to remember in pc demo compo this year :)

This was... strange... but different. I don't know how I feel about this yet but it definitely doesn't suck.

2nd place seems about right against the field. Funny and well executed.

Oh, Kevin...

ouch

wtf. the teeth omg...

Demo making so much fun!

what slyspy said

fucking rulez.

Is this some sort of a fever dream?

Not my cup of tea

Well done, Kevin!

best in democompo

Well done, Kevin!

Kevin is my spirit animal.

What a cute little fella. The sounds make this product for me.

Cell shaded Rubber Johnny. Weird, but rocked hard.

please please please, don`t turn demoscene in this direction. Hope not to see 20 demos trying to be funny/crazy/whatever like this next year.

Yeah, please never make funprods again because this is a totally new thing that has never been around in the demoscene. This is serious business.
Also: This is clearly mocking on disabled people. How dare you mocking on sceners and even our beloved emperor Wilhelm II aka Double-Eyed-Wilhelm.
Thumbs up for charity!

No, seriously:
That was fun :)

I hate to admit it, but this absurd/disturbing style is right up my alley. :) The best produced scene satire/humor since the Penishure/Scheisse videos. But uh.. 2nd place? Go home Revision, you're drunk.

10/10 favorite part of the compo

"what dfox said!"

starchaser: the meme has survived long past the party :) .

Based on the comments, I am definitely not planning to watch this!

The demoscene version of Salad Fingers :)

This was solidly creepy at the party -- really touched me in a "WTF" kind of way. The amount of ideas in there is amazing, and it's got a "consistent" story to it.
Out-of-the-ordinary concept + successfully freaking me out + solid execution = deserved placement imho.

This is so dull.

Laughed so much my stomach still hurts!

flawless

the spacepigs are back in town, so just stop complaining

i cannot in good conscience enjoy this. i'm with phaazon.

The court jester is still in the house. Making fun of himself and ye olde scene in the only way possible: absurdist. ;)

And this is so low on specs it runs smoothly on a toaster (well, almost).

I find this production amazing on several levels. And for what it's worth, I am sure (as in "absolutely, positively, beyond the shadow of a doubt, 100% sure") that jco does not mean it to ridicule anyone with a disability or anything like that. You may by all means hate it, find it the least funny thing on earth and not give it any props, but jco's nature is worlds away from ridiculing anyone with a disability.

Please don't try to turn this into something it just isn't.

i will say that i'm 100% sure it wasn't intended that way, i just find it difficult to see it differently.

It says more about you than anything else that you see this cartoon figure as a representation of disabled people. You have one seriously fucked up image of disabled people.

lol

Even Budbrain megademos were funny compared to this :P But ridiculing ppl with disabilities? What? Where?

Ah, of course jco made this! It makes sense now.. well, as much sense as it can make. P.S., the production company logo tags were a nice touch. P.P.S. The radio plays "6-5-8-1".. SID reference?

It also says 3-8-6. Coincidence? Yes, totally.

I also spotted that "6-5-8-1" and immediately thought it was a SID reference ;)

my fast forward button broke.
thanks kevin!

:D

wtf

Great art.

Amazingly unexpected, very pythonesque.
The buildup was enormous with the elaborate fake movie company intros, and then it got weird.

JOHANN, EIN BIER!

What gloom, Dbug and Exin said.

Great production values, but not my kind of humour

This is nuts.

Not the complexity of the engine, nor even the scripting system, but the hilarious sense of humour and story-telling dexterity. Really nice as an animation short-film, and a "meh" as a demo in a demo-demo on a party context. It's totally out of context, but who cares.
:D:D: :D:D:D:D:D::D

We all enjoyed as hell with South Park back then, huh?

SOCCER SPORTS

well, i love it.

Well done, Kevin! ;)

Had to check my coke after this demo.....

it is ok - but hysterical overhyped.

Get the fuck out of here Kevin.

Disturbing and funny at the same time. I'll go with a space piggie.

Hahaha...nice to see some sceners confused and even angry! It's not about disabled people, it's about jco himself I think and even all of us.
Nobody is perfect and everyone has a little bit of Kevin inside, especially when trying to compose/create/make demos.
At least that's my interpretation.

I give a piggy only because I think other more serious work was deserving more. Great production tho.

So if you're into this stuff:

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared
Mr. Pickles
Salad Fingers

And most of Adult Swim. I thought this demo was awesome and well executed. Looking at the pace and the framing of the shots, this might have taken more effort that just a few beers in a 'let's make a demo mood'. Shouldn't have ranked as high as it did though, but hey people like humor as well as fresh ideas.

While I'm glad a more "serious" demo took the actual win, this is just great, and generally what gloom said.
...And that perfect voice imitation at the toilets Monday morning (while everyone brushed teeth etc :)

such an imitation could only come from a guy with a native British accent... ;)

Sorry but no

Adunno wat apeuneud, butt ama stand four ya rite two douhit!
paw of approval®™

It included an Atari ST keyclick.

Rewatching now at home, woithout other sceners around, without beer, it doesn't work for me at all. But during the compo, it was the best die of laughter experience since sumotori dreams.

I just simply didn't like it.
(still, there's obviously been a lot of effort put into it so no thumbs down)

great fun & wtf (demoscene needs it right ?), it reminds me short movies of 90's <3
I understood phaazon point of view and I believe that this is on the edge at some point. However, I don't believe that there is anything intentional from your side and the cartoonish design keep it away from reality. Great job

How this nonsense can be voted 2nd place in the PC DEMO COMPO just blows my mind. Who cares if this was realtime or not?

And I died laughing watching other 'silly' JCO prods in the past, this one just was not funny at all except for the violin gabber scene which was indeed the only time I laughed.

it's good and anxiety-inducing. but it's also yet another source for sceners running jokes/phrases into the fucking ground so that's a minus

damn son...I mean bravo Kevin! By the way, which number station was featured in it and why? Or just random?

I think my comment was not very clear. I’m not saying you meant to mock disabled people – I’m actually pretty convinced you didn’t mean it. As I said on IRC, the problem is more about latent discrimination. I don’t want to bring that up once again but I just want people to be aware of that phenomena. I wanted to reach you, the authors of the demo, and tell you about the fact that it might offend people – and I know several ones who felt very bad about that demo. And I’m not saying you’re bad persons or whatever – that’s the whole point of latent discrimination: the act of using words and doing things that we don’t know they might offend people, but they really do, in a hidden way, because of how society has shaped our minds and habits and makes us do very bad jokes without even coming to the realization of it. Some years ago, a good friend of mine made the same ranting at me because I was making jokes without knowing the harm I was doing. And today I feel happy he was there to point those things out. That’s the whole point of my intervention here: sure you can find the demo funny as you wish. But to fight discriminations, it’s important that people are aware of what flies hidden. That being said, cheers!

Clearly a production aimed at drunken party-people. Sadly, I was not at the party.

@jco For what it's worth, my wife (a teacher for handicapped children) saw me watching the demo, and she immediately stated she doesn't like how it's making fun of disadvanatged children, of children who like to achieve things but fail and then get mocked. After some discussion I can see how one can perceive it that way, even though this hasn't occured to me during the compo and I'm pretty sure you didn't intend it.

+1 balls

Wth did i just watch?
Weird, funny to the max.
Instant wiener :-D

:)

I’ll iterate over, but I said I’m pretty convinced it wasn’t your intention. The main problem is the the emphasis on the teeth – you even make them move and upscale them bigger than the whole scene at some time; the use of a very, very common name – often used as an insult btw and the violence. The second part of the demo – when Kevin gets hit in the face by the ball – made me very uncomfortable. Like “Wait. The whole beginning was about his extreme dental condition, and now, you hit him in the face and explode all of his teeth? Wtf?!”.

Once again, I don’t know whether you meant that, but it reminded me kids in kindergarten. Afraid of another kid who had skin issues and tried to knock him down – who’s actually never witnessed such a cruel scene in one’s childhood? That’s the feeling I had. Now you have the choice: try to understand and accept that people do get offended, or go the I-don’t-care-about-how-people-react way. We all have different sensibilities and it’s important to adapt when you don’t know your audience.

And I know there’re more layers to your demo. I like some weird aspects of it. But having some smart things doesn’t excuse the discrimination. And once and for all, I’m not saying you want to mock disabled people. I say you do that by latent discrimination and I hope you understand I’m not judging you. I’d also like to thank you for being comprehensive and reading me, I truly appreciate that you make the effort.

phazoon: Don´t you realize that this kind of hysteric hypersensitivity and overcritical political correctness is way more poisonous than any potential meanings one might interpret into?
And I´m pretty sure Kevin would agree as well ;)

If someone is offended by your depiction of something, you don’t get to decide that they weren’t. You don’t get to decide what hurts people or what brings back uncomfortable memories. Just accept that fact and enjoy your life.

Better just stop doing anything but breathing. But not too close to someone!

@T$ that's just wrong.

Arg. Now I watched have a season's worth of Mr. Pickles. :) Another (obvious? for me, at least) point of reference is Rubber Johnny.

I don't know. Just left me uninterested watching on stream and watching again from home

I don’t get what’s “poisonous” about realizing that works of art can have effects unintended by the creator or undetected by the majority of the audience, and that those effects are very real for those concerned, and discussing that issue. That is, unless you subscribe to the notion that all critiques are personal attacks and demands for censorship, as many do.

I honestly didn't think most of the prod was funny, neither did it feel like it was meant to be (aside from maybe the obvious microtransactions part) - but then, when I tried to do a similar demo I ran into the issue that some people just laugh when they see something absurd or surreal, almost as a defensive reaction. Nothing to do about that there.

Thing about disability is that our definition of it comes from a tacit unwritten understanding of what "normal" or "healthy" is - we think someone with a single leg is disabled because the majority of the world is centered around people with two legs. But within the world of the demo there is no indication whether Kevin is disabled or not - the teeth / eyeballs that fall out regrow (seems to be a routine part of his existence), and he seems to have the capabilities to both play soccer sport, code a demo and make music - the constant gagging noise is a bit disturbing, sure, but at the same time he doesn't have a nose so no surprise there. It is understandable that people look at that and think "we'll he's disabled" but then if there's ever an alien race with two heads looking at us, they'd think the same. Context matters and representation matters, and the script shows Kevin to be perfectly happy with where he is and what he does.

I feel a lot of the argument of "mockery" is spurred by the narrator who is obviously somewhat condescending in tone, but at the same time noone requires narrators to be sympathetic or reliable (Stanley Parable was obviously mentioned here, but also e.g. Bioshock), and noone obliges you to take their angle as the core of the piece. As soon as they went "follow the instructions", I lost sympathy for them and began considering the narrator the villain of the piece, and Kevin as the actual positive protagonist. This doesn't say anything about the script's intentions, instead it simply creates two subjective characters instead of one, and offers you a juxtaposition in two different sides you can pick.

I for one know that #ImWithKevin. Because he at least made a fucking demo.

guess most of us did, as most demosceners come from the corner what was considered geek.

Ok, so...
I have very bad teeth and am also very afraid of dentists which resulted in me not going for aprox. 10 years which eventually escalated and well... its not pretty... I have but one (1) tooth left in my upper jaw and have to wear a lot of plastic which ocassionally makes me choke and stuff. Not to mention all the nice food I like and am not able to chew painlessly anymore. Kids: don't try this at home.

Why am I telling you all this? Well I sat in the front row at the party and the prod did make me feel uncomfortable during the compo. But thats legit and although I didnt _enjoy_ watching it it doesnt mean thats the only kind of valid reaction to provoke from a makers point of view.
Polarising productions have always been part of this subculture and tbh it would be less interesting if they were banned/frowned upon.
This (and the obvious skill involved to do sth like this) makes me come to the conclusion that its a worthy contribution to the demo compo.
Have my thumb and keep making us think about what we see rather than to just consume and coimpare.

What's the value in polarising productions if we tell people they're being hysterical if they're on the other side of that polarity?

For doing something unique.

@jco As someone who lived with a disabled person for more than 15 years I find that movie recommendation somewhat disturbing and in a sense reinforces the point that what you may find artistically relevant may come to others as just stupid and painful to endure. It’s hard to put in words but there is this essay in the journal of the Society for Disability Studies at http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/611/788 that explains how the movie “serves to deny the individual concerns and struggles of persons with disabilities” and its reliance on pity “plays into the paternalistic assumption that persons with disabilities are essentially different and inferior.”

Again, it’s okay for you to produce whatever form of art you wish to. But it’s okay for others to find it distasteful and the existence of “all the other works” you mention does not make it less so.

Here is my angle:

Kevin does his own thing, is creative and productive and he doesn't give a shit if people who are "following the instructions" around him agree. I can't see _any_ disability in him. Quite the opposite. For me he represents the soul and mind of every artist.

On good days I am Kevin. On bad days I merely wish to be more like him.

being offended is something you do to yourself.

it isn't and shouldn't be other peoples problem regardless what you have been fed in indoctrination centres by authorities you still believe like a child that writes to santa.

Not funny. Just plain bad executed.

I'd like to step back and add a few lines about perspective.

This is a demo by JCO, who I know as a warmhearted, silly and creative person. I've been sharing many words and beers with him in the past. Why am I writing this?

Knowing an artist reveals something about his perspective. And I totally fail at understanding how anyone firm with him as a person or his works can conclude he had any discriminating intentions.

I get that this kind of humor doesn't appeal to everyone. Given above, the ongoing discussion about discrimination is way out of line, yet even feels superficial to me.

However, I'd love to hear what Bero has to say about this.

But the discussion isn't about JCO's character, is it? I've seen no one imply that JCO didn't create this demo in good spirit and with the best intentions.

this is so beautiful

Was super funny on the party place. Loved it.

As far as the discussion is concerned, I'm pretty much with Gargaj. Context matters, and given the fact that Kevin seems perfectly able to produce a demo without even having hands, let alone regrow his teeth and eyes and be in two places at once, I fail to see how you can construe any comment about actual disability from this production, intended or not. And of course the whole dental aspect is designed to rip you out of your comfort zone (it certainly did for me, and judging from the comments here I'm far from alone) but that's a very different thing from actually being offensive.

Instead some quick praise about everything else:
+ That torrent of production company jingles (a trend that's definitely getting worse) plus the "directorial decision" to cut their fadeouts in a desperate and cutely self-conscious attempt to keep their length under control.
+ The obvious allusions to David Firth (Salad Fingers) with that character design and the general eerieness...
+ David O'Reilly (The External World) with the non-sequitur cuts but also the "tech coming alive" bits like the radio and that power button
+ ... and The Stanley Parable - here one could also note that in both cases the narrator is condescending but pretty powerless.
+ the constant shifting and moving of the fourth wall. Kevin being aware of the camera and even on-screen UI overlays, those chat overlays (which I had to laught pretty hard about because in a way they were a comment about me. :D)
+ ... and especially the moment when the kickdrum started and the Revision crowd went bonkers as planned. Guys, you're part of the narrative now.

I can very much understand everyone who watches this at home and wonders wtf is the big deal but I've rarely seen a production so perfectly tailored for the very moment and audience it was shown to. Oh, and of course + the pretty perfect audio and timing but I wouldn't expect less from jco there :)

You forgot your thumb, Kevin

Loved this at the party - I laughed hard and enjoyed the difference to other entries. I also welcome the debate on this thread which provokes me to question myself, if I have been compassionate when laughing. Thank you :)

Actually in hindsight this is probably the closest I can think of as far as the feeling both give goes.

Nothing that reminds me of Salad Fingers can be bad.

Exactly.

What comes to the demo, I disliked the condescending narrating that made me feel that the whole prod is a mockery of people who do demos or play games which is kind of weird as it is a demo after all... Usually I like wtf stuff but this I just didn't get.

JCO´one of the best things

What T$ and kb_ said. This weirded the fuck out of me but in a rulez0r way. Well done, Kevin.

A great nod towards the people who created even more weird shit on the Demoscene in the '90-'00 + perfect technical execution. Instant 5 stars for just how much it stroke me when viewing and I was pretty fucking sure it will spawn a dumb discussions on the demoscene's kindergart..., erhm, Pouet. Original, disturbing, a lot of wink-winks. Up.

beginning is funny. rest is rather boring.

I love this so much.
The timing is just perfect! Watched it three times already and I still think it's fucking funny...

Well , funny ! If anyone feels offended by this , that's his/her own problem I think .

are these guys related to this famous group ?
http://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=3972

Their EGA-Demo is gorgeous!

Wow what a discussion this one has spawned..

Well i have to say, personally i loved it, and i really have to disagree with anyone who says that all demos have to be serious. To be honest there are only so many shiny spinning cubes i can look at before it gets boring. I mean i know the point of a demo is to push the hardware and all, or at least it used to be, but now hardware doesn't really have fixed limits anymore (there is no single "PC spec", it's really only limited by how much money you have to spend, and if you just wait a bit it gets better/cheaper) so i don't think that's quite as meaningful as it used to be. Even long before Kevin came on i was thinking about how modern demos are as much about the design work as the actual coding. So it is refreshing to have something with a narrative, as well as a bit of humour (dark or otherwise). I hope to see more demos in future that are like cartoons or movies. (Eidolon in the 64k category managed to do that while also being technically impressive so hats off to that.)

As for this being offensive, well i was actually a little surprised to read that someone could interpret it as poking fun at disabled people, because it never occurred to me as a depiction of any literal physical disability. I used to work for a charity that advocated for disabled rights and provided assistance to disabled people to live independent lives, and i encountered quite a lot of disabled people with different kinds of disabilities ranging from the invisible (chronic fatigue, stroke victims) up to profoundly disabled electric wheelchair users, yet i never encountered anyone whose eyes and teeth would spontaneously eject and regenerate. It seems like Kevin's disability is somewhat in the eye of the beholder - the person with dental problems sees it as mocking dental problems, the teacher of children with learning disabilities interprets it as being about that.. maybe some Christian saints focus on Kevin's apparent tendency to bilocate.

What i personally saw in it was a depiction of anxiety, for which the teeth are a metaphor (in fact teeth falling out is a common nightmare that people have when under stress). The teeth go out of control when his anxiety goes out of control. And i really can relate to that, having been bullied at school, having very low self-esteem, bad hair, thick glasses, and being generally malco-ordinated.. so i could really feel for Kevin.. and so much of his story rings true, the adults/society at large demanding conformity, why don't you go outside and do a sport &c.. and what programmer worth their salt never got a segfault and wanted to rage-quit (the power button sliding out indicating his urge to do this, but then the monitor suddenly turning into an over-critical parent). Yes, you can say, he is a failure. But he is a heroic failure. He's a failure because nothing he ever does is good enough for other people despite it being bloody brilliant. Well done Kevin!

As somebody said, representation matters, but it is such a minefield. We need characters in media that are not just straight white cis het male & whatever but it's impossible to do anything without somebody somewhere misinterpreting it (sometimes seemingly on purpose), maybe that's why so many people just play it safe and make everyone a dudebro. Even being a member of some disadvantaged group doesn't get you off the hook if you "do it wrong" despite that people in any group have a diversity of experiences, if you portray one thing people who experience it some other way can get upset..

I wouldn't want to upset anyone with anything i create but at some point people also have got to take responsibility for their emotions. Harm done to individuals or groups is real but offense is a feeling and they are not the same thing. Sometimes you just have to take a step back, and then, by all means, as Anita Sarkeesian would say, "be critical of the media you love".

Well said MrsBeanbag!

So, all you guys, u look at this cartoon figure that has no hands and feet, can not talk, can lose and regrow teeth and eyes, and ur first association is: "THIS IS A DISABLED PERSON!" ... and you then blame the artists for you having this association in ur own mind?

This is HILARIOUS!

*grabs popcorn*

Fun fact: Sometimes anger directed at an artist because of associations u have in ur mind is more a deflection from ur own instincts, prejudices or stereotypes than what the art actually displayed: "He/they are responsable for the thoughts I decided to have! How dare you disclose these thoughts to myself!"

The whight knighting is tasty with this comment section. ;-)

Hilariously disturbing!
It may seem unfair that entertainment is valued more highly than technical achievement, but this is nothing new. It's the "State of the Art" incident all over. Still, I think this illustrates the limits of using a five-star voting system for a compo with 26 entries.

NO

No, I always said Pouet is the demoscene's equivalent of reddit. Complete with the videos of people killing themselves and people commenting on them, for fun.

After careful consideration, this gets my thumb up. Not only because the content is so well executed, but also because I'm glad we're having this discussion, at least from the people that take it somewhat serious.

I get the idea that a majority of what makes this production feel discriminating is the narrator. He's speaking in a condescending tone towards Kevin, in a certain way that I have experienced as well (although maybe not to an extreme degree). I think that's *that* what makes it feel like he's "disabled" or at least is perceived as such... but I can definitely recognize a lot more anxiety-like themes in this than anything else.

But still, getting back to the narrator, the expressions of a single character don't necessarily reflect the opinions and views of the author of a work. That doesn't mean that it can still come across as being offensive to some people, and as I've mentioned before on IRC, that's your right. That's how things are in a free society with free speech, sometimes you run into things that offend you, and of course it's perfectly fine to discuss that. There's no point in either side putting the other down for seeing or not seeing discrimination in something, that doesn't get us anywhere.

I can respect both sides that are reasonably discussing the issue, and I for one would enjoy seeing more productions in the future that push people out of their comfort zone and open the discussion about other sensitive subjects. In that regard, I think this demo has done well.

And at least it's something different for once. Don't we all need a little break from 3D-flyby scenes now and then? I won't say this is the ultimate method, but it's definitely a decent attempt.

tl;dr: fuck you, read it.

Aaaaand suddenly the whole thing makes a disturbing lot of sense. *headdesk*

indeed when i get anxiety, i feel it in my teeth. that peculiar feeling of being told off by a teacher, that i still get, whenever someone points out a mistake.

the narrator is patronising, but to me this just seems like a parody of children's television. I thought Kevin was a child, or at least, being treated like one, which as an adult still, being treated like a child by my own parents, again i can relate to that, and then the aggressive sudden swing into furious hypercriticism. Both the narrator and the radio are really two sides of the same persona, of which the latter, if not both, have been internalised in Kevin's own psyche, insisting that he live his life "by the numbers", even though to do so is ultimately an act of self-destruction, and any deviation from which is punished.

Actually i keep thinking about this production, because there is so much in it, i've practically forgotten all the other productions already now. I was thinking this morning that the story is not in chronological order. the question marks on the clock are maybe a clue, and note that the clock is shaped like a coffin. The first scene is actually the last, where he has basically given up on life. The story really starts with the authority figures trying to make him "fit in", against his own nature. "Soccer Sports" is obviously a parody of pointless pay-as-you-play grinding games masquerading as masculine self-esteem. This leads into his productive phase, until his motivation is finally destroyed by his own sense of failure and he spends the rest of his life staring into space.

the radio brand "Kaiser" and the Prussian/WW1 German soldiers in the stadium also seem significant. Is that somebody's grandfather?

"Your grandfather died in the war so that you could have the freedom to do such-and-such so you can damn well do it now whether you like it or not"

Was funny at the compo, not offensive imho.

@jco, that is what i thought, but also that despotism begins at home.

I couldn't find that particular picture of the German soldier on Google, at least, it's not someone obvious like Kaiser Wilhelm, which was my first thought, so i did wonder if it was someone who adorns the top of an aunt's piano or something..

I thought there was only one Kevin, but he dissociates or otherwise has a distorted sense of self-awareness.

Of course in reality there are millions of Kevins.

I'M KEVIN

Amazing prod love when Kevin codes his own demo!

Shit, I totally forgot to mention that, but yeah, me too. I've never actually had any dreams where my teeth fall out, but I sure as fuck get dental pain (among other things) when I'm feeling seriously anxious.

hard to comment, jco!

better than no comment ;)

Slightly scary but also funny :)

Loved it! It was different, refreshing and FUN!

IMO there is nothing wrong with it.

dem endat.

Oh god yes! .. Madness 100%

Another fine example of fine example of german taste & sense of humor

Due to historical reasons I have to vote this up ;-)

The second place is probably a bit of an overreaction, but I find it hard to blame the voters—there aren't too many original realtime-rendered jokedemos around, and this is easily among the best ones I've ever seen.

— It's very consistent and well-executed in its style and direction. The atmosphere is perfect.
— It tells an actual story. One that is dark, uncomfortable, occasionally funny, surprisingly deep, and at times way too close for comfort. This is really good.
— It succeeds at being socially relevant, which is easy to gauge by the discussion that has emerged around it.
— It succeeds at being culturally relevant, given the amount of in-jokes and references, many of which made me think, "fucking nailed it".

If you look at the overall impact of this demo on the audience and the community in general, its high placement becomes much easier to understand. Personally, I've enjoyed it immensely, and coming to think about it, I don't remember anything I didn't like from JCO. Keep rockin', man!

Too weird!

Let me translate that for you:


"I don´t blame you"


"But I actually do blame you"


"Because #I am the good one ©®™ and it is all your fault"




In fact it is a damn wicked form of censorship:
Instead of prohibiting or penalizing this way of thinking installs scissors and blinders in your mind. Thus you are not only censoring yourself but also feel good doing so.

If you do not realize why this is a major threat (even worse than the ongoing erosion of privacy) then you´ve either already fallen victim to propaganda or doing it on purpose.

And yes, it is a totally sane reaction to feel personally offended if someone wants to force you what you have to think. Freedom of speech is useless when you are blocked from thinking and reflecting about it.

Well, finally back to the demo:

I really like such pieces of work. At first it´s a cartoonish joke prod of pop culture and insider jokes, but beyond the thin surface is a huge area of deeper meaning to be explored. And unlike an open ending just drops you more or less in the middle of nowhere there are plenty of clues and hints how it might be intended and one can hardly tell how much of it was actually planned by the author and where your own interpretation took over.

So far giZMo, KB, Gargaj and MrsBeanbag already summarized quite well how I perceived and interpreted it (and how I think it might to be interpreted alternatively),

From a quality point of view the most stunning aspect is how well the various layers of cartoon joke, scene/90s insider jokes, criticism of common media and social tendencies, childhood memories beyond caricature, meta telling, archetypes and self-references are layered and intertwined:

E.g. the starting scene which looks quite like childhood with adults which haven´t realized that children are usually smarter than they think, afternoons are boring (the ??? clock indicates that time is irrelevant since it doesn´t move anyway), and suddenly you´re in the middle of a poppy-like ASMR clip.

Or the soccer scene when you´re basically waiting/fearing the ball hitting Kevins face and suddenly get interrupted by those advertiselets with their beyond braindead games and gifts in order to get a second chance for hitting itself ending up in a cinematic slow-mo cut - Wilhelm approves, and whack you´re deep back into Spacepigs.

Interesting that no one mentioned already that it is Kevin itself shooting the ball - but that mirrors perfectly the tension between "Kevin is dumb an sucks" and "oh I am Kevin, too", and you never get to know whether he is just a placeholder or an actual individual.
I also like the different interpretations it allows - while I see it primarily that Kevin is a hero because he survives by being passionate in a less-than-supporting environment the reverse that he breaks in the end makes equally sense as well.

Seeing Kevin as a depiction of disabled persons isn´t that far off either: Children are comparably clumsy, less skilled and savy due to lack of experience and training and having teeth falling off and in weird positions isn´t a normal condition either. Yet we all have more or less experienced that situation for quite a while, and still no one would call a penguin disabled since it is a bird which cannot fly.

There´s still way more to say / put into this demo, but so far:
Kevin, I want a demo from you!

If I'm on the side of the thought police, then why did I thumb up this demo?

Has to be the most well organized slapstick demo I've ever seen!!

somehow i feel very uncomfortable watching it. maybe because of those teeth and the attached sfx? not sure. but it definitely did not left me cold. love the DoF on the teeth in the soccer scene :D and nice drama. who cares why it was made that way? fuck (political) correctness. but i wonder: 2nd place? i think a piggie is fair since overall it is not my cup of tea (or kind of humour).

Bravo Kevin

Kevin is an insult to life itself.

:D

Great direction on this überly twisted story.

:D

This just speaks straight to my soul... Tells my story...

DISSIZOSSOM

well. no.

Dr.med.dent.Kevin
Another masterpiece by JCO ♥
Now we need sequels! Many sequelz! Also Revision2018-Theme++

what the fuck, kevin

Well done, Kevin!

Second place is probably a bit overreacted. But ... well ... Kevin ... kinda rocks! :D

Well done, Kevin!¹
____
¹ Disclaimer: totally my kind of humor.

Whan can I say - Bravo Kevin!

@JCO is it possible to send you a private message somehow? (can't find such feature on this site..)

hm... sorry can't laugh about such it... so it's a piggy...

again:
hm... sorry can't laugh about such stuff... so it's a piggy...

too early it seem ;)

Happy to see something "different".

@jobe: Maybe you´re not fully indoctrinated yet? That venom trickles in slowly ;)

what the actual fuck did I just watch.

Definitely not the next big thing in graphics, but that sound design though!

You're high.

This prod might be a lot of things, but badly executed is not one of them. You're free to say it's not funny (to you), or that you "don't get it", or that you don't like it, that it's "polarizing" or whatever you want along those likes.

What you don't get to do is say it isn't well executed. This thing right here, whatever it is, is expertly executed. It is what it needs to be, and it's a result of a clear vision and a desire to create this thing right here, and that should be applauded, not mocked or be commented in such a braindead fashion.

Rock on JCO, this is great.

Did not do it for me.

Wow, this turned 180 quickly.

From "this viral Youtube cartoon is aimed right at me, and it's really good! Haha!"

To, "I should post my 3-4yo article about what a demo is finally, so that compofiller makers can learn."

Look, if you don't get it or you don't have time/skill for the technical part of demos, why not keep trying in your respective groups? jco, you have a proper group. Kick some ass! :)

I love the discussion. And the demo, for all the reasons that have already been stated.

i loved every piece of it.

watched it without sound, so far I'm not appreciating it

Don't get the controversy. Original, well executed and entertaining.

*autistic screeching*

it was quite funny only for the first time

WOW! Awsome Kevin!

well done, spacepigs.

KEVIN MEME!

yes

■

WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST WITNESS

done

i quit the scene

seriously i quit the scene
the scene stink
adieu

♡

apologies i was wrong

okay i admit: was kinda nice.
(thumbs down revoked?)

cool shit!!!!!!!

The horror, the horror... 😱

I love Kevin

Can't take more of this!

Yesterday i dreamt that i lost all of my teeth. I was't really shocked, since I have to visit the dentist very often in real life anyway. I hope that this dream has nothing to do with watching this demo. :D

nice

very high replay value, also.

Kevin is sexy.

rewatching this after paralax's inercia presentation on the demotool :D very strange and fun

just rewatched. best demo ever.

Kevin, why haven't you thumbed this up yet?

Well this one has certainly some artistic qualities, but I really avoid to re-watch it because of my fear of the dentist and all things related

this is exactly why windows is the best platform

Today I remembered this demo and why it set a standard. Yes, it's okay to laugh, yes, it's ok to cry. From laughter. I might have been involved in a demo that stole the main character of this demo, so I guess this is the best tribute one could do. Live long and prosperous, Kevin. We love you. And also jco. In a almost non-homosexual way, of course.

I should add as well that as a big fan of humour I've tried to make joke prods during the last 20+ years, and not a single one of them ever came close to this. If you haven't, check the zine episode with jco to get some context from the man himself.

Waste of time and thus waste of life.
But well, not my time, not my life... So, that's OK.

MY TEETHESES 😨