The Friday Poll: Markers, pistols, gats, nines, shootin' irons...

[Buddha 3]

markers, pistols, gats, nines, shootin' irons...

Okidoki kiddos!

Lately it seems that many people in paintball are going down the path of PC-ness again. In an effort to make paintball more spectator friendly and in an attempt to sell it with an eye on televising the whole thing, some leagues are now introducing strict rules on things like foul language and player behavior. Alongside this, many people now refer to what was once known as a gun, as a marker. Some people stopped calling the deadbox the deadbox, and call it the Eliminated Player Zone or EPZ.

Is all this a good thing, or are we over sanitizing the game? Many of us keep talking about "paintball the sport", and compare us to other sports like soccer and a plethora of other teamsports. However, a different line of thinking compares paintball more to the likes of skateboarding and it's accompanying subculture. Go to any major paintball event, and you'd see more bad haircuts and regrettable tattoos than at a punk convention. Many players walk around the field smoking (often something other than tobacco), swigging brews is common, and so on.

What I would like to know is this: Is paintball potentially a true mainstream sport, and as such we should keep in mind that we must, at least to the outside world, show a game that is good, clean and wholesome? Or will we always remain a fringe sport with only marginal TV and mass media coverage, heeped amongst the so called extreme sports?

Feel free to add your comments, but please have something to add, rather than pointless remarks.

PS This thread was not posted to ridicule the PC or the non PC.

 

[MrPink]

Beers, Drugs, Gats and Bullets

Sorry - what was the question again?

 

[soopaman luva]

na more like "i got my strap ready to jack these fools "

 

[Buddha 3]

I say again...

Originally posted by Buddha 3
Feel free to add your comments, but please have something to add, rather than pointless remarks.

Gits...

 

[Cro]

I agree Buddha that PC is b0ll0cks, but, I will say that I agree with refering to our "guns, gats, etc, etc, etc" as "markers" is actually correct. If we want to differenciate (sp?) ourselves from "blood sports" etc then this is a good way about it. I know there is a lot of other sports (like clay pigeon shooting for eg) that use the term gun, but don't we all want to be the exception to the rule and get all parts of society to participate? If we constanly use the term "gun" then we will alienate the pc brigade, and most of the general public too, as most of them hear the word gun and think, terrorist or upper class twat.

Cro

 

[joe bob]

does my front porch count as a deadbox or "EPZ"?

 

[Gyroscope]

To a layman, our markers look like guns. We hold them like guns, they propel stuff out the barrel like guns shoot bullets, they are activated by triggers, and part of the "ooo!" from the crowd is the simulation of something dreadful having happened when someone gets mugged. It is ok to enjoy, however, because no one is actually getting their head shot off, or leaving behind a family that doesn't understand; there is all the thrill of mortal engagement without the cost (I know how it sounds to talk about no cost to paintballers, but cost is relative).

It looks like people shooting people. Therefore, euphemisms like marker are sort of silly to casual observers, IMO. Maybe doubletalk works better in Europe than in America; I have never spent more than a few weeks at a time in Europe, so I couldn't say. No one is fooled by "marker". No one is belittled by "gun". Therefore, for the sake of simplicity, I say I shoot a paintball gun.

The reason I don't say words like nigger and fag and kike is that it is injurious to someone. I won't hurt someone through careless language. If a woman is offended by being called a bitch, I can understand and I won't call women bitches. If a woman is offended by being called a woman, I will likely attribute that to some odd trauma, that while tragic, is fluke enough that I don't feel compelled to change my vocabulary. I can feel compassion, I guess, for someone who is hurt by use of innocent language, but I don't accept responsibility. In their company, I might be circumspect. In general use, I will use the simplest and most expressive language I can.

I try to use the exact word to refer to what I am talking about, and in the context of talking about paintball, I will say gun. If The subject of how many guns I own comes up, out of the blue, I will specify paintball guns in my answer. If I am at a tournament, and I want someone to pass me the spare gun, they will not misunderstand, they wioll pass me something none lethal.

The thing that is funny is how many people have this "killer instinct" that seems to include a certain sadism. That's more complicated than a word, and more interesting, troubling, and exciting. Spectators share the same dementia we do, showing the biggest emotional reaction when someone gets done dirty. People who find paintball offensively violent or unhealthy are unlikely to ever want us on TV, regardless how we describe ourselves. They see a gun, just like I do. It is the subsequent judgement that makes all the difference.

 

[Gyroscope]

Originally posted by Cro
If we want to differenciate (sp?) ourselves from "blood sports" etc then this is a good way about it. I know there is a lot of other sports (like clay pigeon shooting for eg) that use the term gun, but don't we all want to be the exception to the rule and get all parts of society to participate? If we constanly use the term "gun" then we will alienate the pc brigade, and most of the general public too, as most of them hear the word gun and think, terrorist or upper class twat.

Cro

Maybe you are identifying the cultural divide between England and America- I doubt many Americans would associate guns with "upper class twats". Terrorist, maybe, but I think that is a simple minded sort of reaction that most people would avoid. The more common association might be with "rednecks" in the US.

Can you give me an example of a "blood sport"? Does it involves guns?

I argue that we want every part of society to be aware of us, and accepting, but not necessarily participating. The PC brigade is never goiung to be happy about paintball, even if you call it competitive crocheting.

 

[Baca Loco]

All that psuedo-cool witless tough talk of gats and bullets etc. is just plain stupid. Frankly it strikes me as about the same thing as all those suburban white kids playing at being hardcore gangstas. But I'll give you Eurokids a pass 'cus you can't seem to tell the difference between cool and PBN.

 

[Buddha 3]

So Paul, you would be okay with it if they talked about Shootin' Irons, Six shooters, Colts and shouted yeehaw while playing?