Automoderated users, Autopatrolled users, Bureaucrats, Comment administrators, Confirmed users, Forum administrators, Interface administrators, Moderators, Rollbackers, Administrators
116,612
edits
Pandering to the Base: Difference between revisions
when, when, when...
m (clean up, replaced: Big Lipped Alligator Moment → Non Sequitur Scene) |
Looney Toons (talk | contribs) (when, when, when...) |
||
Line 110:
== [[Music]] ==
* The titles of three releases by the Japanese pop group [[wikipedia:Perfume (group)|Perfume]] include the phrase "fan service", namely the CD single ''Fan Service (sweet)'', the concert DVD ''Fan Service (bitter)'' and the box set ''Fan Service Prima Box''. The last is perhaps a genuine example of fanservice, since it comprises three discontinued CD singles from earlier in their career, which fans wanting to complete their collection would otherwise have to look for on the secondhand market. A [http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fm20080314l2.html review] of ''Prima Box'' in the ''Japan Times'' refers to Perfume's 'coy, knowing references to ''[[Otaku]]'' (obsessive fan) culture'.
* The Song Study version of [[Devo]]'s most recent{{when}} album, ''Something for Everybody'' is arguably this. Fans participated in an online survey to determine which songs would end up on the album. On the other hand, it is quite clear that the whole Song Study campaign was meant to poke fun at the entertainment industry's extensive uses of focus groups and online surveys, and Devo simultaneously released a "88% focus group approved" version of ''Something for Everybody'' that contained all the songs that was cut from the Song Study version.
* [[Taylor Swift]] has been accused of this by some fans after her second album, which, in stark contrast to her first album (which, for the most part, was startlingly mature and dark, but well-liked by listeners of all ages), is more decidedly geared towards teenagers. Let it not be ignored that the ''small'' majority of her first album's sales were from the teenage crowd.
* The ultimate in pandering in music is how every rock concert starts with "Hello <insert city name here>!" "Yay, he knows what city we're in and we're excited despite the fact that most of us drove in from somewhere else!"
Line 122:
** This was particularly true in California for most of the last 10–20 years; however, in a rare moment of sanity, California voters approved two measures to prevent this: [[wikipedia:California Proposition 14 (2010)|Proposition 14]], which changes the electoral system to a two-round, "jungle primary" (which encourages moderate candidates, or is thought to anyway), and [[wikipedia:California Proposition 20 (2010)|Proposition 20]], which requires that Congressional districts be drawn by a neutral commission (which also promotes moderate candidates).
* Oddly enough, this trope was inverted in the 2008 presidential race: the Republicans nominated the ''most'' moderate of their candidates in John McCain (a senator famous for "reaching across the aisle" to work with Democrats), whereas Democrat nominee [[Barack Obama]] was generally seen (at the time anyway) as more moderate than the other two leading contenders. During the general election, however, McCain was perceived to have pandered enormously, specifically with the selection of Sarah Palin as his vice-president.
* The recent{{when}} Tea Party movement leading up to the 2010 midterm elections is turning into something of a mixed blessing for Republican candidates. On one hand, it's hard to combat the amount of publicity and energy such a movement generates in support of its candidates. On the other, such candidates are tending to be arch-conservative with no inclination whatsoever to want to negotiate with Democrats (or even other Republicans) to pass legislation. By extolling their conservative credentials, they win the support of the Republican faithful at the cost of the more moderate voting public. Such is the case in Delaware, where early polls showed that the moderate Republican candidate, supported by the party establishment, was a shoe-in to win the seat. But when he was upset in the primary by the Tea Party candidate, Christine O'Donnell, the seat was almost immediately declared back in play, as far fewer Democratic and independent voters are willing to support a candidate so far from the center. The Democratic candidate, Chris Coons, would go on to win the election, though almost certainly helped by gaffes O'Donnell made in the lead up to the election (including an infamous campaign ad where she proclaimed that she wasn't a witch.) This has also bled into the 2012 Republican party primaries, which have become unexpectedly bitter and divisive as a result.
** As a specific result, the Moderate Republicans are probably the most unhappy bunch in American politics right now: the 2012 Presidential primary was filled almost entirely by far-right candidates, and even though supposedly-moderate Mitt Romney triumphed (basically because he was the only moderate left standing after Jon Huntsman dropped out), many moderate Republicans fear that Romney will play this exact trope straight and pander to the far-right wing of the party. Meanwhile, most of the moderate Republicans ''also'' dislike Obama's policies. Meaning that for a moderate Republican, the 2012 election has become a choice between an incumbent who they see as too liberal and a candidate from their own party who—despite ostensibly being a moderate—the moderates fear he will pander to the party's fringiest elements in order to "rally the base."
Line 148:
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* Mark Rosewater's columns on [http://www.magicthegathering.com Magic: The Gathering.com] have used this argument to justify such things as bad cards, skill-testers, overly simple Core Sets, and its focus on recent-duration formats. While [[Wizards of the Coast]] appreciates its devoted fanbase, it needs to ensure that newer players have a clear path into learning the game without being inundated with complexities early on.
** Recently{{when}}, players have been complaining that in trying to avoid Pandering to the Base they've gone too far in the other direction: all but ignoring their existing player base while trying to draw in new players. Like every game, there's an [[Unpleasable Fanbase]] problem to deal with.
* Similarly, Upper Deck Entertainment and [[Konami]] have been doing this with the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' card game, specifically demanding that older and more rabid fans not bash on the younger demographic or the anime-based cards that they make for them. In an ironic twist, one thorn in the older fans' side ''is'' the lack of anime-based cards...at least, those from the original series, most of which have never been made. Most of the anime-based cards released now are from ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]'', with an almost monopolizing focus on series protagonist Judai, which further adds fuel to the fire (as most "veteran" players feel that such cards are ultimately inferior to the unique ones or those of the original series).
* One of the great balancing acts of the modern era is on display whenever [[Warhammer 40,000|Games Workshop]] begins working on a new army codex. Pandering to the base is a great temptation, especially when there's two different bases to pander to. Take the Eldar Wraithlord for example. As it is now, it's a monster in both shooting and close combat and greatly feared when it's taken in numbers. When they release a new Eldar codex, they have three roads they could go- they could pander to their Eldar players and make it more powerful; they could pander to the Wraithlord detractors and nerf it something awful; or they could potentially anger BOTH sides and leave it relatively unchanged. And don't get me started on sprue recuts...
Line 246:
* According to this [http://arvindn.livejournal.com/96382.html blog post], [[LiveJournal]] did this constantly, which prevented the site from becoming mainstream.
** On the other hand, LJ has instituted many changes in its commenting system and design that are meant to appeal to those outside its fanbase (or at least the English-speaking ones).
* [[Jeff Dunham]] has been becoming this in recent{{when}} years, as his shows have become more rooted in shock humor and stereotypes (with increased emphasis on [[Breakout Character]] Achmed) in order to appeal more to the conservative Southern crowd (Dunham is a Texas native).
{{reflist}}
| |||