I used to watch Critical Role and tbh he has always had an off vibe. He seemed like a rough combo of anger/impulse issues (especially apparent around the time he was let go from CR) and always needing to be the smartest, most correct person in the room. And then the Amber Heard comments kind of sealed the deal on what a misogynistic asshole he is. I did always kind of wonder at the pairing of him and Ashley bc she seems so kind but like, it's not like I know either of them so never thought about it much beyond that.
I hope she and her family are safe and she will eventually get the healing she needs. I also hope she has those sweet dogs with her.
yeah, on his twitch stream when the trial was going on. i was sort of morbidly fascinated with whatever was happening with him and CR fandom at the time (i think this was around the time he was fired/left/whatever) and i remember the brouhaha about that incident although not the specifics. he was basically mocking her testimony, pretty much joining in the on the internet dogpiling. he was, of course, self-righteously belligerent when called out by a few upset critters (who can, lbr, be a little insane but in this instance were completely right.)
given the general public tenor and sharks circling blood in the water feel of that trial re: amber, that incident didn't get as much attention as it probably should have. obviously, unsurprisingly, it was a massive red flag.
I’m so, so glad Ashley got away from him, I can only hope she stays away and remains safe.
On a semi-related note, I do wish others of the CR cast had said something or even liked posts during the trial. Not because they’re obligated, but I love that group so much, and it was such a scary time when it seemed like everybody lost all critical thinking and just let their misogyny run wild, I trusted no one and was really curious if they were also secretly trash. As much as I adore them, CR has become so huge and now I’m hyper aware that they’re very much a brand they consciously present.
But as you said Critters can be batshit crazy and I definitely understood why they chose not to wade into the craziness. I just remember thinking it was so nice that some of the College Humor/D20 cast were liking pro-Amber/anti-Depp posts
just wanted to say i 100% agree with your whole comment lol. I enjoy CR tho I've dropped off it during the recent campaign, and the cast seem like good eggs overall, but I have similar frustrations with how they handle (or don't) some situations to appease or just not set off the fanbase. And yet I also understand it - the fanbase can go rabid in 0 to 60, partly because nerd culture is intensely reactive in general and partly bc CR fandom is so parasocial in nature.
Idk they're in a complicated situation. Still, they've got a big enough hold in the industry now that they could stand to stick their necks out every now and then, and like you said, the D20 etc folks were capable of liking a few tweets and it didn't destroy their careers so.
As much as I enjoy the lovely new high tech set they have for campaign 3 (JEALOUS. Jealous is the right word 😅) I feel CR are teetering dangerously close to feeling manufactured for me. This is not a judgement; it’s a natural progression as their popularity swells, and heck if I could make myself rich paying D&D of course I would haha.
I agree with you re their power in the industry now. They absolutely could’ve liked a post or two. I’ll always be in my feelings about the trial and have much love for the people who spoke up when it genuinely felt scary and dangerous to do so.
I feel the same way about it re: feeling a little TOO corporate at this point, I kind of loved the older, jankier episodes lol. I don't begrudge them their success at all but there was a certain charm to the "homegame but add cameras and a cool table" feel to it that can't really co-exist with the level of success and branching out they've done as a bonafide company. I think Campaign 1 will always be my favorite because of the rough edges, it really did feel like just a bunch of very talented friends nerding out lol.
They grew so much in C2, I think that’s my favourite. There were characters I disliked or outright loathed at the beginning that I ended the campaign really respecting, even if I didn’t love them. That for me was the perfect middle ground - not too ridiculously polished, but I could actually hear what they were saying lol
hmmm maybe his own experience made him completely incapable of being unbiased and he saw an opportunity to be a champion of abused men or something. Do wonder if he ever peeped a word in support of Anthony Rapp, Brendan Fraser, or that partner of Emma Roberts if I’m remembering correctly. This is NOT a defence of him, I’m simply speculating.
I’m not going to make one of those comments like Oh I always knew etc etc because that’s utterly disrespectful to Ashley, but if he was this comfortable putting his trash views out to all his followers, what was he like in private to the rest of the CR cast?? As you said though perhaps there was a trigger and he spiralled after that, mask continued to slip further etc.
I only saw him on Talks Machina (the one shots he was a part of I watched much later and there the setting is a little different I guess) and felt like he had a bit of an up and down. Sometimes he was really good hosting and asking really interesting questions and other times he was just leading the discussion away and trying to make sure he got to say a lot of things when that was not what I was watching the show for.
I remember being a bit sad at first that they fired him and didn't want to continue with Talks Machina, but I randomly checked out his Twitch stream and was immediately fine that he was gone because he was unabashadly showing there that he just likes to hear himself talk and never missed his presence in the CR world again.
I used to watch Critical Role and tbh he has always had an off vibe. He seemed like a rough combo of anger/impulse issues (especially apparent around the time he was let go from CR) and always needing to be the smartest, most correct person in the room. And then the Amber Heard comments kind of sealed the deal on what a misogynistic asshole he is. I did always kind of wonder at the pairing of him and Ashley bc she seems so kind but like, it's not like I know either of them so never thought about it much beyond that.
I hope she and her family are safe and she will eventually get the healing she needs. I also hope she has those sweet dogs with her.
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given the general public tenor and sharks circling blood in the water feel of that trial re: amber, that incident didn't get as much attention as it probably should have. obviously, unsurprisingly, it was a massive red flag.
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On a semi-related note, I do wish others of the CR cast had said something or even liked posts during the trial. Not because they’re obligated, but I love that group so much, and it was such a scary time when it seemed like everybody lost all critical thinking and just let their misogyny run wild, I trusted no one and was really curious if they were also secretly trash. As much as I adore them, CR has become so huge and now I’m hyper aware that they’re very much a brand they consciously present.
But as you said Critters can be batshit crazy and I definitely understood why they chose not to wade into the craziness. I just remember thinking it was so nice that some of the College Humor/D20 cast were liking pro-Amber/anti-Depp posts
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Idk they're in a complicated situation. Still, they've got a big enough hold in the industry now that they could stand to stick their necks out every now and then, and like you said, the D20 etc folks were capable of liking a few tweets and it didn't destroy their careers so.
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I agree with you re their power in the industry now. They absolutely could’ve liked a post or two. I’ll always be in my feelings about the trial and have much love for the people who spoke up when it genuinely felt scary and dangerous to do so.
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Very interesting that he appeared to be going to the "I am an abused man" well. Was he getting his Johnny Depp defense ready just in case?
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I’m not going to make one of those comments like Oh I always knew etc etc because that’s utterly disrespectful to Ashley, but if he was this comfortable putting his trash views out to all his followers, what was he like in private to the rest of the CR cast?? As you said though perhaps there was a trigger and he spiralled after that, mask continued to slip further etc.
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I remember being a bit sad at first that they fired him and didn't want to continue with Talks Machina, but I randomly checked out his Twitch stream and was immediately fine that he was gone because he was unabashadly showing there that he just likes to hear himself talk and never missed his presence in the CR world again.
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