Culture Doom co-creator John Carmack is headlining a 'toxic and proud' sci-fi convention that rails against 'woke propaganda' - Carmack heads the list of "guests" at the upcoming event that bills itself as a sci-fi convention for people "tired of woke propaganda."

By Andy Chalk published about 6 hours ago


(Image credit: Bloomberg (Getty Images))

Id Software co-founder and former Oculus VR CTO John Carmack is facing criticism for his recent announcement that he will be attending BasedCon, a sci-fi and fantasy convention for fans who are "tired of woke propaganda."

"I’m going to be at basedcon.com again this year," Carmack tweeted. "I had read books from and twitter-interacted with three of the authors (more since!), but I wasn’t sure what to expect last year. It turned out fun, in a grass-roots con way that reminded me of the old Space Access days.


Tweet (Archive)

"I was just going to show up as a normal attendee / fan of the authors last year, but Rob [presumably BasedCon fouder Robert Kroese] nudged me into doing a talk and some panels, and I enjoyed it."

Attending a convention is a pretty unremarkable thing most of the time, but BasedCon isn't like most. Its website claims the convention "isn't about pushing any particular ideology," while at the same time listing examples of "based beliefs" that the organizers subscribe to:

• Men cannot give birth
• Guns don’t kill people; people kill people
• A fetus is a human being
• Socialism has failed everywhere it’s been tried
• Discriminating against white people is racism

The website complains that while "sci-fi cons used to be a lot of fun," in recent years they've been dominated by "a small clique of authoritarian jerks who made them into venues for pushing social justice dogma." That in turn sparked controversies like Sad Puppies, an effort to push right-wing authors to the top of Hugo Award voting, and the misogynistic harassment campaign Gamergate, got Gina Corano fired from The Mandalorian, and drove the push "to get Critical Race Theory and other social justice garbage into schools."

It also warns that if you happen not to embrace those beliefs, you should probably stay away: "If you think people with a certain skin color can’t be racist or you expect people to use made-up pronouns when talking about you, you may want to do a reality check before coming to BasedCon."


(Image credit: BasedCon)

Carmack is known for having something of a libertarian bent—he recently defended the idea of self-made billionaires(opens in new tab), for instance—and has never seemed particularly concerned about his public image. And he gets a lot of slack, because he's a little weird and he made Doom and Quake. But headlining an event like this is a step too far for a lot of his followers on social media.


Tweet (Archive)

Tweet (Archive)

"I've been a fan of yours over half my life and it's disappointing you're going to an event run by people with such reprehensible views," one follower wrote. "Please reconsider. There's so many better tech events that would gladly have you."

"Dude, you gave me a glimmer of hope interacting with my tweets about forms of address and VR, and now you're going to a party of chuds where /this/ is their raison d'etre," another replied. "This sucks."

One Twitter user pointed out that BasedCon does not disclose its location. The event will be held in an unnamed hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but "for security reasons" does not share specifics with anyone who isn't registered to attend. I think that's a very revealing detail about the real nature of BasedCon: If you're not willing to tell people where your event is being held, maybe it's worth examining why.

The whole thing is kind of gross and sad, and there's really no arguing that Carmack isn't aware of the ugly side of the event. The website spells it all out quite clearly, and as he said on Twitter, he knows the organizer and this won't be his first trip to the show. As many people responding to the situation have pointed out, it all comes down to the old adage: Never meet your heroes. I've reached out to Carmack for comment and will update if I receive a reply.

Source (Archive)

 

[Myles the Potatophile]

Growing up through the teenage years, my peers and I were those bottom of the barrel types. At least what you could consider at the time. We were very much into technology and video games, so going to a convention was a thrill. Half of us went on to do something with those passions in the workforce. Half of us turned out to be deadbeats and two of us trooned.

It's nice to see a convention not want to be retarded as a mission statement. A lot of the conventions I used to go to,almost advertise themselves as pride events and troon havens, particularly anime cons. I guess this is because the new bottom of the barrel is a deeper level of hell than even we thought was possible as teenagers and young adults.

 

[AnOminous]

And the author chopping up the websites words to re-frame gamergate as a misogynistic hate campaign rather than the real words on the site clearly indicates this is just another shit hit piece.

That's the stock phrase journalists spam and got installed on Wikipedo as if it's holy writ and not just a butthurt opinion of people who's bullshit got exposed.

 

[Daddy's Little Kitten]

I wanna go.

 

[Kiwi Farms Lurker]

Crossposting this from the Doomworld thread.
https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/135849-time-to-cancel-john-carmack/

 

[Elwood P. Dowd]

Crossposting this from the Doomworld thread.
https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/135849-time-to-cancel-john-carmack/

Holy shit. That thread credibly reaches ResetERA tier faggotry. (Maybe with fewer trannies?)

 

[Betonhaus]

I'm intrigued. I want to go. What games and shows will be represented there?

 

[derpherp2]

I can absolutely get behind the intent. I've been sick of the leftist propaganda monopoly in entertainment for decades.

Having said that, I neither want in-your-face right or left ideology in my entertainment. The problem with such solutions is that it inevitably becomes a mirror image bastardization of the thing I took issue with in the first place. It's inevitably every bit as cringeworthy, pandering, and embarrassing as what it set out to be a countermeasure to in the first place. I don't just want the other side of the coin, as that solves nothing. A work can absolutely have an overarching message or theme while still being tasteful, nuanced, and not being pure propaganda, which is something that many modern works have been completely unable to realize, placing political messaging above all else.

Creating a Wonderland version of mainstream entertainment with an overtly "based" message is in no way solving the problem, in my opinion. Reading the article, it kind of seems like they're simultaneously conscious of the issue while also speeding directly toward the pitfall.

In my experience a cringy rightoid is exponentially funnier than a cringy leftoid (like seriously just watch the threads here as an example), so much so that I'm willing to give this retarded shitshow a half-assed chance.

Compare this to tumbl- i mean dashcon. For example. They can lay it on thick for all I care, if they can actually run a convention they're already leagues ahead of their dumbass opposition.

Also I just want more jokes about da jews tbh. They are a demographic ripe for flaming. And baking. And making fun of their bbq woman cake.

 

[2ndBest]

John Carmack is a fucking hero to me and is the reason why I like to do programming on the side. We need to keep his brain in a jar and have him alive forever.

 

[FierceBrosnan]

ausschwitz-simulator and doom 1488 where you cut up brown people with glory kills while they beg for their life?

I would prefer Holocoaster Tycoon, but those sounds fun as fuck too.

 

[Betonhaus]

I'd love to play a game where you play as a Nazi, even if it's one where you're uncovering a conspiracy that turned out to be the holocaust. The uniforms were neat, and it would be hilarious if the character customizer gave you lots of options but rejected anything that wasn't a fair skinned blond and blue eyed male.

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

I'd love to play a game where you play as a Nazi, even if it's one where you're uncovering a conspiracy that turned out to be the holocaust. The uniforms were neat, and it would be hilarious if the character customizer gave you lots of options but rejected anything that wasn't a fair skinned blond and blue eyed male.

You play as a Nazi scientist in I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream. Don't get the European version. His part is taken out in that one, rendering the game unwinnable. There's also a gay man who gets twisted into a chimp-like shape, a black woman afraid of the color yellow, a skitzo, and a suicidal guy.

 

[Negrate]

doomworld trannies coping and seething johnny wins again hes a cool dude

 

[Snekposter]

A better time. I remember Cannon Fodder had a theme tune about how great it was killing people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LSTO7vpJg4

And yet despite the cheery tone and words the whole thing points out how shit war actually is. "War! Killin' with your gun, dyin' in the sun, never been so much fun!" Hell, the name of the game says it all, too. "Cannon Fodder."

 

[RACISM]

And yet despite the cheery tone and words the whole thing points out how shit war actually is. "War! Killin' with your gun, dyin' in the sun, never been so much fun!" Hell, the name of the game says it all, too. "Cannon Fodder."

If you actually follow the lyrics, the person who is dying in the sun is someone that the person who likes war has shot. It's not about how bad war is at all you ass banging faggot.

 

[Illuminati Order Official]

got Gina Corano fired from The Mandalorian

Wait, this one was done by the wokies!

Carmack is indeed the superior John.

Romero was buck broken by Daikatana and he never recovered.

 

[Snekposter]

Romero was buck broken by Daikatana and he never recovered.

Considering what a pile of flaming garbage it was he deserves it.

 

[Neighborhood Curmudgeon]

Good job and thank you, John Carmack! It's about time someone made a convention that pushed back against all the woke/social justice bullshit. There needs to be more pushback like this.