There are a lot of ways that my choice for “Best Thing, Period” of 2012 could go. The great writer Joss Whedon made a huge splash with the general public, with his sure-hand guiding “The Avengers” to the top of the box office heap. The website known as Kickstarter has made it easier than ever for artists to take their case directly to the public for funding, potentially changing pop culture forever. Shows like “Breaking Bad” and “Game of Thrones” continue to help revolutionize modern television.

In the face of all these contenders, selecting a small web show about board games may seem odd at first glance. But when taking into account not only the quality and entertainment value of the production, but the impact it had on its audience and the industry it profiles, I believe that Wil Wheaton’s YouTube production “TableTop” is 2012′s “Best Thing, Period.”

When web darling Felicia Day of “The Guild” and “Dr. Horrible” fame first announced the launch of her Geek and Sundry channel on YouTube, the most promising title in the lineup was perhaps the simplest in concept. A group of four celebrities, sitting around and playing a game together. Hosted by child-star-turned-geek-icon Wil Wheaton, the show seemed like a fun, fly-on-the-wall idea, kind of “Celebrity Poker Showdown” meets Friday night with the “Dungeons and Dragons” crew.

But shortly after its debut, it became apparent that there was more going on here than face value. It turns out that even while the personalities of the players are a hook to get potential viewers in the door, the real stars of “TableTop” were the games being played.

From modern classics like “Settlers of Catan” and “Ticket to Ride” to more esoteric fare like “Last Night on Earth” and “Dixit,” the gamers on “TableTop” demonstrate an eclectic selection of fare, and the fun they have no matter what the goal of their play is infectious. Each half-hour becomes a reminder of how entertaining sitting with a group of friends and enjoying a friendly competition can be.

“TableTop” is a tremendously entertaining show on a production level, as well. It wears its charmingly low-budget status on its sleeve — each week the same trophy gets presented to the winner, then quickly taken back because they only had the money to buy one. Unsuccessful competitors lick their wounds on the “Loser’s Couch,” where they are presented with a drink to drown their sorrows — only to be informed it’s just weak tea, not actual liquor. There is little that earns a viewer’s fondness quicker than self-deprecation and Wheaton and his crew have it in spades.

The show’s excellent production also makes even the most complex games easy to follow. With quick cutaways and pop-up factoids clarifying rules, the structure of each contest is made crystal clear. In this way, the show also acts as an easy introduction to games for new players — just send your pal a link to the “TableTop” episode  on the game you wanna play, and they’ll be up to speed for your next game night.

Inspiring fans to hold their own game nights, in fact, is the show’s most significant legacy. The impact that “TableTop” is having on the games industry cannot be overstated. Websites dedicated to games that have been featured now proudly pronounce how they’ve been “Played on ‘TableTop.’” On Amazon’s sales rankings, outside of the wildly successful “Cards Against Humanity” series, most every bestselling game has been featured on the show. A whole Tumblr page “As Seen on TableTop” is full of pictures of people playing games they never would have found if they hadn’t seen it on Wheaton’s show first.

In a world where people are getting ever more isolated, withdrawn into their own personal information bubble, the idea of embracing a social event such as board gaming seems charmingly old-fashioned. And yet, through “TableTop,” players around the country are being inspired to try new experiences that bring them closer to their family and friends.

Wil Wheaton wrote that through the show, he hoped to instill in people the same kind of love he has for gaming. In 2012, I organized the first true gaming nights I’ve had in years, directly inspired by his show. And I know I’m not the only one.

For being an incredibly entertaining production, for bolstering an industry, for helping an audience to find new experiences and for bringing a few people a little closer together — “TableTop” is 2012′s Best Thing, Period.

Tags: Jeff McGinnis, TableTop, Wil Wheaton

This entry was posted on Friday, December 21st, 2012 at 2:38 pm and is filed under Star.
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Wil Wheaton is a nice guy. I have never met the man, though I did interview him once in 2009, where he was thoroughly kind and generous with his time — especially to a rookie writer who had only been on the job a few months. In recent years, the former child star has thoroughly reinvented himself through his incredibly popular blog, a series of very well-received books, exposure on shows like “The Big Bang Theory” and more.

Through it all, he has garnered a significant following of fans who like him not just for his work, but for the person he seems to be outside of it. The Wil Wheaton that fans meet through his online writing is a witty and passionate man, a caring father, an enthusiastic geek, and generally the kind of guy you’d love to have a beer with someday.

Wil is famous. Not as famous as he once was, perhaps, but certainly more well known than a lot of folks. With fame, of course, comes both benefits and drawbacks. One of the latter reared its head at Wil while he attended the San Diego Comic Con.

On his blog, Wheaton discussed being descended on by a pack of autograph hounds, who accosted him outside an event. They apparently had been lying in wait for a long time, cut him off from his friends and family, and insisted he sign items. When he resisted and retreated, these boorish fans chased after him, yelling things about how it was their right to get his signature, and how they’d post on the web what a jerk he was if he didn’t. Entitlement and emotional blackmail, all in one — how lovely.

Wheaton took to his blog and wrote an entry describing the incident, and included a bit of advice: “If you camp out in front of my hotel while I am on location or visiting a city, if you camp out in front of a party I’m attending … basically, if you camp out anywhere so you can shove a stack of 8x10s into my face when I’m trying to enter or leave a location, I’m not going to sign them, and I’m not going to be nice about it,” he wrote.

“I refuse to reward or validate that kind of behavior, and I’m done being polite about it.”

To which I say: Bravo.

Now, I have no experience with the phenomenon Wil described. I have never been asked for an autograph. (If I ever was, I would double check to make sure the individual requesting it wasn’t serving me a summons.) I have no idea what it’s like to be famous enough to warrant that kind of attention.

But I am a fan of many things. I have been on the opposite side of that moment, where I have met or spoken with someone I admired. My tendency is to get mumble-mouthed and awkward, which is not far from how I am in real life, anyway. I have even asked for autographs in the past — but not for a good, long time.

At some point, I came to think of autograph hunting as a childish pursuit. What am I asking for, really? A name, scribbled on a piece of paper, so I can show all my friends and maybe sell on eBay when I tire of it? No. As Wheaton himself pointed out, what we really want is time — a moment of the star’s attention. The autograph is just the physical byproduct of that.

But why waste that moment with the pitiable (and in the case of the aforementioned incident, downright asinine) pursuit of a signature? In the few moments where I have met someone I admire, my policy is simple: I say hello and I thank them for their work. More often than not, they thank me in return and engage me in a moment of conversation. I value those moments far more than the superficial reward any autograph would have garnered me.

The mob that ambushed Wheaton at Comic Con was not seeking that kind of moment. They were grasping for any crumb that celebrity could shower on them — whether for personal or financial gain. That is not just childish, that is pitiful.

I’m not talking about signings at a card show or convention or something — an event where a person is specifically being paid to sit and sign. That’s a different animal altogether, though one I still would never want to feed myself. Those who attend such events to garner signatures, I have no quarrel with.

But when it comes to autograph seeking in the “real world,” can we please show a little more decorum in the future? Whether a star or not, we’re all still just people. There is a cost to being a celebrity, certainly. But I would hate to think that means the standards of decency are changed, too. I wouldn’t want someone to treat me like a pariah, just because I dared to value my privacy.

Email Jeff at PopGoesJeff@gmail.com.

Tags: Big Bang Theory, Comic-Con, Jeff McGinnis, Pop Goes the Culture, Wil Wheaton

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011 at 7:08 am and is filed under Arts and Life, Pop Goes the Culture.
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One of the best parts of writing for Toledo Free Press is the opportunity to converse with a lot of creative people. During the past year and a half, I’ve had the chance to talk with many artists in a wide variety of fields. It’s always fascinating to learn what makes them tick, what inspires them and how people working in completely different fields can have quite a lot in common.

One of the most striking parallels I’ve found between creative people is not just a common philosophy, but a philosophy inspired by a common source. I’ve heard the same quote recited to me no less than four times during the past year, from individuals as diverse as author and actor Wil Wheaton and CHIKARA founder and wrestler Mike Quackenbush. They each paraphrase it slightly, but know its sentiment by heart:

“When we write a joke, we never ask, ‘Who’s gonna get this?’ We always say, ‘The right people will get this’.”

The quote comes from Joel Hodgson, comedian and creator of cult television classic “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” He said it in a Comedy Central documentary in 1991 about the making of the show. And in doing so, he apparently inspired more artists to follow their bliss than he probably ever realized.

For a generation of television fans, “MST3K” was a revelation. The basic concept was fairly simple: Play an old, cheesy movie and make fun of it the whole time. But the project was infused with lightning-quick wit and remarkable creativity from its writers and performers. What could have been groaningly bad television became a milestone for fans the world over.

And it all stems from the philosophy Hodgson stated on the documentary. The writers were never afraid to throw out the most obscure or bizarre references they could think of. Sometimes, jokes were told that went over the heads of 90 percent of the audience. But for the other 10 percent, it would hit them dead in the face and make them roar with laughter.

But Hodgson’s quote isn’t just about a single joke or two. The spirit of it runs throughout the entire enterprise. “MST3K” was never made to appeal to a mass audience. It was made for a very specific kind of fan, one who would appreciate the intelligently silly humor the show would present. They never tried to dumb things down or make it a little more palatable, just to garner more viewers. Either they get us or they don’t, “MST3K’s” staff seemed to say.

Fast-forward about 20 years. Now, many who watched “MST3K” when they were young have grown into adulthood. They, too, have begun to leave their own marks on pop culture. And they have never forgotten the lessons of that little, low-budget comedy show — lessons that all stem from that one, simple quote.

For the artists who cite it, the concept is incredibly liberating. So much of the creative process is constrained by compromise.

Creators are often pressured to change their work in order to make it more “mainstream.” They need to think of John Q. Public, they’re told. This is a great, original idea you have, but it obviously needs some work if it’s ever gonna be accepted by a large audience.

The neutering of genuine imagination is the greatest crime modern media has committed.

But in Hodgson’s quote, there is hope — the belief and promise that sometimes, if you stay true to your vision, it will find an audience that appreciates it. You can’t make everyone happy, and it’s foolish to ever try. The best you can do is to make work that you think is great. If you’re right, you’ll find others who will support it — fervently.

The proof? “Mystery Science Theater 3000” left the air in 1999. Hundreds of other shows have aired in the intervening years. Most of them were made for the masses. Most of them had a goal of being as popular as possible. And most of them withered, died and were quickly forgotten.

But for many, the memory of “MST3K” remains, as strong as ever.

“…we never ask, ‘Who’s gonna get this?’ We always say, ‘The right people will get this.’”

Think about it. It’s about so much more than just art.

E-mail Jeff at PopGoesJeff@gmail.com. Jeff appears each Tuesday on The 92.5 KISS-FM “Morning Show.”

Tags: CHIKARA, Jeff McGinnis, Joel Hodgson, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Pop Goes the Culture, Wil Wheaton

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 at 6:49 am and is filed under Pop Goes the Culture, Star.
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There’s one thing that Wil Wheaton wants to make very clear: “Memories of the Future” is not, repeat, NOT a “tell-all” book about his time working on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

“It was extraordinarily important to me that this was not some kind of stupid, gossipy book,” Wheaton said. “I despise that kind of thing. I just hate it. It’s the reality television of literature, and I absolutely cannot stand it.”

Indeed, “Memories of the Future” is instead a funny review of, and a loving tribute to, the first season of “Next Generation,” which began its television run in 1987. The first book, “Volume One,” was released in October and covers the first 13 episodes of the series. “Volume Two” is scheduled to come out next year.

Wil Wheaton

Wheaton, now 37, was just 14 when he was cast as the Starship Enterprise’s resident teenager, Wesley Crusher. Now working primarily as a writer, Wheaton began revisiting his days in Starfleet by writing humorous reviews of the show for the Web site TV Squad. Though the feature was enormously popular, when parent company AOL slashed the site’s budget, Wheaton’s column was let go.

“I figured that was just sort of the end of it, and then I started getting e-mails from people — including e-mails from my editor at TV Squad — who really wanted me to do more columns, wanted me to finish the season,” Wheaton said.

Having already self-published several books about his life, family and career, Wheaton decided to compile a book based upon the columns. “Everything just kind of lined up, and it made sense to put at least the first season into two volumes,” he said.

Though the final book does share some behind-the-scenes memories, the meat of the project lies in its very funny and bitingly observant reviews. Though “Next Generation” would eventually rise to widespread acclaim and create some amazingly powerful television, it cannot be denied that its first years on the air could be, well, somewhat inconsistent in quality. Wheaton has plenty of material for comedy, but the jabs are always loving and never mean-spirited.

Wheaton cites the writers of “Mystery Science Theater 3000″ as a major influence in the tone and construction of these passages, and notes the fine line he was walking as a humorist. “This book was risky,” he said. “I wanted to make it crystal clear in the introduction that this was not a book that should be taken very seriously. This is a book that’s supposed to make you laugh. And like my friend Anthony says, ‘If you remember the first season of “Next Generation” with equal parts nostalgia and face-palm, then you’re gonna love this book.”

“Memories” also represents a major departure from Wheaton’s previously published works, which focus on the realities of growing up a child star and self-described geek, as well as married life and raising two teenage boys. Wheaton has a lot of experience writing humor (he performs improvisational and sketch comedy for the ACME Comedy Theater in Hollywood), but for many of his readers, the shift in tone may come as somewhat of a surprise.

“Writing comedy is very different from writing other things. Comedy has a very specific set of rules. It’s like writing music, you have to write in a very specific time,” Wheaton said. “And the time signature for comedy is different than the time signature for everything else that I do.

In addition, Wheaton believes that he brings a different perspective to the proceedings — not just that of a cast member, but of someone who came to “Star Trek” at a very formative time of his childhood.

“I’m really clear in the book, this is the way *I* remember it. I may have a detail here or there that’s a little off, but I worked really hard to talk to my friends from the cast and crew to make sure, ‘Okay, this is the way I remember it, is this really the way it happened?’ That was the most wonderful gift; the most super-unexpected, joyful gift of writing this book was re-connecting with people I love and recalling really wonderful times in my life.

“It was really neat to see that, as a matter of fact, everybody on ‘Next Generation’ loved it and cared about it and was as proud of it as I was when I was doing it. That wasn’t just me being a teenager. That was like, ‘Yep, it really was that awesome.’”

“Memories of the Future” and all of Wil Wheaton’s other books are available through his Web site: http://wilwheaton.typepad.com.

E-mail Jeff at PopGoesJeff@gmail.com

Tags: Star Trek, Wil Wheaton

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 24th, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under Arts and Life, Pop Goes the Culture.
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