I had an undergrad student SPECIFICALLY referred to me because they wanted to write about video games for their dissertation. We worked together for the last 8-weeks on a super cool project about applying Augusto Boal’s theory of the “spectactor” to Garry’s Mod. But today...

WAIT FOR IT PEOPLE...today I received an email from the English Faculty saying this student isn’t allowed to WRITE ABOUT VIDEO GAMES. Because regulations. Did you know that every time you go against regulations at Cambridge the Dean eats a baby dolphin and 1000 crypt-ghasts weep?

A video game can’t be a primary text as it isn’t ‘English Literature’, and Boal doesn’t work either because he’s not English. So I just replied saying that the eponymous ‘Garry’ is English and the game’s verbal text is in English, so why isn’t it English literature?

And Boal has no English equivalents because English theatre criticism was boring, bourgeois, safe, crusty, musty dust until the late 90s. Also Boal is PERFECT for Garry’s Mod. I am just so bored of having the same conversation over and over.

UPDATE: I was asked to compile a less ragey version of my thoughts for consideration by the regulatory body, so watch this space! I was very polite, but I did end the email with “The alternative is standing like King Cnut on the shore awaiting a lesson in humility.”