TV Host Jimmy Kimmel shows comedy sketch making fun of people who watch other people play videogames on the internet, receives backlash, then responds

[binary solo]

DolPhanTendo said:
Lmfao!!! That was awesome, I agree 100 percent. The people comparing it to sports have no clue what they are talking about. We watch let's say baseball because these the best of the best playing for a team, which is why we watch to root for your favorite team. Watching some else play video games ha no value what's so ever.

Watching someone else play sport has no inherent value to the watcher either. Non-sporting people laugh at sports watchers getting all hot and bothered over a bunch of men/women chasing after a ball as sports watchers laugh at people who watch competitive gaming.

I think you lack a little understanding of what competitve gaming is. Competitive gaming is the same as competitive sports at the most basic level: high level of skill, depth of understanding of the mechanics of the game, tactical knowledge and strategy. For some reason peope think that because most sports involve mucular exertion it occupies some kind of holy niche of human endeavour.

This reminds me of the debate a few years ago about wheter video games are art. That debate ended well and truly in fravour of those who recognised from the beginning that video games are art. The same thing will happen here, competitve video gaming is as much a sport as anything people currently consider sport and eventually that will be recognised and generally understood, albeit just like people who don't "get" sports spectating, there will be people who never "get" competitive video game spectating.

Still, nothing wrong with having a laugh about it. PLenty of people have been having a laugh about sports spectating for decades.