Comedian Dara O' Briain: "Proud to be a gamer"

In a world where the whiff of the age-old gamer stereotype still lingers ever in our nostrils, comedian Dara ‘O Briain is a breath of fresh air. In case you haven’t heard of the Irish funny man, O’ Briain is a gamer. Not just any gamer, though. He’s from that rare breed of folk who aren’t afraid to stand up publicly and admit the fact he’s a joy pad junkie. Indeed, while his fellow contemporaries would rather spend their time on stage nattering on about booze, babes and Britain (or in the case of potty-mouthed publican Al Murray’s case, blabbering on about why French people suck), O’ Briain would rather take the mickey out of Solid Snake. But it’s all in good humor, naturally. After all, what we have here is a self-confessed "gamer, who’s proud to be a gamer” says ‘O Briain, who reckons he’ll never be famous because “he’s an ugly bloke.”

Evidently this isn’t the case, however, thanks to his side-splitting ‘This Is the Show’ performance at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. More pertinently, however, he recognises the impact that videogames have on our culture. He’s acutely aware that the industry has come leaps and bounds from the image of spotty introverts hammering away at their game pads in the darkness of their rooms. He acknowledges that games have become dexterous puppet masters, subtly pulling on our heart strings and weaving tales on par with any Hollywood blockbuster. And the best part? He’s hosting the Game BAFATAs next month for the third time running. Hooray. Still, I can’t help but feel sorry for the poor chap sometimes. Indeed, O’ Briain may fly the flag for proud gamers everywhere, but his efforts are still proof that the majority of Joe Public still don’t acknowledge the industry’s accomplishments.
Only this past Wednesday morning while I was enjoying a refreshing cuppa, the comedian popped up on BBC1’s Breakfast show for a quick chinwag, much to my delight. Naturally, the interview broached the subject of his unashamed love for all things gaming. In the ensuing gum-flapping, O’ Briain tried valiantly to convince his incredulous hosts that games – using Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain as an example – should be considered a viable art form, that they’re more than just an excuse to whip out he big guns and blast some baddies. He likened the games industry's evolution to that of cinema, noting some of the silver screen’s more primitive endeavours perhaps wouldn't be considered true art. Indeed, such was the case with videogames in their infancy, with the industry now capable – like the Hollywood juggernaut – of resonating deeper with its viewers, burrowing under the skin.

One of the hosts soon chipped in, however, describing the ritual of sitting in front of the TV on your lonesome playing games as “weird.” This is despite the fact the Mock the Week panellist wisely pointed out that videogames are attributable to a whopping 50 percent of the UK’s creative output – or indeed that gaming is no different from planting your backside on the sofa, on your todd while soaking up an episode of West Wing. At that point, I reckon the funny man probably thought: “Bugger this; I’m off to play some Metal Gear Solid.”

Anyway, that’s beside the point. With O’ Briain again taking centre stage at Game BAFTAS, we’re at least spared any disingenuous ramblings of some rent-a-celeb face that’s paid to stand up there waffling on about something they probably don’t even possess even a modicum of interest in. With the Irish Funny Man, however, we got a chap who is not only genuinely passionate about the topic at hand, but can have a laugh about it to boot. Still, for those of you who have never heard of or seen O' Briain in action, be sure to take a gander at the video below. You won't regret it.

just another reason to like him. very funny man.

He's funny at times. But he goes on and on like a Jew talking about Auschwitz. Give it a rest the fuck and stop repeating yourself.