So I Hosted A Dota 2 Event... PGL Wallachia Breakdown

[@KenNywithrice]

Was really keen on watching a veteran at work during PGL Wallachia and RL didn't disappoint. Next stop: "They drive now" voice line in the TI2025 voice pack

[@iamneophyte]

Here we go, pepe on rlewis' channel always delivers

[@hyper_lightning]

As a DOTA fan 1st, CS fan 2nd, was great seeing you host it! Did a great job imo

[@dari191]

This will be a ride. Hope you can enjoy the desk work and that the dota community is not too demented.

[@saltifate]

they drive now

[@pretty-white-lamb]

6:22 I was on 4chan for years before the rise of Trump & the Alt-Right, and Pepe was never taken as a right-wing figure even there on 4chan. The real history is this: Pepe was first borrowed from a webcomic, specifically a panel of him smiling with the caption "Feels good man!", which was a popular reaction image. Then some 4chan user redrew Pepe looking sad, which became the "Feels bad man" or "Sadfrog" reaction image. That redrawing (Sadfrog) became more or less the canonical look of Pepe going forward. The next big variant was "Smugfrog", with Pepe coyly smiling while stroking his chin. And from there it took off massively with countless variations, depicting Pepe in any number of postures or situations. (The name "Pepe the Frog" was recovered at this point-for years he had just been "Sadfrog" or "Smugfrog".) He then became the internet's Bugs Bunny, a mascot for people online to express themselves, and a kind of universal template-the 'emoji' of online weirdos. There was no political slant to his depiction or use whatsoever up to this point (the better part of a decade). He was an innocent cartoon that 4chan misfits (and eventually many others) found both hilarious and endearing. Pepe became the comedic "Everyman"-his being an awkward looking frog serving as a symbol for the strangeness and alienating aspects of internet community & discourse-the vast majority of his depictions being emotive in nature and politically non-partisan. It's only at this point, with the growing influence of the politics board (/pol/ - formerly the news board /new/) on 4chan* that right-wing trolls consciously adapted this innocent cartoon character to a less innocent purpose - drawing Pepe as a Nazi-in-uniform or whatever. These depictions were never universal and never eclipsed the more general use of Pepe as an emoji or comic figure. Pepe was a genuinely popular figure all across the internet by now, which is precisely why right-wing trolls found it so funny to 'desecrate' his image, co-opting him as a mascot for the Alt-Right and other far right radicals. The fact that clueless mainstream publications took this Nazi rebranding of Pepe at face value only fed the amusement of said trolls and, inadvertently, rewarded their (silly propagandistic) efforts. They laughed and celebrated this mainstream approbation of their (mis-)interpretation of the character... It's really a comedy of errors on how out of touch these publications are with grassroots internet culture. [I didn't mind typing this up, seeing as Pepe is an icon and deserves to be remembered correctly in cultural history.] *It was about this time (2015) that 4chan became a far right hotbed. Previously it tended to be a more left-wing and anarchist community, with the occasional libertarian. There are still plenty of leftists, liberals, anarchists, centrists, etc., on 4chan to this day however, that just tend to steer clear of the politics board (which is overwhelmingly radical right and has been for years). 4chan is really characterised by free, open, and mostly anonymous discussion, not politics - it just so happens that with its early "free speech" DNA, 4chan became one of the few websites willing to tolerate the far-right (though 4chan's original founder, alias 'moot', did choose to leave at this point).

[@AsEnIxX-wtf]

I watch Richard's non-CS esports videos mainly for understanding geopolitics, CoI, & hearing what knowledge the intellectual heavyweights of reddit have to proffer. On another note, looking forward to seeing you in more CS events in the upcoming year (I don't watch any other esport). Elisa Espoo Masters '24 has easily been the most entertaining CS desk of this year, and I'm hoping to see more of your funny segments in your upcoming events. Have a good one, chief.

[@pretty-white-lamb]

Don't mess with Redditors, those guys are hardcore. Their IQs go as high as 110.

[@nguyentri3608]

1:03:23 when can we see the H-game visual novel "Impure Hosting" with the protagonist Richard Lewis?

[@JennyDarukat]

Super happy to see you Back In The Game, even if I only catch the occasional CS event these days anymore rather than sponge up the whole esports menu. Looks to be doing you good whenever you do these retrospectives

[@Goodwarrior12345]

1:05:16 ay that's my comment! Love your stuff Rich, always happy to run defense for you for having worked at The Bad Website™, or any of the other stupid things people keep uncritically bringing up about you

[@Kkodii]

Proper response to being called fat online : ❌"How dare you attack me like this, you bigot ! 😡" ✅"That is true. You have correctly observed my mass 🗿" 1:09:48

[@semihamf1385]

Nothing beats listening to Richard rant for 1.5 hours

[@yeyyo]

I absolutely love PGL for including RL in their events, they recognize real talent.

[@CMD_IE]

Knowing you from your work in Counter Strike, it's really cool to see you do other stuff!

[@kasziR6]

Loved the wrestling references in this one, glad you're really back in the game now

[@AlexandruBazavan]

Looking forward to those PGL Wallachia tournaments this next year with RL hosting.

[@kevinsecrets]

nice to see you back in 2 of my favorite esports rich 💯

[@ner0th938]

that was really cool event, hope to see more dota 2 events with Rich

[@mariamolly3637]

I don't play or watch Dota anymore, but gonna watch the VODs of this one to see Rich on a Dota panel

[@Youxitube]

Looking well mate.

[@Nykryian]

New Richard video, let's go

[@SauceAppleEater_2885]

Glad to have you back Richard

[@qugo8158]

It was fun watching you host once more!

[@denvernuggsjeans]

really nice point about pepe and people on the spectrum. i never thought about it from that perspective. great stuff richard

[@Drakshl]

That OD pixel rap god video is still the most outragious piece of esports casting of all time. He goes for MINUETS.

[@TheMasterPotato1]

Looking healthy Rich thanks for the vid

[@NaZtRdAmUs]

23:00 down our ends sometimes man's get jumped just for looking at you the wrong way so this kind of behivour is outrageous.

[@kopzz]

59:40 In dota, we call this "Chinese retirement"

[@MusHrOOmsonaCid]

RL BACK IN THE GAME!!!

[@Phil-2244]

The tournament was so much more exciting than TI, it's just shame there wasn't a crowd, would've been super hype.

[@cryfest]

Richard is the true dota savant. The 39 year old Legend. Ancient pos 5 inbound, better dodge guys.

[@ScruPiaN]

😂 that whole altercation

[@FelipeNascimento-ch1er]

Looking slim Rich, keep it up

[@AlexanderKKolarov]

I was surprised to see you at a DOTA event, and you did a great job hope to see you again. Edit: After I watch it, lmao, Richard pulling the political strings, I read most of the reddit post and I missed that ....

[@Bane_Diesel]

Are we getting a video about Espoo?

[@rage9715]

his streams then edited youtube uploads are delayed so maybe next week at best.

[@mitomen2000]

Richard, you're like a hard working esports version of George R. R. Martin.

[@Thleepricon]

Have you lost weight? looking really good Richard

[@Illuvatar2k]

You were great!

[@jakuzzzi]

Great video & all but I’m still trying to figure out who the werewolf is

[@Arizzo97]

The reddit fanfics never get old. We all remember Rich "playing a role in restricting the human rights the human rights of women in America".

[@hilebard]

Hey Rich, are you still working at that university? How do you manage hosting at PGL CS, PGL dota, making videos, journalism, and working at a uni? Your drive makes me feel like a slug

[@nukemcentral3224]

Actually first, love ya richard

[@Drakshl]

The ATF situation is funny because ATF also has just 0 self awarness about how boosted he is. I actually dont understand why teams continue to play with him he completely hamsteings his team in draft because when you take him oitside of his extrmely narrow hero pool he just gets exploited.

[@imfinishedgrinding638]

I'm not that much of an ATF fan though I dislike his teammate Malrene more, but ATF is a bonafide tier 1 offlaner and he's actually expanding his hero pool over time and no longer completely reliant in his hero puddle specialties. For god's sake the dude can play Broodmother now when he always said he doesn't wanna play micro heroes before. I think he is Falcon's best and most consistent player while Malrene, as much as I hate him, has the highest peaks. Update: and I was absolutely right. 2 years ago ATF was never this proficient with Pango and yet he played so clutch in game 5 this recent tourney.

[@FFMolasses]

10 whole years and i never noticed i was supporting the founder and leader of the alt-right, good lookin out reddit, correct as always

[@Justaboy55]

ay i got you Richie Lew

[@andrewspaulding8802]

preach brother

[@streetguru9350]

Rare PePes were the proto NFT.

[@desotodesun3449]

Good to see you in dota!

[@opayquej1194]

The event was great and they have you blocked probably because it’s the DOTA community. They’re a…. Sensitive bunch to say the least.

[@gfseoefjsfow]

1:00:40 ohnepixel mentioned

[@charleslobster3592]

I just don't understand why you get so much hate. Even out in the wild I find Richard Lewis haters. I think it's just because I live in the states and anyone who's not American is "badd"

[@charleslobster3592]

That’s coming from an American. Born and raised.

[@MatthewBarnwell-g7x]

they can drive now

[@awareclueless]

Oh no the Saudi team worry about the safety of their players at an event, anyway

[@krypt1ccc739]

Dogwhistles definitely do exist rich. I understand what you were saying there, but those were bad examples. Unless you were saying that american left academics make up specific dogwhistles and you weren't saying that the concept doesn't actually even exist.

[@RLewisReports]

Broadly speaking the concept is utterly stupid at its core. The point of a dog whistle is only dogs can hear them, hence the term. Instead in US academia not only to the academics dictate what is and isn't a dogwhistle, they can also hear them rendering them useless in the first place. As always it was just an attempt to control and police language and not anything of actual substance for the betterment of society.

[@auto1nfanticid3]

@@RLewisReports yeah its basically assuming and asserting the intention of spoken words. Unfortunately these people typically also believe in subjective truth, so if they are "harmed" by even imagined dogwhistles, the fault is still with the speaker.

[@hkl2007]

Dogwhistles are things like saying "88" instead of HH in post WW2 Germany.

[@NicholasEllis-rs3nx]

Espoo throwfest

[@spakjoeXD]

PePeGate

[@rkjtnd]

team arabs crying out in pain as they strike you