Community fads
| “ | Gentlemen.
Click to listen
— The Spy
|
” |
A community fad is a fad that circulates or originates throughout the Team Fortress 2 community. A fad, by definition, is "any form of behavior that develops among a large population and is collectively followed with enthusiasm for some period..."[1] The medium used in which to create the fads can range from not only Team Fortress 2 itself, but also Template:W and Template:W. These are some of the most frequent used mediums to create Team Fortress 2 fads.
Some of the more well-known fads have gone on to become internet memes, defined as "ideas or concepts that attain online popularity."[2]
Contents
Fads Found In Game
Crazy Legs
The Crazy Legs phenomenon has existed for as long as Team Fortress 2 has been public. Crazy Legs exist as a bug that affects the Scout's legs, turning them into something that has been described as "two raw bacon strips held up in a wind tunnel." As a result, Crazy Legs is also called Bacon Legs. Officially, the bug is fixed, and has been since the January 13, 2010 Patch. Unfortunately, or fortunately for fans of the bug, Crazy Legs lives on in the game. Although still present, the effects are drastically less blatant than before the fix.
The bug occurs when a Scout crouches and double jumps. The effect is also visible in third person, and is likely to happen when third person as a Civilian.
Crazy Legs actually gained enough notoriety to get a back story and recognition on the TF2 Blog.[3]
What Crazy Legs looks like now.
Demopan
The Demopan fad originates from a Steam User Forums thread titled "The New Face of TF2." The thread contained a killcam shot featuring the Demoman (as seen to the right). It quickly became a fad as the photograph spread across the Team Fortress community. The Demopan, with the name "STOUT SHAKO FOR 2 REFINED", appears as a BLU Demoman equipped with a Frying Pan, Chargin' Targe, Bounty Hat, and Dangeresque, Too?. Several other images were made with the cutout of the Demopan to continue the fad such as the Demopan with an explosion, and a cutout of the Demopan in the deathcam. A user on YouTube with the account name SpawnThemAll created a video that spoofs Meet the Demoman; the video features crudely cut out images of the Demopan's face and items over the top of the Demoman, whilst using audio mash up content to change certain lines of dialogue.
A fake class page was created and featured on the wiki for April Fools Day 2011. It was created by Wiki user Benjamoose, and turned into an official Team Fortress 2 Wiki article for the day.
Meet the Demopan footage.
- Demopan is a recognized and confirmed meme.
Gentlemen
The "Gentlemen." fad stems from one of the Spy's most ubiquitous catchphrases. His calm, suave, calculating persona is encapsulated in his utterance of the simple address, followed by the careful placement of a cigarette.
The fad itself is a widely recognized image macro, originally spawned by a Garry's mod screenshot of the Spy with his mouth jammed with cigarettes followed by the caption "GENTLEMEN" in capital letters. It was soon remade into a cartoon caricature of the same picture. The concept quickly exploded and expanded to feature a version for every Team Fortress character. The basic formula for the macro is straightforward; it is a caricatured drawing of a character with their mouth jammed full of objects that usually pertains to aspects of that character. For example, a "Gentlemen" fad of the Heavy may involve a caricature of the Heavy with his custom bullets crammed into his mouth, with the text "BULLETS." underneath.
"Gentlemen" is also often deliberately misspelled "Mentlegen" and accompanied by altered versions of the original "Gentlemen" image macros. A bot can be randomly named Mentlegen as a tribute.
- Gentlemen is a recognized and confirmed meme.
Original screenshot from Garry's Mod
The original image macro
The popular corruption of "Gentlemen"
Poor and Irish
The term Poor and Irish first appeared in a hidden link of the Classless Update as a retort by the Gentle Manne of Leisure to a hatless man. This hidden page introduced the phenomenon and belief that hats show a form of higher social status and class. Since then, players often use this term to describe players with no hats or wearers of common hats such as the Ghastly Gibus. Players that believe they fall under the characteristics of the Gentle Manne of Leisure often refer to themselves as fellow Gentle Menne. It is a common behavior that these people converse in an overly formal manner.
Saxton Hale
Saxton Hale is a non-player character that is viewed by most community members of Team Fortress 2 as a deity-like figure, often performing almost superhuman feats. His achievements in life include being the current owner of Mann Co, (as it descends down from Barnabas Hale's family) a popular company responsible for many of the weapons found in Team Fortress 2, being the 4th richest man in the world, and having his own line of comic books.
Saxton Hale is frequently considered a Team Fortress 2 version of the popular Template:W internet meme. Directly satirizing the phenomenon of Chuck Norris facts, a fansite called Saxton Hale Facts was created, where users can submit facts about Saxton Hale and his many incredible feats.
- Saxton Hale can be seen in game with the Sourcemod plugin VS Saxton Hale Mode.
Spycrab
One of the most well-known fads within Team Fortress 2 is the Spycrab. The Spycrab is an animation oversight caused by looking straight up while holding the Disguise Kit, crouching, then walking in any direction. This causes the Spy to move around in an amusing fashion that resembles a crab. The Dapper Rogue Catalogue for the Gentleman Scoundrel referenced this by including a "Crab-Walking Kit" with the description "It will change your skeleton! Excruciatingly painful but worth it."
Due to its popularity, the Spycrab was included as an alternative Taunt for the Disguise Kit in the Sniper vs. Spy Update.
Footage of a player doing the Spycrab.
- Spycrab is a recognized and confirmed meme.
Nope.avi
Created with Template:W by YouTube user Jimbomcb, the nope.avi fad consists of a BLU Engineer on Gravel Pit who slowly approaches the screen. As he stops his hard hat floats up, he utters the phrase "nope" and his neck elongates before he promptly leaves.
nope.avi is frequently used in conversations as a "humorous" negative response. Instead of replying no, instead the person may post a link to the video or type "nope.avi."
Several similar videos were produced, consisting of other characters uttering a phrase before a drastic physical transformation takes place.
- Nope.avi is a recognized and confirmed meme.
References
- ↑ Wikipedia article on fads
- ↑ Wikipedia article on memes
- ↑ TF2 Blog Post: Better Late Than Never
