WoW Anonymity: Who Are You Playing With?
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pixiestixy on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - 40 Comments Tags: anonymity, anonymous, celebrities, celebrity gamers, make love not warcraft, masi oka, movie, the defenders, who plays wow, wow, wow commercials, yatta, your mom
pixiestixy on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - 40 Comments Tags: anonymity, anonymous, celebrities, celebrity gamers, make love not warcraft, masi oka, movie, the defenders, who plays wow, wow, wow commercials, yatta, your mom 
Earlier this month Hollywood Reporter put out the news that Heroes actor Masi Oka is working on a family movie called "The Defenders," inspired by his love of MMORPGs, and WoW in particular. (Yatta!) DreamWorks has picked up the film, and apparently the story will focus on a group of mostly teens who play an MMO together and end up working together in a RL adventure of their own.
Sounds like a pretty neat idea, and it got me thinking. (Looking back in my blog, I do that a lot). Anyhow, the environment of WoW allows for a great deal of anonymity for those who choose it. Of course, some of us, such as the crew on Project Lore, put their character names out there, and so we're known for our toons.
But for the rest of us, WoW can be an escape of sorts from all our RL worries. And beyond Masi Oka, there are plenty of celebrities who have told the world that they, too, have gotten sucked into the World of Warcracft.Of course, there are the celebs we know from WoW commercials: Mr. T, Verne Troyer, Ozzy Osbourne, William Shatner, Steve Van Zandt. I think I got everyone.
And there are many others who have admitted to their fandom that the wider community doesn't necessarily understand (or approve of).
Off the top of my head, Vin Diesel comes to mind as a definite who has admitted to his geekdom. Other fairly well-known gamer celebs are Robin Williams, Matt Stone and Trey Parker (the creators of South Park who paid homage to the game in episode 147, Make Love Not Warcraft), Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov, and of course Felicia Day of The Guild.
And then there are the lesser-known players of the game such as Dave Chapelle, Cameron Diaz, Kanye West, Ben Affleck and Maculay Culkin.
Now, a lot of you may not give a damn who you're playing with. And I suppose it doesn't really make a difference in the grand scheme of things. But it's kind of neat to think about. That elusive rogue in your guild could be Britney Spears, for all you know. Or, that shaman that keeps sending you whispers could be your mom. Or ex-girlfriend. Or Barack Obama. You would never know!
So, next time you log on, take a good, long moment to think it through. Could you be playing with someone you know (or at least know of) in RL? It's a possibility. If I had to choose who to play with out of those I listed here, I think I'd go with Masi. He seems like a pretty cool guy. So what do you think are the odds that you've ever teamed up with a celebrity? Would you have acted any differently had you known?
Reader Comments (40)
Cool never thought there were that many celebs on wow
woot! first comment
Well, I have some experience with the "celebrity world" (mostly with the musical one), and I can assure you: there are LOADS of players out there in the musical scene, and they're human just like us, so, you don't need to act different from someone just because que is more famous than you. This reminds me a thing: he may be famous in RL, but you may be that key-piece of your guild PVP or PVE, be an Arena Tournament finalist, or whatever, in MMO, so, there's nothing different between you and a celebrity, just the worlds are not the same.
Man, I'd love to do some bg's with Dave Chapelle on vent. That would so rock! After he'd kill someone and hear him yell out "I'm Rick James Bitch!!"
Oh wow.... Kanye West in Azeroth. I would never have thought it. I may actually give his music a shot now.
But to answer the question, yeah, I think about it. I'm good RL friends with some of my brothers in virtual battle. But of all the people on this list I would want to raid Ulduar with Mr. T. "I PITY THE XT-002 DECONSTRUCTER!"
WoW is probably a great way to get away from all the reporters and weirdo's so they can act like a normal joe for awhile.
Jean-Claude Van Damme. "Je suis un mage."
I would hate to think I got ganked in Wintergrasp by one of the Jonas brothers.
This does make me think
I think I will be much more kind to the seemingly inocent players roaming WoW....because you never know. That huntard that just ninjaed my epic sword could be O.J. Simpson.
Your forgot Vic Mignolia
Its spelled Vic Mignogna, and he's a musician and voice actor (He does TONS of anime voices!!). And as to the question, I'd TOTALLY love to have played with a celeb on WoW! I'd personally choose Vic, Dave Chapelle, Robin Williams (SO FUNNY!) and duh, Masi! I've no doubt they'd deliver major pwnage! I wonder if my guildies would ever let them join...
PS. LOVE YOU GUYS!! You're all awesome! Keep up the hard work, Project Lore fellas!
Dude... Dave Chapelle!?! Thats SO AWESOME! Listening to Dave on vent would be funny wouldn't it? lol
Dude I wish they would publish their wow characters... That would be fun to hang out with them :)
damn i wish Felicia Day was in my gulid damn
i like how "your mom" is a tag :P
When I first started the game (which was on it's release), I met a guy and we lvl'd together and stuff. when we hit 60, we tried out a few guilds and didn't like any of them. We decided to make our server's first serious raiding guild. Today, we've downed almost every boss in ulduar. I found out a few months ago that I've known my best WoW friend IRL for a few years now (we go to school together) freaky, eh?
Well seein's how I have partied with a # of Celebs in RL, only because I managed a Bungee Jump and we would set up backstage in Fresno. I would have to say that I would treat them the same way I treat every1 else in WoW regardless if they are famous or a regular Joe, which is how most of them prefer to be treated in RL if you ever have the pleasure of meetin 1.
Help a fellow Hordie and gank the Allies.
(Sorry PL, but I started the game as Horde and even tho I have a couple Alli alts, I still favor the Horde.)
@Kyndranigar watch out. Joe Jonas is watching.
@Onewing If you find a bloody glove, there's your evidence.
@DeeJayDieSeL I was hoping someone would catch that ;)
@sathas That is WAY freaky. Small world (of Warcraft).
Vin diesel NO *&%$!!!!!!
This got me thinking not so much about being nicer to in game toons.. (because I'm always on the nice side) but the celebs I've written off as some plastic thingy...and they're geek like me? Seriously cool. The above mentioned are on the cred list. Great article pixiestixy, as usual.
Basically i treat everybody with respect in WOW unless they ninja items or treat other people like they are superior.
In that case i go overboard.
Maybe i humiliated some celebrity in one of my rants.But if they got it they deserved it.
You basically choose american celebrities (are there any more?) so i guess i don't find any celebrities playing here in europe.
My friends in the game are my celebrities.
Go Davepdk, Lhursa and Sorron.....you rock...
yea, i always think of who i might be playing with. you get to know people pm ypur server fairly well if you have been there long enough (vek'nilash since 2006) and i recognize the same names in trade all the time and i wonder sometimes who those people are....what really gets me though is that someone i have leveled with since wetlands livesprobably 30 minutes from me...the fact that he is a total stranger and we somehow ended up on the same server is crazy to me
On the tonight show Jennifer Love Hewitt came out as a WoW player, I bet she is a Night/Blood Elf :D
Never really thought about it, but for some of them it probably really is a good way to be left alone a little, you know, nobbody stops you in the streets of Dalaran to ask for an autograph, no paparazzi follow you around with a camera
so yeah wouldn't treat anyone differently if i knew it was a celebrity
still i'd love to raid with Matt Stone and Trey Parker and hear Cartman on vent shouting : "I need more heals dammit!" :D
And lets not forget Alexis Knapp!!!!!!:D
and Mila Kunis
Goggins is a celeb :)
wow never new those people played wow. Would be quite funny if a music or celeb chat started in trade one day and we was slaaggin on them and they was like hey im Kanye and everyone would be like nnnaaa xD