Letters To and From PMI regarding the "Evil" line of Products

[shartley]

Originally posted by IAMJaws
I would advise you to perhaps you re-examine your own argument, to determine its original impact, and how I may have construde it as a attack on myself.

Besides, my entier point is that somepeople around here have to develope a bit of a sence of humor.

Also, citing my use of "personal Insults" and critisizing my debating technique, really dosen't prove you point any better either.

Get rid of thoes "personal insults" and there are stil alot of valid counterpoints to your response

Another point is we've wasted three pages on these small potatoes.

were being entierly too politically correct on this subject.
last thing this sport needs is a bunch of sanctamonious whiners running around turning paintball into major league Baseball, and the NFL.

[blnk162]

This is all so funny....

Its like everything that has happened with eminem.....

Its all shock and it sells and its marketing ingeniusnes(sp,word?)

Its all so funny to me actually....but whatever SMOKE THE PIPE! lol

[IAMJaws]

Truce

You know what let's call a truce here:
it's a touchy argument, people tend to get worked up on things like this,let's agree to agree and disagree on some basic points:

Agree:

- Paintball is a great sport.

- Paintball has an image problem.

- High level torunament paintball has alot of inner political problems.

- Extremists, being ovretly PC or out spoken, is bad for the sport

- we probably agree onthings oher han this.

Disagree:

- What tasteful satire or parody is.

- The impact and intent of targeted marketing.

- Whether self-deprevating humor for us, is damaging to bee seen by thoes outside the sport.

you have you opinion, I have mine, we'll call it that, and that's the end of it.

[shartley]

[Spaceman613]

[IAMJaws]

defianly... our sport dosn't need more infighting than it already has.
this whole thing could easily degerate in to a cycle of accusations, that would waste both time and effort.
maybe next time we'll be on the same side of the argument.

[Jonno06]

well,the name of the company is EVIL-PAINTBALL..the webmaster is obviously someone from Aftershock.And their website has a DISCLAIMER saying he is "whack",and to disregard some of the stuff he says.

personally..I love their website,and plan on buying some,or alot,of Evil's products.

[Fred]

I don't think this topic has anything to do with political correctness, political correctness is generally associated with people using the correct liberal terminology, I am taking a very anti-pc, anti-liberal stance on this...

I am not personally insulting anyone, rather, I am stating my opinion, that is shared by many others, that I am disgusted with their product line.

I have a sense of humor, but when it comes to the public image of my favorite sport/activity, I get serious.

Heck, you think I could show my name around here after the pics of me at Shatnerball if I didn't have a sense of humor???

If you want to support a line of products that is hurting the sport we love, that's your bag to deal with. I can't stop you.

---Fred

[Colin]

I disagree with those of you who have laid faith in the intelligence/good sense of paintball players. There are certainly plenty of players with sound judgement, etc, but I have come across an incredibly large number of players that are absolute boneheads. They frequent certain forums (I think this forum may have skimmed off the cream and left many of them behind) and I see them out on the field. I don't think we should tolerate anything that could be viewed as encouragement for the behaviors mentioned on the shirts. It's kind of like removing all sharp objects from the area in which little kids will be playing. I think Evil has a tolerable approach overall, but it should be toned down a bit.

[agdemagman69]

hey, what makes you think its someone from aftershock????

[ogre55]

Image is everything.

Hello all:

I see a lot of people mentioning two things. The public image problems of the sport and how they effect it politically and how this ad campaign effects our image. But no one seems to be putting these two things together, at least not in their posts.

We (paintball and it's players) have been and will continue to be under a certain amount of public scrutiny because we participate in a (gasp!) shooting sport where we shoot (double gasp!) people. How do you think the liberal masses of this nation, who would like to ban firearms altogether and who believe that violent video games attributed to everything from the tragedy at Columbine to bad grammer feel about us?

And don't think that we have that many friends outside of paintball either. As far as the NRA is concerned they would rather we didn't exist (or at least our markers). According to freind of mine, who is a member of the NRA, they have stated that they want nothing to do with paintball.

Now along comes Evil Paintball, a subsidiary of one of the biggest paintball companies in the world (PMI) with this low rent, "edgy" ad campaign. We, the educated intelligent paintball consumer, understand that they are trying to be funny. However is that how those who want us gone will see it? Or will they use this advertising campaign, that promotes violence and cheating, as a tool against us?

I am working, in my spare time, with a store owner to get permission to open a field. When the time comes to stand before some local political body and explain to these unknowledgable individuals that paintball is a legitmate sport that promotes teamwork, comrodary and fair play, will I face an opponent who will stand up with one of these little gems like "refs suck" or "extra padding to protect your hands in a fist fight"?

Or better yet what happens when someone challenges paintball in your hometown, which may or may not be filled with liberals with same views as I have noted above, and you have to stand before the man and defend an indefensible position.

Ogre

[John Dresser]

One of the people I know bought a "Ref's Suck" shirt, besides me, was a parent who wanted to wear it to their other kids soccer games. He thought it was universally funny. He watched his kid play in the world cup for two days and came up to ask me why us refs were even out on the field (and where I found my "Ref's Suck" shirt). He watched paintball at its highest level for two days and did not even know there was cheating in paintball.

Will the average person ever understand a "Cheaters Live Longer" shirt? If you look at it from an outsider's point of view, do they even knw what wiping is? How can it hurt paintball if everyone who even sees the shirt doesn't even know it is for paintball?

Isn't Evil competeing with Shocktech? I don't think an Aftershock player would survive Renick's fury if he found out he was working for the competition.

[Spaceman613]

Originally posted by John Dresser
Isn't Evil competeing with Shocktech? I don't think an Aftershock player would survive Renick's fury if he found out he was working for the competition.

Todd Adamson... Extreme Rage makes parts that compete with Shocktech. Omega parts

They just have to be up front I guess. And since PMI sponsors Aftershock, I would imagine that evil parts is kinda like a second Shocktech. They prolly have close relations in the R&D departments

[ogre55]

Originally posted by John Dresser
[B]One of the people I know bought a "Ref's Suck" shirt, besides me, was a parent who wanted to wear it to their other kids soccer games. He thought it was universally funny. He watched his kid play in the world cup for two days and came up to ask me why us refs were even out on the field (and where I found my "Ref's Suck" shirt). He watched paintball at its highest level for two days and did not even know there was cheating in paintball.

"cheaters live longer" isn't universal enough for you? What about the "extra padding to protect your hands in a fist fight"?

Again, I was not talking about the average man on the street and their preception, but the politically active liberal demogogue who does not want that "crazy paintball thing" in their town.

Ogre

[Spaceman613]

Show your wife/girlfriend (those who have them) the "cheaters live longer" shirt...

If you wear it, are you saying its ok? on ALL levels?