Professionalism: Mostly An Illusion - Page 4

On November 11 2010 06:52 BroOd wrote:
I'm so glad you made this thread, because I also found some of the reactions to the LO3 show troubling. I was only able to catch the last 45 minutes of the broadcast but I found it immensely enjoyable. It was a great way to provide a level of insight and access to the guys that, most of the time, isn't achievable with text interviews, post game interviews or forum posts. I think the format was unrivaled in its ability to generate that "being there" feeling, which was really great for an event which I'm sure so many viewers wish they could have attended. In fact, I can honestly say I'm annoyed I didn't get to see the whole thing.

With regard to the topic of professionalism, and the criticism of of the broadcast as unprofessional, I think most, if not all, of the arguments against this type of broadcast are deeply flawed. The main reason for this is because many people hold an inaccurate view of what professionalism really means. Professionalism isn't a simple set of guidelines that encompasses every job, it's unique to every situation and it's defined by those working in that profession. Professionalism in the board room and professionalism on a talk show are two very different things. While they may share an overlap in similar expectations of decorum and decency, their standards and practices are not necessarily aligned.

I think a lot of posters have conflated this stereotypical, out-of-touch notion of professionalism with real professionalism to produce this idea that, in their head, makes sense but lacks any foundation in the real world. Professionalism isn't about wearing suits, being serious and not swearing. I have two bosses who curse like sailors, but there's nothing about their work ethic or mentality that would have me calling them unprofessional, because they can tailor their standards appropriately to a situation. The same happens everywhere, including on gaming shows.

Comedy Central used to run a show called Insomniac with Dave Attell where they essentially paid Attell, a comedian, to walk around different cities and night and get drunk. In most jobs, getting drunk would be considered unprofessional, but not for Attell, who defined his own standards of professionalism. Did sponsors pull out? Nope. In fact, the show ran for 4 seasons until Attell decided to pull the plug because it was too popular (and lost its crucial spontaneity). Ultimately, professionalism is about how you present a product to an audience while maintaining the integrity of the standards of your industry. Well, lucky for us, we are the audience and we are the industry, and we don't have to conform to some staid interpretation or plain-oatmeal mentality that might govern a Fortune 500 company. Do I think wheat was unprofessional for the LO3 show? Not at all. The fact that he continued to report from the event after his casting duties had ended was, if anything, above and beyond the call of professionalism and helps set a standard that I hope more esports professionals will aspire to.