Pimpin’ Like a GamePro Editor
GamePro #214, July 2006, Page 23
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According to this ad for the “Avirex Fly Life Sweepstakes” the “life of a GamePro editor” is pretty sweet. Not only do GamePro editors get subtle winks from Activison receptionists (panel 5) but they also get cleavage-bearing assistants to hold open the magazine for them as they recline (panel 6) and hot waitresses standing by with trays full of games while they play the latest Call of Duty game (panel 8). It’s a wonder they get any work done at all, what with all the hot girls distracting them as they relax in their Avirex ™ jacket and sunglasses (panel 9).
It sure beats the life of the average GamePro reader, shown in panel 1 as a fat slob lying in his own filth, barely able to lift the game controller.
on July 12th, 2006 at 2:51 pm
Good to see they aren’t stereotyping their entire userbase as useless slobs or anything.
Of course, if you’re old enough to enter the contest (18) and still reading GamePro…nevermind, that joke is way too easy.
on July 12th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
Wow, I thought the picture in the *first* panel was a GamePro editor. *Ba-dump-bump!* Thanks, ladies and germs, I’ll be here all week. Make sure to try the spaghetti bolognese.
Seriously, the contempt that oozes from this ad is palpable (try not to get any on your fingers). Now I know why the magazine sucks so much–they *know* it’s bad, and they laugh derisively at their readers for buying in. While being like the fat slob in panel one, rather than the ridiculous fantasy-figure in the rest of the page.
on July 12th, 2006 at 11:20 pm
The “GamePro Game Pack” seems to be Call of Duty 2 for the Xbox 360. At no other point in the advert do I see mention of the game except as a picture. The whole thing actually smells of Avirex rather than GamePro - did any of you venture over to Avirex’s website?
on July 13th, 2006 at 12:43 pm
“…did any of you venture over to Avirex’s website?”
I did, that’s where I got the age requirement for the contest. There’s some *high-class* stuff there. I agree with you that it’s more likely that Avirex put that together than GamePro. Still, GamePro willingly let that depiction of its readers into the magazine itself, which I can’t imagine would ever happen at any other publication (like the old Next Generation) with a shred of respect for its readers.
on July 13th, 2006 at 3:38 pm
I should note that it isn’t explicitly stated anywhere that this was a GamePro reader in panel one, but this ad is appearing in GamePro to try to get GamePro readers to enter the contest, and the person in panel one is obviously a caricature of the type of person they want to enter the contest, so go from there…
And while the ad was probably designed by Avirex, the grand prize is to “live the life of a GamePro editor,” so it’s not like GamePro isn’t still asociated with it in a big way. I’d also like to point out that, in effect, GamePro is allowing Avirex to make a mocking caricature of both their readers and their editors in the pages of their own magazine. Smooth.
on July 14th, 2006 at 12:39 pm
Never said GamePro was not involved - just pointing out that Avirex seems to be the driving force behind the style.