The IOGM Comparison

Before this can begin, time for a backstory.

Yes, I've said it once already and I'll say it again, The Idiots of Garrys Mod by DJY1991 (AKA, Mr. Werg) was my inspiration to start making GMod movies. The original idea was to do an outright fan video, but as I got further into the thought process, I realized that batshit random humor was something I wasn't all that good at and wasn't really my style anyway. From there, I decided to make my own GMod series with written skits and see how it would turn out. First I needed a name and originally I thought of using the name, "GMod TV" but upon researching it, I found it was already taken by DRCAM122. Being still sold on the idea of multiple scripted skits, I came to The GMod Idiot Box. Some skeptics assumed I went with the name so I could piggyback off IOGM's search results and yeah, I'll admit, that probably did help get me noticed starting out, but that's not the reason I came to the name. The term, "Idiot Box" is as most people know, a term for a television set, and since this is going to be a kind of TV show about a sandbox game, I was sold on the double meaning. From there, The GMod Idiot Box was born. The first skit I ever did, "The Most Annoying Sound in the World" was tried with two of my best friends as actors and me filming. The skit was still a great idea, but I came to discover that using actors wasn't quite my style and plus it easily mushroomed into a lot of frustrations, what with server maintinence, time zones and whatnot. That's when I used my skills of manipulating ragdolls entirely by myself for the "I Can Break These Cuffs" skit and was completely sold on the idea, for reasons explained in my "Ragdolls > Actors" post.

So now I can safely say "GIB" has worked out pretty good due to much positive fan feedback. Now is where I can get to the frustration that I've been having lately. Time and time again, I've recieved comments saying this is a ripoff of IOGM, this is better than IOGM, whatever. Yes, this is done with Garry's Mod and yes, I do use the static to transition from one skit to the next, but why can't anyone see the differences in between the two? IOGM uses mostly actors with both playermodels and voice and the humor is completely and totally random. GIB uses 90% ragdolls and each skit is scripted, aside from the occasional 2 second joke (I like turtles!) and no voice acting at all. It's two different demographics when you take the time to think about it. I'm even having people comparing Billy Mays VS Vince to IOGM even though the only thing that resembles IOGM was the fact that it was done in Garry's Mod, which is flat out rediculous. The only conclusion I can draw from this is, if you make something with any similarity to something that's really popular at all, people will always say you're ripping it off. Very well, let's apply this logic to other things ...

All video bloggers and debaters are ripping off The Amazing Atheist, all GTA4 videos are ripping off "GTA 4 - Bloopers, Glitches & Silly Stuff" and all people that make YouTube poops are ripping off Deepercutt. Oh and people who make anime music videos just need to knock that shit off entirely ... just saying.

Yes, the static is a bit on the ripoff side, but let's face it, the static is really the best way to transition between skits in the form of changing the channel. Some have tried to avoid the static entirely in fear of being called ripoffs, but a rediculously loud test pattern in between skits or an obnoxious sound clip from the Simpsons or whatever just feels un-natural and annoying when seen more than once.

Wrapping it up, I do not deny for a second that the Idiots of Garrys Mod did inspire me to make GMod machinima. Hell, it probably inspired GMod machinima entirely and anyone who said it didn't inspire them in some way, they're probably lying. Still, inspiration doesn't always mean a ripoff and hopefully the compare and contrast I've done will help people realize that GIB is different in style.

I know 99% of the viewers won't read this and continue to make comparisons between the two because I've given up on assuming people read into things ... or even THINK anymore. "Music listed in video description" has been in all the credits I've ever done and still people ask again and again about the music. I worked at a motel once and when there were no more rooms available, we would plant three different signs that say "No rooms left" on the night window and people would still lean to look past the signs and into the window and still ask if rooms were available. We're headed into the Idiocracy generation fast and all I can do is applaud the Luke Wilsons who make it through.

Also If you haven't seen Idiocracy, do it. I command you.