Playing God

 

ARTS / ART & DESIGN   | September 29, 2009
A Brain on Fire, Spreading to Phones
By RANDY KENNEDY
Two designers in Austin, Tex., have created a video game for the iPhone based on the art and music of the eccentric Texas singer and songwriter, Daniel Johnston.


Contrary to first appearances, I didn't mean for my blog to be all about Daniel Johnston. BUT. This article just came out today and I read it just now...the day after yesterday...the day after starting my blog. So I feel obligated to comment.

I bet the game is pretty cool...but...isn't there something obviously wrong with making someone else's life into a game? Especially when that "someone else" is Daniel Johnston: true genius, many people's proclaimed hero (including the makers of the video game), and someone who has been hospitalized due to his severe mental and emotional instability. I'm half expecting that they simulated the plane accident Daniel caused when he was convinced he needed to kill himself and his father because satan had entered their bodies. Crashing a plane on an ipod is one thing....crashing a plane in real life is another. It's not ironic that Daniel's character Jeramiah looks like Daniel in his drawings, but it becomes ironic when in the article, it says, "Jeremiah, [is] a boyish character who is turned into a frog in the new video game 'Hi, How Are You.'" DANIEL JOHNSTON DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE TURNED INTO A FROG! Please remember...when you play this game, you're playing with Daniel Johnston's life.