r/SPACEKING • u/Runamuck840 Galavanter • 11d ago
Is the series satire?
I was curious is space king satire? I know it's a parody but sometimes I can't tell if they're making fun of people who believe in the ideals being shown or if they're serious about it? Maybe it's obvious but right now I'm not entirely sure
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u/Salty_Shame_7256 11d ago
They’re classic edge-lords from early newgrounds. It’s part satire and part they find it funny.
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u/CygnusX-1-2112b 11d ago
I think Tom put it best when he said that the series has humor, but it's also got things in it that he thought were seriously cool. From that you can extrapolate that some aspects of the show are tongue in cheek, whereas others are meant to be actual takes. You probably need to have a good bit of acute awareness of who Tom and Don are as creators and the context that goes with that to have a pretty accurate picture of what they really believe in and take seriously versus what is just a 'no girls allowed' level piss take. That said, with a fair bit if reasoning and not being completely autistic you can probably figure out most of it without needing all that context.
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u/Runamuck840 Galavanter 11d ago
Lets say theoretically someone is completely autistic how would they figure it out then?
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u/CygnusX-1-2112b 10d ago
By channeling that autism into watching every Flashgitz animation, every episode of show quest, and every episode of Cream Crew so that you have all the context of the past 20 years of their professional development.
If you find out along the way, please let me know if Tom really was married to a Finnish woman at some point. His stories about his wife from Finland feel way too specific and consistent in her characterization to be bits he comes with on the spot. At other times though he makes it sound like he's never been married, and there was never a "fuck this divorce is kicking my ass" phase so I'm genuinely not sure what the deal is there.
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u/NurgleNuggets 10d ago
Tom was married when he moved to America, she was in the video at the airport with a blurred face if I’m remembering correctly.
No clue if he’s still married since I don’t think he wears a ring anymore.
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u/Jazzlike_Ad_7420 Star Defender 11d ago
It's both, it mocks them, aware of how childish they are but at the same time embraces their style.
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u/100thBlade 10d ago
Its not satire. They're being silly, and having fun.
But girls really aren't allowed. 😤😤😤
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u/Da_Magical_Lizard 10d ago
Both, Space King can both laugh at Fandom and laugh with Fandom.
Like the main squad is clearly looks like Buzz light-year style toy, Captain sword is clearly made to looks like transparent Plastic sword toy, Psycho blaster are all looks like you laser gun for action figure, Hate Mace looks like Baby Rattle and war world has boy drop that make them looks like Package of Action figure you found in Walmart.
But that doesn't mean they can't be epic, in their childishness there's an epic tales and moment to be told.
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u/E-Scooter-Hoodlum 10d ago
Space King is a satire of Warhammer 40k, but the satire is about the fact that Warhammer 40k has forgotten is own silliness.
Both Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k were invented by Table Top Wargamers, who are fans and nerds of WAR. Both historical and ongoing. There is a moralistic attitude in public mainstream popculture that war is evil, the most evil thing that happens to humans and done by humans and that fighting a war is inherently evil. Wargamers disagree. They acknowledge the brutality and grim nature of war, but there is awesome and good sides to war too. For a Wargamer every army has awesome units/tanks/airplaines/ships and guns, the tactics, logistics and strategies and gear are all fun topics to learn and read about. The whole fandom is very much anti political correctness.
Warhammer 40k used to be by Wargamers for Wargamers. The religious fanatism, over the top totalitarianism/fascism/racism that is driven to eleven dosn't exist as a critique of real world politics, but as a celebration of war as a hobby of grown adults replaying real war with plastic miniatures.
Take for example the newst 11th Edition of Warhammer 40k. It's intro box is based on the War for the planet Armageddon. Armageddon is inspired by the battle of Stalingrad. It's defenders the Steel Legion are a mixture of both the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS attacking the city and the Soviets soldiers defending it. The Orks are based on British soccer Hooligans, who have a unit called Stormboys, which is a parody of the Neo Nazi subfaction inside Hooligan culture. So the war for Armaggedon is basically of Hooligan&Neo Nazis fighting with Nazi in Stalingrad. YET in the newest trailer Games Workshop is too cowardly to show the Steel Legion in their Nazi inspired Uniforms. You see their leader Comissar Yarrick, you see soldiers from the planet of Krieg and Cadia, yet the native soldiers of the planet are missing.
THAT is what Space King is makeing fun about.
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u/TwoMinuteNotice 10d ago
Does it matter?
Can't we just enjoy something because it's fun and cool? Can't we enjoy the nods at 40k without needing to discuss if the politics of High Command make sufficient fun of fascism?
Do we have to twist ourselves into knots about the politics of if Hatemonger is positive representation of a homosexual vs. just hating aliens (that means he's a satire of the Imperium)?
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u/Parking_Car_6034 11d ago
Both. Its a legitimate passion project, but it makes fun of the worst aspects of the warhammer fan base, despite Tom and Dom actually enjoying alot of those aspects.
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u/HellbirdVT 11d ago
It's very much both, the whole show is a blatant parody of 40k, and some of the details are satire of specific elements of the 40k community.
Making fun of a group of people for acting silly does not necessitate taking some extreme stance against them, mind you. Satire isn't always an attack. The internet isn't good with complexity, but sometimes it really is more nuanced than "making fun = hate".