We live in an overly litigous society. There are far too many lawsuits and not enough personal responsibility, and too many people make too much money from it for things to change. Some days, you just want to go and join a commune in the jungle somewhere.
And then someone gets so extreme and insane that you want to form an internet fanclub and mail him your underwear.
This guy, for example: Erik Estavillo is suing the maker of World of Warcraft for sneaky and deceptive practices, and for generally infringing on his right to pursue happiness. The game costs too much money, it has annoying features that take too much time, and it contributes to his sense of alienation.
But wait, it gets better. Better, even, than the fact that he’s already tried to sue Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo for their alleged crimes against gamer humanity.
No, what truly makes this art – and is there a more 21st-century form of art in North America than the lawsuit? – is the celebrity portion of the lawsuit. Estavello wants to subpoena Martin Gore of Depeche Mode to testify as to the nature of alienation, “since he himself has been known to be sad, lonely, and alienated” in his songs.
Personally, I’d have subpoenaed Robert Smith. You could just play Disintegration for the court and totally win the case.
He also wants Winona Ryder as a witness, apparently because she really likes Catcher in the Rye. You’d think he could have worked Beetlejuice in there somehow, too.