Specter Zangief

Oh Gief my poor lad. You guys know I had to throw my boi into this series because I like me some Gief. I like me some grapplers in general. I relate to grapplers sometimes. I feel their struggle to get in, dodging fireballs, and I put myself in their shoes. In a way, their struggle becomes my struggle. But is that true? Can we really identify with Zangief. Zangief represents one of the most powerful mechanisms that governments use to cultivate a functioning society: identity. Identity, not to get confused with Guile's patriotism, is much more personal, and unfortunately a tad more insidious. Rather than defending a cause merely because of its perceived legitimacy, the Zangiefs of the world stand by a cause because they ARE the cause. The unhealthy habit some have of attaching their entire being to a doctrine or ideology, it is the wet dream of governments. I play fighting games so surely I am a fighting game player. Therefore I must defend fighting games as a genre. Therefore I must internalize all criticism about my favorite fighting game and lash out against all dissent. If my favorite fighting game sucks then I suck right? After all, I AM fighting games. No. That is not the case at all. Being a fighting game player, or a grappler player, or a Zangief player does not require you to attach your being to those things. You are you. You are an individual, not a brand. Governments, organizations, and social circles all over the world will try to convince you that to be one thing means to also be another thing. Reject that. It isn't true. That is the answer to all of the problems presented in all of the previous entries of this series. Stand by you, seek self refinement, self admiration, self empowerment.

Thanks for the support as always guys. Enjoy this series. There may be more to come later. :)

Costume is C1