Animated sitcom American Dad released an episode that hits home to many esport fans.
In the episode titled “Brave N00b World”, CIA agent Stan Smith is tasked with the assassination of a North Korean government official during the finals of the Overwatch World Cup. Smith, together with his team, then heads to Hong Kong undercover posing as “teenage gamers” in an attempt to reach the Grand Finals of the prestigious tournament and take out the North Korean General. Kim is described as a “total poser” who only shows up to the final games of the tournament.
American Dad is a show that heavily parodies a multitude of topics from everyday life. In the titled episode, Stan along with his CIA squad is tasked with learning the basic principles of gaming as spoofed by the show. Through his comically geeky son Steve, the elder Smith learns the basics of the game to complete his task, whilst Steve views it as a much-needed bonding experience with his father.
Without revealing too much of the episode, it has garnered mixed reviews from fans of esports and the series. Many have praised the inclusion of actual Overwatch gameplay footage which, due to the picks, looks to have been made prior to the 2-2-2 roster lock.
American Dad joins a multitude of animated TV shows that have included both gaming and esports as a focal point of one of their episodes. Prior to Brave N00b World, South Park released a World of WarCraft-themed episode entitled “Make Love, Not Warcraft.” More recently, The Simpsons released an episode named “E My Sports” which follows Bart attempting to go pro in League of Legends.
Though American Dad isn’t high-brow entertainment or even especially popular in 2020, this goes to show how much more visible esports is than in the past.
