There are not many other celebrities in the world quite as synonymous with geekdom as Kevin Smith, film director of Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, Red State, and more. Personally, I’ve been a fan of Kevin Smith’s since the day I saw Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back during my junior high years. It was only then that I went back and discovered the rest of his film catalog. At the time, there was hardly a single individual among my group of peers that didn’t know who Jay and Silent Bob were.
Kevin Smith has not only made a name for himself in the film industry but has endeavored to establish his own brand in the world of fandom. With his signature hockey jersey, backward cap, and jorts (jean shorts), Smith has brilliantly turned himself into the product he’s selling. The comedic director is now just as popular, if not more so, than his own films. Through podcasting, hosting, television shows such as Comic Book Men, collaborations, and a host of other facets of pop culture, Kevin Smith is in demand. It’s not so much Silent Bob that fans are after, but a chance to see the funny-man speak, crack jokes, and simply be himself live on stage.
Kevin Smith’s history in video games
Recently, Kevin has waded into the video games arena. While he admits that he’s not much of a gamer like his pal Jason Mewes, he has dabbled in the industry.
Back when Injustice was approaching release in 2013, both Smith and Mewes took part in a marketing campaign where they debated the merits of different DC Comics fighters. Speaking of DC, he’s even found himself Lego-ized in a Lego Batman game. Last year, Smith starred in the Rave in the Redwoods zombie DLC for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Players could encounter him in the DLC or unlock him as a playable character. Nothing says Kevin Smith like beating a bunch of zombies with a hockey stick.
Now, the nerdy renaissance man has tried his hand at esports! On the latest Hollywood Babble-On podcast episode, he shared with his co-host, Ralph Garman, and the audience his experience with a PUBG event. Kevin Smith, along with a host of other celebrities including deadmau5, Anderson Silva (MMA fighter), and rapper Ludicrus attended the Los Angeles Unboxing Prime Day event.
Kevin Smith sets his sights on the chicken dinner
“I was lucky to get on a team of pros,” Smith stated concerning the PUBG event. He continued, “I was the dead weight. They called it team Kev-carry.” He relayed his understanding of the tournament which is to kill everyone and be the last team standing. For mostly a non-gamer, a heated competition like a PUBG event is surely a baptism of fire in the world of esports.
To prepare, Smith sought advice on how to play the game. Where better to seek advice before entering such a fiercely competitive world than Jason Mewes? Smith stated, “I went to Jason Mewes this morning, man, because he’s a big gamer and I was like ‘You got to show me how to f—–n’ do this, man.’ And he goes ‘Alright, come here.’” Mewes gave him the controller and proceeded to show him the basics of PUBG.
Funny enough, when he arrived at the tournament he was seated at a table with a computer, mouse, and keyboard. Promptly, he asked, “Where’s the controller?” Humorously, he said the question befuddled the organizers. He mused that they likely thought of him as an old man. As Smith was recounting the story, he and Hollywood Babble-on co-host Ralph Garman seemed to agree that using a keyboard, mouse, and mic to voice chat was too much. As many at the event likely saw, entering a world that is not your own is usually an amusing affair. Regardless, Smith seemed to enjoy himself.
Taking victory laps
Of his team, he said, “These cats were so f—–n’ good at the game, they coached me through it, the entire way. And, twice like our team wound up in the winner’s circle. Like I won a helmet because we won second place in one round. And then the last game we played, like our team won. I didn’t. I got killed pretty early, but like they all won so I won as well. And, we won the golden frying pan.”
Ralph Garman responded sarcastically, “You won the coveted golden frying pan!? How proud you must be!” In a fun turn of events, Smith said that his team was actually brought a chicken dinner for winning.
A (momentary) esports god
Of the whole affair Smith said, “For one long moment, I was an esports god. It was neat. But it was like being on the right team – I felt like Rudy, you know what I’m saying?” Jokingly, but probably also seriously, Garman carried on the metaphor stating that the team let Smith “come out on the field for one play and carried him off the field” chanting his name.
I’ve found that comedians are funniest when they recount fish-out-of-water stories. Perhaps that is why I, along with millions of other fans, find Smith so endearing and relatable. I practically laughed out loud as Smith’s enthusiasm peaked when he realized he could be the team medic. Check out Kevin Smith’s full account of the event in the podcast audio below. You can find Kevin’s full story on his time with PUBG between the 6:24 and 16-minute mark. (Warning: Strong Language)
https://soundcloud.com/hollywoodbabbleon/326-july-13-2018
Be sure to check out the home of Kevin Smith’s podcasts, Smodcast, for more free-funny audio with Smith, Jason Mewes, Ralph Garman, Marc Bernardin, and more. And as always, stay tuned to Daily Esports for the latest in esports coverage!
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