Art by SunnyClockwork
As someone who greatly enjoys Groups of Interest (GoIs) and reading articles with/about them, nothing burns me up more than seeing someone mischaracterize them. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of room to experiment with the philosophy and themes of GoIs, but there is a difference between treading new ground and completely missing the mark.
In this essay, I hope to cover the important and most basic themes of two of the most misunderstood and misrepresented GoIs on the site; dado and Gamers Against Weed.
Keep in mind this is not a writing guide, but instead is a breakdown of other articles which use the themes of the group to their fullest extent and explore what these groups bring to the table as far as storytelling goes.
dado
Ah, dado. No other group (or person?) of interest has seen such a meteoric rise in popularity. As many of you know, dado is a pill-making funnyman who is prone to misunderstandings, which extend to his products. Make no mistake, his products work, just probably not in the way you imagined they would. dado is a very simple concept with a seemingly easy set of rules.
1) dado very good at make the good medicine
2) dado sometimes confused about what people mean when they say the words
3) u trust dado
4) dado has amazon prime so no shipping charge
5) dado, being fine capitalist, proud owner of laundry and tan
6) dado capitalize key broken so dado is dado.
- page what is for dado hub yes
Seems simple enough, right? Well, there's actually a lot to unpack here. Let's break it down.
1) dado very good at make the good medicine
Though deceptively obvious at a first glance, this extends further than medicine. dado is very good at everything he does. So good in fact, it's anomalous. When considering this trait, imagine a being of extraordinary and incomprehensible power using its otherworldly ability for something mundane in an extraordinarily over-the-top fashion.
To better understand this, let's take a look at SCP-3494. In this article, dado creates a pill to combat diarrhea once and for all. The problem here is that it works a little too well. People who take the pill find themselves the source of a never-ending stream of feces. They don't suffer any discomfort because of this, and actually seem to be okay with this turn of events.
But why does this happen? Well, dado markets the pill as "the last anti-poop u will ever need or want" and reasons that by 'outsourcing' the poop so to speak, he will be able to lower the pain and stress caused by diarrhea. Should everyone in the world take a pill, such problems would be a concern of the past because of outsourcing. A single bout of diarrhea spread between the world's population wouldn't be noticable. In theory, it can work, and that is why dado considers this a success.
I can't believe I just talked about diarrhea for two paragraphs.
2) dado sometimes confused about what people mean when they say the words
This one is actually very simple to understand. dado is not very good at comprehending metaphors or communicating properly, whether this is because he is some sort of alien entity or just not a native speaker of the relevant language is up to you. As you may imagine, dado's poor communication skills are the reason he earned himself the reputation of 'silly pill man does a misunderstand', but more on that later.
Though this is a common trope in dado articles, I'd like to shine a light on SCP-3802. In this article, dado misunderstands 'hair growth' as 'hare growth' and proceeds to create a pill which, yep, you guessed it, makes hares grow out of one's head. Because of a further miscommunication between himself and the customer, it is specially designed for children only, leading to disastrous results when used by adults.
To further expand on the possibility of dado being something other than human, take a look at Free Consultation in which dado somehow is able to message Iris Dark despite her many fail-safes and firewalls, all the while managing to unnerve the stone-cold woman with his bizarre babbling. At the very end, we see a noticeable break in character from him after he gets what he wants, implying that the whole 'dado' character may just be a facade for someone (or something) more sinister.
3) u trust dado
dado knows what he is doing. He is confident in his ability, he is capable, and he wants to reassure you that he knows what he is doing. He is careful with his operations and somehow always manages to slip out of the Foundation's grasp.
The prime example of this shines in dado's premiere article, SCP-3521. An assassin requests dado's services in the creation of a pill which could kill discreetly. The assassin suggests radiation poisoning, but dado, ever resourceful, informs him that bananas are radioactive and much easier to access than plutonium, therefore much more discreet for both parties involved. So what does dado do?
Make a pill that makes bananas manifest in your stomach, of course! Not only does the pill work, as the appearance of several tons of bananas in one's stomach tends to be lethal, but it also is discreet. Or at least as discreet as a sudden influx of bananas could be. Rest assured, when you use a dado product, it will work, just probably not in the way you expect.
4) dado has amazon prime so no shipping charge
dado places great value in customer satisfaction, as he understands this is key to good business. This rule isn't much deeper than that, just remember that dado's Amazon Prime membership comes with near-instant transmission delivery.
5) dado, being fine capitalist, proud owner of laundry and tan
Aside from referencing SCP-888-EX, this rule of dado is a testament to his diversity. dado does more than just pills, and he understands that a diverse portfolio of investments is healthy. However, this does not mean that dado knows what the difference between a good investment and a bad one may be. A fast-food restaurant may not be a good idea while a department store may flourish.
The point here is, don't be afraid to experiment with dado. In his early days, dado had a reputation of 'silly pill man does a misunderstand', which the site appears to be moving away from. I feel like this is a good thing, as it keeps dado's schtick from becoming stale1 and opens up his character for exploration.
But what does it mean to explore dado? Unlike the Factory, he cares and wants to satisfy. Unlike Wondertainment, he is not careful enough to ensure any possible harm arising from his products are caused by accident. Unlike MC&D, he is not exclusive and will cater to anyone. dado is an extreme idealistic capitalist who is eager to please and is probably more powerful than he is smart, while still being smart. Imagine a Dungeons and Dragons character sheet in which dado has maxed out his Intelligence stat, but has 0 points in Wisdom.2
6) dado capitalize key broken so dado is dado.
dado is dado. Any mention of Dado is to be corrected immediately as Dado is not dado. Do not confuse them. This is very important.
TL;DR
In a nutshell, dado works smart, not hard. If he can cut a corner to save a dollar, he will. Don't restrict yourself to the common dado tropes of 'makes medicine' and 'misunderstands.' dado is a brave capitalist (ew.) willing to try anything and get back up again if he fails. It should be noted that he is not evil or malicious, just bumbling. He has limitless potential but often misjudges what is wanted or misunderstands, whether this is because he is just bad at communication or an inhuman entity is up to you.
Gamers Against Weed
GAW is the most misunderstood GoI on the site, which is an absolute travesty, but the name certainly doesn't help. Despite what one may think, Gamers Against Weed isn't a group of anomalous shitposters doing things for the lulz.
Okay, some of them are, but bear with me here. Though they may be shitposters and memers, GAW is not a group of idiots drinking Mountain Dew and playing video games. GAW is a home for outcasts, the oppressed, and the beleaguered of the internet. They are a group of welcoming and friendly people who share closely knit bonds and a sense of comradery, who sometimes are idiots who drink Mountain Dew and play video games.
Let's get into their writing points.
Shits and Giggles: This is what Gamers Against Weed is for. Sometimes they're political, sometimes they're serious, and sometimes they make a point, but they are fundamentally in this for a laugh. Whatever they do, they do it with a sense of humor. Articles that feature GAW don't have to be funny in their own right, but you might want to make it apparent that they, at least, are getting a laugh out of it.
Extremely Online: While they usually have lives outside of the group and off the internet, members of Gamers Against Weed tend to be immersed in the web, and are digitally fluent to a fault. Don't be afraid to incorporate memes, trolling, and popular culture into the articles. Nothing is too obscure.
Contemporary: Gamers Against Weed articles should reflect events happening in the modern day — if the story you want to tell could take place before the year 2006 without losing meaning, GAW is probably not what you're looking for. A GAW story should never feel disconnected from the world around it.
Benign: Gamers Against Weed are a pacifist group. If they have reason to believe that one of their projects could get people hurt or killed, they won't do it. They generally do not tolerate bigotry, bullying, or other forms of douchebaggery. That being said, they LOVE trolling, and if someone gets mad about something trivial, that's their problem.
Don't Want Trouble: To anybody who isn't tasking themselves with keeping the anomalous secret, or who hasn't taken personal offense to something they did, Gamers Against Weed is probably not relevant. While they are certainly irreverent, they are also cautious, and will only make a joke if they think they can handle the blowback.
No Signature: Gamers Against Weed has no need to be recognized by anyone else, and while they might sign their individual names to something, rarely will they outright label anything with 'Gamers Against Weed'. Their Little Misters are an exception to this.
Seems simple, right? Not quite. Let's get into it.
Shits and Giggles: This is what Gamers Against Weed is for. Sometimes they're political, sometimes they're serious, and sometimes they make a point, but they are fundamentally in this for a laugh. Whatever they do, they do it with a sense of humor. Articles that feature GAW don't have to be funny in their own right, but you might want to make it apparent that they, at least, are getting a laugh out of it.
Though this does a pretty good job explaining what it means, I'd like to posit that there are two main kinds of GAW articles. Meme-based and character based.
Let's compare SCP-3108 and SCP-4239
SCP-3108 is a nerf gun (aptly named 'the nerfing gun') which, when fired at something, turns the target into a notably inferior version of itself. This is based on the video game term 'nerf', meaning a change to a game that reduces the desirability or effectiveness of a particular game element. The anomaly is used to turn Coke into Pepsi and includes other humorous addenda before taking a terrifying twist. It was made as a joke and intended to be used as a joke.
Contrast with SCP-4239, a Mister Against Weed (Mr. Destiny) who helps one realize their truest potential through introspection. The article is a sprawling and expertly crafted character piece that takes you through the journey of Silas (greenmanwalking) as he learns what his true potential is and what it means to face one's own destiny. It is long but very fulfilling.
Both articles hit the core themes of GAW in their own ways, one in a humorous and classic 'meme' fashion, the other in a political and personal point in the form of a character study.
Extremely Online: While they usually have lives outside of the group and off the internet, members of Gamers Against Weed tend to be immersed in the web, and are digitally fluent to a fault. Don't be afraid to incorporate memes, trolling, and popular culture into the articles. Nothing is too obscure.
You can't be an epic gamer™ without being online, right? The internet is very important to GAW. It's a part of their culture, part of how they communicate and is completely integral to the group. Not that it's impossible to write a Gamers Against Weed article without the internet ( as seen in Sometimes Manna Is Just a Cicada Shell), but internet culture is important to keep in mind when using GAW.
The best example of this trait is seen in Sometimes It's Not Funny, which is a tale comprised entirely of chat logs which still manages to tell a great and engrossing story.
Contemporary: Gamers Against Weed articles should reflect events happening in the modern day — if the story you want to tell could take place before the year 2006 without losing meaning, GAW is probably not what you're looking for. A GAW story should never feel disconnected from the world around it.
Due to the majority of GAW members being a part of one minority group or another, their mere existence is politicized by many. This, paired with the fact that they exist as a loosely organized group, means that GAW shares many similarities with local anarchist collectives. Not everyone in GAW is an anarchist, however, and they would likely not abide tankies either3, but they are usually leftist and tackle modern problems in their articles.
For example, SCP-2721, Merry Christmas, Jude Kriyot, and True Trans Soul Rebel are about the queer experience. That's not to say being queer is a new thing, its just only recently that queerness has started to become more accepted in the world.
Benign: Gamers Against Weed are a pacifist group. If they have reason to believe that one of their projects could get people hurt or killed, they won't do it. They generally do not tolerate bigotry, bullying, or other forms of douchebaggery. That being said, they LOVE trolling, and if someone gets mad about something trivial, that's their problem.
Something people often fail to understand about GAW and trolling, in general, is that not all trolling is malevolent. Harmless pranks such as swapping the WASD keyboards to the directional arrows on the keyboard are okay, but swapping a car's left and right steering direction can potentially hurt or kill someone, and that's not something that GAW would ever do, especially not intentionally. SCP-3108, the Nerfing Gun, has the potential to greatly hurt someone, but only if it's intentionally used for that, which was explicitly not its intended purpose.
GAW aren't bullies, but they can absolutely be jerks. Their targets are typically people who deserve it (such as actual bullies) or are those who are very unlikely to notice or care about their low-level pestering (such as Dr. Wondertainment).
No Signature: Gamers Against Weed has no need to be recognized by anyone else, and while they might sign their individual names to something, rarely will they outright label anything with 'Gamers Against Weed'. Their Little Misters are an exception to this.
This point goes in tandem with the last one. GAW doesn't want trouble, and that means covering their tracks and removing all sorts of liability from themselves on their antics. Some articles, such as SCP-4493, imply that Jude works with the Foundation to keep the rest of GAW from causing bigger problem that will draw attention to them. In its sister article, More Like Rainbow Crapitalism, Jude creates an anomaly that accidentally infects companies that are not behind the Veil, and causes a problem for the Foundation to clean up. This is one instance where not having a signature would have worked out better for GAW, since in the very last Void post, Jude basically admits to it.
TL;DR
In a nutshell, GAW are more like your group chat of friends but with more magical prowess. GAW are very tolerant as long as you are not intolerant yourself, and they offer a home for the outcasts of the world. That's not to say they can't be dicks, they just mostly do this to people who deserve it. They do not want to get in trouble, and for this reason, avoid advertising their involvement in most of their anomalous creations. Stories featuring GAW should be inherently contemporary, featuring topics straight out of the headlines and current issues the world is facing.
Stay tuned for the next essay in which I explore capitalism and the three GoIs which love it.
And that's all I wrote.