Apple II Bits

Members of the Apple II community can at times express a certain "get off my lawn!" mentality, railing against today’s youth and their new-fangled computers. Fortunately, this behavior is often in good fun: while a reasoned critique comparing old and new computers and enthusiasts can be well-founded, any actual castigation against a younger generation is often more self-effacing, tinged with a note of jealousy of how much better and easier things are now.

Actor Curt Wootton has made such parody his entire schtick with his YouTube series, "Pittsburgh Dad". His one-man, five-minute episodes offer a crotchety perspective on modern media and conveniences, including Pokémon GO, iPhones, and Captain America.

In the latest episode, Pittsburgh Dad plays Oregon Trail:

It’s funny to see this behavior from someone just four months older than me. And yet, it’s hard to imagine anyone I know from KansasFest playing Oregon Trail with this attitude. We tend to be enthusiastic evangelists for our niche hobby, and beating someone else over the head with it isn’t going to convert them to our cause. I suppose that’s why it’s parody, eh?

(Also, I wonder if Dad knew that the malapropistic floppy label "Organ Trail" represents an actual game?)

For more of Pittsburgh Dad’s takes on retro technology, check out the episode where he replaced his kids’ Grand Theft Auto game with E.T. for the Atari 2600.

(Hat tip to Cat Morgan)