CONTEXT
VCR (they/xe/she) is a contestant from an object camp titled Electric Remains. It is run by @Decompose1 on Tumblr!! It is an aesthetics based competition about a post-Y2K nuclear winter. The cast is made up of anthrompromorphic object characters. All of the contestants are competing to the death for access to a safe haven in a Portland mall. The two hosts are the infamous Polybius arcade machine, and an anthropromorphized version of the Task Manager application.
You can read the Electric Remains Masterdoc here.
WHAT IS AN OBJECT CAMP?
An object camp is an offshoot of the niche youtube webseries genre of object shows. In an object show, anthropromorphized objects compete against other objects in a gameshow-esque competition for a prize. These were initially inspired by Total Drama Island & similar. Object camps are the same concept, but turned into a competition that multiple people compete in as these object characters.
Generally, a challenge is provided by the host, and then the contestants submit entries (such as comics or videos) that contain their character doing the challenge, and then these entries are ranked by the host, and then everyone who did not score higher then a certain threshold is up for elimination.
Eliminations happen generally by contestant vote (as is with ER). The contestants form out of character alliances, and then they decide to vote for different people. Whomever recieves the largest amount of votes is eliminated from the competition, while the rest of the contestants are permitted to proceed. As one of my former percussion students put it, it's like Among Us but with extra steps.
Most often, players are sorted into teams at the beginning of the competition, though there are cases of teamless camps. Usually, when teams start to dwindle, the teams merge into one player base. Teamed camps generally determine who is UFE (up for elimination) based on team averages.
Certain object camps use currency in their camps. ER utilizes tokens, which are rewarded to the top 6 contestants each round. These tokens may be used to purchase prizes, which may be used strategically during vote periods.
Generally, around the final 6 or so is considered Alumni. The alumni stage of object camps is generally the most intense.
It is important to note that ER is not a normal object camp. Most camps (as far as I have seen) are more rooted in humor. Most folks want to win the object camps they participate in. Most object camps are not this insane. Most object camps have more strategy during vote periods then ER does.
READING GUIDE
VCR's Electric Remains entries are heavily intertwined with my friend's Electric Remains contestant, Phyllis! You can read Phyllis' entries here!! Please note that some content in Phyllis' entries is required context for the VCR entries. My recommendation is to read them alongside each other.
Quick notes on how to engage with VCR content because I get asked some of this a lot:
  1. Generally I use my wording very intentionally. If something doesn’t sound like natural dialogue, pay attention because it will come back up later.
  2. If I ever repeat anything other than something that is just. Something I generally say a lot, it is Very Intentional and I am Trying So Very Hard to make you pay attention.
  3. The different computer windows mean things!! MS Paint panels are splash panels, modem control panels are pronouns and such, word document panels are thoughts. The windows errors DO have a meaning, you just have to figure that out yourself. :)
  4. Any post-VCR content with Baptismal Font (they/them) should have their distinct scarring on them, I am just guilty of forgetting because I do the bonus panels last. I will update the bonus comics with them soon! If they do not have them, assume I forgot.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I'm Deer (they/she)! My main blog is @fatherdeerhands on Tumblr.com!! Any questions and all questions and comments should be directed there; I do not bite either I promise. :) I like women and object shows and weird films about death and that’s pretty much all that needs to be said about me.