Hades · @HadesCasts
9th Sep 2016 from TwitLonger
Rant
I'm just going to say right now, not every SEA caster sounds like Peter Chao. There are casters like me from SEA who do speak proper english (yes we do exist!) and can actually pronounce our words and do not rely on memes to cast a Dota game. Like any Dota 2 caster, i became a caster because i love doing it and aim to become a professional caster. I'm still growing and learning how to become a good caster like any of the personalities who appear at major events. I have utmost respect for every other casters who do their best and look to continuously improve themselves because they know that the casters scene is very competitive.
Just because i'm from Singapore doesn't mean i will cast a game with Singlish or broken english because it is not professional. Do not expect me to talk with the stereotypical chinese accent that Russell Peters does at his comedy shows. My accent is not faked from watching too many American TV shows but because i spent years in an international environment and i wasn't encouraged by my parents to speak Singlish. It has pretty much gotten to the point where most SEA casters are hired simply because a tournament organizer does not have the budget to hire any western talent and they sugarcoat it with "we are looking to groom talent". I have only been a caster for a almost 3 years now but i've seen SEA casters give up and they say the same thing. "There's no point since most viewers expect us to cast and sound like a retard"
There are casters out there who do work hard to improve themselves and even attempt to get better at the game just so they can have a better understanding and relay that through their casting. This to a certain extent applies to other regions as well. I am grateful for any feedback that viewers have pmed me about and i do read every single one and watch replays of my casting so i can improve. Even the haters who send me hate messages, yes i read those if they are legit criticism.
I have sacrificed many hours, my social life any many other things for opportunities to cast. Most of the times i am even doing it for free but i do it because i dream of making it on the big stage and i want to learn. I just needed to get this rant off my chest because i am tired of being expected to sound like a joke. I don't expect opportunities to fall into my lap just because I've been a caster a few years. I simply expect people to wake up their ideas and be more open minded. Enough of the mentality that SEA is tier 2 in every aspect of eSports.
Hades