After reading Jacques Leslieís "Mudroom," I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately, I was disappointed and somewhat disturbed. From what I was able to determine by visiting a MUD and reading Leslieís article, I discovered that MUDs are simply rooms to visit and play games, have "text-sex," or preside over funerals. In a Mudroom, there is something for everyone. Mudrooms, and what they represent, seem ludicrous to me. I am baffled by the time and energy people spend on the Internet participating in things like Mudrooms. Leslie says that "MUDers hold virtual parties, stage virtual food fights, buy and sell goods with virtual currency they acquire by performing certain tasks, and even fall in love with each other, most often without having met in real life" (407-408).

All of these acts taking place in Mudrooms are outrageous. The things they represent may be fine and good, but when the word virtual is stuck before each one, it becomes painfully obvious that these actions are merely fantasies. Each of the MUDers hide behind masks they create for themselves and experiment with different activities while keeping their anonymity. It is scary to think that people we know by day are, by night, indulging "in ëtext-sex,í typing sexually arousing statements to each other until they reach orgasm while sitting at their keyboards" (408).

The Internet has afforded our society with many luxuries, but some lines need to be drawn. Many of the MUDs on the Internet should be considered a disgrace to our society, and the people who participate in them should be considered crazy and potentially dangerous. I should say that not all MUDs are of the perverse nature, but they still are a little strange. Who has the desire to participate in a fake food fight? I am perfectly content living in a world I can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. To the MUDers out there, enjoy--itís all yours.

Leslie, Jacques. "Mudroom." CyberReader. 2nd ed. Ed. Victor J. Vitanza. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1999. 407-416.

Armstrong Atlantic State University's Homepage
Languages, Literature, and Philosophy Department Homepage
Email Stacey Kelehear