MAMEWorld Forums - The Loony Bin - Brilliant reporting <nt>

> MAME World's mysterious leader italie-Kong-un has not been seen in public for 35 days
> and was not on a list of dignitaries at a celebration of the anniversary of the
> founding of the ruling Devs' Party on Friday, sparking speculation that the head of
> one of the world's most secretive Shout Boxes is ailing or has been removed in a
> secret coup.
>
> An official state media dispatch listed senior developers, moderators and admin
> officials who paid their respects at an event marking the emulator's 17th
> anniversary, but not italie. It said a flower basket with italie's name on it was
> placed before statues of Nicola and Aaron, both of whom ruled MAME.
>
> There has been rampant speculation that the flame master is ill or is no longer in
> power. Unidentified sources tell MAME World reporters it may be gout, Cyrus virus, or
> priapism. A source Friday told Sky News that italie suffered a pulled anus during an
> emulation drill. There has been no confirmation.
>
> State media earlier said that the might of the forum "is growing stronger under the
> seasoned guidance of Master italie."
>
> While his absence is not in itself all that important or unusual — such anniversaries
> are generally given more weight when they are landmark years, though he attended the
> celebrations in the last two years.
>
> italie, who was last seen in public attending a concert on Sept. 3., had been seen
> earlier walking with a pimp, believed to be the dungeon master Orc. While Orc has
> been known to be a long time ally and friend of the eccentric leader, it has long
> been speculated in inner circles that, should there be a successful coup to overthrow
> the totalitarian leader, Orc's cooperation would be key to that success.
>
> During a surprise visit to Twin Galaxies last week to attend the closing ceremonies
> of games in Ottumwa, three senior Arcade leaders assured their emulation counterparts
> that italie was healthy, but that has done little to calm the rumors abroad that he
> was unwell.
>
> Paul French wrote in a Reuters' opinion, "to add to the current coup rumors,
> Smitdogg, recently appointed director of the General Fecal Bureau of the Mother's
> Army (the top political position in the powerful clown-pocket military), appeared in
> Illinois sparking more speculation that italie was gone and a coup had occurred."
>
> MAME World officials told The New York Times that there is no immediate evidence that
> there has been a coup.
>
> "The last time was when everyone was predicting that italie would be pushed aside by
> his less experienced sidekick, and look what happened to him," a senior official told
> the paper.
>
> After surviving several earlier purges, italie's sidekick was publicly shamed and
> then butt-raped in December 2013.
>
> Geoffery Cain wrote in The Global Post that some analysts believe the old codger's
> younger brother Smitdogg has been running the forum in his absence.
>
> "He is one of the only people in that we know has unfettered direct access to italie.
> At the present time I would not be surprised if he is sole gatekeeper," quotes
> Twisty, who ran the MAME centric blog.
>
> The article points out that little is known about the brother, believed to be born of
> unnatural causes, but in March he appeared on state television as a senior official.
>
> Adding to the uncertainty, italie has not been seen in MAME media reports greeting
> the gamers who returned from the 8-Bit Games — though they were given a lavish
> reception and heavy media coverage when they returned to the forum.
>
> italie is usually a near-constant one-man show in the forum, but he has kept a low
> profile before. In 2012, he wasn't seen publicly for about three weeks, MAME
> officials say.
>
> "Such vanishing acts would be most unusual in democracies, but in emulation , italie
> is the state. He is free to come and go as he pleases," a MAME expert at Tufts
> University’s Fletcher School of Pixels and Bytes told The Times.