The cake is a lie-but I wish it weren't

You’ve probably heard the quote, “the cake is lie” from the video game Portal. Incidentally, that is one of my favorite games, with Minecraft, Portal 2, and Mari0 (that’s Mario with a portal gun, a device which I won’t explain now). It is based on the false promise of cake from a sadistic robot called GLaDOS if you finish the tests which will more than likely kill you. That is funny on so many levels.

For one, cake is not an adequate reward for completing life-threatening tests. You eventually learn that the recorded (supposedly) robotic messages from speakers were originally designed for orphans whose self-esteem and expectations were intentionally lowered through insulting videos about their “lack of parents”. I guess that cake would be a good enough incentive for them.

For two, the producers obviously designed this quote so that it stuck in your head like gum on a steel trash can. It is so catchy that it has been on t-shirts, the backs of books declaring nerd supremacy, radio shows, everywhere. Seriously.

For three, the producers actually made it possible through the developer’s console to input a code (noclip) that allows you to fly through walls to the surface, or even to a chamber where you can find cake. It is possible to get to the cake room and the surface without cheats through a glitch in a portalable surface.

 I would love to be the story artist who came up with that one. Not just because he’s probably rolling in cash, but because it would give something to talk about at parties.

Am I crazy, or am I just cake-deprived? Is there a difference?