Is it wrong that I sort of want to punch people who wear eyeglass frames with no lenses in them right in the face?
Seriously, right in the nose.
Showing posts with label pop culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pop culture. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
I'm Turning Into A Crotchety Old Man
Is it sad that I am sort of proud that I've never seen Jersey Shore or a Real Housewives show?
Or that I only really know Ke$ha and Lady Gaga songs through parodies and covers?
You know, come to think of it, I haven't even listened to the whole atrocity that is Friday.
I guess I am getting a little more set in my ways as I get older, so I am just not into trying new things. Or at least things which seem sort of crappy (or totally so).
Let's face it, I am becoming a crotchety old man who doesn't like novelty anymore.
Or that I only really know Ke$ha and Lady Gaga songs through parodies and covers?
You know, come to think of it, I haven't even listened to the whole atrocity that is Friday.
I guess I am getting a little more set in my ways as I get older, so I am just not into trying new things. Or at least things which seem sort of crappy (or totally so).
Let's face it, I am becoming a crotchety old man who doesn't like novelty anymore.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Literally Unbelievable
I came across a site today called Literally Unbelievable, which carries, in their own words, "Stories from The Onion as interpreted by Facebook".
And reading some of the entries, I was frightened that so many people don't get that The Onion is a satirical site, especially when the stories in question are so outlandish that I can't understand how anyone would believe they are true, like the idea that the last 7 minutes of the final Harry Potter movie are going to be released as 7 separate films or a story about how Obama once again resisted the urge to launch the entire nuclear arsenal at once because he can.
It seriously makes me question the common sense of a substantial number of people. Especially since when presented with such stories, they didn't see if any other news organization was covering it. That would seem to be at the very least, the smart move in that situation.
And reading some of the entries, I was frightened that so many people don't get that The Onion is a satirical site, especially when the stories in question are so outlandish that I can't understand how anyone would believe they are true, like the idea that the last 7 minutes of the final Harry Potter movie are going to be released as 7 separate films or a story about how Obama once again resisted the urge to launch the entire nuclear arsenal at once because he can.
It seriously makes me question the common sense of a substantial number of people. Especially since when presented with such stories, they didn't see if any other news organization was covering it. That would seem to be at the very least, the smart move in that situation.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
XKCD And Wikipedia
The comic XKCD recently published a strip which in the hidden text claimed that if you started on any page on Wikipedia and clicked the first link that wasn't in italics or brackets and do so in each article that comes up from that initial click and you will always eventually end up at the article about Philosophy.
So I thought I would test that out.
Let's see... let's start with Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Civil Rights Movement
Political Movement
Social Movement
Group Action
Sociology
Society
Interpersonal Relationship
Limerence
Psychologist
Clinical Psychology
Mental Disorder
Psychology
Science
Knowledge
Facts
Information
Sequence
Mathematics
Quantity
Property
Modern Philosophy
Philosophy
It is just that easy!
It is a fun little experiment, though I think I know the pattern (since most of my searches end up at science and then trickle down to philosophy following that). Since tangible ideas are based on ideas, deep down they all end up boiling down to philosophy if you keep clicking through.
Try it yourself. Come on, you know you want to!
So I thought I would test that out.
Let's see... let's start with Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Civil Rights Movement
Political Movement
Social Movement
Group Action
Sociology
Society
Interpersonal Relationship
Limerence
Psychologist
Clinical Psychology
Mental Disorder
Psychology
Science
Knowledge
Facts
Information
Sequence
Mathematics
Quantity
Property
Modern Philosophy
Philosophy
It is just that easy!
It is a fun little experiment, though I think I know the pattern (since most of my searches end up at science and then trickle down to philosophy following that). Since tangible ideas are based on ideas, deep down they all end up boiling down to philosophy if you keep clicking through.
Try it yourself. Come on, you know you want to!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Donald Trump Not Running For President
I am totally not surprised that Donald Trump isn't going to run for president.
For one, he has had quite a track record for entertaining the thought of running for president, but he always withdraws. It has been noted that often when he does, he has another project he really wants to draw attention to, such as a book, or in this case, a television series.
Secondly, he would have to disclose the nitty gritty of his finances if he were to run, and frankly, he is too much of a chicken to publicly release that information. He acts like he has a big set of balls, and might be someone who puts their money where their mouth is (after all, he was demanding documentation from Obama), but frankly, he's not. He talks big but he doesn't deliver.
Thirdly, even without a commitment to run for office, skeletons were coming out of his closet from his past. The problems his companies have had and the positions and public statements he made throughout his public career have already been coming to the surface and I am sure a long haul campaign would have been very damaging to his reputation.
Fourthly, he would have had to quit the Celebrity Apprentice, a show which is good for both his pocketbook and his exposure. A presidential campaign would cost him a lot more money in the long run, so it seems unlikely he will ever run.
And finally, the comedy... oh, the comedy. Donald Trump is not a man who can take a joke at his own expense, and with not only the current President ripping on him hard during the Correspondence Dinner, but the grim spectre of The Simpsons' predictions about the Trump Presidency after Lisa became the President would just hurt so bad.
Again, I quote:
He really was in a no win situation.
For one, he has had quite a track record for entertaining the thought of running for president, but he always withdraws. It has been noted that often when he does, he has another project he really wants to draw attention to, such as a book, or in this case, a television series.
Secondly, he would have to disclose the nitty gritty of his finances if he were to run, and frankly, he is too much of a chicken to publicly release that information. He acts like he has a big set of balls, and might be someone who puts their money where their mouth is (after all, he was demanding documentation from Obama), but frankly, he's not. He talks big but he doesn't deliver.
Thirdly, even without a commitment to run for office, skeletons were coming out of his closet from his past. The problems his companies have had and the positions and public statements he made throughout his public career have already been coming to the surface and I am sure a long haul campaign would have been very damaging to his reputation.
Fourthly, he would have had to quit the Celebrity Apprentice, a show which is good for both his pocketbook and his exposure. A presidential campaign would cost him a lot more money in the long run, so it seems unlikely he will ever run.
And finally, the comedy... oh, the comedy. Donald Trump is not a man who can take a joke at his own expense, and with not only the current President ripping on him hard during the Correspondence Dinner, but the grim spectre of The Simpsons' predictions about the Trump Presidency after Lisa became the President would just hurt so bad.
Again, I quote:
Lisa: As you know, we've inherited quite a budget crunch from President Trump. How bad is it Secretary Van Houten?
Milhouse: [shows to a chart] We're broke.
Lisa: The country is broke? How can that be?
Milhouse: Well, remember when the last administration decided to invest in our nation's children? Big mistake.
Aide: The balanced breakfast program just created a generation of ultra-strong super-criminals.
Milhouse: And midnight basketball taught them to function without sleep.
He really was in a no win situation.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Midweek Video: After Hours on TMNT
Another wonderful Cracked After Hours video.
I love where this one goes.
I love where this one goes.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Very Late To The Party: Patton Oswalt In Wired About The Necessary Death Of Geek Culture
Back in December, comedian Patton Oswalt wrote a tongue-in-cheek essay for Wired basically decrying both the convenience and increasing ubiquity of geek culture as part of pop culture as a whole.
And I am calling shenanigans on that notion.
Let's begin with the idea that all of geekdom has been exposed to the light of popular culture (Oswalt used an archeological/geologic analogy of exposing the strata of geek culture to the wider world).
But there are still depths to explore, still artifacts to unearth to use his analogy. Just because there are elements of so-called geek culture (I mean, Star Wars had a lot of crossover appeal and Lord Of The Rings was a best seller even before the movies) that have crossed over doesn't expose the entire strata that is geek culture.
What has really happened is the geek culture of our childhoods have become popular culture because the people who were geeks back then have the power to make decisions and push that knowledge out into the wider culture.
That leads into the next point. Oswalt complains that everyone is otaku (having obsessive, minute interests) now.
My problem with this part of the essay is it implies that there was a time when this wasn't the case. Everyone always had a fixation or two, those things that they were fiercely devoted to. It was just in the past, there were things which were culturally acceptable to be interested in and things that weren't whereas in the present day, there are a lot of geekish pursuits that have gained respectability in the wider world.
For instance, sports fans have always been geeks... but they were never acknowledged as such because that obsession was more culturally accepted. If you doubt me about this, think about of the people you've known in life who followed a particular team, especially in baseball, who can tell you the batting average of every player for every year of their childhood and have discussions with other people who can do the same about how two players from different eras compare based on an arcane set of references.
I've seen those discussions turn into something that was as passionately argued as the various Kirk/Picard debates that almost inevitably break out when Star Trek fans congregate. (OK, maybe that doesn't pop up every time you get Trekkers together, but I think you understand what I mean).
But the insular geek culture that we had as children doesn't exist in the same way anymore, and that is a good thing.
If I like something, I don't care if millions of other people do too or if it is just me and one or two other people. It doesn't diminish my love for that thing. It just means that I have more like-minded people to talk about them with. And I want to talk about, oh, how I want to talk about those things which I am obsessed with. Why is this a bad thing?
The final straw for me was his lamenting about the increasing availability of the materials to become otaku.
I am about 8 years younger than Oswalt, but I remember the utter suckage of being a geek when I was a kid because I had a ravenous appetite for information about the things I was completely into, but my options were limited by geography and the quality of my library system. The gaming magazines filled with titles that as a child I would never get the chance to play because my local stores would never get because they wouldn't be big sellers. I coveted things I would never own, not because I didn't have the resources to acquire them, but because they were not available for me to buy or to see. If you have an intense interest in something, what is the thing that is going to blunt your passion for it. In my case, it is not being able to experience in a timely manner, that feeling of being frustrated, because before I would have the desire to produce something new in the area of my minute and intense interest, I have to reach a point of at least partial satiation... I would have to become genre savvy.
I remember loving a particular series of books and having to rely on the vagaries of my local bookstore to get parts of the back catalog that I needed to read to get caught up. Oswalt acts like this is a wonderful state of being, because it made you have to savor the little bits you could get your hands on all the more.
But if you were starving, what would be more satisfying: eating a few scraps of bread that you scrounged up or being able to get a full banquet with all the fixings? I vote for the latter. Because you aren't going to gorge yourself every day if you have the option, but it is nice for it to be a possibility. It would be something you could do every so often, and it was there if you wanted it, but you wouldn't make a habit of it.
Put it this way. If I want something, I can have it, I can read it, watch it, play it. When I was a kid, my thought palace was a rickety barn. As an adult, I can build a towering edifice to my geekdom because I can literally fill it with as much information as I need to build it. And because I have as much information as I need to do so, I can also make connections between my various geekish fixations which gives me a much broader knowledge base across the things I love, so one helps shore up a new wing as it is being built.
For instance, for about 15 years, I have been sticking my toe into calm waters of soccer, and in the past few months, I have been becoming more and more geekish about it. Because of my educational background, my previously established geekdom with NFL/NCAA Football, military tactics and strategy and a lot of other subjects, there is a structure that already exists for digesting all this new information and putting it into a context which fits with everything I know. It all contextualizes itself into a huge, grand narrative of geekdom in my head.
And I believe in getting a broad picture of things from as many different angles and sources as I can. I have a history degree, and my theory of that discipline's pedagogy is that you start off with the broadest survey of the subject and then fill in details as a student closes in on a particular segment of that narrative so that they have a context for the events they are examining.
If you knew nothing about history and I tried to teach you a course over 13 weeks about World War II and just the raw events of that war, without establishing the reasons for those events or teaching you the aftermath, I am pretty sure you would be lost because the context matters, the why and how is as important and the who, what and when in those kinds of conversations.
With the internet, I can get that context. I can get a breadth of knowledge about a subject while still revering specific items within that branch of geekdom. I can find out what the broad strokes I should perhaps look at first before specializing in the aspect which pleases me the most.
Oswalt then goes on to discuss having to wait for the next issue of Watchmen to come out to find out what happens next? We still have to do that. The internet, both as a means of disseminating information and a place which facilitates commerce, can't bring you things which do not exist yet. I get the sense that in this argument he is making, even those who went to the comic book store and bought all the back issues of Watchmen or bought an anthology of it isn't a true geek either, since they didn't have to wait and savor each issue. I disagree with that.
I think in the end, my conception of what geekdom is differs greatly from Patton Oswalt, and that's ok. I still like him as a comedian, but I disagree with his humorous take on our collective community.
And I am calling shenanigans on that notion.
Let's begin with the idea that all of geekdom has been exposed to the light of popular culture (Oswalt used an archeological/geologic analogy of exposing the strata of geek culture to the wider world).
But there are still depths to explore, still artifacts to unearth to use his analogy. Just because there are elements of so-called geek culture (I mean, Star Wars had a lot of crossover appeal and Lord Of The Rings was a best seller even before the movies) that have crossed over doesn't expose the entire strata that is geek culture.
What has really happened is the geek culture of our childhoods have become popular culture because the people who were geeks back then have the power to make decisions and push that knowledge out into the wider culture.
That leads into the next point. Oswalt complains that everyone is otaku (having obsessive, minute interests) now.
My problem with this part of the essay is it implies that there was a time when this wasn't the case. Everyone always had a fixation or two, those things that they were fiercely devoted to. It was just in the past, there were things which were culturally acceptable to be interested in and things that weren't whereas in the present day, there are a lot of geekish pursuits that have gained respectability in the wider world.
For instance, sports fans have always been geeks... but they were never acknowledged as such because that obsession was more culturally accepted. If you doubt me about this, think about of the people you've known in life who followed a particular team, especially in baseball, who can tell you the batting average of every player for every year of their childhood and have discussions with other people who can do the same about how two players from different eras compare based on an arcane set of references.
I've seen those discussions turn into something that was as passionately argued as the various Kirk/Picard debates that almost inevitably break out when Star Trek fans congregate. (OK, maybe that doesn't pop up every time you get Trekkers together, but I think you understand what I mean).
But the insular geek culture that we had as children doesn't exist in the same way anymore, and that is a good thing.
If I like something, I don't care if millions of other people do too or if it is just me and one or two other people. It doesn't diminish my love for that thing. It just means that I have more like-minded people to talk about them with. And I want to talk about, oh, how I want to talk about those things which I am obsessed with. Why is this a bad thing?
The final straw for me was his lamenting about the increasing availability of the materials to become otaku.
I am about 8 years younger than Oswalt, but I remember the utter suckage of being a geek when I was a kid because I had a ravenous appetite for information about the things I was completely into, but my options were limited by geography and the quality of my library system. The gaming magazines filled with titles that as a child I would never get the chance to play because my local stores would never get because they wouldn't be big sellers. I coveted things I would never own, not because I didn't have the resources to acquire them, but because they were not available for me to buy or to see. If you have an intense interest in something, what is the thing that is going to blunt your passion for it. In my case, it is not being able to experience in a timely manner, that feeling of being frustrated, because before I would have the desire to produce something new in the area of my minute and intense interest, I have to reach a point of at least partial satiation... I would have to become genre savvy.
I remember loving a particular series of books and having to rely on the vagaries of my local bookstore to get parts of the back catalog that I needed to read to get caught up. Oswalt acts like this is a wonderful state of being, because it made you have to savor the little bits you could get your hands on all the more.
But if you were starving, what would be more satisfying: eating a few scraps of bread that you scrounged up or being able to get a full banquet with all the fixings? I vote for the latter. Because you aren't going to gorge yourself every day if you have the option, but it is nice for it to be a possibility. It would be something you could do every so often, and it was there if you wanted it, but you wouldn't make a habit of it.
Put it this way. If I want something, I can have it, I can read it, watch it, play it. When I was a kid, my thought palace was a rickety barn. As an adult, I can build a towering edifice to my geekdom because I can literally fill it with as much information as I need to build it. And because I have as much information as I need to do so, I can also make connections between my various geekish fixations which gives me a much broader knowledge base across the things I love, so one helps shore up a new wing as it is being built.
For instance, for about 15 years, I have been sticking my toe into calm waters of soccer, and in the past few months, I have been becoming more and more geekish about it. Because of my educational background, my previously established geekdom with NFL/NCAA Football, military tactics and strategy and a lot of other subjects, there is a structure that already exists for digesting all this new information and putting it into a context which fits with everything I know. It all contextualizes itself into a huge, grand narrative of geekdom in my head.
And I believe in getting a broad picture of things from as many different angles and sources as I can. I have a history degree, and my theory of that discipline's pedagogy is that you start off with the broadest survey of the subject and then fill in details as a student closes in on a particular segment of that narrative so that they have a context for the events they are examining.
If you knew nothing about history and I tried to teach you a course over 13 weeks about World War II and just the raw events of that war, without establishing the reasons for those events or teaching you the aftermath, I am pretty sure you would be lost because the context matters, the why and how is as important and the who, what and when in those kinds of conversations.
With the internet, I can get that context. I can get a breadth of knowledge about a subject while still revering specific items within that branch of geekdom. I can find out what the broad strokes I should perhaps look at first before specializing in the aspect which pleases me the most.
Oswalt then goes on to discuss having to wait for the next issue of Watchmen to come out to find out what happens next? We still have to do that. The internet, both as a means of disseminating information and a place which facilitates commerce, can't bring you things which do not exist yet. I get the sense that in this argument he is making, even those who went to the comic book store and bought all the back issues of Watchmen or bought an anthology of it isn't a true geek either, since they didn't have to wait and savor each issue. I disagree with that.
I think in the end, my conception of what geekdom is differs greatly from Patton Oswalt, and that's ok. I still like him as a comedian, but I disagree with his humorous take on our collective community.
Friday, December 31, 2010
What Rocked My World In 2010: A Short Survey
Now the things on this list may not have all come out in 2010, but they certainly colored my vision of this year.
God Hand: I will eventually shut up about this game, but seriously, it rocked my world. I could just start playing it right now, I enjoyed the experience so much. Of course, given how many times I've brought it up, that probably isn't surprising. It was the game I enjoyed the most this year.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: I love, love, love this movie. I can't say that enough. And I am glad that as others get to see it, they love it too. And I've read some grumbling from the people who started with the graphic novels from day one getting miffed that the movie is developing a cult following, like somehow those that love the movie are taking away from their love of the books, and it doesn't have to be like that. We can all get along.
Anamanaguchi: The band that did the soundtrack for the Scott Pilgrim vs The World game. Now I am a huge fan of chiptunes, but this band, they got it right... pitch perfect, especially on tunes like Cheap Store and Rock Club. I mean, the music was half the selling point of the game in the trailers for me (sadly, I still haven't gotten to play the game as of yet since I only have the Wii).
Charlie Brooker: Anyone who is adding to the pop culture and news discourse in a funny and relevant way is good people in my book. The fact that Charlie Brooker is so awesome at doing so is just the icing on the cake. His take on My Sweet 16 is legendary. And not only have I watched a lot of his work, I've also found myself fascinated by his writing as well.
Freddie Wong's Youtube Channel: Freddiew's channel was a revelation. It showed me and a lot of other people that doing awesome action effects doesn't have to be a costly affair, and I am sure there is going to be a new generation of independent directors who are taking a lot of cues from their work, especially since every short they release comes with behind the scenes films as well, letting those who are interested in learning gain some insight into the process. That alone is valuable. The fact that the short films they are producing are awesome is almost a bonus at that point. Time Crisis was the clip that got a lot of views this year.
Ugly Americans: I've always been taken with shows which marry the mundane and the absurd, and Ugly Americans takes the idea of New York and adds all kinds of supernatural creatures to the mix... vampires, zombies, birdmen, demons and the like, all trying to live the American dream together. It is exactly my kind of animated series, as it is a little morbid and a whole lot of funny.
Dragonball Z: I hadn't watched any purely anime shows outside of seeing Macross Plus on Teletoon a few years ago, so I had some preconceptions. Mainly I thought that on some level these series were much like the cartoons I watched as a child... you know, big casts of characters and battles between good and evil, but no one would die and things wouldn't really change from the beginning of the series to the end. Oh, how I was wrong. While there was a lot of filler material in Dragonball Z, there is a huge serial narrative that goes along with it. The original Dragonball was full of humor and gentleness... Z was a lot darker and full of consequences and sacrifices. In the end, I laughed, I cried and I ultimately conquered almost 300 episodes of fine Japanese drama and I was introduced to a whole new world of animated entertainment.
Anyway, I am sure if I thought about it some more, there would be more items on this list, but I think it is decent as is. Happy New Year everybody.
God Hand: I will eventually shut up about this game, but seriously, it rocked my world. I could just start playing it right now, I enjoyed the experience so much. Of course, given how many times I've brought it up, that probably isn't surprising. It was the game I enjoyed the most this year.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: I love, love, love this movie. I can't say that enough. And I am glad that as others get to see it, they love it too. And I've read some grumbling from the people who started with the graphic novels from day one getting miffed that the movie is developing a cult following, like somehow those that love the movie are taking away from their love of the books, and it doesn't have to be like that. We can all get along.
Anamanaguchi: The band that did the soundtrack for the Scott Pilgrim vs The World game. Now I am a huge fan of chiptunes, but this band, they got it right... pitch perfect, especially on tunes like Cheap Store and Rock Club. I mean, the music was half the selling point of the game in the trailers for me (sadly, I still haven't gotten to play the game as of yet since I only have the Wii).
Charlie Brooker: Anyone who is adding to the pop culture and news discourse in a funny and relevant way is good people in my book. The fact that Charlie Brooker is so awesome at doing so is just the icing on the cake. His take on My Sweet 16 is legendary. And not only have I watched a lot of his work, I've also found myself fascinated by his writing as well.
Freddie Wong's Youtube Channel: Freddiew's channel was a revelation. It showed me and a lot of other people that doing awesome action effects doesn't have to be a costly affair, and I am sure there is going to be a new generation of independent directors who are taking a lot of cues from their work, especially since every short they release comes with behind the scenes films as well, letting those who are interested in learning gain some insight into the process. That alone is valuable. The fact that the short films they are producing are awesome is almost a bonus at that point. Time Crisis was the clip that got a lot of views this year.
Ugly Americans: I've always been taken with shows which marry the mundane and the absurd, and Ugly Americans takes the idea of New York and adds all kinds of supernatural creatures to the mix... vampires, zombies, birdmen, demons and the like, all trying to live the American dream together. It is exactly my kind of animated series, as it is a little morbid and a whole lot of funny.
Dragonball Z: I hadn't watched any purely anime shows outside of seeing Macross Plus on Teletoon a few years ago, so I had some preconceptions. Mainly I thought that on some level these series were much like the cartoons I watched as a child... you know, big casts of characters and battles between good and evil, but no one would die and things wouldn't really change from the beginning of the series to the end. Oh, how I was wrong. While there was a lot of filler material in Dragonball Z, there is a huge serial narrative that goes along with it. The original Dragonball was full of humor and gentleness... Z was a lot darker and full of consequences and sacrifices. In the end, I laughed, I cried and I ultimately conquered almost 300 episodes of fine Japanese drama and I was introduced to a whole new world of animated entertainment.
Anyway, I am sure if I thought about it some more, there would be more items on this list, but I think it is decent as is. Happy New Year everybody.
Monday, November 29, 2010
TSA Screening: A Pop Cultural Perspective
Now there has been a lot of discussion as of late about the Transportation Security Administration's (and by extension, the security personnel at airports around the world) use of backscatter security scanners and "enhanced" patdown procedures.
I thought it would be interesting to look at these real world events through the lens of pop culture by asking what if you had seen what is going on today in movies and on television in the past... how would it have been painted?
For instance, if you were watching a movie from the the mid-1990's and these kind of procedures were featured during any part of the movie, you would instantly know you were watching a dystopian science fiction film. Think about it.
I mean, think about even Total Recall and its computerized x-ray machine that only showed a person's bones. That wasn't a very pleasant society, was it?
If you were watching an episode of 24 or a movie and what the TSA is doing today was shown happening at the airport in a foreign country, you might be inclined to believe that you were watching the actions of a repressive regime, and the not so subtle odor of corruption would also likely be involved. If it was from a movie in the late 1980's, they may have made it something that the Warsaw Pact countries were doing, or dictatorship in Africa or South America, and in the 1990's, it would have likely been a Middle Eastern country doing such things.
If you were watching a fictional movie about the American Political system and the events leading up to the deployment of the Backscatter Security System were recounted, by the end of that film, the people who did that would be under indictment or have taken their own life.
And if you were watching a movie or television show where the patdown experience was so extreme that sexual abuse and rape survivors were literally breaking down and crying, or those with physical infirmities were made to perform outrageous acts or humiliated, like being forced to show their hidden prostheses or covered in their own urine just so they could fly, those heaping those indignities would not be sympathetic, would they, even if they were just following orders.
In all the cases I've mentioned, the societies that are doing these things end up on the wrong side of things every time and are evil. If this is the case in fiction, why would it not be so when these very same things are happening in real life.
I know that terrorism is a threat, but no matter what measures someone dreams up, there are those who are determined to destroy, and they will come up with creative ways to do so. Ironically, sometimes they seemingly get their ideas from fiction as well.
So putting a bunch of money in a former political appointees pocket and making everyone else miserable is not the answer. Because this all ends with the flying public having to show up to the airport 3 days early and naked just because someone took an Ellen Degeneres joke and ran with it.
I thought it would be interesting to look at these real world events through the lens of pop culture by asking what if you had seen what is going on today in movies and on television in the past... how would it have been painted?
For instance, if you were watching a movie from the the mid-1990's and these kind of procedures were featured during any part of the movie, you would instantly know you were watching a dystopian science fiction film. Think about it.
I mean, think about even Total Recall and its computerized x-ray machine that only showed a person's bones. That wasn't a very pleasant society, was it?
If you were watching an episode of 24 or a movie and what the TSA is doing today was shown happening at the airport in a foreign country, you might be inclined to believe that you were watching the actions of a repressive regime, and the not so subtle odor of corruption would also likely be involved. If it was from a movie in the late 1980's, they may have made it something that the Warsaw Pact countries were doing, or dictatorship in Africa or South America, and in the 1990's, it would have likely been a Middle Eastern country doing such things.
If you were watching a fictional movie about the American Political system and the events leading up to the deployment of the Backscatter Security System were recounted, by the end of that film, the people who did that would be under indictment or have taken their own life.
And if you were watching a movie or television show where the patdown experience was so extreme that sexual abuse and rape survivors were literally breaking down and crying, or those with physical infirmities were made to perform outrageous acts or humiliated, like being forced to show their hidden prostheses or covered in their own urine just so they could fly, those heaping those indignities would not be sympathetic, would they, even if they were just following orders.
In all the cases I've mentioned, the societies that are doing these things end up on the wrong side of things every time and are evil. If this is the case in fiction, why would it not be so when these very same things are happening in real life.
I know that terrorism is a threat, but no matter what measures someone dreams up, there are those who are determined to destroy, and they will come up with creative ways to do so. Ironically, sometimes they seemingly get their ideas from fiction as well.
So putting a bunch of money in a former political appointees pocket and making everyone else miserable is not the answer. Because this all ends with the flying public having to show up to the airport 3 days early and naked just because someone took an Ellen Degeneres joke and ran with it.
Monday, August 2, 2010
I'm the Matt... and I am Awesome....
... or at least part of a Coalition of Awesomeness!
That's right... as well as putting out a quality blog here, I am moonlighting at another collaborative blog as well. Huzzah!
So how did all this come about? It is a simple story.
Lee from Quit Your Day Job came to me with a proposition. We had been looking for a project to collaborate on, and occurred to him that he could get a few of his peers with ninja-like skills and elaborate back stories together and build a team of superbloggers together to fight crime and err, put together a super blog.
From our secret lair, where we learn the skills necessary to kung fu fight aliens while skydiving off the back of an eagle, jump through the air while firing two guns simultaneously (because we love proper action) and how to defuse a bomb with our teeth while blindfolded (a class that Jack Bauer failed by the way), we also put together a series of posts based on a theme. The theme changes every two weeks, so there is going to be a lot of variety.
For our first time out, we have decided to focus on our Favorite Gaming Memories... and I wrote about sports gaming... one particular game from my NCAA Football experiences to be exact. And I will have another post about a particular role playing game later in the week.
Next week (since The Coalition has been going for about a week now), there will be a new, non-gaming related theme, so even if you aren't into gaming, well, there will likely be something of interest for you in the future.
Now if you excuse me, I have to get out of this mask and tights. Bah... with great blogging power comes great blogging responsibility... and wedgies.
Edit: I got a couple emails about the title of this post. It was supposed to be that way. It was a wrestling reference.
That's right... as well as putting out a quality blog here, I am moonlighting at another collaborative blog as well. Huzzah!
So how did all this come about? It is a simple story.
Lee from Quit Your Day Job came to me with a proposition. We had been looking for a project to collaborate on, and occurred to him that he could get a few of his peers with ninja-like skills and elaborate back stories together and build a team of superbloggers together to fight crime and err, put together a super blog.
From our secret lair, where we learn the skills necessary to kung fu fight aliens while skydiving off the back of an eagle, jump through the air while firing two guns simultaneously (because we love proper action) and how to defuse a bomb with our teeth while blindfolded (a class that Jack Bauer failed by the way), we also put together a series of posts based on a theme. The theme changes every two weeks, so there is going to be a lot of variety.
For our first time out, we have decided to focus on our Favorite Gaming Memories... and I wrote about sports gaming... one particular game from my NCAA Football experiences to be exact. And I will have another post about a particular role playing game later in the week.
Next week (since The Coalition has been going for about a week now), there will be a new, non-gaming related theme, so even if you aren't into gaming, well, there will likely be something of interest for you in the future.
Now if you excuse me, I have to get out of this mask and tights. Bah... with great blogging power comes great blogging responsibility... and wedgies.
Edit: I got a couple emails about the title of this post. It was supposed to be that way. It was a wrestling reference.
Tags:
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The Geek Phonetic Alphabet
By now, I think we have all heard parts of the ICAO spelling alphabet in a movie or on a television show. If you've ever watched a work of fiction based on police work or military operations, then you've likely heard someone spell out something in the following way.
Charlie-Romeo-Yankee Bravo-Alpha-Bravo-Yankee
Well, I thought it would be funny to see if I could geek that system up a bit for the pop culturally obsessed bunch. I think I did pretty well, but I admit that there were some challenging letters, and I am more than willing to take suggestions.
I also tried to pick just one item from each franchise/grouping of characters... so there is for instance, only one choice from the DC and Marvel Universes respectively.
Ash
Buffy
Chocobo
Dalek
Elvis
Frodo
Godzilla
Hurley
Indy
Joker
Kirk
Lebowski
Mario
Neo
Obi-Wan
Potter
Quentin
Rincewind
Starbuck
Trillian
Ulysses
Venture
Wolverine
Xena
Yakko
Zoidberg
So, what do you think?
Charlie-Romeo-Yankee Bravo-Alpha-Bravo-Yankee
Well, I thought it would be funny to see if I could geek that system up a bit for the pop culturally obsessed bunch. I think I did pretty well, but I admit that there were some challenging letters, and I am more than willing to take suggestions.
I also tried to pick just one item from each franchise/grouping of characters... so there is for instance, only one choice from the DC and Marvel Universes respectively.
Ash
Buffy
Chocobo
Dalek
Elvis
Frodo
Godzilla
Hurley
Indy
Joker
Kirk
Lebowski
Mario
Neo
Obi-Wan
Potter
Quentin
Rincewind
Starbuck
Trillian
Ulysses
Venture
Wolverine
Xena
Yakko
Zoidberg
So, what do you think?
Tags:
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
I Want to Live La Vita Lucha
If it was socially acceptable, and I didn't wear glasses, I would totally be into wearing a lucha mask all the time.
I mean, there is just something cool in my mind about being the masked man all the time. It is as if you are hiding your identity, but at the same time, you are still very recognizable.
It doesn't even look out of place with a suit. Then again, both El Santo and the Blue Demon are cooler than I will ever be, so perhaps it is just the two of them that can pull off such a combination.
If I was going to be bold, I guess I would have to be worried about going into a bank or shop and having the teller/clerk freak out because they thought I was wearing a balaklava and was therefore there to rob the joint. Once again, criminals ruin it for the rest of society.
I mean, ideally, I'd want to be dapper and suave like the aforementioned El Santo, or work it like Rey Mysterio.
But in all likelihood, this is more representative of me with a lucha mask.
Sigh.
I mean, there is just something cool in my mind about being the masked man all the time. It is as if you are hiding your identity, but at the same time, you are still very recognizable.
It doesn't even look out of place with a suit. Then again, both El Santo and the Blue Demon are cooler than I will ever be, so perhaps it is just the two of them that can pull off such a combination.
If I was going to be bold, I guess I would have to be worried about going into a bank or shop and having the teller/clerk freak out because they thought I was wearing a balaklava and was therefore there to rob the joint. Once again, criminals ruin it for the rest of society.
I mean, ideally, I'd want to be dapper and suave like the aforementioned El Santo, or work it like Rey Mysterio.
But in all likelihood, this is more representative of me with a lucha mask.
Sigh.
Tags:
Monday, June 14, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
You Know Things Are Bad When Even Your Dreams Have In-Jokes
The whole dream isn't important to this story... just one small aspect which stuck with me.
In the dream, me and my friend were in a book store, and my friend was listening to an audio book called "The Simpsons with Descriptions for the Visually Impaired by Charlton Heston", and I asked them if I could listen to it, and it was the scene from the episode Last Exit to Springfield which leads up to Homer punching Lenny in the back of the head. The audio is the 12th entry on that page.
So I heard that clip and then Charlton Heston saying "Homer got the Comeuppance he sought".
Upon waking and thinking about the dream, I realized that it was in fact Phil Hartman doing his impression of Charlton Heston, one which he had done on The Simpsons, including an episode called "A Star is Burns".
Why do I mention that particular episode? Well, one of the last things I watched last night was The Critic, and Jay Sherman happened to be a guest character on that episode of The Simpsons.
And it in general, the above dream sequence was very much like a joke that someone would have written for an episode of The Simpsons.
At least the Comic Book Guy didn't show up and tell me "Worst Dream Ever".
In the dream, me and my friend were in a book store, and my friend was listening to an audio book called "The Simpsons with Descriptions for the Visually Impaired by Charlton Heston", and I asked them if I could listen to it, and it was the scene from the episode Last Exit to Springfield which leads up to Homer punching Lenny in the back of the head. The audio is the 12th entry on that page.
So I heard that clip and then Charlton Heston saying "Homer got the Comeuppance he sought".
Upon waking and thinking about the dream, I realized that it was in fact Phil Hartman doing his impression of Charlton Heston, one which he had done on The Simpsons, including an episode called "A Star is Burns".
Why do I mention that particular episode? Well, one of the last things I watched last night was The Critic, and Jay Sherman happened to be a guest character on that episode of The Simpsons.
And it in general, the above dream sequence was very much like a joke that someone would have written for an episode of The Simpsons.
At least the Comic Book Guy didn't show up and tell me "Worst Dream Ever".
Tags:
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
I'm cooking up another blog
Hi there.
I am currently in the midst of developing another pop culture-related blog, and as I am one for collaboration, I would love to have some other people on board to help.
I haven't decided on a platform yet, but I do have a title in mind, and the general style involved.
Without being too specific, what I am looking for is people who know a particular movie/book/television series etc really well and would be willing to use that knowledge in a somewhat cheeky way. It will be an intriguing experiment to say the least.
If this sounds interesting to you, leave a comment or drop me an email at campybeaver@gmail.com.
I am currently in the midst of developing another pop culture-related blog, and as I am one for collaboration, I would love to have some other people on board to help.
I haven't decided on a platform yet, but I do have a title in mind, and the general style involved.
Without being too specific, what I am looking for is people who know a particular movie/book/television series etc really well and would be willing to use that knowledge in a somewhat cheeky way. It will be an intriguing experiment to say the least.
If this sounds interesting to you, leave a comment or drop me an email at campybeaver@gmail.com.
Tags:
Monday, January 18, 2010
Australia scares the Bejesus out of me.
I recently came across an article on Cracked which looked at the dangers of Australian wildlife and insects.
It is like they took every deadly and dangerous planet in the movies and just stuffed them into one continent. True story, Captain Kirk stranded Khan not on Ceti Alpha 5, but in the Outback.
Compared with Australia, I live in a Disney cartoon.
I mean, the only wildlife I am sharing this neighborhood with are, let's see, squirrels, rabbits, foxes, skunks, possums, raccoons, ducks, geese, bluebirds, cardinals, robins... you know, the usual pantheon of cute and sometimes annoying animals. I am sure there are chipmunks somewhere around here too.
Yes, I have to occasionally deal with a skunk spraying my dog, but nothing is actively trying to kill me on a daily basis, despite what that crazy dude at the coffee shop down the street keeps saying about the squirrels conspiring to seize the supermarkets so that the precious nut supply can be theirs. I am sure I would look at things differently if we were having Night of the Lepus rabbit problems or the geese around here, while being a little bit agressive, had poison claws on their webbed feet or venomous bites.
So Kudos to you Australians. You are living in God's country... if he was a vindictive murderous bastard AKA Old Testament God.
It is like they took every deadly and dangerous planet in the movies and just stuffed them into one continent. True story, Captain Kirk stranded Khan not on Ceti Alpha 5, but in the Outback.
Compared with Australia, I live in a Disney cartoon.
I mean, the only wildlife I am sharing this neighborhood with are, let's see, squirrels, rabbits, foxes, skunks, possums, raccoons, ducks, geese, bluebirds, cardinals, robins... you know, the usual pantheon of cute and sometimes annoying animals. I am sure there are chipmunks somewhere around here too.
Yes, I have to occasionally deal with a skunk spraying my dog, but nothing is actively trying to kill me on a daily basis, despite what that crazy dude at the coffee shop down the street keeps saying about the squirrels conspiring to seize the supermarkets so that the precious nut supply can be theirs. I am sure I would look at things differently if we were having Night of the Lepus rabbit problems or the geese around here, while being a little bit agressive, had poison claws on their webbed feet or venomous bites.
So Kudos to you Australians. You are living in God's country... if he was a vindictive murderous bastard AKA Old Testament God.
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Monday, December 7, 2009
The New Uncanny Valley
I think we are all familiar with the uncanny valley when it comes to computer graphics, especially those of us who have subjected themselves to the recent motion capture masterpieces *ahem* of Robert Zemeckis.
But I think I have discovered a different version of this phenomenon which may be equally applicable. There seems to be an uncanny valley when it comes to tanning. I am thinking especially about those atrocious spray tans.
I mean, we've all seen those pictures of those doofuses with the spiky hair and the oompah loompah orange skin. If you haven't, look up douchebag on Google Images to see one of many of these creatures. (I mean it, they will appear highly under that search term).
I am talking about specimens like these:
Historically, tans used to be associated with the lower classes (people who worked outdoors), and it was only with the increase in leisure time and vacationing that tanning became a chic thing to do. It is amazing how it seems the cycle has repeated itself again and again.
Now, spray on tans are a lot like makeup... a little goes a long way... there is something to be said for subtlety and discretion. I mean, the best tan and makeup is likely the kind that doesn't call attention to itself. But we all know people who take both way too far.
It seems that wrestlers and porn stars are especially guilty of these offenses (Semaj posted a picture of former porn star Cody Lane who I thought was East Indian... and I'd seen her before, so I knew that wasn't the case). And when you have a bunch of people with spray on tans, and a person who doesn't, well, it becomes glaringly obvious how unnatural they really look.
The funny thing is, the dude on the far left is from Scotland... and when you think of Scotland, you just naturally think of dudes with Coppertone tans.
Over the past couple of weeks, I've put together a little graph which I feel covers most of the bases when it comes to the uncanny valley of tanning, because you can indeed come out the other side.
For instance, I'm of a certain age that I remember all the jokes about George Hamilton's tan... but looking back, his looked natural and he was able to pull it off in comparison to some of the tans people are trying to pass off as normal these days. And speaking of those times, I remember nudity back in 1970's-80's movies where there were a lot of tan lines, and somehow in my mind, seeing tan lines on a woman brings me back to a simpler, more innocent time, because you really don't see tan lines too much in movies unless it is very intentional. I mean, it almost seems quaint now.
I guess the point that I am trying to make with all this is that friends don't let friends overdue it with the tanning. When you see a problem starting to emerge, you have to nip it in the bud.
Don't let this happen to you or your pals. Your enemies? Sure, why not?
I have to give a shoutout to Pale is the New Tan for the last picture, because if you want to see bad tans, that's the place to go.
But I think I have discovered a different version of this phenomenon which may be equally applicable. There seems to be an uncanny valley when it comes to tanning. I am thinking especially about those atrocious spray tans.
I mean, we've all seen those pictures of those doofuses with the spiky hair and the oompah loompah orange skin. If you haven't, look up douchebag on Google Images to see one of many of these creatures. (I mean it, they will appear highly under that search term).
I am talking about specimens like these:
Historically, tans used to be associated with the lower classes (people who worked outdoors), and it was only with the increase in leisure time and vacationing that tanning became a chic thing to do. It is amazing how it seems the cycle has repeated itself again and again.
Now, spray on tans are a lot like makeup... a little goes a long way... there is something to be said for subtlety and discretion. I mean, the best tan and makeup is likely the kind that doesn't call attention to itself. But we all know people who take both way too far.
It seems that wrestlers and porn stars are especially guilty of these offenses (Semaj posted a picture of former porn star Cody Lane who I thought was East Indian... and I'd seen her before, so I knew that wasn't the case). And when you have a bunch of people with spray on tans, and a person who doesn't, well, it becomes glaringly obvious how unnatural they really look.
The funny thing is, the dude on the far left is from Scotland... and when you think of Scotland, you just naturally think of dudes with Coppertone tans.
Over the past couple of weeks, I've put together a little graph which I feel covers most of the bases when it comes to the uncanny valley of tanning, because you can indeed come out the other side.
For instance, I'm of a certain age that I remember all the jokes about George Hamilton's tan... but looking back, his looked natural and he was able to pull it off in comparison to some of the tans people are trying to pass off as normal these days. And speaking of those times, I remember nudity back in 1970's-80's movies where there were a lot of tan lines, and somehow in my mind, seeing tan lines on a woman brings me back to a simpler, more innocent time, because you really don't see tan lines too much in movies unless it is very intentional. I mean, it almost seems quaint now.
I guess the point that I am trying to make with all this is that friends don't let friends overdue it with the tanning. When you see a problem starting to emerge, you have to nip it in the bud.
Don't let this happen to you or your pals. Your enemies? Sure, why not?
I have to give a shoutout to Pale is the New Tan for the last picture, because if you want to see bad tans, that's the place to go.
Tags:
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Christmas TV Companion: A Review
I was recently privileged to receive a copy of the first book released by 1701 Press (to my knowledge), a fun little slice of season appropriate enjoyment called The Christmas TV Companion: a Guide to Cult Classics, Strange Specials & Outrageous Oddities by Joanna Wilson.
Now, I used to think I was quite conversant with the pantheon of holiday-themed specials and movies, but after reading this Joanna Wilson's book, I can see how deficient I've been, especially when it comes to episodic television that was off the beaten path for me, whether it was from an age that was before my time or from a genre that never interested me as a kid.
For instance, aside from that Bing Crosby/David Bowie duet from the 1970's, my knowledge of Christmas episodes from variety TV is remarkably lean, and it seems there were some rather interesting moments in that medium that I should really look into (like a 1963 Judy Garland Show Christmas Special which Wilson describes in loving detail).
The category that she discusses which I am most familiar with is animation, which doesn't dwell on those programs which we have all seen (like a Charlie Brown Christmas, How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and the Rankin/Bass specials), but shines a spotlight on the oddities of animated television in the modern era, including the various iterations of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol, and South Park, which has made Christmas episodes its bread and butter.
And she also devotes a fair amount of the book to both horror inspired and science fiction-based Christmas episodes, which means that Doctor Who, Bender, Buffy and Jack Skellington also get their moments to shine (and after all, A Christmas Carol is a story with ghosts and time travel after all). Wilson also spends some time discussing that holiday train wreck we are all familiar with, (though many of us, myself included, have been spared the agony of watching), and I am of course referring to the infamous The Star Wars Holiday Special. She took a hit I certainly wouldn't want to.
But I think the most interesting chapter of the book is the final one which takes a look at the darker, more cynical visions of the Christmas season, most of which are films. From the film noir The Lady in the Lake, to a few post-apocalyptic Christmas tales to even the Pope of Trash John Waters' Female Trouble, this section is filled with treasures which would be appreciated by those who aren't big on the saccharine and sugar plums (and for those of you who want their Christmas fare a little bloodier, well, there is that previously mentioned horror section).
In addition to these categorized chapters, Wilson has also included a number of Make Your Own Marathons (making a Christmas-themed marathons based not just on themes, but even taking a classic or cult film and trying to find Christmas episodes/movies with all the cast members in them). She finishes the book with her own version of the latter concept by putting together a Marathon based on the cast of The Big Lebowski, and what a list it turns out to be.
As a fellow traveler in the pop cultural world, Joanna Wilson's book is an entertaining trip through some of the less explored areas of our collective holiday experience. Naturally, there are a few things I wish were in it (like the hilarious Alan Cumming/Lenny Henry/Rowan Atkinson vehicle Bernard and The Genie), but for the most part, it hits a lot of movies and television episodes that deserve noting and it serves its purpose as a guidebook for the holiday season, especially with so many options on the cable and satellite dial (not to mention all the videos available online as well) that showcase things that may be off the radar.
Now, I used to think I was quite conversant with the pantheon of holiday-themed specials and movies, but after reading this Joanna Wilson's book, I can see how deficient I've been, especially when it comes to episodic television that was off the beaten path for me, whether it was from an age that was before my time or from a genre that never interested me as a kid. For instance, aside from that Bing Crosby/David Bowie duet from the 1970's, my knowledge of Christmas episodes from variety TV is remarkably lean, and it seems there were some rather interesting moments in that medium that I should really look into (like a 1963 Judy Garland Show Christmas Special which Wilson describes in loving detail).
The category that she discusses which I am most familiar with is animation, which doesn't dwell on those programs which we have all seen (like a Charlie Brown Christmas, How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and the Rankin/Bass specials), but shines a spotlight on the oddities of animated television in the modern era, including the various iterations of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol, and South Park, which has made Christmas episodes its bread and butter.
And she also devotes a fair amount of the book to both horror inspired and science fiction-based Christmas episodes, which means that Doctor Who, Bender, Buffy and Jack Skellington also get their moments to shine (and after all, A Christmas Carol is a story with ghosts and time travel after all). Wilson also spends some time discussing that holiday train wreck we are all familiar with, (though many of us, myself included, have been spared the agony of watching), and I am of course referring to the infamous The Star Wars Holiday Special. She took a hit I certainly wouldn't want to.
But I think the most interesting chapter of the book is the final one which takes a look at the darker, more cynical visions of the Christmas season, most of which are films. From the film noir The Lady in the Lake, to a few post-apocalyptic Christmas tales to even the Pope of Trash John Waters' Female Trouble, this section is filled with treasures which would be appreciated by those who aren't big on the saccharine and sugar plums (and for those of you who want their Christmas fare a little bloodier, well, there is that previously mentioned horror section).
In addition to these categorized chapters, Wilson has also included a number of Make Your Own Marathons (making a Christmas-themed marathons based not just on themes, but even taking a classic or cult film and trying to find Christmas episodes/movies with all the cast members in them). She finishes the book with her own version of the latter concept by putting together a Marathon based on the cast of The Big Lebowski, and what a list it turns out to be.
As a fellow traveler in the pop cultural world, Joanna Wilson's book is an entertaining trip through some of the less explored areas of our collective holiday experience. Naturally, there are a few things I wish were in it (like the hilarious Alan Cumming/Lenny Henry/Rowan Atkinson vehicle Bernard and The Genie), but for the most part, it hits a lot of movies and television episodes that deserve noting and it serves its purpose as a guidebook for the holiday season, especially with so many options on the cable and satellite dial (not to mention all the videos available online as well) that showcase things that may be off the radar.
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