Thank you for tearing me open
I am in between doctor's appointments of the day. Have some links.
1. On the phenomenon of comparisons that disappear up their own context-flattening pop-culture references: Rosa Lyster, "This essay is just Harry Potter for people who think comparing things to Harry Potter is stupid." "What does describing Machiavelli as an incel do other than indicate that you know what an incel is, vaguely, and you have read something somewhere about Machiavelli not being too keen on women?"
2. I am feeling bitten by this comic because in second grade my Halloween costume was Gene Kelly's umbrella from Singin' in the Rain (1952). I was very proud of it.
3. I had never heard of Cosmic Wimpout until![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
spatch mentioned it last night. I don't even normally play dice games. The FAQ are delightful. "Generally, we follow the direction of the path of the scoreboard. If you are not using a scoreboard, it's up to you, as we can't remember how we used to do it."
4. I still haven't managed to see The Lighthouse (2019), but I am already here for this female-forward maritime neo-noir. I would put that poster on my wall. I might still if I can get it.
5. I legitimately thought this was fanart for Machineries of Empire until I counted the number of eyes.
P.S. Any necklace with a spider motif and uranium glass really belongs in modern-day Paradys.
1. On the phenomenon of comparisons that disappear up their own context-flattening pop-culture references: Rosa Lyster, "This essay is just Harry Potter for people who think comparing things to Harry Potter is stupid." "What does describing Machiavelli as an incel do other than indicate that you know what an incel is, vaguely, and you have read something somewhere about Machiavelli not being too keen on women?"
2. I am feeling bitten by this comic because in second grade my Halloween costume was Gene Kelly's umbrella from Singin' in the Rain (1952). I was very proud of it.
3. I had never heard of Cosmic Wimpout until
spatch mentioned it last night. I don't even normally play dice games. The FAQ are delightful. "Generally, we follow the direction of the path of the scoreboard. If you are not using a scoreboard, it's up to you, as we can't remember how we used to do it."4. I still haven't managed to see The Lighthouse (2019), but I am already here for this female-forward maritime neo-noir. I would put that poster on my wall. I might still if I can get it.
5. I legitimately thought this was fanart for Machineries of Empire until I counted the number of eyes.
P.S. Any necklace with a spider motif and uranium glass really belongs in modern-day Paradys.
no subject
I love the not-fanart too!
I found the article about "x is just y" interesting, but I'm not sure it's as new a phenomenon as the author argues. I was just reading a 1986 novel earlier today, and one character told another (a private detective): "Back east you must be considered the David Susskind of your profession." 30ish years isn't a hugely long historical timeline, but I suspect people understanding concepts by comparing them to other concepts is a fairly fundamental part of human nature, even if it flattens the distinctions.
no subject
I suspect it won't really have sirens in it, but I can hope!
(Also, "The Lighthouse" was stranger than I expected, and I'll be very interested to see what you think of it.)
I'm really hoping to see it before it leaves theaters. I loved The Witch.
30ish years isn't a hugely long historical timeline, but I suspect people understanding concepts by comparing them to other concepts is a fairly fundamental part of human nature, even if it flattens the distinctions.
I think that's immemorial—look at the phrase "Napoleon of crime." That's bringing a reference from the past into the present, though, and I do feel that something like "Nietzsche was the original incel" is different in that it projects a specifically contemporary concept into the past and expects it to be read meaningfully. It may not be new, either, but I agreed with the author that it feels like it's suddenly everywhere.