Let's talk about "Edge"

Igor-Rowan

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Let's face it, shielding young people from age-innapropriate media is a lost cause. Even if you somehow managed to control what comes out of the TV, the internet, the games and movies the kids can buy, it's all for naught when they probably go to schools and meet other people who will tingle their curiosity.

And I think that's on par for the course, when you're exposed for the same thing for too long, you'll inevitably get sick of it and anything that does something slightly different will catch a glimpse, and anything completely different will get your full attention. That's where the edge comes from.

I look back on shows like Rocko, Samurai Jack, and others that had a lot of things that flew by my head when I was a kid and I gain newfound appreciation for those, meanwhile if anything sells itself on just the edge of not being something else, will have diminishing returns on the future as it lacks identity and edge is all there is. And we want edge, we want variety in what we consume.

And I feel there is a right way of doing that and 'making a moral panic that gives anything unwanted attention' and 'seeing what you can get away with and cry censorship whenever someone feels slightly uncomfortable' are two extremes we find a tad too often, more the former than the latter.
 
Apr 17, 2009
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I think maturity might be a better term for it. Just the way I usually think about it, but I feel "edge" or "edgy" are derogatory terms, used to describe something that is actively trying to be mature but in a way that makes it really immature. Your own example of Samurai Jack would be mature, something like a Rob Liefeld comic would be edgy. Edgy is just an ironic parody of mature that has gone wrong.
 

Thaluikhain

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I tend to think of "edgy" as something trying to be shocking in lieu of being clever. Worst of all are those types that make a fuss about how daring they are, by saying or doing something lots of other people are already.
 

Igor-Rowan

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Palindromemordnilap said:
I didn't want to say maturity, because that's the difference between Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, it's more in the sense of pushing that PG rating. Edge is just a word that became too much associated with being edgy.
 

Silentpony_v1legacy

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Edge is just critic talk for shock humor and desperate try-harding. I mean what's edgier, the first 10 minutes of Up or that scene in South Park where Kenny's dad is vomiting, shitting and spraying blood from his nose all at the same time for a few minutes?
Edge to me has always meant using shock as a way to hide bad writing. And here's the thing - its all fake, so we know its not shocking. 'Oh man isn't it edgy we had a rape scene in a Jennifer Lawrence movie?' and I'm like no. We know it was faked and I've even seen her on interviews talking about how safe and respected she was and yadda yadda.

Media shouldn't make anyone feel uncomfortable, like 'I can't believe what I'm seeing'. Don't. Its TV and movies and cartoons. Its not real.
Although that could just be me. Same goes for horror anything really. I know its fake, so why bother panicking?
 

Marter

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Okay.

<youtube=z6rhLTg6M7A>

He was a fun wrestler who had to retire too early.

Also yes we should definitely show kids as much mature content as possible because that is what good parents do.
 

BreakfastMan

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Marter said:
Also yes we should definitely show kids as much mature content as possible because that is what good parents do.
I personally plan on showing my kids A Serbian Film, Mother!, Hereditary, Martyrs, and Wolf Creek as soon as they can form words.
 

PsychedelicDiamond

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Well, it was great American director John Waters who once said "If your twelve year old kid wants to read Naked Lunch, just let them!" and as someone who has read Naked Lunch at... I think it was fiveteen, actually, I'm sorta inclined to agree. There's a lot of cruelty and depravity, real cruelty and depravity, not the fictional kind, I wouldn't want to expose my hypothetical kids to but I'd much rather have them read Naked Lunch or watch A Serbian Film or, he'll, get into weird Porn than have them... fucked if I know, listen to Paul Joseph Watson or Lauren Southern or... now that I think of it, fucking PewDiePie, or some other goon on YouTube.

You have those teens who listen to Info Wars or whatever and think Hillary Clinton is running a child prostitution ring from a pizza place. I saw Eraserhead when I was fourteen. You know what that got me? A great taste in movies, that's what.
 

Canadamus Prime

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I want good stories with well developed relateable characters. "Edge" is a crutch to cover up the absence of both of those things.
 

CaitSeith

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What kind of "edge" are we talking about? What kind of purpose does it have in the material? If you are exposed to the same edge for too long, you'll inevitably get sick of it. That's when edge for the sake of being edgy becomes detrimental (because there is nothing below the edge).

Besides, there are more things to catch someone's eyes than edge.
 

sXeth

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He's a terribly named character whose late addition the party leaves him woefully undeveloped and lacking in character arc, even by the generally lower standards of the era Final Fantasy 4 was released in. Also he's mechanically kind of garbage unless you knew to hoardu p swords for him to throw at bosses.

Oh you mean cartoons with adult themes or whatever. That in itself is pretty vague and depends on what region you're in to begin with what would even qualify. Its prettymuch incredibly hard to do without just confusing the younger audience,so cant say I'd recommend it, because there's enough ill concieved stuff out there alread.
 

Squilookle

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Everyone has their own opinion of course, but personally I think the Edge is one of the most elegant designs around. Considering it's tailor made for the speed of the players, and the amount of vertical combat possible in the Edge, it's really stood the test of time. I'd even consider it one of the top ten deathmatch arenas ever made.

 

Pseudonym

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There is a different between being grim or dark for an artistic reason and being so because you think it's cool or the kids these days are into that. For an example of edge:

 

BrawlMan

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Pseudonym said:
There is a different between being grim or dark for an artistic reason and being so because you think it's cool or the kids these days are into that. For an example of edge:

Honestly, that song is pretty self aware. Now Shadow the Hedgehog, that game is "edge" incarnate.
 

Pseudonym

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CoCage said:
Pseudonym said:
There is a different between being grim or dark for an artistic reason and being so because you think it's cool or the kids these days are into that. For an example of edge:

Honestly, that song is pretty self aware. Now Shadow the Hedgehog, that game is "edge" incarnate.
Remember: the second 'H' in 'Shadow the Hedgehog' is silent.
 

Chewster

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BreakfastMan said:
Marter said:
Also yes we should definitely show kids as much mature content as possible because that is what good parents do.
I personally plan on showing my kids A Serbian Film, Mother!, Hereditary, Martyrs, and Wolf Creek as soon as they can form words.
Don't forget Bone Tomahawk, I Saw the Devil, Irreversible and Funny Games.

Anyway, I've long maintained that edgy comedy with no greater purpose or point can be funny but it's mostly empty spectacle. It's all icing and no cake. Which is fine, I guess, but if your sense of humour or attitude has no greater purpose other than to offend the normies, you're basically no better than a 13-year-old who draws vulgar doodles in his school textbooks.
 
Oct 22, 2011
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Edge is a member of a tad overrated band, but i don't have any opinions about him in particular.

OT: Usually "edge" is used to denote an unsuccesful or unneeded attempt at making something more gritty or "mature". That being said, there is a handful of works in which "edge" contributes to them.
For example, the original Judge Dredd adaptation with Stallone was running on tv last evening, and watching bits of it didn't change my mind about it being a narmy failure. Was "not being edgy enough" the only reason, movie was a trainwreck? No. However, ffw couple of years to Dredd(2012), and we get a much more darker adaptation. It's gory, it's bleak, if there's a comedy, it's a dark, almost pitch black, comedy.
The edge in this movie contributes to the kind of world and story the makers were trying to depict, and it works in movie's advantage.