@Jegsimmons, actually, most civilizations tend to move both forward and backward in terms of technology, quality of life, etc. Europe went through the dark ages after the fall of Rome. Incan and Aztec ruins are all over South America, Pakistan and Afganistan used to be the center of culture and learning in the world and China has moved forward and backward so many times on this scale its ridiculous. To believe that society generally only moves forward is, well, ignorant of all of history.
The Big Picture: Relics
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Yes, yes, and The Lord of the Rings movies are an antidemocratic celebration of a strongman - of superior numenorian genetics, no less - righting a society gone wrong through putting it under his authoritarian rulership. All in the face of a black/white conflict with an ultimate evil of easily identifiable dirty foreigners from a hellish desert wasteland.
Or maybe it's all just good fun which one shouldn't read all kinds of political messages into. The fact that these days people are looking to Uncharted to find their daily dose of "racism" to educate the dirty masses on should tell you everything about how much of a non-issue it is (in case the accusation against Deus Ex:HR [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.310500-Square-Enix-Responds-to-Racist-Deus-Ex-Character], Mafia II [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102889-Mafia-II-Accused-of-Racism-Take-Two-Responds], Resident Evil 5 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/89834-British-Ratings-Board-RE5-Is-Not-Racist], Left 4 Dead 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/93597-Valve-Responds-to-Racism-Accusations], Civilization IV: Colonization [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/84721-Civilization-IV-Colonization-Called-Morally-Disturbing], and the Kinect motion controller [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.243277-Consumer-Reports-Claims-Kinect-Is-Not-Racist?page=1] didn't already).
Or maybe it's all just good fun which one shouldn't read all kinds of political messages into. The fact that these days people are looking to Uncharted to find their daily dose of "racism" to educate the dirty masses on should tell you everything about how much of a non-issue it is (in case the accusation against Deus Ex:HR [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.310500-Square-Enix-Responds-to-Racist-Deus-Ex-Character], Mafia II [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102889-Mafia-II-Accused-of-Racism-Take-Two-Responds], Resident Evil 5 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/89834-British-Ratings-Board-RE5-Is-Not-Racist], Left 4 Dead 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/93597-Valve-Responds-to-Racism-Accusations], Civilization IV: Colonization [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/84721-Civilization-IV-Colonization-Called-Morally-Disturbing], and the Kinect motion controller [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.243277-Consumer-Reports-Claims-Kinect-Is-Not-Racist?page=1] didn't already).
Actually im not sure this is/was the case. Thing is the people who lived near these ruins or in the same area at least had nothing similar themselves. It may well be logical to think that the locals might not have been responsible as if they were why would they have subsequently abandoned them for seemingly worse conditions. I dont know if this was the case because i aint studied it but i dont think its fair to say that it was blatant racism which brought these things about. Not saying it wasnt or that the locals werent responsible just sayinf that it isnt fair to say that was the reason without explanation of where these ruins did infact come from. Also considering these ruins usually are the handy work of locals in the stories, if they are made by people, means it might not infact be as racist as depicted. There was racism going on and it was pretty terrible but I just see holes in this.
My question is: What do you think it would take for a MMORPG to have more subscribers than WOW? Where is the next step for this genre?
Excellent episode Bob, and a topic of particular interest to me. My father grew up in South Africa, and my mother lived there for a few years. We heard about a lot of outlandish racism growing up, but it was often the more subtle examples which had the most impact.
On the subject of subtle racism, and hitting you in home court, the last time I visited the Boston Museum of Science they'd opened a special hands-on room. It contained: bones, rocks, stuffed animals, and Native American artifacts. This was about a decade ago so maybe they?re better about such things.
On the subject of subtle racism, and hitting you in home court, the last time I visited the Boston Museum of Science they'd opened a special hands-on room. It contained: bones, rocks, stuffed animals, and Native American artifacts. This was about a decade ago so maybe they?re better about such things.
Wow. Mind=blown. Thank you for that link.SlothfulCobra said:
OT
Huh, interesting stuff. Thank you for the brain-food, Bob. I wonder what the civilizations were like that built those structures. I also have to wonder how far they progressed technologically before they were pillaged.
I mean, the Romans had developed concrete, and that allegedly became a lost technology until it was "rediscovered" sometime in the 18th century. The Mayans are rumored to have developed a primitive battery and had also developed sophisticated mathmatics and astronomy.
It boggles the mind what can be gained and lost over time.
Like a lot of others here, I tend to veer towards South America when I hear the phrase "Lost City", but then I wasn't exposed to a lot of the stories you're addressing. My exposure to lost cities was in studying Mayan ruins in school
@Spot1990, well, there's tons of evidence of ruins throughout Europe that people lived in hovels next to. Anyhow, there is a prolonged historical argument that happened from around 1800 to 1950 about the origins of Inca and Aztec ruins that exhibits this sense of racism. You can read through letters of white historians saying there is no way these locals could have built such wonders. However, I am not so sure the transition to pop-culture icons such as turn of the century adventure writing and the Indiana Jones movies is real. If I am searching for a "Lost City", wouldn't it be more fun if I had to go somewhere exotic to find it rather than my back yard?
Awesome episode as always Bob. While we're on the matter of race, what do you think about the character design change that Aqualad went through from the comics to the Young Justice TV show?
for my question, i was wondering... although i agree with you on your views on racism in the Help and other movies like it, i was wondering why in that movie white people solving the problems of black people made me angry, while in say, to kill a mocking bird it didn't.
on a less serious question, what do you think of yahtzee not liking new super mario bros.
on a less serious question, what do you think of yahtzee not liking new super mario bros.
Well thankfully Bob added in that Liking the medias that take place in these locations doesn't make you a racist.
Otherwise this could have all been construed as another "If you don't think you're a racist then you're absolutely a racist" rants.
Otherwise this could have all been construed as another "If you don't think you're a racist then you're absolutely a racist" rants.
I'll make a top ten list of questions. Hopefully one will be answered. Won't mind if it's only one.
1) What's your favorite book? (Non-fiction or Fictional)
2) What book or book series would you like to see turned into film?
3) If you could place one Marvel comics superhero in the upcoming Avengers film that's not copyright protected from another film studio, who would you pick?
4) Related to the last question, which actor would play said superhero if you had to pick?
5) Any non-Marvel/DC/Archie comics you'd recommend that hasn't gained a cult following, such as Kiss-Ass or Watchmen, yet?
6) Thoughts on the war on drugs?
7) Since you like baking, what do you like best to bake?
8) Thoughts on conservatives complaints about the liberal media?
9) Favorite non-alcoholic drink?
10) Boxers or briefs?
1) What's your favorite book? (Non-fiction or Fictional)
2) What book or book series would you like to see turned into film?
3) If you could place one Marvel comics superhero in the upcoming Avengers film that's not copyright protected from another film studio, who would you pick?
4) Related to the last question, which actor would play said superhero if you had to pick?
5) Any non-Marvel/DC/Archie comics you'd recommend that hasn't gained a cult following, such as Kiss-Ass or Watchmen, yet?
6) Thoughts on the war on drugs?
7) Since you like baking, what do you like best to bake?
8) Thoughts on conservatives complaints about the liberal media?
9) Favorite non-alcoholic drink?
10) Boxers or briefs?
I feel like European explorers assumed these lost cities were something like the lost city of atlantis or king solomon's diamond mines because they hoped they were more than they were racist. I would rather tell the King, Queen, or company that I worked for I found something legendary than just your average ruins, so they would think my venture was a smashing success.
I actually assumed this would be about a very similar popular trope in pop culture:
Aliens building the pyramids with space technology, cause humans can't move big rocks. I hate this trope, because it ignores human ingenuity.
I am VERY glad it wasn't, because I learned something new. I thought the LOST CITY thing had a different origin. But this one makes MUCH more sense, so thank you Movie Bob. Very enlightening episode.
Average of what? Think about this. That's why they couldn't do it, they had no measuring basis to compare the ruins to. Sure, SOME people knew about old ruins in britan, for example, but the explorers themselves most likely didn't.
Racism is a MUCH more likely explanation since the attitude that africans could not have a culture is well documented. It therefore is more likely than explorers using knowledge they didn't have.
Aliens building the pyramids with space technology, cause humans can't move big rocks. I hate this trope, because it ignores human ingenuity.
I am VERY glad it wasn't, because I learned something new. I thought the LOST CITY thing had a different origin. But this one makes MUCH more sense, so thank you Movie Bob. Very enlightening episode.
Notice your term "average ruins".
Average of what? Think about this. That's why they couldn't do it, they had no measuring basis to compare the ruins to. Sure, SOME people knew about old ruins in britan, for example, but the explorers themselves most likely didn't.
Racism is a MUCH more likely explanation since the attitude that africans could not have a culture is well documented. It therefore is more likely than explorers using knowledge they didn't have.
Hey what was the game : 4:30-4:32 ? (The side scroller with the Indiana Jone look alike - sorry if its classic lore , I'm from Eastern Europe , not many classic game consoles in my youth - none in fact )
Question for Bob : I remember you joking about ID in the Paul movie review. Could it be you are a pastafarian and have been touched by the FSM and his noodle appendage ? If so wen did you convert ? /irony
Question for Bob : I remember you joking about ID in the Paul movie review. Could it be you are a pastafarian and have been touched by the FSM and his noodle appendage ? If so wen did you convert ? /irony
Wasn't the Natives of Africa that the colonist came upon nomads primarily? I don't really know much about that time and their architect but if the tribes were mostly nomads or had more wooden and mud huts, (not trying to be racist I'm just not all that knowledgeable about architect in general and I'm going off what I have seen in videos today and read about in books like the Book of Negros) then it would be confusing to exploders about where those structures came from. Though still it is logical that the people who lived in Africa came from the builders of those structures.
My question: What do you think about events in comics that don't really change anything.
My question: What do you think about events in comics that don't really change anything.