The Big Picture: Words for Nerds
- Thread starter MovieBob
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I'm sorry, I'm going to need some clarification on just how my reviews are bullying anyone.The_root_of_all_evil said:
I agree. Batman was in the best superhero movie ever, at least for the next six months. I also nominate myself for new memetic badass.
I agree with most, only Batman I disagree
Sure the batman bad@$$ nerd meme will crash and burn soon enough (who shall replace it? I wonder)
But what I disagree with is batman as a whole crashing and burning. He is just to great of a character often supported the right way by good authors.
Batman character great(on a narrative level) for many reason, but there are 2 big ones:
1. His trama. Of all the "major" superheroes has such a richly tragic past. Sure Parker had his uncle, but that is nothing to having both parents murdered infront of you as a child. The scar will never be gone, and hinders much of any chance Wayne will ever have for a happy end. Batman takes on a Shakespearean tragedy element from this.
2. He's human. Most other super heroes are super beings or made so through technology. Batman doesn't, yet has to keep up with them. He as a human has to triumph over these incalculable obstacles through will power and intellect.
Batman had the fortune to often get writers that recognize these(and other strengths) to craft rich narrative stories(in various mediums)
Other heroes often get writters that focus mre on fan/self service. I termed it the "and then",, 1 up-manship
An example with superman(SM): He'll crush Lex's new maga death machine,
"and then" SM will crush a city sized robot, "and then" he'll crush a country sized robot, "an then...
Instead of working towards there narrative strengths(for SM, the strong defending the weak, even though they could rule them), they just have him fight stronger and stronger enemies. The internal conflict gets thrown aside for the cheaper external
In short Batman the character won't crash and burn as he has to much story potential, and writers that know how to use it.
The nerd fandom, yeah.
ANd yeah, I broke # 3 in my poorly written response
Also movie Bob;
Sure the batman bad@$$ nerd meme will crash and burn soon enough (who shall replace it? I wonder)
But what I disagree with is batman as a whole crashing and burning. He is just to great of a character often supported the right way by good authors.
Batman character great(on a narrative level) for many reason, but there are 2 big ones:
1. His trama. Of all the "major" superheroes has such a richly tragic past. Sure Parker had his uncle, but that is nothing to having both parents murdered infront of you as a child. The scar will never be gone, and hinders much of any chance Wayne will ever have for a happy end. Batman takes on a Shakespearean tragedy element from this.
2. He's human. Most other super heroes are super beings or made so through technology. Batman doesn't, yet has to keep up with them. He as a human has to triumph over these incalculable obstacles through will power and intellect.
Batman had the fortune to often get writers that recognize these(and other strengths) to craft rich narrative stories(in various mediums)
Other heroes often get writters that focus mre on fan/self service. I termed it the "and then",, 1 up-manship
An example with superman(SM): He'll crush Lex's new maga death machine,
"and then" SM will crush a city sized robot, "and then" he'll crush a country sized robot, "an then...
Instead of working towards there narrative strengths(for SM, the strong defending the weak, even though they could rule them), they just have him fight stronger and stronger enemies. The internal conflict gets thrown aside for the cheaper external
In short Batman the character won't crash and burn as he has to much story potential, and writers that know how to use it.
The nerd fandom, yeah.
ANd yeah, I broke # 3 in my poorly written response
Also movie Bob;
1) The Batman Thing: Ok, sure.
2) Console Wars: This I disagree with. Yes, the console wars get completely out of hand, but there's nothing wrong with the underlying idea. It's just people discussing 2 products, and which one of them is better. If all versus discussions are pointless, and maybe they are, a fair comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of each is a discussion worth having. Hmm. Actually, no, you're right. I'm just being the devil's advocate here. Clearly there are exceptions, but the console war has mostly been destructive.
3) Walls of Text: The summary can take longer to write than the original post. Maybe people are less willing to read a long post, but some things take space to be said. If there are people in the discussion reading each other's long posts, there's no problem.
But that's not Bob's argument here. The argument is that there are better ways to spend one's time, and I disagree with that. Whether the post or outside is more worthwhile is something to be judged on a case by case basis.
4) No CTRL + C, CTRL + V: I don't really agree with this, but I don't find it completely objectionable. Wait, is that a word? Um... Yeah. It's a word. I guess I haven't seen this too often.
5) Nerds, Don't Be Dicks: Fair enough. I'm not a fan of that behaviour either.
Speaking of number 3, I have doubts about whether anybody will read this. I personally think the forum system is somewhat broken, and doesn't facilitate discussion beyond the first couple pages.
2) Console Wars: This I disagree with. Yes, the console wars get completely out of hand, but there's nothing wrong with the underlying idea. It's just people discussing 2 products, and which one of them is better. If all versus discussions are pointless, and maybe they are, a fair comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of each is a discussion worth having. Hmm. Actually, no, you're right. I'm just being the devil's advocate here. Clearly there are exceptions, but the console war has mostly been destructive.
3) Walls of Text: The summary can take longer to write than the original post. Maybe people are less willing to read a long post, but some things take space to be said. If there are people in the discussion reading each other's long posts, there's no problem.
But that's not Bob's argument here. The argument is that there are better ways to spend one's time, and I disagree with that. Whether the post or outside is more worthwhile is something to be judged on a case by case basis.
4) No CTRL + C, CTRL + V: I don't really agree with this, but I don't find it completely objectionable. Wait, is that a word? Um... Yeah. It's a word. I guess I haven't seen this too often.
5) Nerds, Don't Be Dicks: Fair enough. I'm not a fan of that behaviour either.
Speaking of number 3, I have doubts about whether anybody will read this. I personally think the forum system is somewhat broken, and doesn't facilitate discussion beyond the first couple pages.
Wait. Really? You're not joking?brazuca said:
I don't think it really matters if we get a girly looking topic or post around here. It just doesn't matter. I guess if the annoyance it creates for people heavily outweighs the joy for people who enjoy ponies it would be a nice gesture to stop, but this forum has no obligation to be anything specific, and it has no obligation to be non-girly.
Edit: I do have to agree about the exception thing though. He can't just go around giving exceptions. It's your reasoning that I'm disagreeing with.
Can't really agree with the Batman one, sadly, because it was sort of the premise for Grant Morrison's entire Batman tenure, which was immensely enjoyable. "Nothing can escape the Omega Sanction. Except Batman totally can, because he's awesome."
And it's not that hard to figure out why ponies are exempt. The pony subculture makes the internet a more colorful, cheerful, and goofy place, which Bob is always in support of. It's definitely a nice change of pace from all the cynicism and negativity.
And it's not that hard to figure out why ponies are exempt. The pony subculture makes the internet a more colorful, cheerful, and goofy place, which Bob is always in support of. It's definitely a nice change of pace from all the cynicism and negativity.
You should have also mentioned for bronies to stop freaking out every time someone mentions ponies....because I totally freaked out when you mentioned ponies.
Batman been the goto 'wins every fight' guy for decades now, but never in a way the other meme badasses got it in ways beyond the actual character, rather people just apply Batman's ability to always be prepared and imagine how it can work against anyone else. I don't see this getting old as long as Batman continues to be in good movies, cartoons, games, etc.
Being on the internet does not make you a nerd, playing a video game does not make you a nerd. Near 100% of people within a certain age bracket do these things now, so you can't label the action of a demographic based on what these population do.
I do agree with the general statement of self-victimization leading to a general lack of empathy for the pain you cause others, and breeding an excuse to find reasons to want vengeance. It's sadly one of the traits found in individuals whom had the most abuse, and should be everyones motivation to not abuse (if they needed another).
I never got the whole 'nerds' are persecuted idea. Not really something I see or have happen in area of the world I've explored, outside of fiction. The very idea of the statement "everyone just holding me back because I'm smarter than all of them" is the type of identity I'd expect to see outside of those I'd actually consider smart or geeky for that matter. Nerds are people that simple don't let what others think of them hold them back from having a good time, and I've always envy people who can take this to further extremes than me. Does being a nerd make people treat you differently, sure, but so does being anything else -and that's a sign that people treat you different based on who you are and what you seem to stand for. What about that makes you the victim in your role? Any form of victimizing must be based on a fictional premise. But I feel for anyone out there in a less favorable environment where the majority believe in a fictional premise to victimize you. I just hope those people don't let such abuse change them into something as bad as any bully. Because if they do, then they'll always be the victim.
Being on the internet does not make you a nerd, playing a video game does not make you a nerd. Near 100% of people within a certain age bracket do these things now, so you can't label the action of a demographic based on what these population do.
I do agree with the general statement of self-victimization leading to a general lack of empathy for the pain you cause others, and breeding an excuse to find reasons to want vengeance. It's sadly one of the traits found in individuals whom had the most abuse, and should be everyones motivation to not abuse (if they needed another).
I never got the whole 'nerds' are persecuted idea. Not really something I see or have happen in area of the world I've explored, outside of fiction. The very idea of the statement "everyone just holding me back because I'm smarter than all of them" is the type of identity I'd expect to see outside of those I'd actually consider smart or geeky for that matter. Nerds are people that simple don't let what others think of them hold them back from having a good time, and I've always envy people who can take this to further extremes than me. Does being a nerd make people treat you differently, sure, but so does being anything else -and that's a sign that people treat you different based on who you are and what you seem to stand for. What about that makes you the victim in your role? Any form of victimizing must be based on a fictional premise. But I feel for anyone out there in a less favorable environment where the majority believe in a fictional premise to victimize you. I just hope those people don't let such abuse change them into something as bad as any bully. Because if they do, then they'll always be the victim.
as said above...internet and videogames not always ="nerd"
anyway Im a "geek" because I like that stuff..I never got bullied and I dont have some kind of persecution complex
the cynasm, elitism..and generally nastyness somtimes associated with this stuff is somthing I dont like associating myself with though
anyway Im a "geek" because I like that stuff..I never got bullied and I dont have some kind of persecution complex
the cynasm, elitism..and generally nastyness somtimes associated with this stuff is somthing I dont like associating myself with though
I agree with everything, pretty much, except the wall-of-text point.
Id also suggest that Bob himself doenst actually believe it. Case in point, a five minute presentation on specific facets of nerd culture. If Bob truly believes that there are more important things to do it would be hypocritical of him to be spending so much time creating content that serves exactly the same purposes as the long posts he claims should be done away with. Some things have nuance and detail, and explaining those nuances and details is exactly what long posts are for - and exactly what Bob himself strives to do in the Big Picture, Game Overthinker, etc.
In fact, I think some of the other problems are related. Memes, batman as a meme, "Ill just leave this here", and bullying are all partly driven by people trying to find shorter or more superficial ways to say things, and people viewing things in simplified terms.
The solution isnt for people to only post summaries of their views, stripping out the nuance and detail. The solution is to encourage a culture where everyone puts in time and energy to converse in nuanced, well thought out ways. We should be encouraging people to put more effort into online communication, not less.
Id also suggest that Bob himself doenst actually believe it. Case in point, a five minute presentation on specific facets of nerd culture. If Bob truly believes that there are more important things to do it would be hypocritical of him to be spending so much time creating content that serves exactly the same purposes as the long posts he claims should be done away with. Some things have nuance and detail, and explaining those nuances and details is exactly what long posts are for - and exactly what Bob himself strives to do in the Big Picture, Game Overthinker, etc.
In fact, I think some of the other problems are related. Memes, batman as a meme, "Ill just leave this here", and bullying are all partly driven by people trying to find shorter or more superficial ways to say things, and people viewing things in simplified terms.
The solution isnt for people to only post summaries of their views, stripping out the nuance and detail. The solution is to encourage a culture where everyone puts in time and energy to converse in nuanced, well thought out ways. We should be encouraging people to put more effort into online communication, not less.
Well, let's be fair. Some games that come out on multiple consoles are superior on certain consoles. FXIII graphics on the Xbox have a major down grade, Bayonetta freezes up on the PS3, etc. I would not be against a store clerk pointing this out to me if he knew I had both systems.lockgar said:
That being said, having gone to Gamespots enough to know the sales people... yah he probably was trying to be a jerk. My main complaint with Gamespot people isn't that they have strong opinions, it's that they can never ever back up anything they say and they come off more like people who mock customer to convince them that they know a lot. Next time one tries this, just asked them why they think that is true, and when they go silent quickly follow up with a "Yah, that's what I thought." Always works for me.
(And to those couple of Gamespot employees that just exchange money or accept my preference in games as valid and use it to filter out and conversations they bring up: Thank you. With all my heart I love you, and I hope the world turns and things get better, and there are more employees like you.)
My favorite episodes of The Big Picture are when Bob actually takes a look (rather forces us to) at the big picture. These episodes are sadly (and ironically) few and far between. I understand that this show can't be serious all the time, and Bob can literally talk about whatever he wants (not only is it his show, but the show itself doesn't have a set structure). Still, it would be nice to see more of these episodes.
Yeah, its good times.canadamus_prime said:
1. I'm not a massive fan of Batman, so no problem here.
2. Alright, this one I do have a problem with, and I'm going to ask you nicely to please take off your Nostalgia Goggles. The console wars were just as stupid back then as they are now. Just because the two competitors had mascotts they could bring out as the "warriors" doesn't make it any better.
3. So what exactly is considered "worthwhile"? Is there a list? Can I have a copy? I'm not particularly interested in dating, so should I go around telling people that they shouldn't be seeking relationships because I don't consider it "worthwhile"? The word is subjective.
4. No real comment here, though some of the My Little Pony fans really need to calm the hell down, but I could say that about 90% of the fandoms anyway.
5. Okay this one I actually agree with completely. I had to face this myself after leaving school, and honestly I found it difficult to not always view myself as the victim. Looking back, there were a lot of instances where I bullied other people without realizing it. We can definitely give it as good as we get.
2. Alright, this one I do have a problem with, and I'm going to ask you nicely to please take off your Nostalgia Goggles. The console wars were just as stupid back then as they are now. Just because the two competitors had mascotts they could bring out as the "warriors" doesn't make it any better.
3. So what exactly is considered "worthwhile"? Is there a list? Can I have a copy? I'm not particularly interested in dating, so should I go around telling people that they shouldn't be seeking relationships because I don't consider it "worthwhile"? The word is subjective.
4. No real comment here, though some of the My Little Pony fans really need to calm the hell down, but I could say that about 90% of the fandoms anyway.
5. Okay this one I actually agree with completely. I had to face this myself after leaving school, and honestly I found it difficult to not always view myself as the victim. Looking back, there were a lot of instances where I bullied other people without realizing it. We can definitely give it as good as we get.