Moments when a piece of entertainment completely lost you.

shau · Post by **shau** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:47 am

Lago PARANOIA wrote:So...

I don't read For Better or For Worse, but what exactly was up with all of the Nerd Rage the past couple of years over Anthony? I mean, you hear language thrown at him people usually reserve for Wesley or Dulcy the Dragon or Elmira.

I don't read it either, but I guess the best explanation of Anthony hat is here http://shaenon.livejournal.com/29475.html. Its from the creator of Narbonic, and she goes after him with the poise and fury of a denner.

Neeeek · Post by **Neeeek** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:53 am

Lago PARANOIA wrote:So...

I don't read For Better or For Worse, but what exactly was up with all of the Nerd Rage the past couple of years over Anthony? I mean, you hear language thrown at him people usually reserve for Wesley or Dulcy the Dragon or Elmira.

From what I gather, it was because he left his wife for Elizabeth, because his wife didn't want to have kids, which Anthony knew when he married her. And his leaving his wife was (attempted to be) portrayed as justified and somehow she (the wife) was supposed to be the bad guy. For being cheated on.

Akula · Post by **Akula** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:52 am

Twain was broke for most of the latter years of his life. He made bad investments and went into debt, and he couldn't write fast enough to pull himself out. That's why a lot of his latter work sucks and the end of Huckleberry Finn seems rushed. It was.

Lago PARANOIA · Post by **Lago PARANOIA** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:47 pm

It does make me very sad how he died before being able to finish all of his stories.

It also makes me very, very angry how he (or rather his family) had to hide most of what he wrote because his country--U.S.A--was too goddamn ignorant to understand. Letters from Earth is nothing but sheer brilliance, even better than Age of Reason and I do not say that lightly. And his awareness of this, including his instructions he gave to his daughter, undoubtedly affected how he was going to conclude his stories--I mean, he had to be begged not to print something as tame as The War Prayer and if you can't write that then anything else you're going to write is stymied.

Now with that said:

I'm still bleeding internally from the last act of Huckleberry Finn.

Absentminded_Wizard · Post by **Absentminded_Wizard** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:50 am

It does make me very sad how he died before being able to finish all of his stories.

Unless they pull a Kurt Vonnegut and retire from writing with some healthy years left, any writer's going to leave *something* unfinished.

Count Arioch the 28th · Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:55 pm

Neeeek wrote:
From what I gather, it was because he left his wife for Elizabeth, because his wife didn't want to have kids, which Anthony knew when he married her. And his leaving his wife was (attempted to be) portrayed as justified and somehow she (the wife) was supposed to be the bad guy. For being cheated on.

That's an inversion. Usually, the man is the bad guy if the woman cheats on him.

In short, I approve. Fuck that not child having fictional bitch.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:39 pm

The Proposal lost me the moment I read the plot summary...

now, yes, I realize it's a romantic comedy, but I actually occasionally like those pieces of drivel.

The Proposal however... is about Sexual Harassment, it would seem. A female employer is going to be deported so she makes her male employee marry her so she can stay (and they fall in love and bullshit like that...).

Now, honestly, I don't have much of a problem with the overall plot, it a bit trite and stupid, but really what bothers me is that if any guy tried that, short of some long haired spanish-voiced fabio fuck, the woman would be crying sexual harassment as soon as he even brought up the subject, and he'd get deported a penniless, shamed pitiable fool...

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 3:52 pm

Something I've noticed is that almost all romance stories tend to either be a "same old same old" rehashed idea - and if the gender roles are inverted, it's unable to work that way due to societal expectations.

But when they're same-sex, it changes all the rules because suddenly there isn't the one who is supposed to be easily manipulated, simple-thinking and in it for the sex sex sex (though protective and heroic) and the one who is manipulative, conniving, evil but ultimately emotional and falling in love.

Basically, the solution is for all romantic stories to be same-sex. Who else votes that we get a new wave of lesbian romantic comedies?

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:15 pm

Well, yeah, romance novels really do work that "happy ending" bit. It's why people read them--an emotional pick-me-up. But the reason people *keep* reading them is a lot of romance writers can create amazing characters/dialogue. I think a website put it as, "The romance characters are going to get their happy ending, but if an author's a good one, the characters will deserve it."

And, yes, I am kinda familiar with romance novels and their redeeming values. I volunteered to be a guest reviewer, as a new reader reading romance. First (and so far only) book I've reviewed was the first book of Bujold's Sharing Knife. It was fun read, and it's only laziness that's kept me from badgering the library into getting #2 (They're out of forms, too).

So, yeah, they have a formula which ends in "Happily ever after!" Which is fine in and of itself. It's when a people are just too, too stupid (See Twilight) that it gets to be a problem.

To be honest, I'd much rather read something happy than sit there and plow through a crapsack and tell myself I'm being highbrow--just because it made the top #100 novels picked by some bunch of people doesn't mean it's good.

That and there's all kinds of formulas. In 10th Grade, we were reading A Seperate Peace, which I'd never even heard of and I read the introduction of Phinney and said, "He's going to die." Out loud (by accident). And the teacher said, "Oh, Alex, you've read this before?" And I had to say, "Nope. It's introducing a vibrant character, and they're making us read it in school. QED. This guy's days are numbered."

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:08 pm

Koumei wrote:Who else votes that we get a new wave of lesbian romantic comedies?

I totally support that idea. Less sexist spam, less "crawling in my skin" tragically misunderstood bicurious teenagers with a bullshit childhood trauma, give us people.

Parthenon · Post by **Parthenon** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:31 pm

So, Transformers ROTF. I tried hard to just go with the flow and enjoy it. I wowed at the big explosions, let my mind drift through the "comedy", the whole college part and the parents and just wanted to enjoy the tits, robots and explosions. It does have some cool bits (mostly Optimus Prime being completely awesome and taking on all the Decepticons at once). For most of the film I could ignore the fact that it was bad and have fun watching it.

There I was, ironically enjoying the bullshit and forcing myself to ignore the fact that robots find Megan Fox hot (seriously, the last film ended with Shia and Megan making out on top of their best friend while all the other robots stood around in a circle watching them, and probably jerking off) and that there are too many testicle jokes, when a couple of things happened to completely lose me.

Spoilered in case anyone hasn't watched it.

Firstly the complete fucking bullshit Deus Ex Machina that brings Shia back to life. What the fuck?! At that point I was groaning with my face in my palms. Then, Jetfire gives Optimus his parts and me and my brother started laughing out loud, probably pissing off the rest of the audience.

So, to anyone else who has watched it, how far did you manage to get before it lost you? Before or after they go to college? Was it right at the start with the ice cream van? Or the vat grown decepticons?

TOZ · Post by **TOZ** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:22 pm

Every review and opinion I hear on T2 makes me want to see it less and less. Once again, the only reason I will is Optimus.

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:03 pm

No, because then he would be free to do make his next movie.

If it does not make money that is.

Parthenon · Post by **Parthenon** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:02 pm

Yeah, Optimus Prime is pretty much the only reason to watch it. I'd recommend watching up to the point just after Shia gets kidnapped where Optimus saves him then walking out of the cinema.

At the end of the film Optimus is just pathetic. Seriously, if your whole schtick is that you can transform into something else, then if you get things added on such that you can no longer transform you are not awesome, you are retarded.

cthulhu · Post by **cthulhu** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:25 pm

Parthenon wrote:
So, to anyone else who has watched it, how far did you manage to get before it lost you? Before or after they go to college? Was it right at the start with the ice cream van? Or the vat grown decepticons?

It wasn't exactly great, but then I noticed the plot arc was pretty much the same as the first one.

Then I noticed that they were reusing CGI from the first one.

Then I noticed that the only reason this wasn't really a shot for shot remake was because the shot length in transformers was so short that would be obnoxiously difficult to do.

In other words its crap.

ubernoob · Post by **ubernoob** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:34 am

I liked transformers. Of course, I walked in knowing the plot would suck and just watching it for the tits and explosions.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:17 am

ubernoob wrote:I liked transformers. Of course, I walked in knowing the plot would suck and just watching it for the tits and explosions.

ditto, I knew it'd be horrible, but it was entertaining, and so far free... (my friend hasn't bugged me about the money for the ticket yet...)

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:54 am

Maxus wrote: To be honest, I'd much rather read something happy than sit there and plow through a crapsack and tell myself I'm being highbrow--just because it made the top #100 novels picked by some bunch of people doesn't mean it's good.

Oh trust me, I'm not JE, I like happy endings. It's just that the characters (in movies more than romance novels) basically seem like carbon copies. The last romantic comedy I enjoyed was President of the United States. Before that? Love Actually

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:10 am

shit, I'm trying to think of the last romantic comedy I actually watched... (other than something inherently nerdy, like Shawn of the Dead or Princess Bride)...

Head Over Heels, I think?

fuck if I know...

Draco_Argentum · Post by **Draco_Argentum** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:15 am

Koumei wrote:Basically, the solution is for all romantic stories to be same-sex. Who else votes that we get a new wave of lesbian romantic comedies?

You'll just get all the gay tropes rehashed a million times. I agree that gay love stories are more interesting but I doubt that'd hold up if it became the popular thing to write about.

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 9:25 pm

The Proposal wasn't bad.

-Crissa

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 9:39 pm

I just don't get it... if the genders were reversed, it'd be sexual harassment, but with the woman doing the propositioning, it's romantic?

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 10:06 pm

No, it is definitely sexual harassment. However, there are things not mentioned in the trailers which are extenuating circumstances. It's a nice turn around on the standard trope, yes.

-Crissa

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 10:14 pm

ah, ok. I'm just going from a plot summary from imdb or something.

Count Arioch the 28th · Wed Jul 01, 2009 11:53 pm

I've been thinking of writing a romance novel parody. I was organizing those things at work and reading the backs, and it seems that the really bad ones are practically mad-libs. I was going to a parody called "The Biology Major's Reluctant Mistress" with a picture of me on the cover with an atractive woman looking t me in vague disgust.

It will be a tale of how an eccentric college student woos this beautiful woman, then she drops him for an attractive dolt. The parody would be that it would be true to real life.