CP3S

Even though they are kind of disgusting I may need to drop by a gas station and buy a Hostess vanilla pudding filled pie. Though experiencing the 'Vanilla Puddin' Power!' sans the neon-green mutogenic frosting won't quite be the same... Not that the green frosting was suppose to have its own flavor, but it contained so much food coloring you could taste it, which was a major part of the experience... maybe if I let the pie marinate in an entire vial of green food coloring for a few hours it will be a bit more like the real thing.

Anyone else ever read Looking for Group? Good nerdy humor, though perhaps a bit more of the Total Biscuitish variety than the sci-fi nerd type. But if I, a guy who thinks Zelda is a real RPG and has never touched a MMORPG, find it amusing then I have a feeling I am not the only one here who would.

http://www.lfgcomic.com/page/1

Bingowings said:

As an outsider on the biological reproduction front I have noticed that some children are living saints and others are demons from hell and often the quality of and effort put into parenting makes very little visible difference.

Actually, while I don't have any kids of my own, I spend most my time around children and I see a good deal of their parents as well, and I've made the exact opposite observation. The effort put out by the parents seems to make a world of difference.

I have little doubt the reason TheBoost's kid is so mild mannered has everything to do with the controlled and scheduled environment he lives in. Sure, unquestionably, some kids have a natural tendency to be more of a "handful" than others, but regardless of that, all children test limits to see what they can and cannot get away with. I've encountered many parents who shrug their shoulders and let their kids get away with a lot because they feel like there is nothing they can do about it. Well, kids know where their boundaries lie, if you say "no" but don't enforce it, they know that "no" doesn't really mean "no".

My best friend has three kids, the second one is amazingly mild mannered, the third is too young to know what he is going to be like, but the oldest is a complete and total handful. Every time I come to visit she is extremely hyper, bouncing off the walls and showing off for me, but when her dad snaps his fingers and says sternly, "Honey, it is time for the adults to visit now; you can go play in your room, or you can find something quiet to do and stay in here with us." she knows he means it and obeys right away.

My friend often expresses the same annoyance as TheBoost, other parents are constantly so impressed with the level of control he has over his kids, they'll ask how he and his wife do it, when they give an answer: controlled environment, discipline, boundaries, etc., they are usually met with an "I guess I was just cursed with a demon child." or "Wish we'd had gotten as lucky as you." I've seen the effort my friend and his wife go through, it is a lot of work and definitely not luck.

thejediknighthusezni said:

    'Serenity'.Great stuff. I don't know how that movie came and went without my knowing it. Apparently, a television series did, as well. I liked the way they reduced it to a bunch of characters just trying to survive. Whedon(?) is a darn good screenwriter. Everything seemed to be consistent with what I would expect from such characters in such circumstances. It did show it's TV origin. I'm going to check into 'Firefly' now.

 

Whoa, a Firefly virgin...

-7 out of 21 balls.

Hmmm, Ninja Turtles green cream filled pies...

My dad used to give us each a buck or two and my sister and I would ride our bikes a mile or so to the nearest gas station and load up on junk food. Two bucks seemed to stretch really far, I'd come home with a bag full of suckers, taffy, and a couple of Hostess mini pies. That bag would last me weeks of tooth rotting goodness.

The vanilla pudding filled neon-green limited edition Ninja Turtles pies were absolutely amazing... in a way only an eight year old can appreciate.

Bingowings said:

The Tuskens and The Jawas were there first but do they have a say in local government?

Do they hold any position of authority or privilege?

All we see them do is serving the oppressors by tidying up and recycling unsightly mechanical litter dropped by the invaders and hanging around outside booze dens and mixing with the criminal fraternity.

Who are the oppressors/invaders? The Empire? The only reason there are Stormtroopers on Tantooine at that point is to find the droids.

You obviously know a great deal more about the EU than I do, I hypothesized that Jawas may have been the original inhabitants of the planet for all we know, and you confirmed that they were along with the Tuskens. I really don't know anything about any of that to comment on it, nor do I really care to know. I have no idea who runs the local Tantooine government or if the Jawas get a say or not, and again, I don't really care to know.

But, lets just pretend for a moment that the Jawas are the planets majority, and while there are a lot of them around doing menial crummy jobs, there are also Jawas living like kings in other parts of the planet and that they do, in fact, make the laws and call the shots in the planet's government.

Given the above, suddenly Threepio's lines are no longer racist?

I honestly think you are mixing up the attitude of bigotry/racism/classism/intolerance/etc. with cultural perceptions of what is appropriate or acceptable. In the 90's I could have called my friend a "spaz" or a "retard" in front of my teacher and she probably wouldn't have thought much of it (beyond "Hey, stop name calling!"), now if a kid uses "retard" or "spaz" in school, he is going to at least get reproached for it, maybe worse. This is because we have grown more sensitive toward disabilities as a culture. In reality, it was no better (or worse) to belittle people with cognitive limitations in the 90's by using the term "retard" as an insult than it is today. Cultural perception on the issue has shifted, and it is no longer as acceptable.

It would always be racist to make a belittling comment about black people, no matter which way history had turned, but given a "history or repression" it has become taboo. But that is something entirely different. This line of thinking is the only way I can make a modicum of sense out of your argument. Otherwise it is just ridiculous to say that looking down on someone of a different race than you isn't racism sans a history of repression. It always is by definition, regardless of the cultural context. Racism, bigotry, etc. is an attitude and a state of mind that can exist anywhere.

Bingowings said:

Watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer used to be a bit problematic in Britain because Americans don't use the term "Spastic" or "Spaz" in the same way it has been used here.

"Spaz" in Britain is a term used to target people suffering with Cerebral Palsy and "Spastic" by the mid-seventies had become so commonly used as a derogatory term that the National Spastic Society eventually felt it necessary to change it's name to SCOPE. 

I am not sure what gave you the impression that the term is used differently in the States, but as an American, I can confirm that "spastic" and "spaz", for short, both refer to CP here as well.

When I was a kid to call someone a spaz was to suggest that they were uncoordinated or incompetent physically and/or socially. A guy who loses control of his tongue when talking to a pretty girl, or someone who totally fumbles the ball when it was thrown to them in football, both would have been accused of being spazes when I was in school (and Buffy was airing). "Retarded" and "gay" were common insults (though also frequently used among friends) back then as all, and all three have kind of fallen out of use in today's much more politically correct world.

Jawas seem to be a fully sentient species with a culture and a language so is Threepio being racist when he calls them "Disgusting creatures"?

I think he is.

Whoa, wait? Where is your history of repression here? There are no indications in the film that Jawas are repressed. We see them drinking at the bar and all over Mos Eisley like any other kind of alien, and in fact, we probably see more of them than any other one type of alien (including humans), so it is even possible they could be the majority or the planet's native inhabitants.

I thought there was an old thread, I looked for it but couldn't find it. Not my fault this site's search function sucks. Also, I am pretty sure there was a Towel Day thread much older than Finks.

"his insurance company, which will not pay for the damage as Gibbins failed to declare speeding points on his licence."

Oops. That sucks.

Maybe SW fans should start a movement to help the guy pay for his car repairs. He said he has been turning down jobs, seems like it would be worth it for him to get a taxi to go to those jobs or beg someone to drive him in so he can have money for a taxi to his next gig...

Here is to one of the most amusing writers the world has ever been blessed with.

Hey, any number of those Stormtroopers could be women... ;)  Just so long as they are taller than Luke.

Johnny Ringo said:

I find the ps3 controller frustrating...

Actually, this in one of the reasons I haven't bought a PS3 yet. Every time I try to use my PS2 the controller feels really archaic and uncomfortable. Since the PS3 controller has very few changes from the PS2 version, the idea of playing something like Resistance with the thing makes me cringe.

Picked up Metal of Honor: Airborne the other day. I always really liked the MoH games on the PC, I owned a few on the PS2 as well. Definitely always preferred them to COD, which was more flashy, action packed, and cinematic, where MoH took a lot more care in historic accuracy.

The series kind of died out when this gen rolled around (until they tried to go all Modern Warfare with the series, which didn't seem to go over so well if the reviews are anything to go by). Airborne came out pretty early in the current gen, but didn't seem to go over so well which put the series on hiatus.

Having played several other titles in the series, Airborne is more of the same (which I think was responsible for its poor reception). But since I haven't played a MoH game in years, I kind of appreciate revisiting that familiar feel but with current gen upgrades.

Glad I gave it a chance; since the recent "rebooted" Metal of Honor is rapidly dropping in price, I suspect I'll pick that one up as well sometime in the following months.

No, not really. That'd be cool though. But I am pretty sure he is her biggest fan.

zombie84 said:

I think he does have a point though in that certain terms are considered racist only at certain periods of time. The meaning of the word gets reappropriated. So if you called someone a negro today I think most people would say that is racist, or at the very least politically incorrect, whereas 80 years ago it was not only considered not racist but actually was the proper term to describe Africans and was used in scholarly works.

But that doesn't have anything to do with what he was saying. "Negro" simply means "black", but since it was used as a degrading term for so long, like you said, it was reappropriated.

But that is simply a linguistic phenomenon. Prior to the word "negro" becoming a taboo racial slur, it was still possible to be racist (obviously). Racism is the attitude and the way of thinking, not the words used. Words can merely be used to convey racist thought (such as suggestions that someone different from the speaker is somehow a lesser being).

Simply put, racism is the belief some races are superior to others. Oppression is not a prerequisite, but a common side effect.

A carpet is an "object", how is that much better than being called, "a thing"? Sure, you can describe someone's physical features without racial connotations, but when you are putting a negative spin on those features ("raghead", for example, obviously isn't a positive descriptor, no matter how you look at it), you really can't excuse it with lack of history of repression or with it simply being the way they look (turbans really do look like rags).

timdiggerm said:

CP3S said:

Bingowings said:

Racial epithets are only bigoted when they are attached to a history of repression.

No.

Example?

Were you asking for me to give an example of racism without a history of repression?

The very idea that a history of repression must be involved in order for something to be racist is absolutely ridiculous.

In his attempt at splitting hairs, I think Bingo is overlooking the fact that prejudice usually coincides with oppressive actions, which is probably why he has a hard time separating the too. But that doesn't mean you can't have racism without oppression, it is just improbable. It is rare that one comes without the other. You say there is no movement for the rights of fat people, that is only because there are no rights that they are being withheld from them that they need to fight for. Doesn't mean people are not prejudice against them. Just ask any obese person and they will tell you about the crap they put up with. This isn't racism simply because weight has nothing to do with race.

It is ludicrous to say that calling someone from Japan "slant eyes" wouldn't be racist had we not thrown them into prison camps post-Pearl Harbor, or some other such nonsense. Prejudice against one race by another, no matter how major or minor, verbal or physical, is still racism.

Anyway, I am pretty sure Bingo is just having a laugh at this point; which is why I originally only answered his prior comment with "No". I have a sneaking suspicion he doesn't even believe what he is saying. So the above post was more for the benefit of others. To fall back into ridiculous fanboyishness: evidence of the prejudice against Wookies is present in the original films. Beside the "Where are you taking this... thing" and probably some other small things I am forgetting, Boba Fett's costume features "braided Wookie scalps", which definitely gives us the indication that there is in fact some degree of oppression.

Bingowings said:

Racial epithets are only bigoted when they are attached to a history of repression.

No.

TheBoost said:

Well the story starts on the Sith Academy. Within the first chapter or so it turns out that Sith-A was beat up by Sith-B when they were Freshman, and Sith-C took a photo of Sith-A naked and tied to a bed.

Yes. The SITH ACADEMY OF EVIL is an unpleasent summer camp.

This sounds like the makings of a really, really, really, really awesome new teenage angst drama! Come on CW! You know people would eat it up! Would-be future Sith Lords making each others lives a living hell, sex, black mail, feuds, sounds like this thing has all the right elements. Now it just needs to make the jump from paper to Wednesday nights on our TV sets. 

TheBoost said:

I agree that there's little difference between insulting someone's racial characteristics ('darkie' 'walking carpet') and insulting their race.

Wait, what? No, is NO difference. Calling someone a "darkie" IS insulting their race.

This is the weirdest discussion I've ever had about SW. I am almost pretty sure both TheBoost and Bingo are just taking the piss on this one.

Are we just arguing, or is there actually a point somewhere? You've reached the point where you are comparing things like glasses to racial characteristic and now gone even further off the wall in suggesting that perhaps (if we ignore EU and PT) that not all Hutts resemble slugs which (possibly) implies that if we do the same not all Wookies are hairy... just feels a bit like the bullet has ricocheted at this point and is going all over the place trying to find a soft surface to embed itself into. 

In a galaxy filled with a vast number of different thinking, feeling, sentient alien races; how do we define the word "people"? Only human beings?

Bingowings said:

Would he be 'Racey' if he called him "Fatty Boom-boom"?

I don't know, but he'd definitely sound like a toddler if he called him that.

Would Han be considered "racey" (which isn't a word. "Racy" is though, but means something different entirely) if he called Lando a "darkie boom-boom"?

And to answer your question on the first bit, yes, Han was obviously taking a jab at the appearance of Jabba and his species when he said that. Is that even debatable?

Some of you guys are trying to drive your point home by saying that these comments are based on appearance, and therefore nothing to do with race (species). What?! The "N" word is a comment on color (appearance). How can we even compare calling a guy with glasses "four eyes" with calling an Asian "slant eyes"? They are not even in the same ball park! All racism has ever been based on has been appearance, "They don't look like us; so they are not as good as us".

This actually comes along again in the prequels Padme reacts to Anakin killing an entire village of Tuskens, including the women and children with far less disgust than many of us on these boards might react to hearing about someone getting mad and killing a puppy. Later when Obi-Wan tells her that he killed a bunch of young Jedi children (mostly humanoids that look like her) she freaks out and tearfully says that it isn't possible and that he would never do such a thing. Again, this is simply just bad writing, but you can't really ignore the fact that it is implying that the Tuskens' lives were less valuable in her mind than the lives of those humanoid Jedi that resembled her.

Hey, it's me!

Hehe. That cover was obviously intended to sell comics. He never actually has that over the top badass who is trying too hard look in the comic book. Just a normal looking protocol droid with the x on his head (from being shoddily repaired) and concealed weapons built into his body. 

Funny fact, I actually had a portion of that picture I was going to use as my avatar when I originally signed up here (back in '05, I think...) before I discovered the old forum software wouldn't let us upload pictures at that point, so I grabbed that red eyed Ewok pic I used to use.

Nero said:

Rebel Assault games (very nostalgic and somehow flying though Beggar's Canyon with an uncalibrated joystick was a pain)

Flying through Beggar's Canyon with a calibrated joystick, a mouse, or a keyboard was a pain as well. I swear, there were no good controller option for those games. The shitty controls had to have been an intentionally part of those games' difficulty. I'd never put up with something like that today, but as a young SW hungry lad living in the pre-revival days of the early to mid nineties, I ate them up and loved every frustrating second of it. Kids these days don't realize how lucky they are to have the Rogue Squadron games.

Ouch!! Sorry, I just kicked myself really hard. I completely forgot to mention X-Wing and Tie Fighter among the SW games I really loved over the years. Those deserved mention toward the top of my list just under Dark Forces. Countless hours of great fun destroying enemy frigates and escorting shuttles. 

I know! Like rain on S_Matt's wedding day.

Almost as ironic as the suggestion that a thread on OT.com wouldn't have been derailed provided something else hadn't happened. The only threads around here that stay on topic are the ones that are only one to three posts long.

Gaffer Tape said:

So I spent about 20 combined hours this weekend doing nothing but sensoring and sorting bras, and then I went to go see Bridesmaids yesterday with my old roommate.  I think I'd probably have to wrestle a bear inside a volcano to ever feel manly again. =P

Not to mention 87% of OT dot com still believe/want to believe that you are a woman.