Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather overthink lost-key points, who can and can’t judge whom, video game adaptations, and the vexing moral ethical conundrum of jerk-shaming.
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Great episode!
My submission for the question of the week:
Vincent Kartheiser (Pete of Mad Men), staring as Little Mac of the Punch Out!! series–which may or may not pretty much be a re-telling of Rocky.
(I was going to suggest casting for King Hippo, but after the last half of this episode I thought better of it.)
“There’s no solution to life, and you aren’t going to like it.”
– Matthew Wrather
“You’re on earth, there’s no cure for that.”
– Samuel Beckett
David Foster Wallace had some interesting things to say about Political Correctness (which I think is related to the things Right-Thinking-Progressives say that you didn’t want to get into [that you ended up getting into]). He pointed out that the compulsion on the left to be PC is actually a big help to those on the right, because if we spend all our energy arguing over what to call the poor, or various minority groups, then we aren’t using that energy to stop the right wing from eroding their rights and social programs. Also, the fact that we are constantly coming up with NICER terms (e.g., poor to disadvantaged to temporarily-embarrassed millionaires) is problematic to a truly Orwellian degree.
Finally, you’re right about Luigi’s fingers Fenzel, he has all five. Japanese artists rarely engage in the space-saving convention of giving cartoon characters four fingers, because to a Japanese audience having four fingers creates associations with the Yakuza, who sometimes chop off a finger as a form of punishment.
Did I say “no solution”? I meant to say “one solution.”
Ooh, it’s possible I misheard.
WELL, ACTUALLY:
RONNIE Van Zant is the lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd who died in a plane crash. JOHNNY Van Zant is his younger brother who took over as lead singer.
I leave you guys alone for ONE WEEK. ONE WEEK. And this is what happens.
On a more constructive note, this insanely long Wikipedia article lists the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and even has a handy Gantt chart:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lynyrd_Skynyrd_band_members
They’re due for a Ship of Theseus complete turnover soon, I think.
Lest we think that the issue of “judging” and “I’m just saying”-style avoidance of responsibility for the plain import of ones words we is a new phenomenon, a fascinating example appears in one of the greatest political speeches of all time (for my money): Lincoln’s second inaugural address:
“It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged.”
Hey, he’s not judging Confederates for fighting a bloody war to expand the horrific institution of slavery. He’s just saying it’s strange that you’d think a just God would ever be on your side. Not judging! Malice toward none, charity for all, &c. &c. Just saying it’s strange.
I don’t think everyone has the luxury of avoiding troubling issues because for a lot of people not thinking about them only makes it worse. For example if I was a black person in Florida, by paying attention to the news I now no better than to stroll through white neighborhoods doing anything commonly associated with blackness, otherwise I could forfeit my life and it may possibly be considered justified. If I wasn’t paying attention to the news I wouldn’t know that. Check your privilege is a little overused but it’s not without merit in my opinion.
My submission for the question of the week:
Walton Goggins stars as a take-no-prisoners city manager, Frank Undertree. Denied his promised promotion to Mayor, enjoy his cutting asides as he he uses residential, commercial and industrial zoning authority to grow his town and rise to power. This fall, on….Sim City.