Category Archives: Fame Day

Fame Day: Sigmund Freud

Posted on January 31, 2013 by | Leave a comment

freudThere’s a reason why I’m offering the spotlight to the most iconic psychologist (barring Hannibal Lecter) of all time. You’re probably wondering, “Why? Everyone knows Freud!”

True, but to echo every girl dating a scumbag, “You don’t know him like I do.”

Even with all his fame, Freud is nevertheless the butt of plenty of jokes. He’s often looked on not so much as the founding father of psychology, but a weird Austrian doctor who managed to touch off something huge in his twisted speculation on primal, sexual urges and Oedipal complexes. He’s essentially the equivalent of the crazy 80s hair-band- popular in its time, and now looked back on as a stupid stage of music needed as a simple stepping stone.

The cost of progress is steep indeed…

Now this thought I’m about to reveal isn’t my own, but nevertheless merits echoing.

Imagine if we treated every scientist and inventor the way we treat Freud.

Think about it.

Imagine putting down Galileo for all the stuff he got wrong. Imagine assuming that because 90% of everything Newton knew about the universe was incorrect, he really isn’t worth more than a foot note in scientific history. Heck, Einstein rejected quantum mechanics, yet the guy remains the standard of genius in our age (an honor that should belong to Tesla, but that’s another story).

Tesla Coils: I like to think of ’em as big “**** You, Edison” Towers

Heck, I’m willing to wager that if you juxtaposed everything Freud got wrong about his field, and everything Darwin got wrong about his field, Freud would come out ahead. Yet Darwin is a respected, if not revered, icon of academia and a poster boy for exploration and discovery.

This was the coolest (and only) Darwin gif out there…

Why can’t Freud get the same deal?

That’s all I’m really trying to get at here- the man practically pioneered an entire field of (soft) science. He deserves more than yo momma jokes. His legacy should be more than the stereotype of a bald, bearded psychologist sitting behind a couch (did you know that pretty much no psychologist uses those couches anymore? What a rip-off). Let’s give this guy respect for all he discovered, credit for all he got right, and a shred of leniency for all he got wrong.

It’s only fair. A person who has contributed so much to the world deserves at least that consideration.

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Fame Day: Matt Fraction and Hawkeye #7

Posted on January 24, 2013 by | 3 comments

Imagine my joy when I found out that Hawkeye #7 is being released on January 30th, making this post both contemporary and relevant. Redundancies aside, Matt Fraction is a man who’s worthy of a fair amount of praise.

First of all, he’s a man who clearly loves comics. Secondly, as the current writer of Fantastic Four he’s basing the Reed family on his own wife and two children. Thirdly, he’s married to extremely talented comics scribe Kelly Sue Deconnick, who has revitalized Captain Marvel in a huge way. Fourthly, he is also the writer of Marvel’s new-ish Hawkeye title, and it is fantastic.

Fraction’s take on the character is through the lens of a man who, when not rubbing elbows with super soldiers and Norse gods, is just a guy. Take the following panels into account:

Okay, that about just sums up what I said. Check this one out, too:

hawkeye

So now, we’ve established that Matt Fraction’s writing is great. David Aja, who illustrates the title, is also great [at drawing]. Greatness all across the board, you guys [and girls], this is a comic that you should be rolling your eyeballs across.

That’s worth a Fame Day. But you know what’s even more worth that? The cover on the left. It’s for, and the title of this blog post is pretty self-explanatory, Issue #7 of Hawkeye. Why is this a big deal?

For one thing, Fraction is taking time off of his current storyline to explore what happens when Hurricane Sandy hits Clint Barton’s neighbourhood. The real world affects Marvel’s that’s pretty neat.

Here’s something else that’s neat: Matt Fraction will be donating all of his royalties from the issue to Red Cross, which will work towards relief efforts for Sandy’s Victims. 

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, this man will not be making a cent off of the issue. It’s the story about “a girl trapped at a function that she can’t get out of when the hurricane comes, and about a guy helping his buddy move his infirm dad to safe ground” [check the above link]. It’s a story that, for every issue it sells, will benefit those who lost their homes due to a tragic natural disaster. 

If you are a person who thinks they might want to get into comics, this would be a great place to start. It’s a smart, funny title written by a talented man, and it’ll be $2.99, a fraction [pun not intended] of which will go towards people that genuinely need it. Think about it. And at the very least, give the man some credit.

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Posted in comics, Fame Day, writing

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Fame Day: New Belgium Brewing Co.

Posted on January 17, 2013 by | 8 comments

asdfasdfaThere’s a common misconception that Communism is about an all-powerful government controlling the economy. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Despite our railing against Ayn Rand and laissez-faire economics, the end-boss that Marx actually described was the inevitable merger of big business and big government into one inbred monster. The whole point of the glorious people’s revolution was to get rid of both the plutocrat and the politician, though obviously between Stalin, Pol Pot, and Joe McCarthy, things all went terribly wrong. “Marxism” became a buzz-word for the very things it was opposed to, and the whole movement got set back a century. It’s not easy being red.

Even so, every once in a while, we manage to chalk up a point for the good guys.

This particular victory comes to us from Fort Collins, Colorado, where it was announced yesterday that the New Belgium Brewing Company has become 100% worker owned!

ARISE YE WORKERS FROM YOUR SLUMBER! ARISE YE PRISONERS OF WANT!

That’s right- owned and democratically run by the people who actually do the work. Behold the nefarious Communist agenda for America!

Now in case you’re wondering exactly who these guys are, there’s a chance you might be more familiar with some of their products- such as Blue Paddle, Snow Day (seasonal), and their most famous, Fat Tire.

This is a really, really good beer…

 

Now in addition to being a much needed triumph for the proletariat, New Belgium has plenty more commendable points worth mentioning.
For example:

  • These guys are as green as they are red, using a combination wind-power, methane, and ingenious energy-efficiency techniques to reduce power consumption.
  • All workers receive a free bike after one year of service.
  • Workers get 10 paid holidays (the average American worker gets about 8; if you don’t appreciate the difference, then you’re not working)
  • Workers enjoy sporting events, art shows, and freaking beer parties.

All of which I imagine go just like this…

We live in a world full of vile contemptible companies who do vile contemptible things and never get the derision and disgust that they so richly deserve (cough, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Monsanto, Nike, Caterpillar, Unilever, Marks & Spencer, cough). If those evil dirtbags can’t be publicly condemned, then perhaps we can at least swing to the other side, and offer some well-earned praise to people doing it right.

New Belgium Brewing Co., here’s to you, comrades!

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Posted in bizarreness, Economy, environmentalism, Fame Day, food, politics

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Fame Day: Bleeding Cool and The Big Bang Theory

Posted on January 10, 2013 by | 2 comments

It all started with this teaser for tonight’s episode of The Big Bang Theory:

“The girls go . . . WHERE NO WOMAN HAS GONE BEFORE.”

This prompted the writing a post two days ago by Rich Johnston on his comics website Bleeding Cool, entitled “Are You A Woman, Have You Actually Been Inside A Comic Shop?” This in turn prompted another post by the name of “Disproving The Big Bang Theory” in which Johnston received feedback from numerous individuals on what they thought of this premise.

A few response tweets:

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And one of the longer email responses, this one from Susanna Baird:

I started reading comic books about a year ago. I’m a middle-aged mom and the first few times I walked to the “New Comics” back wall at Harrison’s in Salem, MA, I felt like I was walking the halls of my junior high school with a new haircut. But after a few weeks, I realized that feeling was entirely my own.

Everyone wanted to talk comics, and no one cared that I was the only middle-aged housewife in the store. Now it’s like all the enthusiastic geekery of junior high minus the mean girls. I love it. Love comics, love Harrison’s – the staff, the clientele – and I love being in a room full of metal shelves lined with three-dollar art.

I love Harrison’s.

Finally, one last post just today revealed that even an editorial staffer at one of the Big Two [Marvel/DC] had things to say about, which I won’t quote here since I don’t want this to just be links to Bleeding Cool articles. You can read that here, though.

Is all of this attention warranted? Should The Big Bang Theory really be criticized for depicting comic book stores as havens for uncomfortably staring virgins?

The fact of the matter is this: it’s the perpetuation of a stereotype that simply isn’t true. More than that, it’s based on the sexist assumption that some forms of media [in this case, comics] are closed off to women. I know for a fact that there are members of the finer sex who appreciate a good comic book, and saying that no woman has ever stepped foot in a comic book store straight-up denies this.

As someone who loves comic books, and wishes more people did, it’s a huge
encouragement to me that so many women are speaking out on this topic. They’re asserting that they appreciate good art and storylines too, and I am immensely pleased that this is happening.

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It’s unfortunate, as well, since The Big Bang Theory has actually been really great this season. They’ve started giving the female cast members equal screentime, and it’s refreshing and creates a lot of immensely funny situations. It’s a shame that tonight’s episode turns to relying on such tired material, but it is definitely worth giving kudos to those who are doing their best to prove its premise false.

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Fame Day: StarCrafts

Posted on December 13, 2012 by | 2 comments

gjscStarCraft, undoubtedly one of the best and most important games of all time, at least according to Wikipedia. This is an RTS [real time strategy game] that commands legions of fans, and its sequel, which launched in 2010, now commands many of the same legion of fans.

But the competitive online scene for any game is not an exceptionally friendly place. There’s the stress and pressure of playing against other players to achieve ranks, and that’s not at all helped by players who are BM (bad manner[ed]). This rudeness can even be found among pro-gamers themselves (see: many of IdrA’s interactions with other players).

Enter Jonathan Burton, also known as “Carbot” and the creator of the YouTube StarCrafts. Set entirely in the world of StarCraft II each episode presents various units from the Terran, Protoss, and Zerg races engaging in a battle that is, in a word, adorable.

Here is an artist’s rendition of the Zergling as it appears in-game:

And this is a gif of what the Zerglings look like in StarCrafts:

And they’re more than just heartwarmingly lovable, they’re also hilarious. Anyone with even the slightest familiarity with the game will lose it when they see a Zealot dancing from side to side to defend a choke, and people who didn’t understand what any of those words meant are still going to chuckle when they see the baby-like Marines running [almost always away from something]. Add to that the fact that almost all of the soundbites used are from the game itself and you have a very impressive piece of work on your hands.

The following is probably the best entry into the series, and it showcases the dangers of letting yourself get . . . overzealous. Cue classic CSI scream.

What’s really great though, is how I don’t even really have to be writing this post. StarCrafts has received the recognition it so greatly deserves, and episodes have been featured fairly often on the Blizzard [the game’s creator] site. What’s even more exciting is how they were also aired during game breaks at the first ever BWC [Battle.Net World Championship] in China. A special episode was also created for NASL [North American Star League].

I strongly encourage all of you to check out a few episodes. Even if StarCraft II isn’t your thing [and really, it’s not for everybody] maybe this can help you relate just a little to all the die-hards out there. At the very least, you’ll have spent a few minutes watching an excellently produced video by a very talented man.

YouTube Channel: youtube.com/user/CarbotAnimations
Facebook Page: facebook.com/CarbotAnimations
Twitter: @CarbotAnimation
Personal Site: carbotanimations.com
Updates every Saturday

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Posted in art, cartoons, Comedy, design, Fame Day, internet, video games

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Fame Day: Court TV

Posted on December 6, 2012 by | Leave a comment

I and TV often find ourselves at odds. More often than not, what you get on television is hours upon hours of sensationalist news, vile game shows, and talk shows that swing between glorified bum-fights and thinly veiled infomercials. Sure, every once in a while you can find quality along the lines of Arrested Development or Ugly Americans or Scrubs or whatever wildly popular and inventive new show that NBC will cancel because **** you, but for the most part there are plenty more weeds out there than roses.

However, one such exception to the norm is- believe it or not- Court TV.

That’s right, Court TV.  Judge Judy, Judge Mathis, Judge Milian, and so on.

Now you might be trying to wrap your heads around why on earth these shows are any good, but that’s probably because of the general skepticism you have about daytime TV (and not without just cause). Think about it. Really think about it. What do we see on this show? Glamorization? Perhaps, but for all the strange cases that show up, the majority of them seem nevertheless perfectly plausible. And that brings us to the second point: sympathy. Who among us can say we haven’t had a situation, or haven’t known someone who had a situation, which would constitute a conflict without going so far as to be criminal? Who hasn’t had some petty yet long-running dispute with a neighbor? Who hasn’t had some tiff about splitting up a dead relative’s possessions? Again, Court TV has it all, and what’s more, shows the real-life consequences of all this (usual) pettiness and greed. We actually get to see some positive arbitration, and get educated on not only our explicit laws, but our social contract, our culture, and our state as human beings in general. However hyped up it might be played, the “hollywoodization” of the shows still can’t rob them of their core essence, which is genuinely interesting and relatable conflicts and the ways we resolve ’em.

I’m not saying you don’t have better things you could be doing with your time, but if you’re gonna be watching TV, there’s plenty worse to watch than this.

And just one last note. I understand that “Court TV” also used to be the title of the TV channel now called “TruTV”. Obviously what I’m talking about and that are two unrelated things. Just a heads up.

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