Mod Post: Off Topic Tuesday

[icon_uk]

In the comments to these weekly posts (and only these posts), it's your chance to go as off topic as you like. Talk about non-comics stuff, thread derail, and just generally chat among yourselves.

Well, the news in 2020 started off more or less as follows

1st - Pretty images of firework displaysa round the world
2nd - A reminder that Australia is still basically on fire
3rd - Assassination of military leader in Iran may lead to reewed military action.

Happy *&%ing New Year!

That last is of particular importance of course. No one would deny that Qasem Soleimani was a massively dangerous man who was instrumental in numerous atrocities, but his position as miltary leader in a hardline totalitarian regime which is at political odds with America has to be factored in. Previous Presidents have been in a position to order him killed, but did not, because of the resulting fallout potentially being even more dangerous.

Given Trumps's many tweets about how he forsaw Obama using military strikes on Iran to help ensure winning an election (Which Obama never actually did), it is hard to not view this action as a work of breathtaking cynicism. And his later claim that his social media accounts now count as notification to Congress about his actions is causing some concern to say the least, so no change there.

The Golden Globe winners were announced, with host Ricky Gervais pissing a lot of people off as per usual. His pleading that celebs shouldn't make political statements in their speeches was ignored of course, and whilst he might have had a point in some cases, the irony that a minor celeb was making just as much of a political statement by asking other celebs to not make political statements at all, was notable. (And to be honest, if I had to choose between Gervais' usual waffle, or Rose McGowan encouraging women to vote, it's not even a contest.)

Oh and Bong Joon Ho, Director of the GG for Best Foreign Language Film "Parasite", gave a speech where encouraged people to accept that subtitles are a thing and use them. “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films".

The trial of Harvey Weinstein has started.

Major technology show CES 2020 us taking place in Las Vegas at the moment, with it's usual assortment of "That seems like a good idea!" to "Who thought that was EVER a good idea?" tech.

And to end on a definite up-note. Series 12 of Doctor Who launched with an impressive New Years Day Special (as part 1 of a 2 parter which finished, perhaps even more impressively, on Sunday).

It immediately set itself up as being a much higher stakes, much less "safe", series (a common comment on Season 11 was that it was beautifully made, but it did tend to play it safe in terms of storytelling risks, which isn't to sell episodes like "Rosa" short).

We got to see the Doctor dealing with an alien invasion, strange humans (Lenny Henry in very creepy form), spycraft no many levels, and an unexpected old threat, as well as a couple of entirely new issues which will doubtless be underpinning this series. Oh, and giving Jodie Whittaker a chance to show more of her acting range, as well as raise sighs amongst a significant %age of the WlW community with her formalwear choices.

Just in case people haven't seen the episodes yet (it being the holiday period), I won't post any spoilers (Though I really, REALLY want to), but they may crop up in the comments below, so be careful.

Comments

[tripodeca113]

Doctor Who was fine. SPOILERS FOLLOW

I wasn’t really engaged, and I have little to say. The companions got pretty much equal screen time, but I didn’t really find them interesting. They had it set across the globe, but it didn’t really feel worth it. Also, yet again the Doctor and the Master aren’t homoerotic. What’s the point I ask you?
Also the car chase was unmemorable.

The Clone Wars season seven got a release date.
I got to a very well done part in Life Is Strange.
I’ve been playing more of the PS4 Spiderman game. It’s good. I also got Judgment.
I started playing Hotel Dusk 215. I’ve also order the Metroid Prime Trilogy.

I found an interesting series Martian Comics, that I’d like to share here, but that may be difficult.

[icon_uk]

I agree the car chase was a tad, if you'll pardon the term, pedestrian, especially after the car incident at the start of the episode which seemed a lot more dynamic.

I'm always torn on Master/Doctor eroticism of any sort, as the Master's deathcount is so damn high. It can be played camp enough to get away with it, but rarely. I thought the "Say my name" bit could have been incredibly problematic because of obvious gender and power dynamnics, but I think it managed to subvert the trope completely, with the Doctor's manner making it 100% clear this was nothing other than a means of saving lives.

Oooh, when's the release date for Clone Wars?

[dewinged]

Gervais is trash. Even a broken clock is right twice a day, but he's still trash.

I remember when Seth Macfarlane hosted the Emmys, and everyone was all 'OMG so crude and inappropriate' but when it's Gervais doing the same they break out the kneepads and mouthwash.

I've been watching My Hero Academia, speaking of double-standard myopic fandom bullshit. (though I'm a bit behind because Simuldub has apparently become 'oh, next week' instead.)

Let me give an example:

Mineta: *does/says something wildly inappropriate about women*
Fandom: Oh, he's the absolute worst! No quarter! Remove him!
Me: Yeah I get that; the character's behavior is wrong, and should be addressed and there should be consequences.

Bakugou: *first scene is him telling a small child to kill himself*
Me: Oh, this is going to be-
Fandom: OMG my angery explody boi son! Let me hug you!
Me: *gets really nauseous*

That shit has got to stop.

[leahandillyana]

Magia Record, a spin off Madoka anime, started airing. I admire the creators' honesty: they correctly assumed that everybody watching it would be familiar with Madoka, so there's no explanation of the setting and the characters leap straight into battle, showcasing beautiful, unique animation.
In RWBY, all secrets were relealed and lies came to surface, so finally we can move the plot forward.
Witcher started airing. It's well made and pretty faithful to original, though some elements that didn't age that well were modernized. It's good, overall. The most complex storytelling way I've seen on Netflix yet.
I know nothing more about what is happening in Poland and I like it that way.
BTW, what about doujinshi scanlations? Has any consensus been made?

[trooper924]

Mind you, it's worth noting that the manga's author himself admitted that he went too far with Bakugou's behavior and deliberately scaled him back going forward. Bakugou never acts that way again for the rest of series.

[dewinged]

That, I was unaware of. And Bakogou doesn't, but I want to see the apology and remorse on Bakugou's part. Especially since non-quirk Midoriya, in the context of the MHA universe, could be considered disabled (heavy YMMV/interpretation, there.)

Though the end of the first episode seals Bakugou's fate, I need to see him own up to what he did.

[deh_tommy]

Poor L3-37. She was so loyal and tried so hard; she deserved better.

BBC’s Dracula aired over the course of the new year. That was fine, I think. If you’re not a fan of Hammer horror, that probably won’t be for you.

[zachbeacon]

If anyone needs me I'll be watching internet videos about unlikely animal friends because I just can't deal with all this other bullshit now.

[onsokumaru]

He is not as bad as in chapter 1, but he keeps being a huge jerk to everybody and to Deku especially. Insulting people all the time, even threatening them. And all he gets is an occasional eye roll, when he is not praised by a certain redhead who mistakes toxic masculinity for manliness.
But maybe its just me getting too uptight as I get old. I used to be ok with that kind of "former" bad guy character, but I'm now annoyed at how they act like they are making a favor to people just by sticking around or by acting like a decent human being every 31th of the month.

[an_idol_mind]

I would have enjoyed the season opener of Doctor Who a lot more if the big awesome reveal hadn't been spoiled by the Doctor Who YouTube page the very next day after it aired, before I had a chance to watch the episode.

I blame Peter Capaldi, because thanks to him I didn't forget to click below to subscribe to the official Doctor Who YouTube channel.

[zachbeacon]

It isn't just the fandom. The characters are like that. Mineta tries to peep on the girls and they're all "wtf, dude?" but Bakugou behaves live a rapid animal in the spots festival and everyone is so impressed by how strong he is.



Always found Gervais insufferable but they keep giving him a platform.

Seth Macfarlane at the Emmys was exactly what I'd expect from him (a huge, elaborate musical production about breasts) and I don't know why anyone was surprised. Still, he get points for being one of the few calling out Weinstein and Spacey BEFORE the rest of Hollywood broke their silence.

In short, I don't really get how someone can hire a comedian for an awards show or White House Correspondents' Association or whatever and not be familiar with their work. I don't blame Michelle Wolf for offending people in 2018, I blame the event organizer for hiring an insult comic and putting her in a room full of easy targets.

[icon_uk]

Tha's entirely fair, and apologies for not helping with the mood.

[icon_uk]

Ouch, that IS unfortunate.

I'm lucky inasmuch as I hadn't even heard the rumour which circulated a while back apparently, and was busy trying to work out where I'd seen him before (As it turns out it was from his turn as Waris Hussein in "An Adventure in Space and Time") though I then saw him in about four different things in the space of a week; Dracula for one.

[icon_uk]

It was definitely a Marmite story, people either love it or hate it. It also managed to piss off the Bram Stoke Dracula purists for obvious reasons, and those who like their sexy vampires, by making a point of Dracula being all about the "killing", not the "smouldering sexily".

[trooper924]

Yeah, fair enough.

Though I do want to point that the reason why fans hate Mineta more than Bakugo--despite the latter doing something arguably worse than the former ever did--is that Bakugo suicide-baited Midoriya once at the very start of the story, back when the author was still figuring out how things worked, and never stooped to that low ever again. Mineta has acted like a creepy pervert since his first appearance, has never been seriously called for it, and the story always treats it like it's a harmless, fun joke

[trooper924]

Though, "belligerent, antisocial jerkass who's rude to everyone" is still a major stepdown from "budding psychopath who tells people he doesn't like to kill themselves".

[t209]

So another discussion on upcoming 2020 election, or rather my concerns. (Trigger Warning: Rants and Talks over online articles)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhTuRJisH1U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bJjVNnmXGI
Tim Pool isn't considered reliable news despite what he claims, considering his pull of "centrist" and "anti-establishment" people, who can also just as be ill-informed, part of me wanted to have a counterpoint to his "news commentaries" about "Trump will win because his base is getting larger due to white college students and African Americans" and "I agree with Occasio's points but I think she is hypocrite for not running as Third Party and wanted to put far-left nonsense into Democrats despite wanting changes in politics myself", which has enough seemingly-legitimate tone that might attract cynical people and influence people to not vote.
*sigh* Part of me wonder why people thinks that people like Tim and Sargon are considered as an alternative to "mainstream media, Fox News included".

[scorntx]

I thought the first part of Who was a little slow... but that reveal. Gosh, that reveal.
I think the second part was a definite step up from the first.
The "bomb on a plane" thing was a little silly (y'know, as opposed to the killer sat-nav and the James Bond parody), but given this is The Master we're talking about, pretty in keeping with the character. So it's okay.
(Actually, for Mister "Gets Dizzy Trying to Walk in a Straight Line", it's pretty underhanded.)

Also, major spoilers for the episode, I guess, buuuut...
...
After all that 'effort' the Moff went to to bring Them back, that was kind of amusing.
Frankly, good riddance.
(Oh, they'll probably be fine. One or two will have survived by hiding in a fridge, and they'll be right back to business as usual.)

Though the whole stuff about Them having a Deep, Dark Secret is kind of eye-rolling.
They're nothing but Deep, Dark Secrets.

And we're two-fifths through the series already.
*pout*
Still, interested to see where this year goes.


There's been some building going on lately, and the locals foxes are not loving it.
Probably because it's their turf being dug up.
Lot of late night yipping and howling going on.
(Typical, innit. You spend years waiting for nature to show up in your garden, and it all comes along at once.)

[t209]

Also another gripe,
- My frustration with my dad's indifference over Iranian General's assassination due to "Nah, it's gonna be the same" type cynicism (though it might be due to growing up and well-informed during Cold War, even regional conflicts like Yemeni Civil War and Iran-Iraq War).
- Not discounting jingoists, my grinding gears also being "World War 3" tweets (I agree that conflicts may be inevitable, but this sort of overblowing cry-wolf tend to do more damage and good).
- Finally, people using Team America's quotes or similar assumption of how "both sides are bad" without regards to their own bias and unwilling to accept criticism (Good when you are stuck with naivete "Interpretative dance for World Peace" pacifist and jingoistic "Go America/Logical West" moron. Bad when you lack the knowledge about Geopolitics and informative sources yourself, as pointed out by Wisecrack video--including Matt and Trey's own political bias and their anti-academia--on that movie.)

[icon_uk]

The reveal was pretty amazing. though I'm not sure I'm 100% sold on this Master yet, He did "menacing" brilliantly, but when he was trying to "amusingly evil" or "loopily unhinged" it felt rathe forced.

I'd certainly never have guessed that these two episodes were shot several months apart, as they were in different filming blocks.

And we're only 1/5 of the way through the series, not 2/5's so that's not so bad?

I have to say if someone had to do what was done to Gallifrey, the Master is one of the few I can think of for whom my reaction is "Yup, I can see that being a thing they would do AND manage it too"

[cyberghostface]

I always hated romantic Dracula. In the book there's a scene where he forces Mina to drink his blood and it's clearly depicted as being like a rape. In the Gary Oldman version they're in love and she's licking the blood off his chest. Blech.

What did you think of Dracula?

[deh_tommy]

As a source material purist for most things myself, I’ve long made peace with the fact that there’s probably never going to be a book-accurate Dracula adaptation. Besides, characters like Dracula live and die on their differing interpretations and all the cool and interesting directions you can take them in, for better and for worse.

[long_silence]

My gripe with Doctor Who was how she handles Ada Lovelace at the end. It really took me out of it to see her pulling a Ten on her.

We've seen the Doctor interact with historical figures, without erasing their memories, changing the course of human history. That's how Torchwood came about in the first place. So having another woman beg to keep the memories she's made, the life changing experience, while the Doctor takes it all away for her own good just seems cruel

[long_silence]

And it's not just the other classmates constantly praising Bakugou, it's practically all of the teachers, pro heroes, and random civilians. No one cares that he's constantly swearing and threatening to cause people bodily harm or to kill them

Honestly if Horikoshi had any guts, Bakugou should be exhibit "A" for the League of Villains about what's wrong with Hero Society.
This "Might makes right" mentality that All Might created, is what has allowed Bakugou to grow up like this without any criticism or any adult figure telling him "No", he's a complete monster and everyone just looks the other way because he's strong.
Of course he was never going to agree to become a villain, as a hero everyone practically worships the ground he walks on.

SPOILERS

[deh_tommy]

I kind of have the opposite opinion, really: after how much I enjoyed Part 1, Part 2 felt like a bit of a let down.

In Part 1, the Kasaavin were really scary, the companions actually helped and behaved like actual people would, the threat felt genuine, there was a real sense of intrigue, and the end twist was great.

Part 2, on the other hand, had a lot more Chibnalisms that I don’t particularly care for: the Doctor was slow on the uptake (hmm, I wonder who this Ada lady with an interest in technology in the 19th century could possibly be?) and disturbingly morally relativistic (sure, the Master’s a monster, but weaponising his own skin colour against him and was really uncomfortable, then there’s wiping Ada’s memory while she fearfully begs the Doctor not to), the Kasaavin and the companions’ subplot ultimately amounted to nothing, there was that really on the nose speech by the not-Google man (seriously, why was no one panicking about him threatening the world with complete annihilation?), they killed off Gallifrey AGAIN before they even did anything with that, and that left me with a few questions I doubt we’ll get answers to (so, like, what’s going to happen to the Earth now that every spy agency in the world is effectively defunct? Are the Fam suddenly not the most wanted people in the world? Did the Master just not take the opportunity while stranded 77 years in the past to destroy humanity? Where’s his TARDIS, now?).

Meh, at least I liked that more the the Season 11 opener and last year’s special.