Scrumpledina's Infinite Go Time

I'm a guy who likes sweet things and analysis and portmanteaus and polysyndeton and stuff. Some work with comics, prose, poetry, video games, games games, video, queer stuff, and all other types of media and delivery technologies. Let's play.

[scrumpledina]

Universe: Here are several amazing and available men. Me: But my ex...

[scrumpledina]

Had so much fun at The Adventure Zone! Here’s hoping Taako’s summer crop top becomes canon.

[scrumpledina]

Riotous Intersections

The Stonewall movie is, by the looks of it, trying to use a "blank canvas" (read: white, cis male, from Midwest) character to give everyone (read: more white cis people from outside of The City) some sort of entrée into the queer New York of the 60s. This is a common move in cinema, but it is particularly unacceptable here. It says you can move among the many queer people who become almost a museum display, something to look at but you are never truly one of them. These are people who were completely central to the events of the Stonewall Riot, and they are made unsympathetic due to the unrecognizability of their queerness and race—their bodies as a whole—in contrast to Danny's recognizable type of gayness (again, white cis male, standardly attractive).

One of these people, largely recognized as the person to throw the first brick and kick off the riot, was Marsha P. Johnson. As a black trans* woman, she represented an embodied intersection of the three biggest minority rights moments of the '60s (Civil Rights, Women's Rights, and Queer Rights [Labeled "Gay Rights" at the time. Also, if you needed this parenthetical list, please go read a good history book.]). To place her at the center of the story would be to acknowledge that all of these movements have intersections, at times meeting in one person. This in turn would force all of us to acknowledge complexity, something we are pretty bad at (my description of Johnson was probably overly simplistic, relying on categories I/we recognize). Acknowledging her pivotal role in Stonewall would also be to show this extremely marginalized person rioting, and thus sanction rioting not started by pretty white cis men. This, again, is something we are bad at, as events like the Ferguson Protests and Keene Pumpkin Riot have recently shown us (pop quiz: Which of those events do you know more about? Which was talked about in more negative ways? Who was arrested?). So the Stonewall movie was inevitable because we refuse to go into uncomfortable spaces and try to relate to people who don't play by our rules without the aforementioned blank slate as a guiding light. Marsha P. Johnson will be, at best, an exotic set piece for Danny's explorations of Queer New York.

We have yet to see exactly how things go down in the movie, but it doesn't look promising. I look forward to reading the reviews, because there is almost no chance I'll be paying money to sit through it. That is two hours of my life I don't have to spend watching a sanitized story of a riot.

[scrumpledina]

The Trolls Aren’t Winning, But the Ogres Might Be

Recently, Reddit CEO Ellen Pao resigned. By all accounts, it looked like she was jumping from a burning ship—with the dismantling of subreddits such as /r/fatpeoplehate, Reddit itself seemed to burst into flames, or at least a giant flame war. Posts and comments became highly charged, often stepping over the bounds of decency in efforts to prove some sort of point, even if that point was not entirely clear. In the end, Pao left the site. Her response article indicated that the Trolls are winning. Not to be pedantic, but her statement is not true for one major reason. The Trolls are not winning; instead, it is a group far more dangerous.

        Let's lay down some Internet terms. Trolls are, in short, people who do not care about the issue at hand. Trolls exist to disrupt, derail, misdirect, and generally mess with the conversation. They may go after someone specifically, but usually they are more like a wrench in the works of a discussion thread. What is most important is that they have, at best, flexible values. In most cases, they have no serious moral or ethical code whatsoever. In a Dungeons and Dragons game, most Internet Trolls would be chaotic neutral. Internet wisdom holds that the only way that Trolls win is when someone takes them seriously and makes an earnest effort to argue back. If ignored, most Trolls will simply move on.

        Let’s propose an Internet term, using the people to whom Pao points as examples. These people are not Trolls because they have a defined goal and, sometimes, set of beliefs. They have, in the strictest sense of the term, moral codes that dictate what causes they will get behind. Or, at least, that is what they claim. They are certainly not interested in rational argumentation. Instead, they participate almost entirely by attacking other people directly rather than presenting logical arguments in support of their viewpoints. It is for this reason that I propose the term "Ogre." In folklore, ogres are troll-like creatures who also happen to feed on human flesh. Internet Ogres want to win their battles, and they will devour anyone in their way. Often, it seems that the bloodsport they have turned comment threads into takes precedence over the outcome, and their alleged principles are just a shield behind which to hide while aiming attacks at people they don’t like.

        Following the banning of some truly offensive pages on Reddit, it was a matter of hours, if not minutes, for the discussion to switch from one of "free speech" to a contest for who could make the best "Chairman Pao" image or best link Pao's name with the Nazis. She was driven from the site, as numerous other outspoken voices, particularly those of women and racial minorities, have been driven from numerous spaces, digital and otherwise. This is not to say that Pao is perfect. She is, as she rightly points out, human, and thus has made missteps; her unsuccessful gender discrimination lawsuit, defense of subreddits devoted almost entirely to hate speech, and other actions at Reddit and elsewhere are often cited by people on both sides of the argument. However, the severity and tone of the attacks against her were completely unwarranted given her actions. The Ogres pretended to care about policy to mask hatred of a person, content to drive away someone they saw as interfering with their beliefs. Arguments and discussions centered on the beliefs themselves did not place. In the Ogres’ dogmatic minds, they won. This is not the first time this has happened, and it certainly won’t be the last. As long as people are trying to change the status quo within a community, other people will be trying to stop them for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, Ogres will show up just for fun. Either way, they represent a dangerous type of conservatism.

        It should be noted here, then, that a change is coming for Reddit. In addition to the now-standard NSFW (Not Safe For Work) tag used for pornography on the site, there will soon be a tag—possibly the same one—for content that violates a "common sense of decency." Free speech will prevail, but it will continue to be filtered, and for good reason. Hate speech will not stand. Harassment will not stand. But the frequently ignorant and often offensive thoughts of many users will remain, though hidden behind a login page. In some ways, this is a brilliant move. While it may tarnish Reddit's name to have pages devoted to fat shaming, racist caricatures, religious intolerance, or any of a number of things that have a home on Reddit, it allows some measure of traceability. By keeping these pages active, Reddit has managed to, in some ways, pen a swath of Ogres and keep tabs on the fomenting of indecent opinions. This is important in an age where hiding behind layers of anonymity is standard—I'm doing it right now, partly because this is the best venue I could find for this piece—and anonymous users grow ever more dangerous. There will always be people lurking in the dungeons of the deep web who are capable of more than we know, but the run-of-the-mill Ogre is not that sophisticated. They can drive someone out, but they will never truly win.

        There is a well-known adage on the Internet about not reading the comments. Here, I want you to do the exact opposite. Wherever this is posted, comment thread will likely see the appearance of Trolls, Ogres, and other creatures that run the whole spectrum. Some will take exception to what I say. Some (Trolls) will simply put down whatever their fingers happen to type. Some (Ogres) will go after me under the auspices of protecting a principle. Some will add genuine thoughts. There is a certain amount of trepidation that many people now feel when sharing thoughts, as the Ogres will come out in full force. Some may even follow the script I laid out above, so strong is their unthinking commitment. Whatever the case, check the comments and see what happens.

I am putting this out there in hopes of showing that we can send our words into the Internet without being shouted down. I'm not arguing that we let everything on Internet go without question. Rather, we should learn to engage on a political level rather than a personal one. Trolls made online forums and discussion into arenas, places where one can “win” by making others mad. The Ogre Effect has replaced the win conditions with something much more dangerous. However, these technological tools are designed to be means of facilitating discussion and argumentation. These should be places to consider an argument from many sides, contemplate the complexity of the human psyche and society, and partake in other seemingly lofty goals that serve real purposes. If one wants to engage the limits of free speech, then they should be able to without needing to force out dissenting voices. Winning a discussion—an illogical idea to begin with—is a shortsighted goal, as all of our views change over years of engagement and consideration. I've done my best here, but I know these arguments are far from perfect. What I do not know is if people can engage with these ideas, or if they will want to eat my flesh.

[leonrozelaar]

The Adventure Zone -Moonlighting, chapter 3

In which someone doesn’t trust the orb machine, and everyone takes a trip to fantasy costco.

Also, the gnome is called Leon! As in my name! ¬.¬

[theadventurezone]

the confused, frustrated look on Taako’s face in this picture is everything to me. all of it is so, so good.

[scrumpledina]

To the above comment, I would like to add that the slightly uncertain, vaguely wistful look on Merle’s face is beautiful and evocative. 

However, someone really dropped the ball on Magnus. Or maybe I dropped the ball on imagining him right.

[theadventurezone]

A rendering of Taako, from Sara Goetter. I think she nailed it, particularly how super, super dumb he is.

[scrumpledina]

Into it.

[the--circle-of-life-deactivated]

Children's Book Explaining Homosexuality

[prettyboyggukie]

[toocooltobehipster]

statistics show, Germany is the least homophobic country in the world!

[scrumpledina]

Sooooooo...no one noticed that this book is Daddy's Roommate, an American children's book originally published in English? Anyone? Really???

[scrumpledina]

Cosplay Karma

I can't wait for the same white people who tell Asian/AsAm cosplayers they can't be Ramona (because they have to be Knives) or Hermione (because they must be Cho Chang) to start cosplaying as Hiro and Gogo from Big Hero 6.

(*Note: I'm a white guy who has done Naruto cosplay, so...)

[scrumpledina]

An Open Letter to Saira Blair, 11/5/14

OK, OK, I get it,

I'm 23 and have never been elected

to anything other than student council so

who am I to talk?

You, at the tender age of 18,

are now a state senator

and let me be the first to say

  I hope you fail. Miserably.

  Now before you endorse the

Second Amendment on me

let me explain, or rather,

let me reiterate:

You are 18.

You have earned the right to vote and

to run by staying alive for 18 years

which for some is an unattainable goal

but hey, if you have anything to say about it

more will be given the chance to die

as they were born,

in a world that is indifferent to them

but I digress

you are 18 and

you are here,

right here,

at the tip of a big red arrow

pointing out how people in your area

are being gouged at the pump

because the government tried to stop

mega corporations from gouging

the mom and pops

you use that language and

call for the tax to be lifted

Girl,

how can you do that?

  This website reads like a PoliSci 101

project that somehow found

its way into the statehouse

maybe it's because it's

your first year in college,

I don't know, I can't say for sure.

Neither can you because you are 18

not old enough to drink so

you decided to get drunk on power

mandating drug tests for welfare recipients

as if rehab were free

calling for a balanced budget

as if you know what that means

somehow tying the right to bear arms

to the right to shoot "terrorists"

even as you say you'll preserve all lives

I guess that only lasts until

they are born

but I digress again, maybe,

meanwhile you are sharing

a round of Political brews

with your dad

who you mention is also a state senator

in the same paragraph as you say you

oppose political dynasties

but I guess that doesn't apply when

you are part of a blessed line

of holy unions I guess it's

called divine right

something my children will never know

but hey, at least they'll all be born

I just hope you let people like

adopt them when their mothers

can't care for them

because they are trying to make up

for corporate tax cuts

but I digress, or do I?

  Damn

my neck hurts from

the whiplash of your politics

claiming that America was founded on

"Christian-Judeo principles"

(nice inversion, by the way)

then saying we are guaranteed

"freedom of religion, not freedom

from religion" and thus the government should

abide by the Ten Commandments

DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!?

Any of it?

Because I don't

and I'm a first-smester master's student yet you,

a college first-year,

will be in the state senate until

the term limit you support

turns up or until you fail.

  You are here, right here,

a girl in West Virginia with a huge red arrow

pointing to her

that says "my worldview doesn't go

much further than this" because

you are a "lifelong resident"

of your panhandle county

Kindergarted through, well,

at least part of a semester of college

all in the same small place yet

you are now making national news

and so

I hope you fail.

  Because that is how we learn

countless commencement speeches

stress the importance of trying, failing,

and trying again but you wouldn't know

that yet because you are a college first-year

You are a novelty

you are daddy's little puppet

I mean little girl I mean

this is how you will be seen

and you do yourself no favors

by mentioning him as you did and so

this time around, I want you

to fail.

  Then,

you can grow, and mature, and

learn things and become a truly

knowledgeable woman and then

no one will stop you because

no one can touch you not even

the boys playing at being politicians

who have held this country up once again

you can grow up and show them

what maturity and democracy look like

but right now

you are in your first semester of college

calling shots far deadlier than those

from the shotgun you hold

on your homepage and I sincerely hope

that you fail.

  And then try again.

  Sincerely,

A 23 year-old who

respects you but thinks

that we need perspective

[scrumpledina]

I hear the sequel is very different...

[scrumpledina]

Third Time's the Charm; Bryan Lee O'Malley's Seconds in Light of His Other Works

A Mini-Thesis by Scrumpledina

A Chapter on Unified Style and the Maturing of the Contemporary Artist

Perhaps “maturing” is a misnomer for the process Bryan Lee O’Malley underwent between Scott Pilgrim and Seconds. It is not a maturing that marks this work so much as it is a focusing; rather than cram the multimedia landscape into the work on a formal level—as O’Malley did quite successfully with Scott Pilgrim—the focus is instead on presenting an even more media- and technology-infused environment through a work marked by it’s adherence to a single aesthetic mode. Indeed, the presence of the phrase “A Graphic Novel”* on the front cover suggests that this will be a long-form work that makes use of both graphics and text to tell a single story while remaining within it’s own bounds. While Scott Pilgrim’s action explodes right off the page—with full-page bleeds and the strong connections to other forms of media and other works°—Seconds remains firmly at the center of the page visually and formally centered around the self-contained story.

*See this author’s previous writing (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The Times) for a consideration of this term. °Again, see this author’s previous writings.

A Chapter on Simultaneous Multiple Affective States and Unified Unstable Speaker Voice

Throughout Seconds, a combination of third person narration and direct action representation is used to tell the story, both verbally and visually. Right from the beginning, there is an indication that Katie is acutely aware of this third-person account of her life, possibly even generating it by talking to herself. However, this complicated position of speaker and protagonist that Katie occupies is further complicated by accounts of events of which she did not have knowledge, such as the mushroom falling into the back seat of the car. This suggests that Katie is either looking back and remembering the events while adding outside narration or the omniscient narrator voice passes from her head to literary-objective without any indication of who is speaking at any given time. Thus, Katie’s access to the events and narration is unclear at best, contributing to the reader’s confusion in a move that parallels Katie’s own confusion at the events of her life. Thus, it is her moods that set the tone of a given section, or at least it seems that way for much of the work. The unity between character and literary affect that was present in Scott Pilgrim is here collapsed to the point that the character is directly responsible for the work’s affective tone, even as events spiral out of her control.

A Chapter on Technology and Connectivity Within a Storyworld

Both Scott Pilgrim and Seconds feature the Internet prominently. In both cases, the Internet is something other, something outside, and the relationships of the works and characters to the ‘Net is a product of the times in which each was written. O’Malley has suggested¨ that Scott Pilgrim takes place in some amalgamation of 2001-2010, a time that saw a rapid increase in Internet usage and mobile connective technology. Thus, the characters rarely use phones or other devices, aside from the sixth volume, where two minor characters keep Googling things at Gideon’s club. The characters of Seconds, however, are constantly on phones and tablets: in the break room, at meetings, in the bath tub, in the car, and all manner of places. The novelty has worn off, and the nonchalant yet prominent inclusion of characters accessing the Web from various locations to check things like Twitter suggests that this is simply part of their mediated landscape, so unremarkable as to go largely without comment. However, it is noticeable in a work that is so decidedly printed and contained, unlike it’s multimediated predecessor. Rather than stressing the ways in which art moves across mediums and platforms, Seconds emphasizes the ways in which people jump from reality to Internet at any given moment.

¨On the Internet, specifically his tumblr.

A Chapter on Further Containment, References, and the Creation of a Universe

While Scott Pilgrim was a work premised on references to external works and the “fanon,”ˆ Seconds features a number of references back to Bryan Lee O’Malley’s other works. These happen in two prominent ways. First, there is the repetition or paraphraisal of lines, such as Katie and Hazel’s conversation about bread’s effects on the body. This is a direct reference to a conversation between Scott and Ramona. O’Malley is obviously aware of this, and even includes a light-colored, almost unnoticeable “sorry…” at the bottom of the page, beyond the confines of the panels. This is the only time in the work that something exists outside of the defined panel space on the pages. This space, then, seems reserved for paratextual commentary that makes sense only to those who have experienced the comics or movie versions of Scott Pilgrim, i.e. O’Malley’s fans. Just as he was always aware of his fans’ responses to the Scott Pilgrim series, O’Malley is aware that his fans will bring a certain body of knowledge to bear on Seconds, and he is comfortable feeding into that. Rather than wait for fans to start creating crossovers, he does it himself. In addition to the dialogue references, various characters from Scott Pilgrim appear directly in seconds. It starts slow, with different characters such as Stephen Stills and Joseph appearing at the restaurant, and culminates in the appearance of Scott and Ramona themselves. This suggests two things. The first, as mentioned above, is that O’Malley is ready to play with all of his characters and create his own canon/fanon. The second is that these two stories may take place in the same universe.ˇ Scott and Ramona are seen from above, but they are likely older. They are eating in a fancy restaurant, for one thing, which they could not have afforded at the close of their series. In addition, the aforementioned cues suggest that this is later in time. Perhaps Scott and ramona are stand-ins for O’Malley himself; faceless characters who have matured and whose influence is ever-present in these works while still allowing for the development of an original storyworld with new characters. 

ˆNot an original word, but see this author’s previous writings for a sense of contextualized usage. ˇIndeed, characters from O’Malley’s first work, Lost at Sea, may be present and unnoticed by this author.

Conclusion

Or, you know, this is just a new book by a guy who is still finding himself and working it out through his comics.

About the guy who wrote this

Scrumpledina is, like, such a big fan.

[scrumpledina]

Timepunch

OK so in the game Timepunch certain characters would be able to punch objects forward and backward in time. Then, either the player could pick which time period they are in OR the screen would be divided and so objects would switch between screens as you punch them forward (to the right) or backward (to the left). Multiple characters, maybe a bloodline á la Sly Cooper, would be time punchers. How far the object travells depends on how hard you punch it. You can also punch enemies. The fun would be when things start appearing from the future unexpectedly, and someone has hijacked the timepunching ability, and then you need to TIMEPUNCH YOURSELF to catch them!!!!!

[scrumpledina]

Pretty happy with this last-minute Electro "cosplay."

[meningameshotornot-blog]

So here we have (@acarboni) of (@rev3games) posing in his boxer briefs. there is definitely a man behind all that paint and cotton.

[scrumpledina]

Ooo spotted another one!

And I'm out.

[meningameshotornot-blog]

The men of @cipherprime showing their primal urges. yum!

[scrumpledina]

Aw yeah, I'm Fractally in love

[radiomaru]

Q: This isn’t meant to be an insult or a rant or anything of the sort, but I was wondering why in scott pilgrim vs the world (which I loved a lot btw) there aren’t very many people of color? There was Matthew but not any or many others, unless I was very silly and I missed them. Is this because...

[radiomaru]

they’re drunk and slurring their words and this was my written comic dialogue approximation of that. So yes, it was very intentional.

[scrumpledina]

So...not a visual joke–intentional or not–regarding the moon in the background, which has two holes? Anyone else see it? radiomaru??