Unpopular Geek Media Opinions

[Guest 85555]

People decry Lovecraft's overly flowery prose but it's at least somewhat responsible for the rather large vocabulary I developed at an early age. In grade 6, I tested at a 9th grade graduate vocabulary level, so his stories were good for something. He was also popular enough, in his time, that he was sought out by Harry Houdini for a collaboration. That would be somewhat akin to someone like Chris Evans asking for a specific author to write a story, with himself as the lead character, today.

I had a similar vocabulary expansion reading Lovecraft. Tastes vary enormously. I rather like his flowery prose. Normally I go for much more straightforward writing, like Arthur C Clarke’s style. But I think Lovecraft had an interesting voice

 

[MGibster]

I had a similar vocabulary expansion reading Lovecraft. Tastes vary enormously. I rather like his flowery prose. Normally I go for much more straightforward writing, like Arthur C Clarke’s style. But I think Lovecraft had an interesting voice

I've learned quite a few new words from RPGs such as obfuscate which wasn't in my vocabulary until 1991's Vampire the Masquerade came out. All the new words I learned from the random harlot table from 1st edition AD&D just proves just how educational our games can be.

 

[Blue Orange]

I've learned quite a few new words from RPGs such as obfuscate which wasn't in my vocabulary until 1991's Vampire the Masquerade came out. All the new words I learned from the random harlot table from 1st edition AD&D just proves just how educational our games can be.

Indeed, not to mention probability and statistics. Large numbers of dice are about the best illustrations of the law of large numbers and the central limit theorem I can think of. There actually aren't that many really independent, identically distributed random variables out there.

 

[Guest 85555]

I've learned quite a few new words from RPGs such as obfuscate which wasn't in my vocabulary until 1991's Vampire the Masquerade came out. All the new words I learned from the random harlot table from 1st edition AD&D just proves just how educational our games can be.

Lol. I definitely picked up a few words from a number RPG rulebooks in the 80s and 90s: the 1e DMG being pretty chock full of language I hadn't encountered. I remember starting to use/overuse words like 'replete' after reading the Ravenloft Realm of Terror Boxed set (not a lot of ten dollar words in there but some nice, shiny vocab fitting to horror)

 

[Guest 85555]

Indeed, not to mention probability and statistics. Large numbers of dice are about the best illustrations of the law of large numbers and the central limit theorem I can think of. There actually aren't that many really independent, identically distributed random variables out there.

I was never a big math person but I am quite sure that getting into gaming gave me some remedial math education, and also the added benefit of practical use of math (especially many of those 80s RPGs that were more math heavy). Gaming gave me a much better intuition for numbers and their meaning too. I notice when I am told by a Doctor there is a 1% chance of a really bad outcome for a surgery or procedure (for example I believe there is a 1-2% chance of bowel perforation when you have a colonoscopy and a similar chance of losing feeling/taste in your mouth from certain dental procedures, I have a much more cautious reaction to that number than my family members, because, while I understand it is a really unlikely outcome, I have seen 1% come up enough to know 1 in 100 is very different from 1 in 1000 or 1 in 1,000,000 (whereas to them, 1% means it is never going to happen)

 

[Henadic Theologian]

My hot takes are.

1. The Latern Corps and Legends of Tomorrow are the best thing about DC, Superman is over powered, Batman could just get his buddy to take down most of his enemies, and making Ares the main villain of Wonder Woman instead of Typhon is goofy, in Greek Mythology Ares is the father of 4 Amazons, including Queens, and is basically their patron God, and the most aligned with women's rights values of any Olympian.

2. Magneto should be the next Thanos Big Bad for the MCU, Anson Mount should be Reed Richards, Storm should get a solo movie, more MCU SSU crossovers, and a Kingsmen crossover.

3. Morbius was not a failure, not a hit either, but because of its low budget it wasn't a failure.

4. An R-Rate Game of Thrones in space movie set in the Terran Empire would be cool. They should do a fantasy spin off of Star Trek, with like Meagans, called Sword Trek.

5. More movies in general should be R-Rated

 

[Staffan]

Survivors, episode 11. Garibaldi is accused of setting a bomb during a presidential visit. The head of the presidential security takes Garibaldi alone to a possible bomb location.

I've been listening to a podcast about B5, and the lovely ladies hosting it have called out how many times in season 1 someone turns their back on someone and then gets shot/stabbed/beaten over the head. It's fairly ridiculous.

 

[Guest 85555]

I've been listening to a podcast about B5, and the lovely ladies hosting it have called out how many times in season 1 someone turns their back on someone and then gets shot/stabbed/beaten over the head. It's fairly ridiculous.

That stuff is very common in 90s entertainment on TV though. You see the same sort of things in Star Trek TNG. The 80s were even worse for that (I lost count of how many shows end with the hero being captured and held at gun point by the villain, only to punch out the villain when he is vaguely distracted by something). More a product of the times than the writing I think

 

[Staffan]

That stuff is very common in 90s entertainment on TV though. You see the same sort of things in Star Trek TNG. The 80s were even worse for that (I lost count of how many shows end with the hero being captured and held at gun point by the villain, only to punch out the villain when he is vaguely distracted by something). More a product of the times than the writing I think

Sure. And watching the episodes in relatively rapid succession, as well as dissecting them in detail, probably helps the "What, again?" factor by quite a lot.

 

[Guest 85555]

Sure. And watching the episodes in relatively rapid succession, as well as dissecting them in detail, probably helps the "What, again?" factor by quite a lot.

Binging shows definitely seems like a major shift. Before I only did that if I got something on VHS, but the programs weren’t designed with that kind of viewing in mind (I binged Black Adder and I, Claudius but they weren’t written to usher you into the next episode like shows today)

When I review media, especially older media, I try to take into account the context as best I can (obviously it helps if you lived through the period when something aired: I directly understand the cultural context of gremlins or the karate kid for example but understand Dirty Harry or Rosemary’s baby’s context more through what I learned about those times)