Church Sign of the Day: Lamest adult movie night *ever*

Some Christians really don’t hide their love of snuff, now do they?

(via Joe. My. God.)

Nostalgia Critic examines popular dislike of “princess” archetype

One of my favorite web series is the Nostalgia Critic, wherein Doug Walker of That Guy With The Glasses plays a cynical, often histrionic reviewer of old-timey flicks and assorted media. Lately, the series has added a recurring, bi-weekly opinion segment where the NC talks about some aspect or other of pop culture and its effects on society in general.

Today, he put forth a rather thoughtful look at the much-bemoaned “princess” archetype (especially as popularized by Disney) and the lackluster role model it generally provides to young girls. While I don’t agree with every argument he makes and I think he misses a few logical connections, it’s still an interesting and insightful perspective to consider:

Transcript: (click the [+/-] to open/close →)

[−]

NOSTALGIA CRITIC: Hello! I’m the Nostalgia Critic. I remember it so you don’t have to.

Hey, what’s with the “princess” hate?

Yes, most little girls fantasize about being a princess at some point. With their elegant beauty, kind heart and enchanted surroundings, the princess, for many, is the epitome of femininity. But there’s been a bit of a backlash in the past several years, saying that the “princess” stereotype is a more damaging fantasy than an encouraging one. Even I’ve had my rants on the overuse of it in media.

NC: (to a movie character) You’re not really a princess! You just took the title ’cause it sounds cute!

NC: So, is it just innocent make-believe, or is there really something to get angry about? Well, in order to answer this, we should probably look at what the majority of people take the most offense at. And I guess it’s only the most logical, albeit clichéd, to look at the most famous lineup of princesses: Disney.

Disney has practically reinvented the fairy tale. And seeing how their Princess line is the best-selling licensed entertainment character merchandise, it’s safe to say they have a clear understanding of what makes princesses so popular.

What do they have in common? Well, they’re all pretty; they’re all kind; they all have various clothes and accessories you can buy for them. But naturally, the intrigue in owning one has to come from their personalities formed in the movies, which many consider, from an ethical point of view, not the best role models. “They don’t do anything,” many complain, “they’re just damsels waiting to be rescued and never take responsibility in getting things done for themselves, instead relying on their status and/or beauty to get them what they want. Which, in most cases, is just a man.”

Aaand … sometimes that’s true.

Sleeping Beauty, for example, I still stand by as one of the most forgettable characters in Disney history. Yeah, we all know the iconic image, but her fantasy extends to her doing absolutely nothing while her true love comes to save the day. And what, of course, happens? She does absolutely nothing while her true love comes to save the day. And on top of that, she has nothing else to make her stand out, be unique, or have any specific characteristics. So, yeah, the argument is pretty valid there.

But fuck it, I’m gonna defend the other ladies a little bit. Not that they’re always the best, but there’s^[sic] still good virtues that we can learn from them. Snow White kindness and helpful nature, for example, serves as a second mother for the dwarfs. And anyone that says being a mother doesn’t make a hard-working, responsible woman clearly has never been one. It’s work, and worst about it is that you don’t even get paid for it. So the fact that she can still be pleasant while also teaching the dwarfs responsibility may not be major, but it’s still something.

But, many would argue, it’s one thing for one of them to fall in that category. What about three?

We mentioned Sleeping Beauty before, but Cinderella is often the biggest offender to the “sit back, do nothing and let someone else save the day” routine. Again, to her defense, she’s working her ass off. I mean, like, every second she’s on-screen, she’s doing something. And in the end, she’s rewarded for her hard work and kindness, even in the face of such nastiness.

And if your argument is this is still not a good role model, that it wouldn’t inspire people to go out there and achieve, guess who’s favorite fairy tale this was? Yup – the “D-man” himself who supposedly started this whole controversy: Disney. He said Cinderella was his favorite because he often felt like her: Working as hard as he could every day until destiny finally gave him a chance, and that hard work and kindness can result in a virtuous reward.

But what does that arguably-greatest-businessman-creative-genius-and-heartwarming-icon know? Pfft. Slacker.

Now, granted, while I don’t think these characters are that bad, it’s clear to acknowledge that these women were limited to the roles that women were expected to have at the time. In the following years, the princess would be a little more proactive, taking more chances and forming more definitive personalities. But even that can take some flak, too, particularly Arial, the Little Mermaid, who many complain is just a whiny teenager who needs a man to save the day. And while she can at times certainly be her own teenage drama queen, people forget, at the time, she was praised as being much more independent than the past Disney princesses. She traveled, she explored, she broke the rules, she left the house, she had a distinct personality, she was curious.

ROGER EBERT: The character is active. She’s not just a little girl that things happen to. She’s up there, she’s gonna go to the surface, she’s gonna find her prince, she’s gonna take care of business, and so, you can really identify with her.

NC: And on top of that, while the prince does save the day in the end, she saves his life not once, but twice in this movie. Hell, if we wanna get technical about it, I’m surprised more people weren’t pissed off at Jasmine. I mean, yeah, she fights for her independence once and even takes a chance at living her own life, but she quickly returns to the world she said she hated, stays in it, and constantly lets her boyfriend save her.

But nevertheless, the complaints were heard, and the Princess brand over the years has made an effort to try and make their lady more and more independent, having them save the male just as many times as the male saves them, while still keeping true to the kind and moral virtues that – let’s face it, people – are enforced in every Disney character, not just the princesses: Be nice, be kind, be true to your heart. When has that not been a major part of the lesson in a Disney film?

So, after looking them all over, I’m not sure if it’s entirely Disney’s fault for the negative stereotype. Okay, it didn’t always help, but in many respects, it did help. They’re still trying to teach the importance of patience and kindness, which are great virtues for any gender. And Disney is even pushing harder to make their most marketable icons be a symbol of strength and honor, as see in these recent ads:

GIRL: I am a princess. I am brave even when I am scared. I believe compassion makes me strong. Kindness is power.

NC: So, if the virtues that the massive Disney’s promoting isn’t the problem with the princess icon, what is? I’ll admit, something was rubbing me the wrong way for years about girls wanting to be princesses. I just couldn’t put my finger on it. But then, the answer came to me when I saw Bridge to Terabithia, which is a godawful flick, by the way. (Right, note to self: Review Bridge to Terabithia.)

When our main lead brings his little sister into his fantasy world.

SISTER: Is there a king? Are you the king, Jess?

BROTHER: Only if you’re princess.

NC: Wait a minute. Why is he King, and her Princess? Shouldn’t it more logically be King and Queen? In fact, even more recently, in Wreck-It Ralph, why is it when the king is destroyed, again, it’s a princess who rules the land, and not a queen?

In fact, how come in a lot of nostalgic shows and movies I’ve reviewed, even if the original ruler is gone, they still hold the title “Princess”? Yeah, Princess Sally, Princess Lana; hell, even Princess Leia. All their parents are out of commission, and yet, they still hold onto the title of Princess and not Queen. Why does that seem more marketable for some reason?

And that’s when it suddenly hit me. It’s not necessarily the virtues of the princess that piss people off. Maybe it’s the title. Why do so many boys want to be King? Because they want the power and responsibility to control and change things.

DUKE NUKEM: Hail to the King, baby.

NC: Well, then, why do so many girls not want to be Queen, then? In fact, we’re almost anti-Queen, aren’t we? The more research I did, the more I found there aren’t that many fictional queens that are kind, heroic women. They’re usually the villains.

Which brings us back to the question: Why do so many girls prefer Princess to Queen? Well, maybe because being a princess not only indicates you’re younger, which often translates to prettier, but also that you have a position of power with responsibility, but not too much responsibility. “Oh, I’m just holding the spot for the King until he returns. I still have the title of youthful innocent who has power, but not all the power, thus projecting an image of daintiness and elegance who makes everybody cookies instead of an image of strength and determination who makes powerful changes.”

It’s the same thing as calling a grown man a “boy” and a grown woman a “girl”. If you call a grown man a “boy”, they’ll usually be pissed off. Why? Because they want to be seen for strength and responsibility over youthfulness and innocence. Whereas sadly, many women who prefer it the other way around, valuing the youthfulness and innocence over strength and responsibility. Oh, don’t get me wrong; there’s many who don’t, but you all know out there, there’s plenty that do.

Now, why this is is a whole other argument. Is it society over nature, nature over society, a combination of both; it’s a whole other issue. And I’m also not forgetting that prince and princess are not made-up titles; they really exist. It’s not titles we created to keep people in certain roles; they’re actual royal positions.

But what is obvious is that a reinforcement seems to be that princesses are young, beautiful and try to live in an innocent world free from conflict. And if one does arrive, it’s somebody else’s job to take care of it. With that said, no matter how tough, action-packed or honorable you make your heroine, by keeping your “princess” title a very popular title, it’s still reinforcing that youth and the need not to take responsibility are the best virtues.

And don’t get me wrong; I know men and women are different. I know, instinctually, we’re gonna have a different emphasis on different values; men are from Mars, women from Venus; etc., etc. But the world is changing more and more every day, and we’re seeing much more variety in our female characters than we have in the past. So, maybe it’s time to really look at the changes happening around us and see which virtues we really want to enforce. And, at least, making it very clear that there’s a definite option that any female can be as powerful as she wants to be. And that second place, or being under somebody else’s wing, is not the furthest you can go.

Because, let’s face it, guys: With so many female characters that are good, strong, interesting, funny, entertaining, intelligent, responsible and just as compelling as male characters, perhaps it’s time for the princess in so many people to stop living in fairy tales and look at the reality that is unfolding around us.

I’m the Nostalgia Critic. I remember it so you don’t have to.

(I have got to start writing shorter summaries …)

I would personally take it a few steps further than he dared to and posit that one reason for the historical popularity of the “princess” role model, particularly instead of the much more logical role of “queen”, is that it’s essentially another subtle manifestation of that ol’ bugaboo, the patriarchy. It only makes sense for a society that’s long been geared towards emphasizing male dominance in most fields (especially leadership) to depreciate the value and contributions of women in society at large. This would also help explain the long-running trope of the “evil queen”, given the precious few good queen characters that exist in our culture. (I can’t even think of any off the top of my head, though that may well just be my own ignorance showing.)

Daily Blend: Sunday, November 18, 2012

Saw Skyfall last night. Excellent movie, and a damned good Bond tribute as well. Surprisingly powerful ending, at least for me, and more than a little sad. 8.5/10.

Meanwhile, I’m busy with music-making (more specifically, music-software-work-correctly-making), so no blogging for you. Except for these links.

It seems the new Niagara Falls Reporter publisher/editor is a sub-literate misogynist who hates movies “where women are heroes and villains and men are just lesser versions or shadows of females”, because he “believe[s] in manliness”.
(via man boobz)

A more in-depth look at Nate Silver’s rather lackluster handling of climate science.
(via Manuel Moe Garcia)

Jason Wakefield at New Humanist explains why anti-gay-marriage arguments are always either covertly or overtly homophobic – if not just plain silly.
(via @rdfrs)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Blend: Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Bill Donohue

Boy Scouts loses UPS grants due to anti-gay policies. More of this from other sponsors, please.
(via Joe. My. God.)

Clusterfuck of assholery: Dumbass parents accuse (straight) high school teacher of turning their 18-year-old daughter into a lesbian; in return, principal destroys teacher’s career.
(via Wonkette)

Is it just me, or does Bill Donohue ^[pictured] sound even more childishly petulant than usual?

The American Family Association is all verklempt that a Pennsylvania high school hockey league is no longer “promoting patriotism and love of country” by eliminating the National Anthem over budgeting issues.

What If: a 100-foot-wide diamond meteor hit the Earth at the speed of light? (Prognosis: Even worse than I guessed.)

Be sure to watch Pixar’s beautiful, Oscar-nominated short film La Luna right here. I knew astronomers had it wrong, somehow …
(via @BadAstronomer)

And finally, here’s a lilliputian Leporidae enjoying some Daucus carota:
(via @BadAstronomer)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Blend: Monday, October 15, 2012

My new baby

I’m finally the owner of a laptop that isn’t brought to its knees by launching MS Paint. Goodbye, Acer Aspire One – hello, Lenovo ThinkPad T410 ^[pictured]!

The enemy of Romney’s enemy is his friend, until they become his enemy, before they re-become his friend.

How good is your color vision? Take this test to find out. (I got a 7 – relatively sure my monitor screwed me …)
(via @jennifurret)

In which Cracked.com points out that snipers are math prodigies and submarine fights are won by boring the enemy to death (contra what Hollywood would have you believe).

And finally, how could anyone possibly think the far-Right is a refuge for bigoted assholes? Just ask anti-abortion crackpot Randall Terry:

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

New 007 theme: ‘Skyfall’ by Adele

I’d never heard of Adele before learning she’s the one who performs the latest James Bond theme, ‘Skyfall’, for the same-named upcoming movie. I can’t say this will make me seek out her other songs, but it certainly has that beloved 007 flair:

Transcript: (click the [+/-] to open/close →)

[−]

This is the end
Hold your breath and count to ten
Feel the earth move and then
Hear my heart burst again

For this is the end
I've drowned and dreamed this moment
So overdue, I owe them
Swept away, I'm stolen

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together
At skyfall

Skyfall is where we start
A thousand miles and poles apart
When worlds collide, and days are dark
You may have my number, you can take my name
But you'll never have my heart

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together
At skyfall

Where you go I go,
What you see I see
I know I'll never be me, without the security
Are your loving arms
Keeping me from harm
Put your hand in my hand
And we'll stand

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together
At skyfall

Let the sky fall
We will stand tall
At skyfall

It’s definitely better than the utterly unmemorable theme for Quantum of Solace (2008), ‘Another Way to Die’, but it still doesn’t hold a candle in my opinion to the best Bond tune of all, Chris Cornell’s epic ‘You Know My Name’ for Casino Royale (2006):

Transcript: (click the [+/-] to open/close →)

[−]

If you take a life, do you know what you'll give
Odds are, you won't like what it is
When the storm arrives, would you be seen with me
By the merciless eyes I've deceived

I've seen angels fall from blinding heights
But you yourself are nothing so divine
Just next in line

Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you
The odds will betray you
And I will replace you
You can't deny the prize; it may never fulfill you
It longs to kill you
Are you willing to die

The coldest blood runs through my veins
You know my name

If you come inside, things will not be the same
When you return to my night
If you think you've won
You never saw me change
The game that we have been playing

I've seen diamonds cut through harder men
Than you yourself
but if you must pretend
You may meet your end

Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you
The odds will betray you
And I will replace you
You can't deny the prize; it may never fulfill you
It longs to kill you
Are you willing to die

The coldest blood runs through my veins

Try to hide your hand
Forget how to feel
(Forget how to feel)
Life is gone with just a spin of the wheel
(A spin of the wheel)

Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you
The odds will betray you
And I will replace you
You can't deny the prize; it may never fulfill you
It longs to kill you
Are you willing to die

The coldest blood runs through my veins
You know my name
(You know my name)
You know my name
(You know my name)
you know my name!
You know my name!
You know my name!

Doesn’t that just get the blood flowing for some more Bond?

(via Joe. My. God.)

It’s another movie about phony Christian persecution!

It’s a day that ends with ‘day’, so that means it’s time for a new scrap of brainless propaganda movie about how the evil atheists are forcing the U.S. government to strip Christians of their inalienable rights to religious freedom and happiness and bringing their Bibles to school. Just watch this trailer and try to keep track of the well-known canards as they’re rattled off like so many feverishly clutched pearls:

Transcript: (click the [+/-] to open/close →)

[−]

Militaristic drumbeat. A woman drops a crucifix into a young soldier’s hand. A man, BOB REVERE, hugs him.

We then see some soldiers in a battlefield with bullets landing everywhere; generic combat pandemonium. At the end, a woman sobs, ‘No!’.

TITLE: Battles have been Fought

BOB REVERE: [lecturing from rooftop to small audience below] 400 years ago, our forefathers left the religious oppression of another land to build this one. And the first thing was to put a cross on the shores of the Atlantic.

TITLE: But the War has just Begun

CHRIS (V.O.): What did my dad die for, Bob?

REVERE: That’s what happens in war.

CHRIS: No, I mean why’d he die?

TITLE: When the Bible is Outlawed

SCHOOL PRINCIPAL slides item over his desk to the assembled family.

PRINCIPAL: We found this in Chris’s locker.

REVERE: Is there an actual rule that says you can’t bring a Bible to school?

CUT TO:

REVERE: [on rooftop] My fight is about freedom and taking back what has been stolen from us.

TITLE: When the Cross is an Offense

REVERE: [in bed, to wife] Did you really think that you’d see the day when people were offended by a cross in public?

WIFE: No.

TITLE: When Christmas is a crime

MAN #1: We are talking about the separation of church and state.

CUT TO:

SISTER: It’s a lie if we don’t tell the real Christmas story.

REVERE: [on rooftop] Our rights are being destroyed, perhaps forever. But don’t you see? We’re letting it happen.

TITLE: Each Person Can make a Difference

(Miscellaneous Americana: Flags, motorcycles, etc.)

TITLE: When Rights are being Destroyed

REVERE: [at group meeting] Our freedoms are being taken away from us one by one.

TITLE: Faith provides the Courage to Take Stand

CUT TO: In a pharmacy?

MAN #2: [whispering] You’re all over the Internet!

REVERE: Well, I’m very tired of not standing up for what I believe in.

CUT TO:

Kids sitting in an attic.

GIRL #1: Won’t we get in trouble for this?

SISTER: Yes. We will.

TITLE: Freedom has a Price

Revere appears to be arrested by meany-faced lawyer and is seen behind bars.

TITLES: Are You | Willing } To Pay it?

REVERE: [on rooftop] Wake up and look around ya! Look what’s coming over the horizon!

TITLE: Pray

Revere hoists up “JESUS [something]” cross on side of building.

TITLE: And Stand Up

REVERE: [on rooftop] We can’t let the enemy take one more inch! Not one more inch!

Bunch of people unite their hands.

REVERE: [on rooftop] We fight for freedom!

TITLE: Before it's too Late

REVERE: [on rooftop] We fight for freedom!

MAIN TITLE: Last Ounce of Courage

You can just smell the lies right through your screen. I especially liked the one about the Bible being banned in public schools. As if students couldn’t bring whatever reading material they like to class, including religious texts. And as if there hadn’t been enough bloody court cases establishing this over the years. These people are simply and truly unable to adhere to the truth – presumably because they know that doing so will annihilate their argument right from the start.

You also have to love the very first line: “Four hundred years ago, our forefathers left the religious oppression of another land to build this one.” Which is immediately followed by: “And the first thing they did was to put a cross on the shores of the Atlantic.” There’s shooting yourself in the foot, and then there’s just blasting the limb right off with a shotgun.

Why is it that the same people who spend all this time, energy and money on decrying the supposedly crumbling state of religious liberty are always the same who do their damnedest to undermine everyone else’s religious liberty in the first place? And why are they always so obvious about it to everyone but themselves?

At any rate, we could always use a new official “War on Christmas” movie, now that Christmas with a Capital C apparently turned out to be not quite as bad as its marketing led us to believe.

(via Friendly Atheist)

Tags: Last Ounce of Courage • Christians • Christian Persecution Complex • Christmas with a Capital C

How ‘The Dark Knight’ should have ended

And I thought Christopher Nolan’s third and final Batman film was so perfect. How very and surprisingly wrong I was (oh, and spoiler alert):

Transcript: (click the [+/-] to open/close →)

[−]

BATMAN: [to Catwoman] Hey, Miss Kyle. You wanna know my … secret identity?

CATWOMAN: Is it Bruce Wayne?

BATMAN: [flustered] How does everybody know about –?! [clears throat] I mean … maybe.

Intro: “HISHE” with Dark Knight Rises-style ice cracks in shape of Bat symbol.

BATMAN: [tricked by Catwoman into confronting Bane] You just made … a serious mistake.

BANE: Not as serious as yours, I fear.

BATMAN: Bane.

BANE: Let’s not stand on ceremony here, Mr. Wayne.

BATMAN: Sounds good to me!

Batman blows a poison dart reading “KNIGHT KNIGHT” into Bane’s neck. Bane picks it out, surprised.

BANE: Oh, what’s this? Sleeping agents?

BATMAN: Yeah. I was gonna save it for later … then I thought … now’s good.

BANE: You’ll have to do better than – [is suddenly peppered by two dozen darts] Ooh, okay, that should do it …! [Collapses.]

---

Officer John Blake and another cop are talking with Commissioner James Gordon in his hospital room.

BLAKE: Bane’s hiding in the tunnels.

GORDON: Then get every cop in the city down there now! Off-duty, on-duty, I don’t care; no matter what they’re doing, gather them up and march them underground and smoke ’em out!

BLAKE: I … don’t think that’s such a good idea, sir. I mean, what if something happened? We’d have, like, zero cops left.

GORDON: Holy cow, you’re right! I think these drugs have me talking crazy. Maybe just, uh, block all the exits and send in, like, a SWAT team to smoke ’em out. Good call. Here, have some [?].

---

Bane & co. are forcing Lucius Fox to activate the underground fusion reactor.

FOX: Okay, I’ll just scan my hand here …

Fox touches the control panel. Immediately, it flashes red and an alarm rings out. Water crashes in behind them.

FOX: Whoops! I seem to have activated the emergency flood chambers. I suppose this will put a hiccup in whatever plans you have with stealing the reactor, wouldn’t it? I do apologize.

Bane and the others flee as the water rises.

FOX: Well, get busy swimming or get busy dying. [dives underwater]

---

Climax: Miranda Tate/Talia al Ghul is dying in the crashed truck.

TATE: Prepare yourselves. My father’s work is done.

Tate dies.

GORDON: Worst. Death. Ever.

BATMAN: [despite being stabbed; re: the bomb] I can get it out over the bay!

CATWOMAN: Are you crazy? You are bleeding all over the place.

BATMAN: Yeah, I’ve been stabbed. I might be bleeding out. But it’s okay, because … because I’m Batman –! [collapses]

GORDON: Well, poop. Guess this means we’re screwed.

The bomb explodes, killing them all.

---

Alfred Pennyworth is sitting at the restaurant terrace in Venice. He looks over, and smiles when he sees Bruce Wayne sitting at a nearby table with Selina Kyle. Bruce smiles back. Suddenly, Clark Kent leans in, waving his hand.

KENT: Hi, Alfred!

Alfred keeps smiling.

KENT: Sorry Bruce made you cry.

---

Superman and Batman are sitting in a restaurant.

SUPERMAN: I still can’t get over how no important Gotham characters died in that story.

BATMAN: I know. Pretty awesome.

SUPERMAN: I mean, like, nobody. Even you.

BATMAN: Even me.

SUPERMAN: You had your back broken, your heart broken, your bank account even broken. You even got stabbed, dude!

BATMAN: Yep.

SUPERMAN: How are you still breathing right now? Never mind. [Batman inhales] I already know what you’re gonna say …

BATMAN: Because I’m Batman!

SUPERMAN: [glumly] Walked right into that one.

BATMAN: Yes, you did.

(via @jakiking)

Tags: The Dark Knight Rises • Batman • Catwoman • Selena Kyle • Bane • How It Should Have Ended • Lucius Fox • John Blake • Robin • Superman • Bruce Wayne • Clark Kent

Daily Blend: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 – Catch-up edition

Savannah Dietrich

Howdy there! Live from my paint-reeking, half-patched-up bedroom, here’re a few quick links to keep y’all from dying of missing me:

Update: Teenage girl ^[pictured] no longer faces prison for revealing the names of the boys who sexually assaulted her on Twitter.
(via @BreakingNews)

“You are the Osama bin Laden of this travesty”: Washington Times columnist blames Dark Knight Rises director Christopher Nolan and Hollywood at large for Aurora, CO shooting. Had to happen eventually.
(via @owillis)

Antivaccination crank Meryl Dorey reconsiders the appropriateness of pestering grieving families, reminds us all that she’s a reprehensible ghoul.
(via @BadAstronomer)

Wall Street Journal crony bullshits all over the history of the Internet to try and reclaim it for anti-government conservatives.

And finally, here are five restaurant chains to avoid. I find it amusing none of them even exist near me (except for Domino’s, which is also best avoided just in general).

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Savannah Dietrich • sexual assault • contempt of court • Charles Hurt • The Washington Times • The Dark Knight Rises • Christopher Nolan • Sean Penn • Warner Brothers • Hollywood • Osama bin Laden • Aurora, CO shooting • Meryl Dorey • Australian Vaccination Network • AVN • antivaccination • antivaccine • antivaxxers • antivax • Internet • U.S. Government • Gordon Crovitz • The Wall Street Journal • Chick-fil-A • Carl's Jr. • Domino's Pizza • White Castle • Waffle House • restaurants • conservatives

Fail Quote: Limbaugh thinks ‘Batman’ villain’s name is liberal attack on Romney

Rush Limbaugh

I’m again breaking my sorta-rule of not reporting on Rush Limbaugh’s ceaseless bilious flow out of amusement at his latest overly moronic conspiracy theory:

Have you heard, this new movie, the Batman movie -- what is it, the Dark Knight Lights Up or something? Whatever the name of it is. That's right, Dark Knight Rises, Lights Up, same thing. Do you know the name of the villain in this movie? Bane. The villain in the Dark Knight Rises is named Bane. B-A-N-E. What is the name of the venture capital firm that Romney ran, and around which there's now this make-believe controversy? Bain. The movie has been in the works for a long time, the release date's been known, summer 2012 for a long time. Do you think that it is accidental, that the name of the really vicious, fire-breathing, four-eyed, whatever-it-is villain in this movie is named Bane?

… “Lights Up”? Really?

Of course, I’m sure Limbaugh also has a perfectly reasonable explanation for how Bane could be an attack directed at Romney’s vulturistic firm despite the fact that the character first appeared in the Batman universe in 1993, almost two decades before anyone even heard the name Bain Capital. Then again, maybe Limbaugh realized how stretched his line of unreasoning was, given that he then frantically tried to backpedal the very next day.

You know, that may well be the very first time El Rushbo’s ever let those “facts” things decide what he should or shouldn’t say on the air. And even then, his only attempt at righting his remarkable wrong is to try and deny that it ever happened in the first place. Don’t ever change, Rush. (You might just eventually lose your job that way.)

[source]

Transcript: (click the [+/-] to open/close →)

[−]

PANEL 1: (Batman) “Not only does ”Bane” represent “Bain”, but the hero is the “Dark Knight.” Dark. Like President Obama?”

PANEL 2: (Superman) “America’s greatest superhero is an illegal alien? Good luck convincing me that’s not a liberal plot!”

PANEL 3: (The Hulk) “So he gets angry, dumb and destructive. It’s an obvious Hollywood liberal diss of the Tea Party.”

PANEL 4: (Spiderman) “Mary Jane loves Peter Parker, but is engaged to John Jameson and kisses Harry Osborn? What a slut!”

Edit (07/18/12 5:26 PM ET) – Fixed “a decade” to “two decades”.

Tags: Rush Limbaugh • The Dark Knight Rises • Batman • Bane • Bain Capital • Mitt Romney

Daily Blend: Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Msgr Charles Pope

Some days, you just don’t give a crap about what idiot said what stupid thing. This is one of those days. Oh, lethargy, how I’ve (not) missed you.

“Vaccines are probably the most studied public health intervention in history. That’s why we know, beyond any doubt, that there is no causal connection between vaccines and autism.”
(via @BadAstronomer)

Hemant Mehta responds to Catholic goober ^[pictured] who isn’t happy about hearing the truth about his faith (and how adherents are leaving it in droves).

Finally, while I sympathize with frustrations about outsider changes to classics, I can’t help but love how ever-so-pissed Vox Day is with the addition of a female character in the upcoming Hobbit.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Rob Schneider • Seth Mnookin • antivaccination • antivaccine • antivax • antivaxxers • Hemant Mehta • Charles Pope • Catholicism • Catholics • Catholic Church • Hobbit • women • misogyny • Philippa Boyens • The Lord of the Rings • LoTR • Vox Day • Theodore Beale

Theater-employed pearl-clutcher spoils ‘Prometheus’ plot point

SPOILER ALERT: Prometheus [2012]

In which a concerned cinema employee takes it upon themself to warn moviegoers about ungodly content in Prometheus [original emphasis]:

A man named Jorge who attended a recent showing of Prometheus got a politically charged spoiler alert from the employee who was tearing his tickets. "I have to warn you," Jorge recalls the employee telling him and his guest. "Halfway through the movie, the main female character will perform a self-induced abortion."

This happened at Regal Cinemas Thornton Place Stadium 14 in Seattle. "I asked some other people entering the same auditorium if the same guy had warned them about the contents of the movie, and they said he did," says Jorge, who asked that we not use his last name.

He immediately complained to the manager. Although the manager reportedly said there was no political agenda on the cinema employee's part, Jorge sees it differently: "I totally disagree." He can't explain why else the employee would reveal a key development of an R-rated movie's plot.

So far, staff and management have refused to comment, and it’s presumed that the spoilering pearl-clutcher is still at their job, though perhaps (or hopefully) with severely slapped fingers.

Meanwhile, it might be worth pointing out that the “abortion” in question is actually an emergency C-section to remove a deadly alien parasite, which raises the question of whether God would pass smiting judgment upon the female character who undergoes the operation. In addition, the creature survives and grows up to kill another character later on, which dictionaries everywhere say rules out the operation from even being an abortion in the first place.

But, still, I’m sure our movie-ruining Good Samaritan had naught but good intentions, which is all that counts, right?

(via Joe. My. God.)

Tags: Prometheus • C-sections • Cesarean sections • Thornton Place Stadium 14 • spoilers

Daily Blend: Monday, June 18, 2012

Charles Carreon

Attorney General Eric Holder lies baldfaced lies to Congress about the Obama administration’s crackdown on medicinal marijuana dispensaries.
(via The Agitator)

In which hack lawyer Charles Carreon ^[pictured] sues wildlife and cancer charities, officially turns his name into the latest Internet meme. The ever-thorough TechDirt has more.

Vox Day @ WorldNetDaily: Pixar’s decision to feature a valiant female lead in new film Brave is “cultural propaganda” to brainwash women into ignoring tradition and something or other.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Eric Holder • Obama administration • medicinal marijuana • medical marijuana • The Oatmeal • Charles Carreon • lawyers • Matthew Inman • IndieGoGo • National Wildlife Federation • American Cancer Society • Vox Day • Theodore Beale • Pixar • Disney • Brave • Merinda • misogyny

Daily Blend: Thursday, May 31, 2012

Totally not bigotry

Bigots in Murfreesboro, TN strike temporary legal victory against planned mosque. ^[pictured]
(via @radleybalko)

Revised criminal sentencing laws in Ohio result in less crowded prisons, linked to lower recidivism rates.
(via @RightOnCrime)

Ed Brayton debunks “Men in Black 3 supports Creationism!” nonsense, nicely explains the concept (which Creationists never grasp) of contingency.

Why in the world is the FBI including Bill Donohue’s Catholic League in its list of anti-bias organizations?

Seriously evil book.
(via The Agitator)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Murfreesboro, TN • mosques • Islamic centers • Islam • Muslims • Islamophobia • Robert Corlew • Ohio • prison overcrowding • rehabilitation • Men in Black 3 • Drew Zahn • Creationism • Intelligent Design • miracles • contingency • Federal Bureau of Investigation • FBI • The Catholic League • Bill Donohue • hate crimes • phobias • The Pop-up Book of Phobias

Daily Blend: Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Pres. Barack Obama

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and “leader of the free world” ^[pictured] declares that “all military-age males in a strike zone” are “militants” and can be slaughtered with impunity. I’ve been gradually souring on the President for a long time, but this is just sick. Even Bush & Cheney were never this brazen about their bloodlust.

Ed Brayton provides some clarification – and mild reassurance – about the recent Gallup poll about abortion rights attitudes.

Some hope for Oklahoma as the state legislature shitcans three Creationist and anti-global warming education bills.
(via @BadAstronomer)

WorldNetDaily “exclusive”: Kooks declare that “miracles” in Men in Black 3 make the case for Creationism!
(via Joe. My. God.)

Great write-up about the decline and refitting of churches in Québec, Canada.

Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham to star in upcoming TV series, while Clarice Starling gets slotted on Lifetime (blech). I am perplexed.
(via Fark)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Barack Obama • Obama administration • militants • terrorists • Gallup • pro-choice • pro-choicers • pro-abortion • anti-choice • anti-choicers • anti-abortion • anti-abortionists • pro-life • pro-lifers • Oklahoma • SB 1742 • HB 1551 • HB 2341 • Men in Black 3 • Intelligent Design • Creationism • WorldNetDaily • WND • Drew Zahn • Quebec, CA • Quiet Revolution • churches • Christianity • Catholicism • Hannibal Lecter • Will Graham • Clarice Starling • Hannibal • Clarice • Lifetime • TV series

Daily Blend: Monday, April 16, 2012

Joe Muto

Connecticut predictably outlaws the death penalty.
(via Dispatches from the Culture Wars)

How the Right sees a record drop in teen pregnancies thanks to contraception and responds by calling for more abstinence-only sex ed.
(via @ebertchicago)

Gawker’s Fox Mole ^[pictured] reveals Sean Hannity’s blatant teleprompter hypocrisy and journalistic partisan hackery.
(via Dispatches from the Culture Wars)

James Randi exposes TLC’s “Long Island Medium”, Theresa Caputo.
(via The Daily Grail)

Tweeps who didn’t know the Titanic was real ^{[caveat: Daily Mail]}.
(via @ebertchicago)

The story behind that delightfully odd Frasier closing song, ‘Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs’.
(via The Agitator)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Connecticut • capital punishment • death penalty • abstinence • sex ed • sex education • teen pregnancy • teen births • conservatives • Joe Muto • Fox News • Fox News Channel • Sean Hannity • teleprompters • Barack Obama • James Randi • Long Island Medium • Theresa Caputo • cold reading • frauds • psychics • mediums • Titanic • Titanic Disaster • Twitter • Frasier • Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs • Ken Levine

Daily Blend: Friday, April 13, 2011

Joe Muto

Where are all the black cats we were promised? I call false advertising.

Well, that was fast: Gawker’s Fox Mole ^[pictured] exposed and fired – and still blowing the whistle.

Debunking more climate change denialist nonsense from 49 former NASA employees (who aren’t climate scientists).
(via Bad Astronomy)

Meanwhile, Vox Day predictably parrots anti-global warming claims without mentioning how that research has been grossly misrepresented.

Roger Ebert reviews Bully.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: The Fox Mole • Gawker • Fox News • Fox News Channel • Joe Muto • Shawn Otto • NASA • National Aeronautics and Space Administration • global warming • climate change • denialists • Middle Ages • Zunli Lu • Medieval Warm Period • Vox Day • Theodore Beale • Bully • Roger Ebert

Daily Blend: Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Mark Shea

Going in for my first-ever job interview tomorrow. I might be less nervous if a rat suddenly crawled out of my esophagus.

New proposed Arizona Internet censorship bill would criminalize “annoy[ing] or offend[ing]” anyone online, is so ridiculous that even the MPAA & RIAA oppose it.

Catholic columnist Mark Shea ^[pictured] accuses “New Atheists” of “fundamentalist magical thinking”. You didn’t really need that irony meter, anyway …
(via Friendly Atheist)

This whole Cracked article on dumb movie arguments is good, but I’m mostly just linking it because #4 makes the point I’ve been arguing for years.

Seems legit.
(via The Agitator)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Edit (04/03/12 10:12 PM ET) – Fixed broken link for item #1. (Thanks to Uzza.)

Tags: Arizona • HB 2549 • Mark Shea • atheists • New Atheism • New Atheists • slavery • Bible • magical thinking • Cracked.com • Christina H

Top 20 “unbearable”, “anti-Christian” movies of 2011?

It’s awards season, indeed! The hilariously pearl-clutching Christian film review site Movieguide has released (and crank repository WorldNetDaily is naturally promoting) its “20 most ‘unbearable’ movies of 2011”, selected because of varying levels of alleged “anti-Christian”, “anti-God” and “anti-human” (wuh?) sentiments found within (at least by the fundy eye). Take a look and determine which titles you should watch next:

My transcript (all caps & formatting [sic]): (click the [+/-] to expand/collapse →)

[−]

1.	Vile, Vulgar & Anti-Christian Award	"Red State"	Worst Ultimate Christian Bashing
2.	Slimy Pornification Award	"Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star"	Worst Promotion of Pornography
3.	Abhorrent Sexcapade Award	" A Good Old Fashioned Orgy"	Worst Promotion of Orgies
4.	Lurid Transgender Abuse Award	"The Skin I Live In"	Worst Sex Change Revenge
5.	Environmentalist Hysteria Award	"Happy Feet Two"	Worst Radical Environmentalism, Magical Thinking, & Same-Sex Partnerships
6.	Boring, Degrading, Offensive and Lewd Award	"Shame"	Worst Pornographic Portrait of a Sex Addict
7.	Loud & Proud Homosexual Activism Award	"Beginners"	Worst Anti-Christian, Homosexual Agenda
8.	Ludicrous Lying about Shakespeare & Queen Elizabeth Award	"Anonymous"	Worst Revisionist Artistic History
9.	Politically Correct Pagan Hedonism Award	"The Hangover 2"	Worst Debauchery
10.	Anti-Christian Liberal Perversion Award	"Pariah"	Worst Lesbian Anti-Christian Mother Movie
11.	All the Villains Are White Christians Award	"Straw Dogs"	Worst PC Agitprop
12.	Promoting an Immoral, Abhorrent, Atheist Worldview Award	"Paul"	Worst Atheistic, Libertine Bigotry
13.	Tortured Homosexual Fantasy Award	"Albert Nobbs"	Worst Cross Dressing Perversion
14.	Foul-mouthed, Sex-Obsessed Teenagers Award	"Dirty Girl"	Worst Corruption of Teenagers
15.	Lying About The Police Award	"Rampart"	Worst Politically Correct Police Portrayal
16.	Most Despicable Holiday Comedy Award	"A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas"	Worst Mockery of Jesus Christ
17.	Sick Depravity Award	"Hobo With a Shotgun"	Worst Depravity, Gory violence & Revenge
18.	Left-wing Attack Award	"J. Edgar"	Worst Scurrilous Portrayal of a Historical Figure
19.	Satanic Witchcraft Enticement Award	"Paranormal Activity 3"	Worst Movie Leading Children to the Occult
20.	Lewd Sendup of Heroic Fantasy Award	"Your Highness"	Worst Stoner Mockery of Quests

How’s that for a viewing list? I haven’t seen any of the flicks on there – I need to work on fixing that straightaway. (Though I still won’t watch Paranormal Activity 3, no matter how much of a “recommendation” it gets.)

(via Right Wing Watch)

Tags: Movieguide • WorldNetDaily • WND