tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post6644190051015969980..comments2024-02-29T00:47:06.191-08:00Comments on Playing D&D With Porn Stars: The Horror, The HorrocksZak Sabbathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08812410680077034917noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-77434187426580211152016-07-03T14:53:22.668-07:002016-07-03T14:53:22.668-07:00God DAMN that was an amazing interview. Please int...God DAMN that was an amazing interview. Please interview more people. I feel like I become a better person after reading one of these.Sean McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08319575270937358180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-6550108942879188632015-01-26T12:29:00.217-08:002015-01-26T12:29:00.217-08:00Yes, I was wrong. I didn't notice that the S-w...Yes, I was wrong. I didn't notice that the S-word has two layers of meaning which overlap.<br /><br />First layer expresses contempt for something, second layer denotes that something is flawed.<br /><br />Curses on my shitty e-nglish :( and thank you for calling my attention upon it. anonimous, emperador en el exiliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13204169087393199959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-67223499283828037602015-01-03T02:06:53.560-08:002015-01-03T02:06:53.560-08:00That makes no sense. I never said "I don'...That makes no sense. I never said "I don't like this game" is such an objective fact as "polls indicated most people didn't use this game for cooperative play". <br /><br />was not true nor anything that would imply that.<br /><br />"I didn't like this game" is a statement that can be objective and it (unequivocally) records a subjective reaction.<br /><br />"This shelf sucks" is ambiguous because it can mean you don't like it OR it can mean the game fails everyone because it falls apart instantly as soon as anyone (anyone) uses it.<br /><br />So, no, you made a mistake.Zak Sabbathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812410680077034917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-83672634240125609202015-01-03T01:53:46.897-08:002015-01-03T01:53:46.897-08:00(As a footnote: I'm no longer buying the disti...(As a footnote: I'm no longer buying the distinction made by Zak between objective and subjective observations. To me "I don't like this game" is such an objective fact as "polls indicated most people didn't use this game for cooperative play". <br /> <br />See more in the comments section of http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/2011/11/to-me-or-not-to-me.html)anonimous, emperador en el exiliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13204169087393199959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-71227523208918013602014-12-13T02:43:41.651-08:002014-12-13T02:43:41.651-08:00I've read Mr. Huneker's critic, I still fe...I've read Mr. Huneker's critic, I still feel somewhat confused, but think I've got the point. Now, I am doubly screwed because its hard for me to even describe what is going on in my own head, in the first place.<br /><br />Moving on...<br /><br />"Prometheus plot sucks" is a shortcut for: "[I, anonimous, think that] Prometheus plot sucks". Thus, subjective. Sorry for the (otherwise unintended) ambiguity.<br /><br />Moving on...<br /><br />"If you say "Prometheus plot totally succeed at fueling my disbelieve" that conversation is _over_." I'm sure I've read this before. Did a research in my hard drive and bingo! <br /><br />http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/2011/11/to-me-or-not-to-me.html<br /><br />"Announcing you believe a fact to be true is a way of starting a conversation about that thing. <br />Announcing your personal taste is a way of ending a conversation about that thing."<br /><br />I'm posting a reply into that other page, to avoid cluttering more this one.<br /><br />Moving on...<br /><br />"There is no reason anyone else would care unless they are making a movie _just for you_ or are interested in your particular psychology."<br /><br />I won't deny that listening to me is a huge waste of time - but this is because my observations are conventional, not because they are subjective. <br /><br />But I, anonymous, personally care about other people's subjective observations. <br /><br />For example, at the end of the interview, Sarah goes: "Color is a big deal for me[, Sarah Horrocks]. I [Sarah Horrocks] don't know why. I [Sarah] guess it's not for everyone (...) But I [Sarah] am really drawn to expressive color (...) so the separation is muddled [to Sarah], the contrast is fucked [to Sarah], and nothing hits [Sarah] (...)"<br /><br />You won't get more subjective than this. But I [anonimous] find her answer [Sarah's] terribly interesting anyway (though "Prometheus" is not an example I would have picked up). Because I've been there - I know how it feels when in a movie the separation is muddled, the contrast is fucked and nothing hits. Now, I'm not making a movie _just for Sarah_ (as a matter of fact, I'm not making any movie), neither I specially care about her psychology. [End of example.]<br />anonimous, emperador en el exiliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13204169087393199959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-89962456248666296822014-12-09T02:44:35.137-08:002014-12-09T02:44:35.137-08:00http://books.google.com/books?id=OPwvAAAAYAAJ&...http://books.google.com/books?id=OPwvAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA91&lpg=PA91&dq=schoenberg+%22world+the+flesh+and+the+devil%22&source=bl&ots=E50iXZEe3u&sig=ZGVcDBm8UDlMy__p2wjulxnLgQE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ddKGVLibDY7qoATtlIHAAw&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=schoenberg%20%22world%20the%20flesh%20and%20the%20devil%22&f=false Read that Schoenberg reviewZak Sabbathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812410680077034917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-11806762928887059372014-12-09T02:30:32.511-08:002014-12-09T02:30:32.511-08:00I'm not sure I've understood your latest r...I'm not sure I've understood your latest reply correctly. Would you mind providing an example of what you mean, please?anonimous, emperador en el exiliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13204169087393199959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-60927311800522577512014-12-05T08:38:57.137-08:002014-12-05T08:38:57.137-08:00Third way:
Describe yourself and your preferences...Third way:<br /><br />Describe yourself and your preferences and biases AT THE SAME TIME as you record your opinions on a thing.<br /><br />Admit the role of preference-matching in a person's response, use the response to explain both the art and the person responding to it.Zak Sabbathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812410680077034917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-34294634532975218032014-12-05T06:58:32.240-08:002014-12-05T06:58:32.240-08:00"It is precision we aim for here." That&..."It is precision we aim for here." That's a noble goal, and I respect and admire you because of this. I was unaware I was making ambiguous statements, sorry (more about this later). I love preciSion (but now by now I'm training myself into being concise as well - must refrain from disgressing).<br /><br />"The RPG conversation generally is fairly shitty because of this lack of precision." I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed it.<br /><br />"We don't know whether you suffer under the delusion that your taste matches the general taste." <br /><br />As far as aesthetics are concerned, a choice must be made between Charybdis and Scylla.<br /><br />- Charybdis: One Big Mouth to Shallow-them-all. There's a general, objective criteria for taste. "Brains can't be used as bateries because [science] [science] [science]... so "The Matrix" oficially sucks!"<br /><br />(BTW, may be this the same "technocratic-nerd myth" you were complaining against?) <br /><br />- Scylla: Too Many Heads. Granted, there are objective facts, but these are peebles on the road. At the end of the day, matters of taste boil down to the individual, particular psychology of every member of the audience. "Who cares about science? "The Matrix" failed to amuse me because I root for the Machines. Go, agents, go!"<br /><br />Time ago I used to worship Charybdis, but I eventually saw the wrong of her ways, and switched to Scylla. I'm no longer falling for the delusion that the taste of other people matches mine. But this is a lose-lose situation. I either bring objective facts to the table (and fall into Charybdis) "go and buy the technocratic-nerd art-criticism myth" or I don't do (and come upon Scylla) "there is no reason anyone else would care". If you know about a third way, I'll be glad if you share it.<br />anonimous, emperador en el exiliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13204169087393199959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-19077874355923139642014-12-01T12:52:00.981-08:002014-12-01T12:52:00.981-08:00"
if it's precition what you are aiming ..."<br /> if it's precition what you are aiming for, "failing to do x for me" is a better expression than merely "failing".<br />"<br /><br />It is precision we aim for here.<br /><br />If you want imprecision, then there are literally thousands of places you can go and talk about RPGs and people can be imprecise and then other people are imprecise back and people come to useless conclusions or none at all because everybody was being vague or mistaking the objective for the subjective.<br /><br />If you are reading this page it is presumably because you believe I do good work here. And the reason I do the work I do here is I hold myself and anyone else participating to a higher standard than that and so the results are better.<br /><br />The reason is:<br /><br />-Any opinion worth anything is based on observations.<br /><br />-Some observations are objective ("the game's designers wanted this game to be about cooperation, but they discovered after it was released that polls indicated most people didn't use it for cooperative play") some are subjective ("I don't like this game") and many, if poorly phrased, are ambiguous ("This game failed"--well do you mean "Sold poorly?" do you mean "I didn't like it?" do you mean "Didnt' do what I know the designers wanted it to do?" or "Didn't do what I assume the designers wanted it to do?" etc)<br /><br />-The RPG conversation generally is fairly shitty because of this lack of precision. And conversations in it are often hard to navigate because they are larded up with people arguing because one or the other party failed to be clear.<br /><br />If you say "Prometheus plot totally succeed at fueling my disbelieve" that conversation is _over_. There is no reason anyone else would care unless they are making a movie _just for you_ or are interested in your particular psychology.<br /><br />If you say "Prometheus plot sucks", then you are leaving the possibility open that a conversation that is of general interest to other human beings might be had there. You might have noticed something others did not, or have NOT noticed something others did.<br /><br />And, of course, we don't know whether you suffer under the (shockingly common in RPGs) delusion that your taste matches the general taste, or some imaginary objective Test of Time taste.<br /><br />In short, imprecision is bad for the same reason all failures of articulation are bad: they slow the conversation down. What could have been learned quickly is learned slowly instead, or not at all.Zak Sabbathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812410680077034917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-55178974404899427652014-12-01T11:50:06.257-08:002014-12-01T11:50:06.257-08:00Thank you very much for the clarification!
"...Thank you very much for the clarification!<br /><br />"Technocratic nerds think they can "fix" art and movies with simple right/wrong solutions." Good for them, but this is not me. If I was smart enough to repair movies, I wouldn't waste my time complaining about them. I'm not a plumber, I'm just an angry customer. <br /><br />"To refer to a plot as "failing" rather than "failing me" or "failing to do x for me" is to fall for this same myth." I'm afraid I don't agree with you. There's something I can't deny: if it's precition what you are aiming for, "failing to do x for me" is a better expression than merely "failing".<br /><br />But when I write, for example, "Lindsay Lohan is a lovely lady" I'm not meaning that you or the guy next door or anybody else likes her, I'm not meaning that everybody should like her. I only mean that I like Mrs. Lohan's looks.<br /><br />If you prefer me to write "Prometheus plot totally succeed at fueling my disbelieve", rather than "Prometheus plot sucks", and "characters' behaviour failed to persuade me that they are sentient beings" rather than "characters are a bunch of fucking morons", I'll make you happy - no big deal. But talking this way seems redundant (i.e. to me), and I wonder where's the gain.anonimous, emperador en el exiliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13204169087393199959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-78595480275617699992014-11-22T03:26:45.348-08:002014-11-22T03:26:45.348-08:00"Moreover, the "Fix Me" entry doesn..."Moreover, the "Fix Me" entry doesn't provide an answer to my question (what is the "popular technocratic-nerd art-criticism myth"?)."<br /><br />Yes it does, it exactly does.<br /><br />Technocratic nerds think they can "fix" art and movies with simple right/wrong solutions the same way they think they can fix games.<br /><br />To refer to a plot as "failing" rather than "failing me" or "failing to do x for me" is to fall for this same myth.Zak Sabbathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812410680077034917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-9966113175735402452014-11-22T03:17:43.157-08:002014-11-22T03:17:43.157-08:00To start with, I must rectify what I wrote before....To start with, I must rectify what I wrote before. Plot is not the only thing I care about.<br /><br />- first concern: has the movie a monster in it, or is it just about racing cars?<br />- second concern: does the movie bring something new to the table, or is it more of the same old thing?<br />- third concern: does the plot make sense? Because when the plot fails, nothing else matters (to me). <br /><br />Thank you for the link provided. "Broken" government, "failed" state... love this language! I could totally "use" it! However, I had already read the "Fix Me" entry before, and it barely says me anything. I'm not meaning that "Fix Me" entry is "broken" - it doesn't "work" for me because I just lack of the "skill" to "handle" it "properly".<br /><br />Moreover, the "Fix Me" entry doesn't provide an answer to my question (what is the "popular technocratic-nerd art-criticism myth"?). It mostly deals with "technocratic-nerd game-design". But I wasn't designing any game here - I was complaining about movies I don't like!<br /><br />"I say what I mean, not other things." Oops! I though you were talking cheek-in-tongue. My apologies. "The people are so one dimensional and the production is so cheap and the twists are pure hackwork every time." Now, that may be the strangest thing I've ever read.<br />anonimous, emperador en el exiliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13204169087393199959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-73134183797558480002014-11-20T01:13:14.901-08:002014-11-20T01:13:14.901-08:00"Other Zak S, I was asking what is the "..."Other Zak S, I was asking what is the "popular technocratic-nerd art-criticism myth"."<br /><br />http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/2014/05/fix-me-fix-me-fix-me.html<br /><br />"I don't give a shit about reality shows. That's what you are talking about, aren't you?"<br /><br />Of course not. I say what I mean, not other things.Zak Sabbathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812410680077034917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-35371625314617661592014-11-20T01:05:24.457-08:002014-11-20T01:05:24.457-08:00Other Zak S, I was asking what is the "popula...Other Zak S, I was asking what is the "popular technocratic-nerd art-criticism myth". Googled it and found nothing relevant. Perhaps YOU should answer me first.<br /><br />"That's sad." Indeed. "Alien" is a movie that begs for a prequel, and what we got instead? "Alien vs. Predator"! "Prometheus"! The real tragedy is: not only the worst parts of "Prometheus" made sense in a previous draft - the worst parts of "Alien" also made sense in "Prometheus" previous draft! It was so close... makes me wanna cry.<br /><br />"I wonder what you think of life." I think life can't be compared to any movie. It's more like a game: you get to do stuff, then you die.<br /><br />"The people are so one dimensional and the production is so cheap and the twists are pure hackwork every time." I don't give a shit about reality shows. That's what you are talking about, aren't you? Because in real life, people is tridimensional, production is expensive and the unexpected twists always make sense.<br />anonimous, emperador en el exiliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13204169087393199959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-62462596713560092502014-11-18T02:59:19.379-08:002014-11-18T02:59:19.379-08:00"But I know what makes my brain work: sense. ..."But I know what makes my brain work: sense. "Alien" is a pretty good example. Its gorgeus production values were lost on me because of the blatant plot holes, dumb characters and ludicrous twists. "<br /><br />That's sad.<br /><br />I wonder what you think of life--the people are so one dimensional and the production is so cheap.<br /><br />And the twists are pure hackwork every time.Zak Sabbathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812410680077034917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-67978931096978442122014-11-18T01:14:26.086-08:002014-11-18T01:14:26.086-08:00"If you think this *** is the only thing that..."If you think this *** is the only thing that can make a movie work or not..."<br /><br />Hello, Other Zak S! I don't think plot is the only thing that can make a movie work. Otherwise, I had written "Plot is the only thing that can make a movie work". What I wrote was more like "Modern audiences which only care about how the plot comes together: this is me". Check it.<br /><br />Not that I think much of modern audiences. I think they only care about chase scenes, CGI, fireworks, boobs and Vin Diesel. I am the one who cares about the plot, not modern audiences.<br /><br />I don't know what makes a movie work. But I know what makes my brain work: sense. "Alien" is a pretty good example. Its gorgeus production values were lost on me because of the blatant plot holes, dumb characters and ludicrous twists. <br /><br />WTF is the "popular technocratic-nerd art-criticism myth" and what it has to do with me?<br /><br />"As for the roots of transphobia..." That's fine, thank you.anonimous, emperador en el exiliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13204169087393199959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-11209039993945137732014-11-14T11:19:57.192-08:002014-11-14T11:19:57.192-08:00If you think this:
""Prometheus" is...If you think this:<br />""Prometheus" is not crappy palette, but a crappy plot played by retarded characters)."<br />…is the only thing that can make a movie work or not then, yeah, this interview is over your head and you may be buying in to the popular technocratic-nerd art-criticism myth.<br /><br />As for the roots of transphobia--I don't know. You could talk to Sarah about it, she's on twitter.Zak Sabbathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812410680077034917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-30489552938458780882014-11-14T11:14:18.744-08:002014-11-14T11:14:18.744-08:00WARNING: the author of the previous post has been ...WARNING: the author of the previous post has been diagnosed a PDD-NOS. <br />"NOS" my ass - I have a full-fledged Asperger's Syndrome!anonimous, emperador en el exiliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13204169087393199959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-78618881787772223062014-11-14T11:13:11.624-08:002014-11-14T11:13:11.624-08:00I must admit this interview is waaay over my head....I must admit this interview is waaay over my head. "...modern audiences which only care about how the plot comes together.": this is me (my complain about "Prometheus" is not crappy palette, but a crappy plot played by retarded characters).<br /><br />But there's a bit that triggers me a bit:<br /><br />"I've often thought that a lot of transphobia actually has it's roots in misogyny in general"<br /><br />I don't think so. Going by my experience, transphobia has nothing to do with misogynia and everything to do with surgery. Doctor Moreau's house of pain. Herman Munster. Michael Jackson. Cher. "Dentist sewn my gum last Wednesday - now I don't dare... I'm afraid of watching what's inside my fucking mouth."<br />anonimous, emperador en el exiliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13204169087393199959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-79146672492517777462014-10-30T03:05:43.582-07:002014-10-30T03:05:43.582-07:00Interestingly, in "Silence of the Lambs"...Interestingly, in "Silence of the Lambs", Harris went out of his way to explicate that Buffalo Bill *wasn't* a trans person, but a psychopath clutching at the concept of trans identity to spur on his desire to kill. A surprisingly even-minded clarification, especially for when it was written.<br /><br />But: a picture's worth a thousand words. That well-meaning bit of exposition gets rather completely overshadowed by fondling a toy-poodle and terrorizing a young woman whilst clad in lacy clothes. Not to mention the grotesque display of narcissism/self-loathing in the infamous "tucky-dance". Ah, well. What the road to hell is paved with.<br /><br />I cannot speak to the representation in "Dressed to Kill", as it was made by De Palma, whom I would gladly throttle, manner of dress irrelevant.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11830434891343833208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-79713944568204172182014-10-30T02:25:49.607-07:002014-10-30T02:25:49.607-07:00"The big money is in the tabloid freakiness o..."The big money is in the tabloid freakiness of transwomen, so thus and thus. ... You know Silence of the Lambs probably set me coming out back at least 10 years. I was mortified back then that that's what I would be."<br /><br />This paragraph made me really sad.<br /><br />An example of how destructive the singular representation of people can be. Alienation and exclusion as a result of stereotyping. This also links to your recent post on women in Warhammer's Realms of Chaos.pileshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06008654668836414680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2638993969706011706.post-42228214730196792692014-10-29T04:58:14.538-07:002014-10-29T04:58:14.538-07:00I will admit I found this entry very hard to read,...I will admit I found this entry very hard to read, both for the imagery and of the injustice suffered by Ms Horrocks regarding her sexuality. However, as Zak stated at the very start, a good critic gives you something to think about even when you disagree and I will be buggered if this hasn't sent the wee cogs in my skull spinning. <br />I have always found horror a difficult subject to deal with, even though in real life I have no problem slaughtering and dressing animals or treating wounds. I think it may relate to the Technocrat/Idealogue divide; that as a Technocrat I see horror as a series of problems which should be solved logically being mishandled, that nothing is being fixed when I compelled to fix everything.<br />Fascinating stuff and a great read as always.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253462058651872470noreply@blogger.com