Mathamatical!

October 19, 2011 8:39 PM

Adventure Time Characters On Album Covers. What is Adventure Time? This previously will explain!
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn (54 comments total)

Aw, math!
posted by loquacious at 8:48 PM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I just discovered Adventure Time! I wake up an hour early to see it! Sometimes it is too gross, but usually it makes me happy because it's like D&D and Futurama and randomness and gorgeous animation all at once! I might be Finn for Halloween!
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:50 PM on October 19, 2011

Wait, One Hot Minute was an album? I thought it was a suicide note from a good band.
posted by mannequito at 8:53 PM on October 19, 2011

Wait, One Hot Minute was an album? I thought it was a suicide note from a good band.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers were a good band?
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:53 PM on October 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

Ack! Autoplay music!

And hells yes, RHCP was an awesome band. They've gotten soft in their old age -- dig into their earlier catalog and they'll change your reality.
posted by hippybear at 8:56 PM on October 19, 2011

And hells yes, RHCP was an awesome band. They've gotten soft in their old age -- dig into their earlier catalog and they'll change your reality.

Sorry, I've already seen Fishbone.

The only thing that's changing my reality now is ADVENTURE TIME!

Despite my preciousness with them, I love that Neutral Milk Hotel cover. And I could see The Flaming Lips showing up in an Adventure Time episode, like they did with Spongebob Squarepants.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:58 PM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

the noisome autoplay ad on that page just harshed my mellow, bro
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 9:01 PM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I, too just discovered Adventure Time. And then we watched it every single day until there wasn't any more. And now we say "oh my glob" all the damn time.
posted by pinky at 9:07 PM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Sorry, I've already seen Fishbone.

Your dismissiveness in ways such as this is one of your least attractive qualities.
posted by hippybear at 9:08 PM on October 19, 2011 [10 favorites]

This is one of the best things I have seen in a while (aside from the "Yes, this is dog" thing). And I know nothing about Adventure Time, but I think i soon will.
posted by not_on_display at 9:10 PM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I thought RHCP broke up after Mother's Milk and licensed the franchise.
posted by sourwookie at 9:13 PM on October 19, 2011 [3 favorites]

I do not get Adventure Time. I tried, but I think I am too old or straight edge or something.
posted by graventy at 9:27 PM on October 19, 2011

Lovecraft In Brooklyn: "What is Adventure Time? This previously will explain!"

Thanks! FWIW, this is what that broken "what lies beneath" link used to point to. Also, Adventureti.me and Regularsho.ws are sadly out of commission, but they were fun while they lasted.

If you like the show, don't miss the fantastic production blog, which has scads of behind-the-scenes material like storyboards, background art, full soundtracks, and lots lots more.
posted by Rhaomi at 9:29 PM on October 19, 2011 [3 favorites]

Theoretically, if one were to want to find the best place to watch the show legally in Australia and thus be able to set one's alarm later, where could one do that?
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 9:30 PM on October 19, 2011

I loooooooove Adventure Time and its all-too-brief, weirdly atonal theme song. Adventure tiiiiiiiiiime...
posted by Occula at 9:33 PM on October 19, 2011

... And, of course, Bender and Sponge Bob are both in it. (I mean, their actor voices, of course.)
posted by Occula at 9:38 PM on October 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

This is great. I think my favorite is "Jake, by request only" because a. that 70's hair and jumpsuit fit Jake to a T and b. I can just hear him refusing to perform: "No way! By request only, man!"
posted by gamera at 9:45 PM on October 19, 2011 [3 favorites]

Also, it is criminal that AT hasn't gotten any recognition, awards-wise. It lost the Short-Form Animation Emmy twice (first to Robot Chicken, and then to... this. Blech.) It even lost an Annie Award to Spongebob! They were on par early on when SB was still surreal and bizarre, but I'm pretty sure it's gone way downhill since then.
posted by Rhaomi at 9:47 PM on October 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Theoretically, if one were to want to find the best place to watch the show legally in Australia and thus be able to set one's alarm later, where could one do that?

Get a DVR? Anyway, packs of the first two seasons are up on pirate bay, obviously.
posted by delmoi at 10:07 PM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

and b. I can just hear him refusing to perform: "No way! By request only, man!"

Oh man, you are totally reading that in Jake's voice!
posted by Spatch at 10:10 PM on October 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Your dismissiveness in ways such as this is one of your least attractive qualities.

Perhaps, but to be totally fair Fishbone is better than Red Hot Chili Peppers. I'm young enough that I got to see both bands at small venues since I lived in the area when they were still relatively unknown. RHCP is way more poppy/accessible as experimental as they'd get sometimes.

Fishbone is/was incredible live. Ska shows are rowdy and bouncy enough on their own but whenever I've seen Fishbone take the stage it's like someone mined the dance floor with TNT 'cause the place just blows up and the next thing you know people are hanging from the rafters and raining from the sky like it's a panel out of a Pirate Corp$ or Milk and Cheese comic book.
posted by loquacious at 10:12 PM on October 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

I know I'm just continuing the derail, but it's ok to like RHCP even if Fishbone is better. RHCP samples a little cut from Fishbone's Bonin' in the Boneyard, so it's clear they're fans too.
posted by JauntyFedora at 10:18 PM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

One of the guys who works on Adventure Time, Jesse Moynihan, is working on a completely awesome webcomic, Forming. First issue. A personal favourite. It's insane and brilliant and contains a trans-positive assassins guild.

His earlier comic, Kime Agime, has one of the best comics I've ever seen.

Go read all of Forming. Updates more or less on Sundays.
posted by neuromodulator at 10:39 PM on October 19, 2011 [8 favorites]

I mean you would have to be no good at all not to like this. "Universal Consciousness is for grannies!"
posted by neuromodulator at 10:42 PM on October 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Could be worse. (Could be Touhou!)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:02 PM on October 19, 2011

I know I'm just continuing the derail, but it's ok to like RHCP even if Fishbone is better. RHCP samples a little cut from Fishbone's Bonin' in the Boneyard, so it's clear they're fans too.

Fo' sure. I like the old RHCP. Under the Bridge is pretty epic and anthemic yet easy on the ears and still replays well. I'd say it's up with there with the Doors and Janes Addiction and Sublime and all kinds of other LA alt/rock stuff. It's a chunk of LA and California and reminds me of Venice Beach in August with some cold beers.

And what's the point of a music thread if you can't derail into endless pointless debates about music?
posted by loquacious at 11:17 PM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

i was a pretty big fan of the show, until the company did this:

According to the Adventure Time Wiki,
“Mathematical!” was a promotional video series for Adventure Time produced briefly by Frederator Studios in the first half of season three. It was posted on a Youtube channel and linked to on the Frederator Blog. “Mathematical!” was made by Frederator Studios, and did not involve the actual Adventure Time crew. Its producer was Dan Rickmers.
“Mathematical!” was discontinued due to a controversy surrounding the recap for the episode “What Was Missing”. The “Mathematical!” recap focused on the lesbian subtext between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline.
As a result of this situation, “Mathematical!” was discontinued and Dan Rickmers was fired from Frederator Studios.
posted by usagizero at 11:42 PM on October 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

According to the Adventure Time Wiki,
“Mathematical!” was a promotional video series for Adventure Time produced briefly by Frederator Studios in the first half of season three. It was posted on a Youtube channel and linked to on the Frederator Blog. “Mathematical!” was made by Frederator Studios, and did not involve the actual Adventure Time crew. Its producer was Dan Rickmers.
“Mathematical!” was discontinued due to a controversy surrounding the recap for the episode “What Was Missing”. The “Mathematical!” recap focused on the lesbian subtext between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline.
As a result of this situation, “Mathematical!” was discontinued and Dan Rickmers was fired from Frederator Studios.

Seriously? And they let them put in nightmarish imagery like a bird getting turned inside out and a thing vomiting blood?

BTW, who is the show actually meant for? Is it really pitched as a kid's show?
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 11:46 PM on October 19, 2011

Definitely Fishbone trumps RHCP. Calling them the same band is just a bad joke that gets worse everytime its told.
Actually its cool that RHCP were definitely influenced by FB, and later repaid it by taking them on tour when they were starting to break, which is probably the reason a lot of us non-LA'ers even know who they are.
posted by mannequito at 11:52 PM on October 19, 2011

My grandkids <3 Adventure Time!
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 12:03 AM on October 20, 2011

BTW, who is the show actually meant for? Is it really pitched as a kid's show?

Man, I don't know, and I don't care, so long as they keep making it.

Also, Forming is the best thing I've read in a long, long time.
posted by cthuljew at 12:08 AM on October 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

The thing with 'What Was Missing', as I understand it: the crew felt the Mathematical! video (made by the production company, not the show's creators) presented the (very overt) Marceline-x-PB subtext in the episode in a kind of crass OH MY GOD way, and specifically gave the impression fans could decide whether the two of them having been in a relationship was canon by calling in (they'd have a call-in every week, but they hadn't implied the show's course could be altered by it before), which hadn't been discussed with the creators.

Obviously there was a huge outpouring of support from Tumblr etc. for a canon queer relationship in a kids' show: I think the way the Mathematical! video was suddenly spreading around much further than previous ones and being taken as coming 'from the creators of Adventure Time', having a kind of sensationalist, soap-operaish tone in general they weren't happy with, and leading people to believe they could alter the show's course by calling/writing in, provoked someone to say something to Frederator.

It was a terrible moment to choose to act on their problem with Mathematical!, because it ended up looking very much like the video was pulled for fear of teh gay, but (for the most part) I'm confident the creators don't feel that way. If nothing else, watching 'What Was Missing', the subtext is barely subtext. There's really no way to interpret Marceline's song and the bit with the T-shirt at the end as anything other than them having been together once. Let alone the overt Marceline/PB art certain artists on the show have been making for months before the episode aired.

I'm less sure that Frederator's motives were pure, or whether the response would have been identical if the video had been a sensationalising and audience-participation-implying misstep involving a straight relationship, but I'm pretty confident the team responsible for the actual show are good people.
posted by emmtee at 12:36 AM on October 20, 2011 [2 favorites]

LiB: Sorry, I've already seen Fishbone.

OH PSYCH!! Owww...

TKO.



zing.
posted by Skygazer at 1:04 AM on October 20, 2011

I'm knitting a Lady Rainicorn pillow for my sister for Christmas.
posted by Mooseli at 1:16 AM on October 20, 2011

I just rewatched "What Was Missing" and holy crap that is some super subtext. Like, I missed it the first time, because I knew Marceline and PB knew each other before (for instance, Marceline knew PB's first name, which apparently not even Finn knew), but that's pretty blatant. Especially right at the beginning of her song, where she says she wants to eat the pink off PB's face. Good that they're still friends, though.
posted by cthuljew at 1:22 AM on October 20, 2011

Lovecraft In Brooklyn: "Wait, One Hot Minute was an album? I thought it was a suicide note from a good band.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers were a good band?"

You kids are so cute when you're being dismissive. And yes, the RHCP were a good band. Fishbone was ok too. Granted this was back in 85 through 87 when I saw them together and apart many times. Many years ago, I know. But I guess you had to be there.

Anywhoo... Adventure Time is my daughter's favorite show and she turned ME on to it. She managed to turn my desktop into an Adventure Time theme and I haven't the heart to change it back. Not that I really want to either. I heart Finn!
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 1:51 AM on October 20, 2011

emmtee: "The thing with 'What Was Missing', as I understand it: the crew felt the Mathematical! video (made by the production company, not the show's creators) presented the (very overt) Marceline-x-PB subtext in the episode in a kind of crass OH MY GOD way, and specifically gave the impression fans could decide whether the two of them having been in a relationship was canon by calling in (they'd have a call-in every week, but they hadn't implied the show's course could be altered by it before), which hadn't been discussed with the creators. "

First off, here is the video that you are talking about. Here's the question as asked: "What do you think about Marceline and Bubblegum getting together? Does that leave Finn out in the dust, or is it just adorbz?". They had had a similar question a few recaps back of "Too Young" that asked watchers to comment or call about what fans thought about Finn and Bubblegum doing the same.

The official response from Fred of Frederator was thus:

"Well, I completely screwed up.

There’s been chatter on the internet recently about our latest Adventure Time “Mathematical!” video recap that we created, posted, and removed here at Federator. I figure it’s time to clear up the matter.

In trying to get the show’s audience involved we got wrapped up by both fan conjecture and spicy fanart and went a little too far. Neither Cartoon Network nor the Adventure Time crew had anything to do with putting up or taking down our latest re-cap. The episode ”What was Missing” remains a terrific short and will be shown again and again just like any other Adventure Time episode.

I let us goof in a staggering way and I’m deeply sorry it’s become such a distraction for so many people."

The first two pieces of Marceline and PB art were done by Natasha Allegheri, one of the character designers for the show. And calling any of it spicy, when there are loads of aimed-at-kids shows showing full on kissing (and also, AT has on screen kissing of Jake and Lady Raincorn, and an ice cream man and ice cream lady onscreen), but that anything in the video was "spicy"? What, because it was two girls? Two girls are every bit as capable of having an innocent romance as a boy and a girl are. The Mathematical channel had been doing speculation recaps for months with no ills effects.

Shortly afterwards the creator of the show not only took down the video, he took down the entire Mathematical! channel, erased all coments and fired the person who posted the video; Dan Rickmers, even after Rickmers publically said "Mathematical can at most be considered a reaction to you guys, the fans. It’s a place for us to talk about what we like, and geek out about Adventure Time, and the production staff has nothing to do with it. So yeah, I think we all were thinking about Marceline and Bubblegum possibly crushing on each other after that episode, so I wanted us all to talk about it, but getting upset at anyone isn’t going to solve anything.

If you still want to talk about it, I think it would be a really cool development in the show, and between you and me, I’d be excited to see an american cartoon that is able to casually discuss LGBT relationships, because Anime has kinda been doing it for YEARS. I’m open, Mathematical is open, and we’re still going to put up a fan video tomorrow about…something. And if anyone else isn’t open, then that’s too bad for them, because I still love ALL OF YOU.

I also just wanted to say sorry to Adam Muto (Because it seems like I offended him, I guess?) and Rebecca Sugar for possibly distracting anyone from the excellent episode they wrote with two of the BEST songs in the series! Nothing but love for you two."

Meanwhile, Adam Muto (one of the show writers), who called the video “smarmy”, “gaudy”. “sensationalist” and “dumb”, called a fan who commented on hir annoyance with the recap being called dumb a “moron”. He later deleted the answer, but screencaps live on. He answered a question about wether he felt he had learned anything after the dustup and his answer was "Yes. If you have an opinion, people will screencap it."

Y'know, it's kind of sad that it was making the barest implications that there may have sort of been a same-sex relationship kinda maybe was so controversial, when LGBT kids already exist and there are kids with gay parents and all. Deleting everything and shutting down discussion only just now pretty much reinforced the idea that discussion of gay relationships is not normal.
posted by ShawnStruck at 1:56 AM on October 20, 2011 [5 favorites]

Regardless of the content, I think Dan Rickmers bears a great deal of responsibility for deciding it was better to ask for forgiveness than for permission in this case. (And honestly, "But anime does it!" is a weak, unsupported argument.)
posted by Spatch at 2:44 AM on October 20, 2011

I have to admit that I was a bit puzzled by referring to "Under The Bridge" as an early work by RHCP, but when I look at their timeline, I suppose at this point it actually is an early song.
posted by hippybear at 4:13 AM on October 20, 2011

Oh, neat. I like this one, too. This is much more of A Thing than I was previously aware, not being previously aware that this was really A Thing at all.
posted by byanyothername at 5:12 AM on October 20, 2011

I'm knitting a Lady Rainicorn pillow for my sister for Christmas.

Is there a pattern for that, or are you winging it? I'd love to see what you end up with.
posted by librarianamy at 5:14 AM on October 20, 2011

I'll have to watch that episode again because.. yeah, I didn't get any of that. I always saw their relationship as some kind of high school-type rivalry thing, Marceline mad cos PB's all pretty and princess and et cetera.

Wait what was the FPP about again? Album covers...

These are okay. The King Crimson is probably the best. Takk.. probably should've changed the trees on the side to something more AT-ish.
posted by curious nu at 6:25 AM on October 20, 2011

(more sidebar derail)

Geez, to me "Under the Bridge" is in the "NEW" Chili Peppers category. You kids today, etc. *shakes cane*
posted by Occula at 7:28 AM on October 20, 2011

when there are loads of aimed-at-kids shows showing full on kissing

I totally get where you're coming at with respect to the double standard that seems to be at work here, but I'd also point out that boy-girl kissing can be problematic, too: I don't think many Avatar: The Last Airbender fans would have been disappointed if the series finale had ended about fifteen seconds earlier than it did...
posted by Ian A.T. at 8:22 AM on October 20, 2011

Finn (and Fiona) were by far the most popular (non-anime) costume at New York Comic-Con this year.
posted by whuppy at 1:04 PM on October 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

Librarianamy: I'm winging it, but I'm sure you could find patterns. I'll shoot you a picture when it's done, if you want, and let you know how I did it - my technique is pretty amateur I'm sure, but it seems to be getting the job done.
posted by Mooseli at 2:39 PM on October 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

Thanks for that post, ShawnStruck. I wondered how it all turned out. When it blew up, I thought about making an FPP about queer visibility in children's media and all, but it just made me so sad that I tuned out of the whole kerfuffle. Really, how can a girl crush be the one unacceptably perverse element in a show that regularly features the Ice King?

I wouldn't have cared whether or not PBxMarceline was ever a thing. What depressed me was how it immediately became an obscene idea, once it was joked about by the studio. Lesbian relationships can only make two kinds of appearances in our pop culture. If the women are old or ugly, it's gross and pathetic; if the women are young and pretty, it's a porn performance for the male gaze. Since the latter was the case, the immediate reaction was EW GROSS THIS SHOW IS FOR KIDS WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU, and the end result was that a creative person got himself fired in this economy. I didn't like the video myself, but I hate to think that a head rolled because of it.
posted by Countess Elena at 4:51 PM on October 20, 2011 [2 favorites]

Here's a lengthy interview with Pendleton Ward -- lots of fascinating embedded media inside!
posted by Rhaomi at 12:38 AM on October 21, 2011

I'm going as Marceline for Halloween....making my GIANT AXE GUITAR this week.
posted by nile_red at 3:07 AM on October 21, 2011 [2 favorites]

Oh man, now that I know that there were recaps, and that all the videos are now private on youtube, AUUUUUUGH. That hurts.
posted by pinky at 8:04 AM on October 21, 2011

Okay, I'm honestly confused: the episode with the subtext actually exists and has aired (so the creators are cool with all of that), but the recap, which pretty much just spelled the subtext out, is the thing that created a hubub?
posted by Amanojaku at 8:45 AM on October 21, 2011

Amanojaku: "Okay, I'm honestly confused: the episode with the subtext actually exists and has aired (so the creators are cool with all of that), but the recap, which pretty much just spelled the subtext out, is the thing that created a hubub"

Yup.
posted by ShawnStruck at 4:41 PM on October 21, 2011

Ian A.T.: "when there are loads of aimed-at-kids shows showing full on kissing

I totally get where you're coming at with respect to the double standard that seems to be at work here, but I'd also point out that boy-girl kissing can be problematic, too: I don't think many Avatar: The Last Airbender fans would have been disappointed if the series finale had ended about fifteen seconds earlier than it did.."

What about the two times Sokka kissed a girl? Or the kissing in animated Disney movies? Those are all aimed squarely at children and are okay, but suddenly even hinting at a gay couple was wrong.
posted by ShawnStruck at 4:42 PM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I know...I totally agree. What did you you think I was saying?

Anyway, Sokka kissing girls is fine, he's 15 and kissing people who have been portrayed as being in his age-group. The problem Avatar fans have with the end of the series is a 12-year-old, who's been portrayed as having a very child-like nature, making out with a 14-year-old who's been portrayed as being old beyond her years. I'm not accusing the series of pedophilia or anything, and I'm not saying that those two characters kissing is wrong, it's just...I don't know, off. Tone deaf. Most fans tend to agree, though this being Metafilter I'm sure this thread will now be home to dozens of contrarians arguing that the kiss was the emotional highlight of the series and they couldn't imagine a finale without it.
posted by Ian A.T. at 9:18 AM on October 22, 2011