Why does Godzilla keep growing?
May 8, 2014 7:07 AM Subscribe
The Ever Increasing Size of Godzilla: Implications for Sexual Selection and Urine Production
"Dozens more continued to pile on, all contributing to a culture that has created an unattainable body image our giant lizards can never reach unless they starve themselves—some eating as little as one city a day. Many more are driven to bulimia, gorging themselves on villagers just to puke them up later in a spew of shame and fire." via: A.V. Clubposted by Fizz at 8:00 AM on May 8, 2014
I guess I always thought it was obvious: the buildings get bigger.
The original godzilla takes place in tokyo. The tallest building in tokyo 1954 was ~180 feet. Today, it's 984.
The new movie takes place in NY, yes? The tallest building there is 1700+ ft (and apparently 97 are over 600ft). If he stayed the same size, he wouldn't have nearly as much impact.
posted by FirstMateKate at 8:12 AM on May 8, 2014 [11 favorites]
The original godzilla takes place in tokyo. The tallest building in tokyo 1954 was ~180 feet. Today, it's 984.
The new movie takes place in NY, yes? The tallest building there is 1700+ ft (and apparently 97 are over 600ft). If he stayed the same size, he wouldn't have nearly as much impact.
posted by FirstMateKate at 8:12 AM on May 8, 2014 [11 favorites]
It's that song "Grow Grow Godzilla."
And the urine thing is a dodge. We know basically nothing about Godzilla's metabolism. Godzilla has been shown biting enemies, but I don't think I've ever seen him eat anything. Godzilla 1984 suggested that Godzilla absorbed radiation from nuclear power plants, so maybe there is no urine production at all.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:25 AM on May 8, 2014
And the urine thing is a dodge. We know basically nothing about Godzilla's metabolism. Godzilla has been shown biting enemies, but I don't think I've ever seen him eat anything. Godzilla 1984 suggested that Godzilla absorbed radiation from nuclear power plants, so maybe there is no urine production at all.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:25 AM on May 8, 2014
Believe it or not, I've actually done some research into this subject. For me, the definitive article on Godzilla's size (if not his excretory capacity) is this one, by Robert Biondi, which is written from the perspective of a model-builder.
(I came across that rather great article when researching a paper that refers tangentially to Godzilla's size; if you'll pardon the self-link, you can read that paper here.)
posted by Dr. Wu at 8:37 AM on May 8, 2014
(I came across that rather great article when researching a paper that refers tangentially to Godzilla's size; if you'll pardon the self-link, you can read that paper here.)
posted by Dr. Wu at 8:37 AM on May 8, 2014
And the urine thing is a dodge. We know basically nothing about Godzilla's metabolism. Godzilla has been shown biting enemies, but I don't think I've ever seen him eat anything. Godzilla 1984 suggested that Godzilla absorbed radiation from nuclear power plants, so maybe there is no urine production at all.
Geez, GenjiandProust, stop taking the piss.
posted by yoink at 9:06 AM on May 8, 2014 [1 favorite]
Geez, GenjiandProust, stop taking the piss.
posted by yoink at 9:06 AM on May 8, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's that song "Grow Grow Godzilla."
That just the way Scooby Doo says it.
posted by doctor_negative at 10:09 AM on May 8, 2014 [1 favorite]
Okay, so Godzilla varied from 50 to 100 meters in height. That's nuthin'!
The original King Kong looked maybe 30ft tall. So what were we kids to make of his appearance as a rubber-suit sparring partner for Godzilla in 1963's King Kong vs Godzilla? Now all of a sudden, he's the same height as Godzilla, scaled not for climbing tall buildings, but for knocking them down with a sideswipe! The idea that they could wrestle was more unrealistic to us than the zipper down the back.
King Kong's Changing Stature in Cinema
1933 15m (50ft) King Kong *
1963 45m (147ft) King Kong vs. Godzilla
1964 1.9m (6ft3in) Doctor Strangelove
1967 20m (65ft) King Kong Escapes
1968 18'00" Uncle Meat **
1976 15m (50ft) King Kong (Dino De Laurentis) ***
1986 18m (60ft) King Kong Lives
2005 8m (25ft) King Kong (Peter Jackson)
---------------------------------
* Officially, but in the film Kong's height appears to vary between about 18 and 60ft, while the disemebodied Kong hand for -- interacting -- with Faye Wray was built to the scale of a 70ft Kong.
** Originally, though later interpretations of this version of King Kong vary. Another way to look at it, at 15ips, that's 16,200 inches or 1350ft (412m)!
*** About the same as the original, but again apparently varying between about 40 and 55ft.
posted by Herodios at 10:14 AM on May 8, 2014
FirstMateKate- If you pay close attention, the trailer shows NOT New York City, but the Vegas Strip.
The damaged Statue of Liberty we see is the Casino one.
posted by Megafly at 12:21 PM on May 8, 2014
The damaged Statue of Liberty we see is the Casino one.
posted by Megafly at 12:21 PM on May 8, 2014
It's also not even certain that the damage to Las Vegas was done by Godzilla, given that there's three daikaiju in the film.
posted by happyroach at 2:06 PM on May 8, 2014
posted by happyroach at 2:06 PM on May 8, 2014
FirstMateKate- If you pay close attention, the trailer shows NOT New York City, but the Vegas Strip.
The damaged Statue of Liberty we see is the Casino one.
posted by Megafly at 3:21 PM on May 8 [+] [!]
Ahh, I see. Thanks! The only trailer I saw was in theaters, and it was mostly people jumping out of a plane into ruble and there's a flash of light, then you see the beast. Really neat trailer but it didn't tell much other than "GODZILLA"
posted by FirstMateKate at 9:29 PM on May 8, 2014
The damaged Statue of Liberty we see is the Casino one.
posted by Megafly at 3:21 PM on May 8 [+] [!]
Ahh, I see. Thanks! The only trailer I saw was in theaters, and it was mostly people jumping out of a plane into ruble and there's a flash of light, then you see the beast. Really neat trailer but it didn't tell much other than "GODZILLA"
posted by FirstMateKate at 9:29 PM on May 8, 2014
Annalee Newitz: A Few Thoughts on the New Godzilla, Written By My 8-Year-Old Self
posted by homunculus at 11:16 PM on May 8, 2014
posted by homunculus at 11:16 PM on May 8, 2014
FirstMateKate: "The original godzilla takes place in tokyo. The tallest building in tokyo 1954 was ~180 feet. Today, it's 984."
You're right about 1954, but right now, Tokyo's tallest building is 2,080 feet tall (Tokyo Sky Tree).
posted by Bugbread at 12:47 AM on May 9, 2014
You're right about 1954, but right now, Tokyo's tallest building is 2,080 feet tall (Tokyo Sky Tree).
posted by Bugbread at 12:47 AM on May 9, 2014
FirstMateKate: "The original godzilla takes place in tokyo. The tallest building in tokyo 1954 was ~180 feet. Today, it's 984."
You're right about 1954, but right now, Tokyo's tallest building is 2,080 feet tall (Tokyo Sky Tree).
posted by Bugbread at 3:47 AM on May 9 [+] [!]
What the hell was I reading, then? IDK. Thanks for fact checking!
posted by FirstMateKate at 4:11 PM on May 9, 2014
You're right about 1954, but right now, Tokyo's tallest building is 2,080 feet tall (Tokyo Sky Tree).
posted by Bugbread at 3:47 AM on May 9 [+] [!]
What the hell was I reading, then? IDK. Thanks for fact checking!
posted by FirstMateKate at 4:11 PM on May 9, 2014
How New York City Would Officially Respond to a Godzilla Attack
posted by homunculus at 1:04 PM on May 14, 2014
posted by homunculus at 1:04 PM on May 14, 2014
Well thank goodness that New York is on the ball! From what my contacts in San Francisco's city hall, the plan over here is to blame it all on Silicon Valley.
posted by happyroach at 2:55 PM on May 14, 2014
posted by happyroach at 2:55 PM on May 14, 2014
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Also I think it says more about deepening non-fictional US male movie producer genital size anxiety than anything having to do with reptile genetics.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:37 AM on May 8, 2014