Who's that in the park?

November 24, 2000 1:58 AM

Who's that in the park? Look at this image of Selhurst Park and tell me what you think you see? Via linkmachinego
posted by Foaf (32 comments total)

Yeah, and I see dinosaurs in clouds in the sky. I guess that makes them the saviour of the world too. =P
posted by ookamaka at 2:58 AM on November 24, 2000

actually, i was thinking catherine zeta-jones.
posted by patricking at 3:08 AM on November 24, 2000

Gosh, yes, good ol' Jesus is there too. What I was actually talking about was the classic Robin Reliant in the carpark next to the park. I could have sworn it was the same one as in Only Fools and Horses
posted by Foaf at 3:28 AM on November 24, 2000

Jesus?! It's Fidel Castro!

posted by andrew cooke at 4:11 AM on November 24, 2000

When did Jesus grow a moustache?
posted by rcade at 6:27 AM on November 24, 2000

Grass and dirt.
posted by capt.crackpipe at 6:46 AM on November 24, 2000

it's the hideous jabbering head!
posted by quonsar at 6:59 AM on November 24, 2000

are we to infer that chaotic systems result in divine imagery? a butterfly flaps its wings in south america and someone sees the virgin mary in a taco outside Shasbury?
posted by nonsequitur at 7:14 AM on November 24, 2000

Jesus is a BIG football fan!
posted by metacomet28 at 7:22 AM on November 24, 2000

I'm thinking that it's a comment on our subconsciouses. (Is that how you spell that word?) Same thing with the Virgin Mary down here in Clearwater. All it is, is mineral deposits from the aerial spinkler heads.

But they were divinely inspired.
posted by baylink at 7:34 AM on November 24, 2000

subconsciences. Think 'science', it always seems to help me. Also, spell checker! :-)

I've seen and read a lot of stuff on pattern recognition in humans (okay, it's mostly from a first-year psych course, but it makes good sense! :-) and most of what I understand to be the case is (poorly) summarized below.

Pattern recognition (not just visual, all stimuli) is one of the first traits of evolution - shape x will eat you, shape y will hug you. Smell a means food, smell b means RUN!. That sort of thing.

So we humans (and all animals) are constantly checking our mental databases, does the image we see match this mental image? Nope, how about this one. Quite honestly, I didn't even see the face in the field until someone mentioned Jesus. I could see the head shape then, but Jesus? I still don't see it.

So one person, generally a very religious person, sees a shape in something and associates it with one of their most prominant mental images - Jesus, Mary, Fidel, whatever. :-)

Sometime when you're bored, find yourself a static random picture - a suspension ceiling tile with holes in it, for instance - and just watch as the different images appear. It's very cool to watch your brain process data.
posted by cCranium at 7:47 AM on November 24, 2000

Groucho Marx, definitely Groucho Marx
posted by briank at 8:02 AM on November 24, 2000

why though whever somebody sees something vaguely facial and hairy does it suddenly become jesus? as soon as I saw the field, I thought - my God, it's DAVID CROSBY!
posted by DiplomaticImmunity at 8:12 AM on November 24, 2000

I'm sure this place has grounds keepers that are in charge of what the field looks like. Clearly they manipulated water patterns to create this strikingly clear image of The Son Of God.

Or it might be a signal to space aliens.
posted by y6y6y6 at 8:16 AM on November 24, 2000

I'm just not seeing it.

I never thought I'd say this, but -- can someone help me find Jesus?
posted by webmutant at 8:32 AM on November 24, 2000

No problem, webmutant - I've enhanced the photo and put it here.
Does that help?
posted by dogwelder at 8:54 AM on November 24, 2000

But does Jesus support Crystal Palace or Wimbledon?
posted by holgate at 11:05 AM on November 24, 2000

I see that Edward Munsch character.. um.. the screamer or whatever it's called. sorry. it's friday.
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 11:39 AM on November 24, 2000

Dogwelder, you shit.

That was beautiful.
posted by baylink at 11:41 AM on November 24, 2000

Actually, I bet he meant "subconscious." As opposed to conscious. When I steal a Twix, my conscience tells me not to. My subconscience tells me not to because it will make me fat.
posted by norm at 12:48 PM on November 24, 2000

d'oh. You're right. Sometimes I think about science too much. :-)

mmmm.. Twix
posted by cCranium at 2:00 PM on November 24, 2000

I don't understand you people. Can't you see it's Prince Albert?? [Notice the muttonchops, important detail that...]

By default, he must be a Crystal Palace fan. :-)
posted by theparanoidandroid at 2:25 PM on November 24, 2000

It actually does look a bit like the face in the shroud of Turin.
posted by ericost at 4:59 PM on November 24, 2000

Hm, I saw Princess Toadstool, myself...
posted by whatnotever at 5:14 PM on November 24, 2000

This field is in the UK, right? Isn't that also where the crop circles guys got started?

I say they've branched out from their study of geometry and art, and went into turfgrass and horticulture research, planted seeds, fertilized just so, and a few months later, boom, jesus is in the grass.

Those wacky pranksters.
posted by mathowie at 5:19 PM on November 24, 2000

ObPedantry: it's not a "field", mathowie -- it's a "pitch". As opposed to a cricket pitch, which is in the middle of a cricket ground.

And from my experience of a rain-sodden Selhurst Park, where we never, ever win away matches, I can assure you that the divine presence is pretty elusive there.
posted by holgate at 6:41 PM on November 24, 2000

Well now, Nick, whenever a call doesn't go your way, or a ball goes long, you can say things like "jesus made me fumble."
posted by mathowie at 7:13 PM on November 24, 2000

Thanks, Matt: that's one to add to the eight years' worth of seeing "Jesus Crucified" in Cherwell whenever my college team suffered a heavy defeat...
posted by holgate at 2:15 AM on November 25, 2000

am i the only one that sees a turkey? as in an already plucked and ready to cook one?
posted by physics at 10:25 AM on November 25, 2000

Dogwelder -- I see it! I believe!
posted by webmutant at 1:09 PM on November 25, 2000

I thought dogwelder's, um, clarification was good enough to merit front page status... but I gather someone doesn't agree, and no comments on MT, either. Matt? You having a bad day again over the weekend, or what?
posted by baylink at 9:57 PM on November 27, 2000

Nah, it's hardly front page material- besides, the only folks who might find it funny are the ones who would slog through 30 or so comments in the vain hope of finding something vaguely amusing.
Glad you liked it, though...
posted by dogwelder at 12:39 PM on November 28, 2000