So the most important picture of the year is horses?
It's a lot better than the finalist photo of the cow in 2007. Then again, any 'competition' that includes migrant pea pickers, the Paris Opera House, and a molting cicada is pretty much up for grabs. posted by LeLiLo at 6:48 PM on June 2 [1 favorite has favorites]
SPOILER: Weeaboos are not actually offended to be called "weeaboos", and many have co-opted the word. posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 6:52 PM on June 2
Some of these are pretty rad. Some, meh, I'd like to think I can do better. posted by notsnot at 6:53 PM on June 2
Muah? I'm no connoisseur of the medium, but several of these look pretty great to me—even the horses and the cow. I don't know that I'd have picked the horses as the winner, but it's quite a nice photographic, and this year's #2 and #3 (direct links to the full-size images) are badass.
But, yes, fucking weeaboos. posted by ixohoxi at 6:53 PM on June 2
Are you friggin' kidding me? A picture of a band consisting of drummers and a dude breathing fire takes second place and loses to a picture of some horses? Who votes on these, 5 year old girls? posted by DecemberBoy at 6:54 PM on June 2 [1 favorite has favorites]
photographic = photograph, of course...is that comment-editing feature live yet? and why can I favorite my own comment now? posted by ixohoxi at 6:55 PM on June 2
6 months of waiting and we get a HORSE? posted by ALongDecember at 6:58 PM on June 2
I'm grateful that the ecchi one wasn't #1.
Upon googling the kids on my lawn, I see that's what all this "weeaboo" talk is referring to. posted by DU at 7:00 PM on June 2
The fire-breather is a ginormous resolution, too. It'd make a great wallpaper. The horses one on your laptop would be fine, provided you cover your laptop in puffy stickers with googly eyes. posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 7:03 PM on June 2 [2 favorites has favorites]
September 11 happened again in 2008? How did I miss this? posted by UbuRoivas at 7:06 PM on June 2
No stickers, but it's a white netbook. Can I go with the horsies, or would I be better off with an insect or a landscape or some damn thing? posted by box at 7:06 PM on June 2
lelilo: "I didn't see a horse or a cow in there anywhere."
Seeing a mediocre photograph of a Vermeer painting made me LOL. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a pic of a Rembrandt with my mobile and submit it for the 2010 contest. posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 7:11 PM on June 2 [2 favorites has favorites]
# 7 – 27 votes in Round 2;
Category - Non-photographic art and historic maps #1 – 98 votes in Round 1;
Drawing of a revealing figure Sythatia with typical elements from manga and anime to illustrate the term ecchi.
I don't understand the criteria for this or something, it's totally scattershot. And I certainly don't get why that manga horseshit is in there. posted by dead cousin ted at 7:16 PM on June 2
The final photograph has been photoshopped to remove a third horse in the picture. But the shadow from the third horse remains. posted by stratastar at 7:18 PM on June 2
Tons of crappy HDR, typical Flickr Explore-esque nature shots, creepy anime, and scans of actual famous artists that all got beat by.... a boring picture of a horse.
The criteria, as linked to by dhartung already, is people voting for pictures in different categories, and the ecchi illustration was one of the ones which garnered enough votes to make the cut. posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 7:20 PM on June 2
Oh I saw that comment, I just don't get what guidelines are supposed to be used to determine what you vote for. If it's just taste, then whoever voted for these has none. posted by dead cousin ted at 7:23 PM on June 2
Well, that's internet democracy for you. We could organize a vote drive to get Jessamyn's photo on her wikipage into the top ten next year, theoretically speaking. posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 7:25 PM on June 2 [2 favorites has favorites]
Just goes to show: HDR FTW! Take that, most important Depression-era photo ever. You don't have compressed dynamic range, just smooth subtle grey tones. posted by Nelson at 7:26 PM on June 2
There is a fourth hourse! posted by Artw at 7:30 PM on June 2
The HDR thing is kind of annoying. Are we going to have to put up with it forever or will it die out as a fad? posted by Artw at 7:32 PM on June 2
Maybe "no taste" is harsh, there are some good ones in there. I guess there's no logic in internet democracy. posted by dead cousin ted at 7:33 PM on June 2
it seems you mostly get what you pay for. some are definitely interesting, but few are particularly compelling photos, at least to me. Also, I love some of the judges' comments regarding the 2007 winners:
beautyfull
This image has most comments, so it is probably the best.
Whoa,I like how the tower is like big, and the person is like... not
Could be the standard Windows Vista wallpaper ;-)
I saw this photo and — wow!
The cutest squirrel I've ever seen.
That's the kind of picture we need for an encyclopaedia!
looks gr8
Really good, looks like it came out from an actual video in high definition TV
For the record, I liked the cow. Just look at her face. That's a look of utter udder contentment. posted by dead cousin ted at 7:43 PM on June 2
Sorry, one more thing, can "shooted in danger" be a category in next year's competition? Please? posted by snofoam at 7:44 PM on June 2 [1 favorite has favorites]
We could organize a vote drive to get Jessamyn's photo on her wikipage into the top ten next year, theoretically speaking.
Funny story, someone on Wikipedia messed with the levels on that picture so actually it's sort of lousy looking. If someone would put a better photo of me on my page, I'd sure appreciate it. posted by jessamyn at 7:46 PM on June 2
That's a look of utter udder contentment.
really trying to milk it, aren't you? posted by UbuRoivas at 7:48 PM on June 2
Freely licensed images suck. posted by pravit at 8:02 PM on June 2
I guess this is as good a place as any to announce the new competition I am sponsoring. It's called "Anything Anyone Likes" and all entries win. Everything is automatically submitted. Thanks for participating!!! posted by snofoam at 8:04 PM on June 2 [4 favorites has favorites]
while the popularity contest has mixed results, its very exciting to see a proliferation of creative commons material available. Like Wikipedia, its importance will grow as the library of materials grows more expansive (unlike Wikipedia, the quality of material will not be governed by consensus, although the quantity may grow overwhelming).
if silly contests help increase the publicity and awareness of this resource, then so be it.
(regarding the cow being content: his eyes seem half closed, its difficult to read. his surroundings seem lovely, but I'm not sure how keen I would be on being tagged in the ear) posted by el io at 8:06 PM on June 2 [1 favorite has favorites]
I love you guys. I had a couple things I needed to get off my chest, most notably the proliferation of shitty HDR scapes, the Steven den Beste-esque ecchi, and the fact that a crappily photoshopped picture of some horses won. But y'all had already saved all three. Marry me. posted by Justinian at 8:07 PM on June 2
OMG! I've never won anything before!
THIS IS SO AWESOME!
YOU ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL! posted by oddman at 8:09 PM on June 2
Glowy HDR shenanigans notwithstanding, I gotta say, damn Hong Kong, I liked you the first time I saw you–when you were called Blade Runner.
Also, notsnot, your picture of the Horseshoe Bend was nicer, in my humble and infallible opinion.
And finally, yeah that's pretty crazy having a 9/11 picture in there. posted by Mister_A at 8:11 PM on June 2
Ah. A catgirl in the top 10. Yes.
...
Having one's prejudices reinforced is satisfying, isn't it? posted by shadow vector at 8:13 PM on June 2
And hey, if I'm parsing it right, sounds like jessamyn wants us to photoshop her picture? Is there a prize? Maybe Garmin: The Videogame for Nintendo Wii? posted by Mister_A at 8:14 PM on June 2
On second look, I guess it's not supposed to be a catgirl, and that's a hat of some sort. Still. posted by shadow vector at 8:15 PM on June 2
Why does the horse have a bell? There doesn't appear to be anything around the neck, is the bell tied to the mane? A heavy bell? That's mean. I don't like the pic due to meanness. I think it's a bell. Is it a bell? WTH German horses? Are they worried the horse will sneak up on them? Do they have the horses wear bells so the bears know to get out of the way? I don't get the bell. It's weird. I am against the bell and therefore against the image. posted by Salmonberry at 9:09 PM on June 2
Oh, what a bunch of haters. It's not a fine art show, it's freely licensed pretty pictures. They're intended to illustrate an encyclopedia. posted by echo target at 9:23 PM on June 2 [1 favorite has favorites]
Reads thread.
Ahahha, wait wee-a-what, hmm...
weeabo
A person who's totally obsessed with Japanese culture; Wapanese; Wanna be Japanese.
A: I just got some powdered tea azuki bean Pocky! I'm gonna eat some after I get some ramen. Wanna go watch some anime?
Huh.
These people sure do like photos that are really ...sharp. posted by The Whelk at 9:24 PM on June 2
"Weeaboo" is the most confounding Internet slang term ever. The term was taken from this comic, from the much-missed Perry Bible Fellowship. You may notice that it has nothing to do with anime, manga, Japan, fans of anime or manga or things Japanese, or anything remotely related to anime or manga or Japan. Does anyone know how it came to be a derogatory term for a Japan-obsessed Westerner? posted by DecemberBoy at 9:42 PM on June 2
Because this newfangled Orientalism needs a beating with paddles. The previous term was "Wapanese" variously expanded as "Wannabe Japanese" or "White Japanese," the latter being problematic because, for example, I know a Chinese-American weeaboo. posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 10:02 PM on June 2
Please inform me which term is now considered insulting that I may add it to my vocabulary.
Hm, that's a tough one. I can tell you that trolling the typical forums produces less and less of an effect, as the well of troll material has been plumbed pretty dry. Not even calling Grave of the Fireflies "one of the funniest movies I ever saw" has much of an effect anymore. Your best bet is to pretend to be a wannabe fanboy, and get your references completely wrong - for example, "Man, Lucky Star is one of the best mecha animu I've ever seen. When Voltron battled Yukari-sensei I thought I was going to die, it was soooo moe!!! ^_^ desu~" This will ignite a ragefest of fanboys rushing in to correct you. Respond by correcting them with the repeated incorrect material, and the fun really begins. posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:44 PM on June 2 [2 favorites has favorites]
Er... well, not quite. I think 4chan had an automated filter that would replace "wapanese" with "weeaboo" in any posts. And, predictably, people just began using the word "weeaboo" instead of "wapanese". Given that 4chan is the single most influential site on the internet, the term caught on. posted by Justinian at 11:48 PM on June 2
Yeah, weeaboo was a wordfilter.
The really hilarious thing is that weeaboos are starting to balkanize. Touhou fans are shunned and ridiculed on a lot of fanboy forums, for example, and if I remember correctly things got so bad on 4chan's anime board that any Touhou reference would bring down the banhammer. Might even still be the case, as far as I know. posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:57 PM on June 2
I don't agree with the voting. But a lot of the runners up were amazing. Thanks for pointing this out. posted by jouke at 3:29 AM on June 3
Ugh. Nothing like obnoxious saturation boosting to ruin a halfway decent photo. posted by rottytooth at 6:00 AM on June 3
Dammit, had I known I could've played the TV Tropes Arbitrary Anime Reference Drinking Game with this image list, I'd have brought along the vodka today. posted by Spatch at 6:25 AM on June 3
I like the trains, but I agree this years picks were something of weak sauce. posted by Uther Bentrazor at 6:57 AM on June 3
# 7 – 27 votes in Round 2;
Category - Non-photographic art and historic maps #1 – 98 votes in Round 1;
Drawing of a revealing figure Sythatia with typical elements from manga and anime to illustrate the term ecchi.
pedophile anime nerds ruin everything posted by Optimus Chyme at 7:04 AM on June 3
How the hell does a Dorothea Lange depression-era photo make it into a "best of 2008" list? Or did it just get released into creative commons in 2008? posted by Brodiggitty at 7:50 AM on June 3
As far as I can tell, there is a featured picture of the day, each day. The criteria is just "this is good". Then those pictures are the candidates for picture of the year. posted by smackfu at 8:49 AM on June 3
Salmonberry: Why does the horse have a bell? There doesn't appear to be anything around the neck, is the bell tied to the mane? A heavy bell? That's mean. I don't like the pic due to meanness. I think it's a bell. Is it a bell? WTH German horses? Are they worried the horse will sneak up on them? Do they have the horses wear bells so the bears know to get out of the way? I don't get the bell. It's weird. I am against the bell and therefore against the image.
The horses are not German. They are Basque. They are now going to bomb you because you mistook them for Germans. posted by koeselitz at 9:54 AM on June 3
So Touhou fans are to weeaboos as furries are to science fiction con-goers?
Ouch. No, we don't evoke a stomach-churning visceral disgust among weeaboos. It's more that, well, Touhou is a game; not an anime. There are manga based on the characters in the Touhou games, but since there was no anime, weeaboos would rage anytime someone wanted to talk about Touhou in anime forums. But then one dedicated fan made a Touhou anime, recruiting a lot of well-known seiyu to do the voice acting as well. It's not bad for a fan work, either. Even though it was only one episode so far, that was enough to give a lot of Touhou fans reason to post repeatedly about the episode in anime forums, and the rage began anew.
Let me reiterate the feelings of others: Yuck. posted by raysmj at 11:21 AM on June 3
Oh, and good to see the reaction against HDR. Last time out, or maybe two years ago, saying anything ill about the photos was akin to speaking out about the Iraq War in most of America in 2003. posted by raysmj at 11:23 AM on June 3
There is a lot of horrible "HDR" out there, often with nasty highpass filter artifacts like halos and stuff. But if you actually look at the full size hong kong image it's kind of amazing. There is an incredible amount of detail visible.
So while I agree most stuff labeled "HDR" is crap, this is actually a pretty cool image. posted by delmoi at 12:24 PM on June 3
Ouch. No, we don't evoke a stomach-churning visceral disgust among weeaboos. It's more that, well, Touhou is a game; not an anime. There are manga based on the characters in the Touhou games, but since there was no anime, weeaboos would rage anytime someone wanted to talk about Touhou in anime forums. But then one dedicated fan made a Touhou anime, recruiting a lot of well-known seiyu to do the voice acting as well. It's not bad for a fan work, either. Even though it was only one episode so far, that was enough to give a lot of Touhou fans reason to post repeatedly about the episode in anime forums, and the rage began anew.
More simply, a bunch of users on anime forums get upset when game fans discuss a game on said anime forums. Even after an anime was made of the game. posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:02 PM on June 3
The horses are not German. They are Basque. They are now going to bomb you because you mistook them for Germans.
Oh, pffft. Like I'm so scared of people who put bells on horses in case they try a sneak attack at night or whatever. Sounds like a small pack of weeabootofuwhatevers could take them on. posted by Salmonberry at 6:08 PM on June 3
Why does the horse have a bell? There doesn't appear to be anything around the neck, is the bell tied to the mane? A heavy bell? That's mean.
you sure it's not a rolling pin? posted by hereticfig at 11:48 AM on June 4
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