Socrates Keeping It Real

May 20, 2010 1:12 PM

Socrates and Glaucon on the Home Shopping Network.
posted by wittgenstein (32 comments total)

You know, people throw around the phrase "best thing ever" so casually, but in this case...
posted by Bromius at 1:15 PM on May 20, 2010

posted by wittgenstein

Dude, you're not allowed to support both Germany and Greece.
posted by kmz at 1:17 PM on May 20, 2010 [6 favorites]

You know, people throw around the phrase "best thing ever" so casually, but in this case...

What do you think might make this case different, Bromius?
posted by Nothing... and like it at 1:21 PM on May 20, 2010 [7 favorites]

Love it, thanks Ludwig.
posted by msali at 1:31 PM on May 20, 2010

It's pretty rare that the mere idea of a post gets a lol from me. Nice.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 1:45 PM on May 20, 2010

Could we get David Mitchell to read this?
posted by boo_radley at 1:49 PM on May 20, 2010

It was worth it for the punchline.
posted by oddman at 1:54 PM on May 20, 2010

Steve Martin, whose degree is in philosophy, once said that if you study something useful, like how to build a bridge, you can forget it all if you like, but if you study philosophy you retain just enough to fuck you up for life.

I now understand by "fuck you up" he meant "leave you able to appreciate extended comic versions of the Method of Elenchus."
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:58 PM on May 20, 2010 [11 favorites]

Perfect representation.
posted by glaucon at 2:23 PM on May 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

Thanks for the classic link, kmz. Going to forward that to my Intro students this Summer.
posted by joe lisboa at 2:27 PM on May 20, 2010

The Rejection of Anne Frank linked on the page is also hilarious and pitch-perfect.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 2:37 PM on May 20, 2010

Reminiscent of the Socratic Robologues (YouTube). Fantastic!
posted by honest knave at 2:51 PM on May 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

Was it a funny bit?

Certainly.

And did you lol?

Of course.
posted by fleetmouse at 3:04 PM on May 20, 2010

Cute.

They could do a follow-up where Alcebiades tries to sell viagra to Socrates.
posted by felix betachat at 3:17 PM on May 20, 2010

That Anne Frank thing was annoyingly smarmy. It's no wiser than the vapid pop culture milieux it seems to parody. If you're going to make fun of Anne Frank, do it without McSweeney's contemptibly etiolated, radiation-suit-wearing approach to comedy.

Also: the Socrates thing is great! Thanks for posting.
posted by clockzero at 3:28 PM on May 20, 2010

Heh. Nicely done.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 3:41 PM on May 20, 2010

Quite funny, but as always I am reminded of this.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 3:45 PM on May 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

This killed me, and I've never had a day of philosophy study in my life.
posted by davejay at 4:25 PM on May 20, 2010

That was good.

In a similar vein, may I also recommend Pitch N Putt with Beckett and Joyce. [SLYT; Previously]
posted by mosk at 4:31 PM on May 20, 2010 [1 favorite]

why
not
use
some
horizontal
space?
posted by DU at 5:23 PM on May 20, 2010

I can hardly wait to show this to my PHIL 02 teacher.
posted by Hicksu at 5:42 PM on May 20, 2010

If you're going to make fun of Anne Frank, do it without McSweeney's contemptibly etiolated, radiation-suit-wearing approach to comedy.

What? I mean, not to derail or anything, but it's not making fun of Anne Frank. It's making fun of current standards for what equals good literature and autobiography.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 6:37 PM on May 20, 2010

Welp, I always did feel like the wisest and best was to pursue the good and the beautiful, so . . .
posted by Countess Elena at 6:51 PM on May 20, 2010

Well, maybe.
posted by clockzero at 7:47 PM on May 20, 2010

Nice. I hear Monsanto also manufactured the hemlock Socrates later checked out of this plane of existence with.
posted by Skygazer at 2:46 AM on May 21, 2010

The hemlock is Monsanto's latest formulation Phaedo (tm.) and was only 19.99 plus tax. It came with a set of knives. Plato kept the knives.
posted by Skygazer at 2:53 AM on May 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

Laugh? I nearly started to.
posted by kcds at 5:10 AM on May 21, 2010

Shorter Anne Frank piece: "I am not a blithering idiot, but I play one on McSweeney."
posted by hexatron at 8:49 AM on May 21, 2010

I was kind of excited by this FPP, until I realized that it wasn't Socrates and Glycon.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:30 AM on May 21, 2010

I love you.
posted by fizzzzzzzzzzzy at 9:37 PM on May 21, 2010

well, what is our advertising culture but one long profitable socratic dialogue?
posted by pyramid termite at 10:02 PM on May 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

I was kind of excited by this FPP, until I realized that it wasn't Socrates and Glycon.

Alan Moore should do a comic about the adventures of Socrates and Glycon.
posted by homunculus at 9:35 AM on May 22, 2010