SPIDERQUEST
August 2, 2020 7:10 PM Subscribe
Quest for the Man-Sized Spider Jenny Nicholson goes on a road trip to find an extremely large spider.
This is a fascinating and ultimately uplifting travel story. Surprising, considering it's about a giant spider.
posted by demiurge at 7:49 PM on August 2, 2020
posted by demiurge at 7:49 PM on August 2, 2020
"...measuring 66 inches from toe to toe."
Shelob, my friend.
This was a lot of fun. Come for the side trip to the Flintstones-theme-park-about-to-turn-bird-of-prey-sanctuary-thingy, stay for the giant spider playing pool in a bar.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:00 PM on August 2, 2020 [3 favorites]
Shelob, my friend.
This was a lot of fun. Come for the side trip to the Flintstones-theme-park-about-to-turn-bird-of-prey-sanctuary-thingy, stay for the giant spider playing pool in a bar.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:00 PM on August 2, 2020 [3 favorites]
is the video SFA (Safe For Arachnophobes)?
posted by LeviQayin at 9:52 PM on August 2, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by LeviQayin at 9:52 PM on August 2, 2020 [2 favorites]
is the video SFA (Safe For Arachnophobes)?
That genuinely made me laugh out loud as someone who has had intense arachnophobia in the past though it's been in remission for decades.
That should be a standard acronym for this site.
And, is it? SFA I mean.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 10:01 PM on August 2, 2020
That genuinely made me laugh out loud as someone who has had intense arachnophobia in the past though it's been in remission for decades.
That should be a standard acronym for this site.
And, is it? SFA I mean.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 10:01 PM on August 2, 2020
is the video SFA (Safe For Arachnophobes)?
Yep. The spider in question is a giant plush spider.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:01 PM on August 2, 2020 [11 favorites]
Yep. The spider in question is a giant plush spider.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:01 PM on August 2, 2020 [11 favorites]
The object of the quest is a plush spider. However, there is about 10 seconds of a real spider as well.
posted by demiurge at 10:12 PM on August 2, 2020
posted by demiurge at 10:12 PM on August 2, 2020
Even if it turns out this is a plush doll thing, just the thought of there being any actual man-sized spiders has me thinking of starting my own quest: The Quest to Leave the Planet that Contains Man-Sized Spiders.
posted by Ghidorah at 11:00 PM on August 2, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by Ghidorah at 11:00 PM on August 2, 2020 [7 favorites]
How do you feel about porgs? Because it's a spider version of that, plus a road trip in Arizona where social distancing is observed (including grainy phone video of a tarantula in the road, filmed from a sensible distance on the opposite sidewalk). But there's also sliding down the tail of a concrete brontosaur in the desert sunset, so.
posted by bartleby at 11:21 PM on August 2, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by bartleby at 11:21 PM on August 2, 2020 [4 favorites]
There was also a short side story to this on twitter, talking about calling the front desk to get a spider out of their room, the irony being lost on nobody.
posted by ckape at 11:35 PM on August 2, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by ckape at 11:35 PM on August 2, 2020 [8 favorites]
That was charming! Nice to see another arachnophile around for a change.
posted by Fuchsoid at 12:23 AM on August 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Fuchsoid at 12:23 AM on August 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
The Bedrock sequence, with a different soundtrack, would make an effective found footage horror short.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:25 AM on August 3, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:25 AM on August 3, 2020 [4 favorites]
Watching this left me wanting to take a road trip soooo badly.
I'm happy Jenny achieved her spider life goals. I know that if I were in her position, I'd probably do the same thing to obtain something rare that I really wanted, and I a respect that they carefully planned their trip, maintained social distancing, avoided anti-mask establishments, and even delayed the release of the video until everyone had passed a two week quarantine without getting sick, but this video really makes me yearningly envious and sad.
Since March, the farthest trip I've been able to justify is the occasional ten mile drive up the highway to the Popeyes drive-thru followed by an in-car picnic at a local park and maaaaybe a brief stroll around if there aren't too many maskless people walking unleashed dogs. At least the chicken is delicious.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:06 AM on August 3, 2020 [6 favorites]
I'm happy Jenny achieved her spider life goals. I know that if I were in her position, I'd probably do the same thing to obtain something rare that I really wanted, and I a respect that they carefully planned their trip, maintained social distancing, avoided anti-mask establishments, and even delayed the release of the video until everyone had passed a two week quarantine without getting sick, but this video really makes me yearningly envious and sad.
Since March, the farthest trip I've been able to justify is the occasional ten mile drive up the highway to the Popeyes drive-thru followed by an in-car picnic at a local park and maaaaybe a brief stroll around if there aren't too many maskless people walking unleashed dogs. At least the chicken is delicious.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:06 AM on August 3, 2020 [6 favorites]
At least the chicken is delicious.
The chicken is delicious. Did you know that people complain about, "I always have to wait until they finished cooking the chicken", as if freshly fried chicken isn't worth waiting a few minutes for. This is a feature, not a bug.
Oh, and Jenny Nicholson also gives me hope for the future. And damn, is her editing tight. Just Bam, Bam, Bam...
posted by mikelieman at 5:26 AM on August 3, 2020 [8 favorites]
The chicken is delicious. Did you know that people complain about, "I always have to wait until they finished cooking the chicken", as if freshly fried chicken isn't worth waiting a few minutes for. This is a feature, not a bug.
Oh, and Jenny Nicholson also gives me hope for the future. And damn, is her editing tight. Just Bam, Bam, Bam...
posted by mikelieman at 5:26 AM on August 3, 2020 [8 favorites]
Yeah. Jenny Nicholson is super talented. After watching the Brony video I found a repost of one of her Friendship Is Witchcraft episodes (the wedding one, as she suggested) and I was blown away by the professionalism. Between the writing, the overdubbing, the original song with original animation. It's leagues ahead of most other fan produced content I've seen.
She deserves all the giant spiders.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 6:18 AM on August 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
She deserves all the giant spiders.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 6:18 AM on August 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
And damn, is her editing tight. Just Bam, Bam, Bam...
And also Pebbles.
posted by dannyboybell at 6:44 AM on August 3, 2020 [9 favorites]
And also Pebbles.
posted by dannyboybell at 6:44 AM on August 3, 2020 [9 favorites]
I covet this spider.
I have a dream papier-mâché project -- a giant hulking spider-thing, possibly with tentacles and/or tiny creepy humanoid hands, lurking on the wall above my front door so that you don't see it until you turn around. But if I do this, I suspect that my mother would never ever come to visit me again.
posted by confluency at 7:20 AM on August 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
I have a dream papier-mâché project -- a giant hulking spider-thing, possibly with tentacles and/or tiny creepy humanoid hands, lurking on the wall above my front door so that you don't see it until you turn around. But if I do this, I suspect that my mother would never ever come to visit me again.
posted by confluency at 7:20 AM on August 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
I like when she sat the giant spider in a barstool. When live gives her an opportunity to be surreal, she took advantage of it.
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:32 AM on August 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:32 AM on August 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
That video was observant and insightful as well as charming and sweet. I think it might be time to accord Jenny Nicholson the status of National Treasure.
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 9:45 AM on August 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 9:45 AM on August 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
I hope the plushie spider gets serenaded once in a while with Olive Oyl's 'He's large. And good lookin'. He's Tall. And He's LARGE'.
posted by bartleby at 10:13 AM on August 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by bartleby at 10:13 AM on August 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
Jenny is funny and smart but I think what makes her videos the must watch they are for me is her just. simple delight at really silly/"unimportant"/childlike things. It makes me in turn feel good about being excited about those things. Also it's cool to see people having fun during a pandemic in a safe way.
posted by colorblock sock at 12:11 AM on August 4, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by colorblock sock at 12:11 AM on August 4, 2020 [2 favorites]
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