Broderbund, we hardly knew ye
June 2, 2005 12:42 AM   Subscribe

Carmen Sandiego, found at last!
posted by BuddhaInABucket (45 comments total)
 
caught! like a rat!
posted by tsarfan at 12:45 AM on June 2, 2005


It turns out that by the time you get to Cairo she's in Edinburgh or Mumbai, though.
posted by clockzero at 1:14 AM on June 2, 2005


Now, if only it could tell us where the Louvre has gotten off to. How does she manage to steal such large and impressive things?
posted by sindark at 1:15 AM on June 2, 2005


this link inspired me to go and download the rockapella theme song to the show- I highly recommend everyone does the same.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 1:16 AM on June 2, 2005


BuddahInABucket, i'm one step ahead of you.
posted by Igor XA at 1:22 AM on June 2, 2005


Of course, the theme song can be easily found if you just look at the source code for the website in question...

http://static.ytmnd.com:8000/67000/67547/sound.mp3
posted by insomnia_lj at 1:43 AM on June 2, 2005


Two days ago we learn the identity of Deep Throat, and now, this. One by one, Metafilter is solving life's deepest mysteries.
posted by alumshubby at 3:28 AM on June 2, 2005


Metafilter will have solved the GREATEST mystery when it can tell me where all my damn socks go when I put them in the washer!
posted by HuronBob at 4:31 AM on June 2, 2005


[this is effing awesome]
posted by blacklite at 5:07 AM on June 2, 2005


HIT IT ROCKAPELLA!
posted by Succa at 5:08 AM on June 2, 2005


I really want to post a picture of The Chief giving one of her trademark Looks, as the camera cuts to her, but I can't find anything like that at all. The internet has a hole in it.

This song is going to be in my head all day now. On the plane. I'll be looking out the window for Carmen.
posted by blacklite at 5:28 AM on June 2, 2005


Well, looks like we're going to have to change our wedding processional song.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:32 AM on June 2, 2005


wow. that was loud.

what's "whoamg"?
posted by Lisa S at 5:33 AM on June 2, 2005


WHOAMG is obviously the reaction to such mind-blowing secrets being revealed. Duh.

And here I thought she was taking me for a ride on a slow boat to China.
posted by phylum sinter at 5:47 AM on June 2, 2005


This has filled me with joy and happiness.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:18 AM on June 2, 2005


am i the only one who remembers the computer game, more so than the tv show?
posted by TechnoLustLuddite at 6:47 AM on June 2, 2005


Think we'll ever see a version of Carmen Sandiego that teaches kids to use Google as opposed to the free encyclopedia/almanac that used to come with the game?
posted by krunk at 6:48 AM on June 2, 2005


Has Carmen Sandiego ever been in San Diego, I wonder?
I like to ask the big questions.
posted by Citizen Premier at 6:53 AM on June 2, 2005


Lynne Thigpen was the announcer. Sadly, she died a few years back. But, in her character as underground radio announcer in The Warriors would say: "Sorry 'bout that. But that's the way it goes".
posted by hal9k at 8:39 AM on June 2, 2005


Sacca: I believe that you meant "Do it, Rockapella!"
posted by klangklangston at 8:53 AM on June 2, 2005


> wow. that was loud.

Thank you, cosign to that! Sheesh.
I personally need more websites with crunk hollering.
posted by Peter H at 8:55 AM on June 2, 2005


am i the only one who remembers the computer game, more so than the tv show?
posted by TechnoLustLuddite at 6:47 AM PST on June 2 [!]


No, I loved that computer game. Where in Time was even better though, and much harder.
posted by jb at 9:01 AM on June 2, 2005


It's weird, you work towards something for most of your life, then when you finally achieve it, it feels sort of...empty.

That being said, I'm glad we finally found her. Now we can only hope there isn't a jailbreak. Those always screwed me over in the past.
posted by piratebowling at 9:25 AM on June 2, 2005


Sacca: I believe that you meant "Do it, Rockapella!"

I stand corrected. Am I the only one here who spent all morning downloading, and then promptly deleting, a bunch of Rockapella mp3s?
posted by Succa at 9:28 AM on June 2, 2005


Metafilter will have solved the GREATEST mystery when it can tell me where all my damn socks go when I put them in the washer!

Roy Blount, Jr.
had the best theories about that. Either the lint in the washing machine lint trap is dissolved socks, or -- wait for it -- socks are the larval form of wire coat hangers.
posted by QuietDesperation at 9:30 AM on June 2, 2005


I've been to Carmen, San Diego. I also find it interesting that Lynne Thigpen, who played the Chief from the show was also the DJ from The Warriors. I knew I recognized that voice.
posted by CG at 9:54 AM on June 2, 2005


Two days ago we learn the identity of Deep Throat, and now, this. One by one, Metafilter is solving life's deepest mysteries.

OK, then, whats the question that goes with 42?
posted by googly at 10:40 AM on June 2, 2005


WHOAMG: Like OMG, only more like WHOAAA!!! MG!!!!

Metafilter 3, Life's Great Mysteries 0.
posted by santiagogo at 10:41 AM on June 2, 2005


what's 6*9, obviously (in base 13, of course).
posted by hototogisu at 10:49 AM on June 2, 2005


Has Carmen Sandiego ever been in San Diego, I wonder?
I like to ask the big questions.
posted by Citizen Premier at 6:53 AM PST on June 2 [!]


Please stop making me giggle at work.
posted by mileena at 11:24 AM on June 2, 2005


No, I loved that computer game. Where in Time was even better though, and much harder.

I remember the computer game - used to play it on my old IBM PC before we even had Windows installed. And you are very very correct, jb - Where in Time was way better and much harder. I LOVED that game. Thanks for the memories!
posted by shoppingforsanity at 12:11 PM on June 2, 2005


*memories from childhood come flooding in*

Ooooh, oooooh - remember during the game when you could take a break from your rigorous detective work and get a cup of coffee from the coffee-dispensing machine, but sometimes your cup would not be dispensed correctly and it would fall over and then the coffee would get all over the place.... okay, I'll shut up now...
posted by shoppingforsanity at 12:16 PM on June 2, 2005


socks are the larval form of wire coat hangers

This is a vague reminiscence of the 1958 Hugo-winning short story "Or All the Sea With Oysters" by the great and underappreciated Avram Davidson. I can't find an online version, but if you find it in a collection, read it.
posted by languagehat at 12:44 PM on June 2, 2005


People used to sing the theme song to me when I was introduced. The wierdest was a guy in a bar who responded to my name with "Hey! Did you know you're wanted in the United States?"

I'd been thinking recently about how no one's done that for years. I guess now I know why ;)
posted by carmen at 12:50 PM on June 2, 2005


am i the only one who remembers the computer game, more so than the tv show?

Not at all. In fact, I just spent the last ten minutes in utter confusion, looking around at Carmen Sandiego stuff that I utterly didn't understand, until I finally realized that there was a television show spinoff that I'd somehow completely failed to notice, as by the time it came out, I was already too old for it...
posted by dmd at 2:45 PM on June 2, 2005


Oh man, I was way too old for that show, but hearing the theme song? Takes me way back. Thanks so much!

I used to play the old PC-based game too, that was so much fun. I never actually caught Carmen though, didn't play for long enough...pity.
posted by livii at 3:50 PM on June 2, 2005


I had completely forgotten about the live action/gameyshow thing. The thing I most commonly think of in relation to Carmen Sandiego is the cartoon that I believe aired on Kids WB a while back. I also have a couple Carmen Sandiego books, crafted similarly to Choose Your Own Adventure games.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 6:04 PM on June 2, 2005


I finally realized that there was a television show spinoff that I'd somehow completely failed to notice

yeah, i was too old for the show too. Was that channel thirteen/PBS? I did watch that channel when no one was looking from time to time. There was another show called Mathnet, which was like dragnet, but with math lessons built in...

But that game is old skool, i think i played it on a CGA monitor. =] For some reason, right now the thing that sticks out in my mind were the little footprints that showed up when you went to each place...
posted by TechnoLustLuddite at 7:01 PM on June 2, 2005


"I just spent the last ten minutes in utter confusion, looking around at Carmen Sandiego stuff that I utterly didn't understand, until I finally realized that there was a television show spinoff that I'd somehow completely failed to notice"

Yeah. What dmd said. I'm utterly startled that some sort of television show was licensed from the game. Next you people are going to tell me I missed Karateka: The Motion Picture along with Oregon Trail: The Series and The Legend of Pooyan.
posted by majick at 8:05 PM on June 2, 2005


I had completely forgotten about the live action/gameyshow thing. The thing I most commonly think of in relation to Carmen Sandiego is the cartoon that I believe aired on Kids WB a while back.

I never played the game. I would occasionally watch the game show, however I loved the cartoon. The thing I liked about the cartoon is that Carmen actually had a personality and she was really cool. On the cartoon show, she was all about the challenge of pulling off the heist. And If you ever actually caught her, she'd probably say "Cool. Now I get to break out of jail." Plus she was voiced by Rita Moreno. Carmen Sandiego was one of my many a cartoon crush. There are some episodes of the cartoon show online at Yahooligans.

The cartoon was "Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?" and aired from 1994-98. The game show with Lynne Thigpen was "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" and aired from 1991-96. And according to IMDB, Walt Disney has been talking about making a live action Carmen Sandiego movie, which may or may not come out in 2006.
posted by nooneyouknow at 9:30 PM on June 2, 2005


Walt Disney is talking now?
creeeeepy. I knew they froze his brain, but i didn't know they actually hooked it up to speach synthesis machines...
posted by TechnoLustLuddite at 11:31 AM on June 3, 2005


The game was the best. Being a space-exploration-geek, I enjoyed "Where in the Solar System is Carmen Sandiego?" best. Plus there was a Jailhouse Rock -- an asteroid.
posted by dagnyscott at 12:28 PM on June 3, 2005


TechnoLustLuddite: Mathnet was a spot on Square One TV.

CGA? Luxury. We had to hunt down Camen San Diego on a monochrome amber monitor. (Better than green, I guess)
posted by Monk at 12:51 PM on June 3, 2005


The game show gave me faith in the school system. I know I couldn't run around a giant map of Africa placing flags on various capital cities when I was a kid. Hell, I'm 30 and I still couldn't do it.
posted by Monk at 12:54 PM on June 3, 2005


Google seems to have removed this easter egg. :(
posted by grouse at 12:47 AM on June 6, 2005


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