Jim has burned the evidence.
April 18, 2009 7:44 AM Subscribe
My First Dictionary 50s schoolbook style drawings and definitions, with a twist.
Is it that I've gotten older, or that today's culture is so infused with sarcasm and cynicism that I didn't really find these funny? I want to say 10, 15 years ago, they might have come across as edgy and witty to me, but not so much right now. But I can't tell if it's the difference between 1999 and 2009, or the difference between being 17 versus 27.
posted by explosion at 8:30 AM on April 18, 2009 [13 favorites]
posted by explosion at 8:30 AM on April 18, 2009 [13 favorites]
More 1999 vs 2009, I think. Mocking the 50's turns 50 next year, after all.
posted by DU at 8:39 AM on April 18, 2009
posted by DU at 8:39 AM on April 18, 2009
Grim.
posted by pointilist at 8:49 AM on April 18, 2009
posted by pointilist at 8:49 AM on April 18, 2009
Tommy wears a mask over his real face when he rapes Kitty.
Wow. Yeah, not funny.
posted by katillathehun at 8:56 AM on April 18, 2009 [6 favorites]
Wow. Yeah, not funny.
posted by katillathehun at 8:56 AM on April 18, 2009 [6 favorites]
Wow. Yeah, not funny.
That was the one where the needle scritched off the proverbial record for me, too.
posted by everichon at 9:01 AM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
That was the one where the needle scritched off the proverbial record for me, too.
posted by everichon at 9:01 AM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
It's easy to mock pain before you've endured some.
posted by davebush at 9:03 AM on April 18, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by davebush at 9:03 AM on April 18, 2009 [2 favorites]
This has none of the complexity, pointed satire, or melancholy joy of The Gashlycrumb Tinies or Hilaire Belloc's Cautionary Tales (of which the best known today is "Matilda told such dreadful lies/It made one gasp and stretch one's eyes...")
I mean, really, "LOOK HERE IS A CHILDREN'S BOOK OH NOES IT'S ALL GRIM AND CYNICAL" has been done over and over again for two centuries--you've got to bring something new to the table if you're going to go there.
I like the watercolors, though. If the captions had been subtler instead of hit-you-over-the-head EDGY it might have been an interesting project.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:10 AM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
I mean, really, "LOOK HERE IS A CHILDREN'S BOOK OH NOES IT'S ALL GRIM AND CYNICAL" has been done over and over again for two centuries--you've got to bring something new to the table if you're going to go there.
I like the watercolors, though. If the captions had been subtler instead of hit-you-over-the-head EDGY it might have been an interesting project.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:10 AM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
Reminds me of mash-ups and remaking movies like McHale's Navy for some reason.
posted by Ron Thanagar at 9:29 AM on April 18, 2009
posted by Ron Thanagar at 9:29 AM on April 18, 2009
I get why this is pretty meh-worthy, but on the other hand, there's still something elementally sinister about 1950's art aesthetic (witness Plan59; previously). This was brought home to me in a deep, personal way when, browsing through the used book store, I came across a 50's era book about various genital conditions. An illustrated, full-color 50's era book. Not photos. Illustrations.
I don't think I'll ever get to forget the picture of testicular gangrene done in those super-saturated greens and pinks.
In conclusion: the 1950's were, are, and will always be kind of creepy.
posted by logicpunk at 10:01 AM on April 18, 2009
I don't think I'll ever get to forget the picture of testicular gangrene done in those super-saturated greens and pinks.
In conclusion: the 1950's were, are, and will always be kind of creepy.
posted by logicpunk at 10:01 AM on April 18, 2009
"In conclusion: the 1950's were, are, and will always be kind of creepy"
Only someone who remembers the 50's can say that...
this book, not so funny...
The 50's...you can't even imagine how neat it was to grow up during that time period....
posted by HuronBob at 10:07 AM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
Only someone who remembers the 50's can say that...
this book, not so funny...
The 50's...you can't even imagine how neat it was to grow up during that time period....
posted by HuronBob at 10:07 AM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
Only two of them made me LOL: Evidence, and Fast. Disillusioned, too, I guess.
The others were mean or vulgar. I've had enough of that kind of humour for now, and it seems to me that mean humour may be partially responsible for the kind of society we now have.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:09 AM on April 18, 2009 [2 favorites]
The others were mean or vulgar. I've had enough of that kind of humour for now, and it seems to me that mean humour may be partially responsible for the kind of society we now have.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:09 AM on April 18, 2009 [2 favorites]
It's Dick and Jane style illustrations with Edward Gorey's dark wit. I love it!
posted by jonp72 at 10:14 AM on April 18, 2009
posted by jonp72 at 10:14 AM on April 18, 2009
That was the one where the needle scritched off the proverbial record for me, too.
One more when I wish I had a physical soundtrack to my life. Read that panel, [NEEDLE OFF RECORD SFX], awkward glance up from computer. Close web page.
posted by GuyZero at 10:22 AM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
One more when I wish I had a physical soundtrack to my life. Read that panel, [NEEDLE OFF RECORD SFX], awkward glance up from computer. Close web page.
posted by GuyZero at 10:22 AM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
stray: "I liked em. They remind me a bit of A Softer World."
I liked most of them too (I love black humor), but "A Softer World" (a personal favorite of mine) has spent years developing a fanbase and then culturing a mentality in that to accept the occasional amazingly offensive entry. And "A Softer World" has a lot of amazingly offensive entries.
But this blog is only a few weeks old and can't really call in that kind of popular support. Not that this blog needs to, it's a freaking blog. Everyone has a blog. Blogs are blogs. Blogs are a person writing something. MeFi is a little above the par in that it's made by people who filter through blogs. I think a lot of the real disturbance this blog caused was more that the first few entries alluded to an unthinkable crime, then the rape one was specific, and then the entries went back to truly mean crimes that were only vaguely referenced.
Fair enough, the authors either built or catered to a fanbase we aren't in, or they don't care.
I think the author simply went too dark too fast and didn't account for readers' opinions or how that should affect a blog, if at all.
It's a blog, no one makes us link to it, no one makes us read it.
posted by Science! at 10:30 AM on April 18, 2009
I liked most of them too (I love black humor), but "A Softer World" (a personal favorite of mine) has spent years developing a fanbase and then culturing a mentality in that to accept the occasional amazingly offensive entry. And "A Softer World" has a lot of amazingly offensive entries.
But this blog is only a few weeks old and can't really call in that kind of popular support. Not that this blog needs to, it's a freaking blog. Everyone has a blog. Blogs are blogs. Blogs are a person writing something. MeFi is a little above the par in that it's made by people who filter through blogs. I think a lot of the real disturbance this blog caused was more that the first few entries alluded to an unthinkable crime, then the rape one was specific, and then the entries went back to truly mean crimes that were only vaguely referenced.
Fair enough, the authors either built or catered to a fanbase we aren't in, or they don't care.
I think the author simply went too dark too fast and didn't account for readers' opinions or how that should affect a blog, if at all.
It's a blog, no one makes us link to it, no one makes us read it.
posted by Science! at 10:30 AM on April 18, 2009
Decent idea, uneven execution. Might improve with practice.
Even the best entries aren't even in the same universe as that timeless classic, Lex Luthor took forty cakes.
posted by mayhap at 10:33 AM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
Even the best entries aren't even in the same universe as that timeless classic, Lex Luthor took forty cakes.
posted by mayhap at 10:33 AM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
Disillusioned:
How I feel when I see that the cynicism of my youth has been co-opted by everyone's grandmother and has now lost all meaning.
Stale:
Humor based on the failings of a decade that most of us missed living in by at least one decade.
Closer:
2050 is closer than 1950.
posted by double block and bleed at 11:03 AM on April 18, 2009 [2 favorites]
How I feel when I see that the cynicism of my youth has been co-opted by everyone's grandmother and has now lost all meaning.
Stale:
Humor based on the failings of a decade that most of us missed living in by at least one decade.
Closer:
2050 is closer than 1950.
posted by double block and bleed at 11:03 AM on April 18, 2009 [2 favorites]
The ones that work the best are the ones where a child reading them will see a happy storybook world, nothing awry, while an adult will see something completely different.
Raping Kitty is not one of those. But some of them are decent. There is an art to layering multiple messages into the same thing.
posted by -harlequin- at 11:34 AM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
Raping Kitty is not one of those. But some of them are decent. There is an art to layering multiple messages into the same thing.
posted by -harlequin- at 11:34 AM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
I actually agree with some of the criticism above (the cat rape one went too far) but there are still some funny ones, and he's just started the darn thing. Given his self description as a "Frenzied fan of gory slasher movies by night!" I think the dark humor is to be expected. You should check out his other blog, http://mustymoments.blogspot.com/ , which I also found amusing.
posted by Outlawyr at 11:52 AM on April 18, 2009
posted by Outlawyr at 11:52 AM on April 18, 2009
There is nothing funny about the scourge of cat rape in our society.
posted by found missing at 12:05 PM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by found missing at 12:05 PM on April 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
The word that comes to me is "arch". It isn't the cool, ironic style that is trendy now, yet I think many people will find it humorous. I agree with gubo. Humor doesn't have to be dark or sarcastic. It can be generous and gentle, as well.
posted by ragtimepiano at 12:15 PM on April 18, 2009
posted by ragtimepiano at 12:15 PM on April 18, 2009
There is nothing funny about the scourge of cat rape in our society.
A cat is fine too
posted by mayhap at 2:14 PM on April 18, 2009
A cat is fine too
posted by mayhap at 2:14 PM on April 18, 2009
Hilaire Belloc's Cautionary Tales
The chief defect of Henry King Was chewing little bits of string.
Jim, who ran away from his nurse, and was eaten by a lion.
George, who played with a Dangerous Toy, and suffered a Catastrophe of considerable Dimensions.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:49 PM on April 18, 2009
The chief defect of Henry King Was chewing little bits of string.
Jim, who ran away from his nurse, and was eaten by a lion.
George, who played with a Dangerous Toy, and suffered a Catastrophe of considerable Dimensions.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:49 PM on April 18, 2009
There is nothing funny about the scourge of cat rape in our society.
You did notice it's a little girl wearing a cat mask, right?
posted by katillathehun at 3:10 PM on April 18, 2009
You did notice it's a little girl wearing a cat mask, right?
posted by katillathehun at 3:10 PM on April 18, 2009
No, and now I'm hoping it is a cat with pigtails.
posted by found missing at 3:16 PM on April 18, 2009
posted by found missing at 3:16 PM on April 18, 2009
It's easy to mock pain before you've endured some.
Wow. You have taken quasi-ironic picture macros personally. Unless this is a joke or a reference?
posted by cmoj at 5:08 PM on April 18, 2009
Wow. You have taken quasi-ironic picture macros personally. Unless this is a joke or a reference?
posted by cmoj at 5:08 PM on April 18, 2009
Today's word is Wondering.
I'm wondering how many I have to click on before I get to the funny one.
posted by digsrus at 5:38 PM on April 18, 2009
I'm wondering how many I have to click on before I get to the funny one.
posted by digsrus at 5:38 PM on April 18, 2009
If you click through all of them, the joke'll be on you.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:54 PM on April 18, 2009
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:54 PM on April 18, 2009
Metafilter
Someone has created a post on Metafilter.
Metafilter members post their comments.
No one is happy now.
posted by orme at 7:06 PM on April 18, 2009 [7 favorites]
Someone has created a post on Metafilter.
Metafilter members post their comments.
No one is happy now.
posted by orme at 7:06 PM on April 18, 2009 [7 favorites]
As long as "kitty" has a safe word, where's the harm?
posted by longsleeves at 8:12 PM on April 18, 2009
posted by longsleeves at 8:12 PM on April 18, 2009
Jim has burned the evidence.
I've witnessed a couple of my neighbors doing exactly that; tending little purifying bonfires on the building's parking lot....
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 11:05 PM on April 18, 2009
I've witnessed a couple of my neighbors doing exactly that; tending little purifying bonfires on the building's parking lot....
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 11:05 PM on April 18, 2009
The only thing of virtue is the drawings, most certainly cribbed from a much nicer book.
Making something ugly and unpleasant isn't cool, it just makes the world a darker place.
Real satire isn't the same as rape jokes.
posted by dunkadunc at 7:15 AM on April 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
Making something ugly and unpleasant isn't cool, it just makes the world a darker place.
Real satire isn't the same as rape jokes.
posted by dunkadunc at 7:15 AM on April 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
it just makes the world a darker place.
I don't think this registers among "things that could conceivably make the world a darker place". What kind of fantasy world do you live in and are you subletting?
posted by ODiV at 9:42 AM on April 20, 2009
I don't think this registers among "things that could conceivably make the world a darker place". What kind of fantasy world do you live in and are you subletting?
posted by ODiV at 9:42 AM on April 20, 2009
Interview with the blogger. Yes, the pictures are taken from an old book.
posted by Nelson at 8:08 AM on May 3, 2009
posted by Nelson at 8:08 AM on May 3, 2009
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