What Are You Thinking?

[V's patron]

New design for Vergil DmC acquired (coming soon).

Thanks

 

[therogis]

All too happy to oblige. ^^ Here's the (working) summary:

Ah, somehow skipped this. Sounds great, something I'd definitely read! In general I love themes that somehow circle around the moral concept of "If you don't look at those problems, they don't exist, so just look at the great things and you'll be happy". (*cough* Huxley knew his stuff here with Brave New World) There are so many ways to write about that, it never grows old, and I assume there's at least a world-building-related implication of such?

 

[Morgan]

https://www.mintpressnews.com/pentagon-leaned-hollywood-sell-war-afghanistan/278568/

The original “Iron Man” script was decidedly pacifist, with protagonist Tony Stark attempting to use his enormous manufacturing empire to battle against war profiteers and the military industrial complex. However, after the Pentagon got involved, with Philip Strub again acting as the military liaison, the tone of the movie was radically altered. Much of the fighting in the movie takes place in modern-day Afghanistan, with the U.S. military serving the role of the good guys. In this sense, the film’s stance on war was reversed.

In exchange, the production agreement notes that the military would allow the movie to be shot at Edwards Air Force Base, just north of Los Angeles; provide “approximately 150 extras at Edwards AFB to play military members from various services and Afghan nationals;” help produce around 100 uniforms; and provide the opportunity to use a range of expensive aircraft.

Tom Secker, when asked by MintPress to assess the U.S. film industry’s role in prolonging the Afghan war, responded:

Hollywood’s coverage of NATO’s war in Afghanistan has been notable by its absence, its silence, and its use of contextless microcosms which represent the war, rather than explore or explain it. “Iron Man” and “Lone Survivor” — two Pentagon-supported blockbusters — are both set during the U.S. occupation, but the scale of that occupation and the mess it was making of the country are ignored by both narratives, in favor of tightly-focused cinematic synecdoches which conveniently avoid the suffering of everyone involved.

Secker concluded:

In that sense, of course Hollywood has played a crucial role in perpetuating the war. They either failed to remind people that the war was still going on, or painted it in heroic, decontextualized colors that make it seem like a benevolent adventure halfway round the world, rather than the crushing, destructive geopolitical ratf#ck it truly is.

Anyone remember when I said that

"if ANY other country's government/military were involved in script approval for fiction pieces that are supposed to be otherwise apolitical, for the government/military to dictate how they can or cannot be portrayed, where every single war crime or human rights violation the entity does isn't a direct result of how it functions but an "individual A-hole issue", "in the past", and "oops it was Nazis/aliens/etc that corrupted our otherwise good institution the whole time!" otherwise the film doesn't get made the way the writer intends or it doesn't get their money, it'd be called propaganda" ?

Yeah. I haven't changed my mind about it.

 

[therogis]

https://www.mintpressnews.com/pentagon-leaned-hollywood-sell-war-afghanistan/278568/


Anyone remember when I said that

"if ANY other country's government/military were involved in script approval for fiction pieces that are supposed to be otherwise apolitical, for the government/military to dictate how they can or cannot be portrayed, where every single war crime or human rights violation the entity does isn't a direct result of how it functions but an "individual A-hole issue", "in the past", and "oops it was Nazis/aliens/etc that corrupted our otherwise good institution the whole time!" otherwise the film doesn't get made the way the writer intends or it doesn't get their money, it'd be called propaganda" ?

Yeah. I haven't changed my mind about it.

Art is dead the moment it gets political.
As well as it is dead the moment it is done for other priorities than art and the craft itself.
*Add therogis' Rant #479659 about Artist-Entertainer Dilemma And Seeking For Profit In Money Or In Fame Instead Of Loving The Work Itself*

By the way, I think Billions Season 5 offered quite a good representation about the latter.

 

[Rebel Dynasty]

Ah, somehow skipped this. Sounds great, something I'd definitely read! In general I love themes that somehow circle around the moral concept of "If you don't look at those problems, they don't exist, so just look at the great things and you'll be happy". (*cough* Huxley knew his stuff here with Brave New World) There are so many ways to write about that, it never grows old, and I assume there's at least a world-building-related implication of such?

Thank you! <3 If/when I finish it, I'd be happy to share bits of it. And same; there's just something intriguing about the concept, especially when you realize how much it mimics reality.

CT: The support forum I attend has offered me an Advisor position and wants to talk over Zoom before making it official. A little nervous, but happy, too. Especially if it results in helping others out.

 

[V's patron]

Show me a Hero made me interested in the housing crisis of 1990s Yonkers (a city in NY state). I should read the book it's based on. Looking at the politicians made me understand Trump. Love him or hate him, he's a deeply NY character.

The card counter is an odd film that I didn't know what to make off. I'll probably rewatch it later.

 

[Angel]

My boss goes on leave back in August and the gas companies start collapsing.

My boss goes on leave over this weekend and the rest of us get Covid symptoms.

I'm sensing the beginning of a pattern, here...

 

[therogis]

Thank you! <3 If/when I finish it, I'd be happy to share bits of it. And same; there's just something intriguing about the concept, especially when you realize how much it mimics reality.

CT: The support forum I attend has offered me an Advisor position and wants to talk over Zoom before making it official. A little nervous, but happy, too. Especially if it results in helping others out.

If you want to share, I volunteer to read them o/ Just ask for an email address when you want to and I'm happy to provide mine. If you want, I can also comment on something (not on grammar or language though as English is not my first language).

Also, congrats for the position!

My boss goes on leave back in August and the gas companies start collapsing.

My boss goes on leave over this weekend and the rest of us get Covid symptoms.

I'm sensing the beginning of a pattern, here...

Poor boss. Sounds like they're not getting a vacation.

The entrepreneur for whom I was working as a cook in summer 2019 and 2020 just got her first vacation in 8 years. I really have to say she looked 15 years younger when she came by last week.
(There's a fun story behind that visit: She visited me to bring a cash box for me to open. She had broken the only key and well, because she knew I've got some lockpicking skills, she brought it to me. Took me less than 10 seconds to pick it open with a very simple technique... she was a bit shocked and probably is now searching for a more safe cash box to use )

 

[Dark Prince]

I'm sensing the beginning of a pattern, here...

Alert......PewDiePie reference detected .

 

[Foxtrot94]

Art is dead the moment it gets political.

Not to sound posh, but that's not true at all. Look at Dante Alighieri's work, or Alessandro Manzoni (mentioning ones I studied in high school). Both extraordinary artists, and both very much political. Politics and good art are not mutually exclusive. Or not necessarily at least.

----------

Beat Nioh. Tried some of the endgame sub missions but they're cheap, unfair, bullshit ass double boss missions. They're beatable but not fun at all, they mostly consist of a lot of running around trying to isolate one of them and then spamming Iai Quickdraw. Very limited combo possibility which is what I'm playing for.

Guess I'll tackle the DLCs then.

 

[therogis]

Not to sound posh, but that's not true at all. Look at Dante Alighieri's work, or Alessandro Manzoni (mentioning ones I studied in high school). Both extraordinary artists, and both very much political. Politics and good art are not mutually exclusive. Or not necessarily at least.

----------

Beat Nioh. Tried some of the endgame sub missions but they're cheap, unfair, bullshit ass double boss missions. They're beatable but not fun at all, they mostly consist of a lot of running around trying to isolate one of them and then spamming Iai Quickdraw. Very limited combo possibility which is what I'm playing for.

Guess I'll tackle the DLCs then.

... Ouch this was an embarrassing error. I stand corrected!
Let me narrow it down a bit: Art is dead the moment it gets restricted by politics. Perhaps more accurate, excluding stuff where politics were the central spark of it? (I'm looking at you, Mr Kafka and Huxley)

Also, damn you're fast.

// To add... most of the best works of speculative fiction I've ever read also include a critical view of politics. Yea... Didn't think this through, I thought only about voluntary or involuntary restrictions to artistic freedom *facepalm*

 

[Morgan]

// To add... most of the best works of speculative fiction I've ever read also include a critical view of politics. Yea... Didn't think this through, I thought only about voluntary or involuntary restrictions to artistic freedom *facepalm*

*readies Harry Potter book to smack you with*
Just say when....

 

[Lain]

I forgot to take my wellies in last night so come the next morning I find them and they might as well be jugs of water for how much they filled up from the torrential rain last night.

 

[V's patron]

*readies Harry Potter book to smack you with*
Just say when....

You should use Order of the Phoniex this time. That thing is huge .

 

[therogis]

*readies Harry Potter book to smack you with*
Just say when....

I thought we were discussing about literature as art lmao

... unless you are seeking to smack me with the writer's ridiculous attempt to make it a political masterpiece...

Watch our, Orwell and your societal discussion from 1940's, she's got gay characters in there!... who actually somehow started to be gay something like 10 years after the books were published...

 

[Morgan]

You should use Order of the Phoniex this time. That thing is huge .

I find Goblet of Fire to be a perfectly serviceable book to smack people upside the head with. The difference between it and OotP is over 100 pages, though, so I just might reconsider.

I thought we were discussing about literature as art lmao
... unless you are seeking to smack me with the writer's ridiculous attempt to make it a political masterpiece...

No, I'm just slapping you with a hardcover book because you said something dumb and didn't think it through. There's really nothing to it than that. Sometimes a book smack is just a book smack.

 

[therogis]

No, I'm just slapping you with a hardcover book because you said something dumb and didn't think it through. There's really nothing to it than that. Sometimes a book smack is just a book smack.

In that case... Proceed
I mean I'm soon a lawyer, I should NOT make that ridiculous argumentative errors. So feel free to hit me twice while you're at it.

CT, now that we've got a proper recycling center for plastics, I am absolutely horrified about the fact that our "Mixed Waste" bin is no longer the one to be emptied most often... Our plastic waste instead is now full for the SECOND time this week

Well, of course it's even more the reason to think having a separate plastic waste bin is great, but I didn't realize there is THIS much plastic waste in a household of two.

Also, got an appointment to the maternal clinic tomorrow. Might get in labor induction

 

[BrawlMan]

We live in a world where DMC5, God of War 4 & 5, No More Heroes III, and Bayonetta 3 exists! Thought to be never possible.

It's Viewtiful.......

 

[Rebel Dynasty]

@therogis I'll definitely drop you a line whenever it's done. ^^ And of course, whenever that may be, you're free to read as much or as little as you like; I know life can get busy. <3

CT: Going to an event shortly, and hoping the one person I don't like won't be there. -fingers crossed-

 

[V's patron]

I was hoping DMC would get something for TGS 2021.

There always next year...