http://www.dieselsweeties.com/archive.php?s=1667

I haven't read DS in a while but that was good.

I, um...don't get it.  By which, I mean that I understand it in a literal sense, but I don't "get" it.

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I count four jokes. Let's beat this one to death.

1. "I could use a good sigh." Snarky take on "I could use a good laugh."

2. "Hinky Thinkies", "N. Bear". Self-referential, vaguely echoing the actual comic's title and author.

3. "What is the sound of one nerd larping?" Jab at nerd hobbies, showing a sad, abandoned nerd in full larp costume.

4. "You're a regular Gary Larson...'regular'". Sardonic comparison to the comics great behind The Far Side, with a pun on the word "regular" to emphasize the sarcasm. "Regular" can mean "goes to the bathroom on schedule". "Oat bran" is a reference to American obsession with foods containing fiber (which promotes regularity and reduces chance of getting colon cancer). "You're a regular ____" is an idiom meaning "You're just like ____."

Quote from: Elliot Wilen3. "What is the sound of one nerd larping?" Jab at nerd hobbies, showing a sad, abandoned nerd in full larp costume.

Also, a comic rewording of the classic koan, "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"

It's really amazing how much cultural knowledge is needed to fully decode some jokes. I've been thinking that someone should go back and annotate all the old Warner Brothers cartoons before the knowledge fades completely.

Quote from: Elliot WilenIt's really amazing how much cultural knowledge is needed to fully decode some jokes.

Which is why I prefer poop jokes.  Nice, simple, lowest common denominator.

   A bear and a rabbit are sitting on a log, each taking a shit.  The bear looks over at the rabbit and says, "Hey.  Does shit stick to your fur?"  The rabbit, recoiling aghast, replies, "No!"  "Good," says the bear, and picks up the rabbit and wipes his ass with him.
Er, nothing personal, Elliot.

Quote I've been thinking that someone should go back and annotate all the old Warner Brothers cartoons before the knowledge fades completely.

You'd need to freeze just about every other frame in order to have time to explain everything.  I think it's a worthy task, though.

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Quote from: Elliot WilenIt's really amazing how much cultural knowledge is needed to fully decode some jokes. I've been thinking that someone should go back and annotate all the old Warner Brothers cartoons before the knowledge fades completely.

When I lived in Japan, I watched The Matrix (the original one) with my co-workers in English, which they spoke with varying degrees of proficiency.  As we watched it and I thought about how they must be hearing it, I realized how much of the dialog and names required things like knowledge of old TV American commercials (e.g., "Mikey likes it", "Breakfast of Champions") to really understand the references.  The show "Venture Brothers" is pretty thick with odd cultural references.

And, yes, I can see kids entirely missing cultural references in the old Warner Brothers cartoons, especially when they start dealing with early actors and old movies.

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaWhich is why I prefer poop jokes.  Nice, simple, lowest common denominator.

   A bear and a rabbit are sitting on a log, each taking a shit.  The bear looks over at the rabbit and says, "Hey.  Does shit stick to your fur?"  The rabbit, recoiling aghast, replies, "No!"  "Good," says the bear, and picks up the rabbit and wipes his ass with him.

Comedy gold!

Quote from: John MorrowAnd, yes, I can see kids entirely missing cultural references in the old Warner Brothers cartoons, especially when they start dealing with early actors and old movies.

Kids have been doing that since the cartoons were originally shown.  Its young adults that need this info.  Just last night my game group was comparing the two Battlestar Galactica series and someone mentioned the Wolfman Jack appearance in the original.  The youngest player at the table had no idea who we were talking about.

I think it's entirely possible to miss what a joke refers to and still find it funny for the oddness of it. I really don't think I got 99% of the WB jokes when I was a kid, but I still watched the cartoons and laughed.

Or, for another example: FLCL. Alot of those jokes might've had punchlines once.

Quote from: jrientsKids have been doing that since the cartoons were originally shown.  Its young adults that need this info.  Just last night my game group was comparing the two Battlestar Galactica series and someone mentioned the Wolfman Jack appearance in the original.  The youngest player at the table had no idea who we were talking about.

There is something bigger going on culturally, too.  See the first part of this essay concerning what was lost with the end of Top 40 radio.  As markets gets segmented into smaller and smaller niches, the cultural knowledge gets more and more narrow.  Whether that's good or bad will depend on your perspective.

Quote from: John MorrowWhen I lived in Japan, I watched The Matrix (the original one) with my co-workers in English, which they spoke with varying degrees of proficiency.  .....

I went to see The Brady Bunch Movie in Mexico City one night.

It was a singular experience; there'd be, like, a Davy Jones joke, and I would laugh...then, five seconds later, audience members would titter at me.

MOVIE: "Wesson Oil!"
ME: "Heh!  Ha ha!"
AUDIENCE: "...!? Tee hee hee hee!"

During the intermission, I read my brand-new Spanish-language copy of Count Zero (couldn't find Neuromancer anywhere in town, but that's another story) which, incidentally, opens with anote from thr translator explaining the title.

Quote from: John MorrowThere is something bigger going on culturally, too.  See the first part of this essay concerning what was lost with the end of Top 40 radio.  As markets gets segmented into smaller and smaller niches, the cultural knowledge gets more and more narrow.  Whether that's good or bad will depend on your perspective.

"Specialisation is for corporate radio."
   - Robert Heinlein

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