It's bullying for the bullied - whatshisface on Cracked said it best: If you actively want to keep people out of your hobby, you don't have one, you have en excuse.
I'm... really not sure what the 'right' words would be here. I apparently don't know what he means, because like the posters above, I find his comment to be out of touch with both time and space.
It's tempting to mock, but I assume what he means is that there's something nice about being part of a small fandom for something that's still relatively obscure - it feels cool to be part of a small community of 'insiders'. It's silly, but it's a common enough attitude, and most of us can recognise it in ourselves.
Using Star Wars as an example was dumb, though - as others have said, Star Wars has *never* been obscure.
Well,..Star Wars DOES suck now. But it has more to do with the constant re-editing and digital "enhancements" they kept performing on it, as opposed to being popular.
(Come on-you knew somebody was going to bring that up)
I'm okay with most of the changes Lucas made to the first trilogy, but there are a couple that really bug the crap out of me. Won't go into what they are but one is pointed out constantly.
I remember when Star Wars *was* cool and obscure. That was for a week or three after the first movie appeared. I remember my friend describing this really, really cool science fiction movie that he'd just seen, that I'd never heard of....
It didn't take a week, at least not where I was. I went the day after it opened and there was already a line around the corner. That show sold out and we had to buy tickets for the next one.
He's probably pissed off that *everybody* is emailing a certain somebody asking for pizza rolls. Pizza rolls just don't taste the same without the snobby elitist attitude.
I might be giving this guy way too much credit, but maybe he's trying to say that Star Wars has always sucked. Which is just as dumb as saying that Star Wars sucks because it's popular.
The only thing I ever did this for was Linkin Park. Yeah. I liked Linkin Park before it was cool to like them. Heck, I even hated Linkin Park before it was cool to like them. (I got over them pretty quickly.)
I was that way a bit about DEVO. Even though they had been on SNL in 1978 they were a weird group with a small, dedicated fan base. Then they showed "Whip It" on MTV and suddenly everyone knew who they were. I never blamed the band, though; I just hated the losers who only knew that one song.
I've mostly gotten over it, but I still cringe when the band is mentioned and someone, inevitably, says, "whip it good!".
Eh. I've made a similar argument. Though moreso for people who watch Star Wars and think it's such a geeky nerdy thing to do. Star Wars is mainstream. It's foolish to pretend it's some thing only nerds like. Maybe if you're dressing in Storm Trooper armor or read the expanded universe novels or have figures lining your mantle.
And I think there is somewhat a correlation and even causation between the mainstreaming of Star Wars and Star Wars starting to suck. Now the original films were never some obscure indie film, but they did have a certain 70s New Hollywood aesthetic to them. They were still a bit off the beaten path from typical Hollywood fare and the original wasn't a sure thing. Yet the Star Wars franchise today.. well.. it's like Lucas has turned from being a rebel to being a Sith lord working for the evil empire. And his mentality of aiming for the mainstream may have tainted his ideas. Of course there are many other factors that contribute to his fall from grace. I find the one about his wife leaving him and taking away a certain life to Star Wars interesting too.
And, hey, I'm also nitpicky and argue that Star Wars isn't really sci fi so much as fantasy dressed up as sci fi or maybe some kinda hybrid. Yet it really isn't a good example of straight up science fiction. Star Trek is more an example of straight up sci fi.
Never understood that attitude... probably never will.
ReplyDeleteIt's bullying for the bullied - whatshisface on Cracked said it best: If you actively want to keep people out of your hobby, you don't have one, you have en excuse.
DeleteDon't worry about it. Ever since that attitude went mainstream it hasn't been any good anymore anyway, so you aren't missing out.
DeleteMarry me, Anon.
DeleteYes, for if it is not a complete secret only known to me, it cannot be enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteBecause no one ever knew about Star Wars.
ReplyDelete"Yeah, it's this series called 'Star Wars', I'm really into it. You probably haven't heard about it -- it's pretty obscure."
ReplyDeleteOh come on. The Illiad, the epic of gilgamesh, and the oddyssey are still awesome and people have known those stories for thousands of years.
ReplyDeleteUntil they have a show on a Disney channel, at which point they totally sold out.
DeleteWait, is this a time-traveler from 15 years in the past? What a groundbreaking discovery: Star Wars is known by MANY PEOPLE! No s**t, Sherlock.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention delightful "hipster nerd" attitude. Yeah, right... because movie's quality is inversely proportional to its popularity.
Struggling to remember a time when people did not know about Star Wars...
ReplyDeleteMedal of Hipster Fail, First Class, with Pretentious Bars and Dumbass Cluster.
Unless he's a time traveler from April of 1977 then he is truly full of shit.
Delete"I have come from the past to be a prententious douche!"
DeleteHe might've chosen the wrong words, but I know what he means. I agree.
ReplyDeleteI'm... really not sure what the 'right' words would be here. I apparently don't know what he means, because like the posters above, I find his comment to be out of touch with both time and space.
DeletePlease enlighten me on what he means, then. Because all I see is "it's crap just because it's popular"
DeleteIt's tempting to mock, but I assume what he means is that there's something nice about being part of a small fandom for something that's still relatively obscure - it feels cool to be part of a small community of 'insiders'. It's silly, but it's a common enough attitude, and most of us can recognise it in ourselves.
DeleteUsing Star Wars as an example was dumb, though - as others have said, Star Wars has *never* been obscure.
If only Star Wars was ever a secret what a better world it would be.
ReplyDeleteMan, I'm just so tired of all these Star Wars.
ReplyDeleteHe was alive in 1977, right? Right?!
ReplyDeleteThe douche is strong with this one!
ReplyDeleteWell,..Star Wars DOES suck now. But it has more to do with the constant re-editing and digital "enhancements" they kept performing on it, as opposed to being popular.
ReplyDelete(Come on-you knew somebody was going to bring that up)
I'm okay with most of the changes Lucas made to the first trilogy, but there are a couple that really bug the crap out of me. Won't go into what they are but one is pointed out constantly.
DeleteHan shot first!
DeleteFuck George Lucas!
I remember when Star Wars *was* cool and obscure. That was for a week or three after the first movie appeared. I remember my friend describing this really, really cool science fiction movie that he'd just seen, that I'd never heard of....
ReplyDeleteIt didn't take a week, at least not where I was. I went the day after it opened and there was already a line around the corner. That show sold out and we had to buy tickets for the next one.
DeleteWord got around very quickly about Star Wars.
He needs to eat a pizza roll and chill out.
ReplyDeleteHe's probably pissed off that *everybody* is emailing a certain somebody asking for pizza rolls. Pizza rolls just don't taste the same without the snobby elitist attitude.
DeleteI feel like this deserves a 'shut up you idiot'. Not that the tags are democratically elected or anything.
ReplyDeleteStar Wars used to be so underground but then it sold out.
ReplyDeleteI might be giving this guy way too much credit, but maybe he's trying to say that Star Wars has always sucked. Which is just as dumb as saying that Star Wars sucks because it's popular.
ReplyDeleteHipsterrrrrrrrrrr!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I ever did this for was Linkin Park. Yeah. I liked Linkin Park before it was cool to like them. Heck, I even hated Linkin Park before it was cool to like them. (I got over them pretty quickly.)
ReplyDeleteI was that way a bit about DEVO. Even though they had been on SNL in 1978 they were a weird group with a small, dedicated fan base. Then they showed "Whip It" on MTV and suddenly everyone knew who they were. I never blamed the band, though; I just hated the losers who only knew that one song.
DeleteI've mostly gotten over it, but I still cringe when the band is mentioned and someone, inevitably, says, "whip it good!".
And I still love the spuds.
Eh. I've made a similar argument. Though moreso for people who watch Star Wars and think it's such a geeky nerdy thing to do. Star Wars is mainstream. It's foolish to pretend it's some thing only nerds like. Maybe if you're dressing in Storm Trooper armor or read the expanded universe novels or have figures lining your mantle.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think there is somewhat a correlation and even causation between the mainstreaming of Star Wars and Star Wars starting to suck. Now the original films were never some obscure indie film, but they did have a certain 70s New Hollywood aesthetic to them. They were still a bit off the beaten path from typical Hollywood fare and the original wasn't a sure thing. Yet the Star Wars franchise today.. well.. it's like Lucas has turned from being a rebel to being a Sith lord working for the evil empire. And his mentality of aiming for the mainstream may have tainted his ideas. Of course there are many other factors that contribute to his fall from grace. I find the one about his wife leaving him and taking away a certain life to Star Wars interesting too.
And, hey, I'm also nitpicky and argue that Star Wars isn't really sci fi so much as fantasy dressed up as sci fi or maybe some kinda hybrid. Yet it really isn't a good example of straight up science fiction. Star Trek is more an example of straight up sci fi.