Chloë Grace Moretz has a problem: does she follow her dreams of going to Julliard for music, or does she stay in her home town with her new hipster boyfriend? Thank goodness something else happens (because God knows, who’d want to watch a film just about that?), as her family gets in an accident and she finds herself a coma-ghost (is that a thing?) trapped between life and death and deciding…
Fortunately the Unusual Suspects are here to help guide her, and you movie viewers, on the voyage. Ashley, Elliott and JC weigh in on life, death, overuse of flashbacks, and If I Stay.
If you have a few extra dimes to spare, please help us help a fan in need. Thank you!
This week’s so is so gonzo that we couldn’t even think of an appropriate Muppets joke with which to end this sentence! We talk about Johnny Manizel’s new aviary nickname, provide more evidence that geeks are taking over professional sports, and assign Masters of the Universe counterparts for each of the Los Angeles Clippers…don’t worry about why. We also go another round with our Corner Man: Vincent Smith.
On a more serious note, we also discuss the passing of Robin Williams and chat about our favorites among his catalog of films.
Listen to the episode, and stay tuned after for some bonus nonsense that occurred before we knew the mic was still recording.
Show Breakdown…
Scores and Stories (4:52)
Topics Discussed: The L.A. Clippers have been sold to one of America’s preeminent nerds, Johnny Manziel flips himself off the starting position on the Browns’ roster, Braxton Miller’s injury ensures Ohio State will still be overrated, and the deal for performers to play the Super Bowl halftime show keeps getting worse all the time.
Robin Williams Retrospective (32:05)
The film community, and we include in that group anyone who loves film, lost a comedic titan recently when Robin Williams’ exited this realm. We found it so difficult to narrow his work down to one favorite film so we discuss our favorites of both his dramatic and comedic roles. Coming back from the break, we also delve into the internet theory that Aladdin takes place in the post-apocalyptic future instead of the past.
The Corner Man (48:55)
Vince returns to give us the lowdown on the world of UFC. He gets us hyped for an upcoming “Mega Fight” that somehow has nothing to do with a giant shark or octopus. He also addresses some lingering questions about the credibility of the Cobra Kai Dojo.
And the Rest (62:32)
In this week’s “also-ran” portion of the news, we chat about high school games called account of Purge, college players who are really good at tackling teammates, illustrate how Kevin Sumlin is One of Us, and Brian issues the weirdest ALS ice bucket counter-challenge ever conceived.
Make sure to follow us on Twitter, otherwise Bane will stand in your front yard perpetually doing the ALS Ice Bucket challenge.
So… some people have called me out because in our last installment I teased this week’s show with the wrong artist. I said it was gonna be Father John Misty, when in fact it is Pavement. Ok, let’s just say that I was that somebody…nobody but me actually knew about that snafu, cause this show hadn’t been posted yet. But credit where credit is due I think! Shout out to Shane Bartell for not continuing to ignore his fuck-up. Well, you’re welcome, Shane, getting a little too comfortable with picking up the pieces for you by now… please quit screwing up so we don’t have to do this one again.
Ok! Now that this embarrassing incident is behind us, let’s get on to the story.
For some of us that came of age in the 90’s, Pavement pretty much defined the middle part of that decade ( for a whole hell of a lot of people it defined the whole decade.) I fall somewhere in the middle of that line of thinking…Pavement was everywhere but always in the background. I have many fond memories set to their soundtrack.
For this episode, Ryan just had to pick the one Pavement record I don’t love. However, I truly believe it set the tone for what was to come for a large segment of indie rock for years…and that includes Pavement’s subsequent records. After listening to, and talking about “Slanted and Enchanted”, I’ve arrived at the conclusion that this record is both the weakest in the Pavement canon, and valuable mostly as a place-marker in the history of American rock music. I think anyone listening will see how ambivalent the 3 of us were about it…
Actually, let me turn it over to Ryan for a minute and see what he has to say…
After an agonizing 12 minute wait, Ryan says:
“Thanks, Shane. I take full responsibility. Not for the content of Slanted and Enchanted, as I did not write it or perform on it. But I did, in fact, select this record for our latest installment of the meeting of the minds (and drinks) that is “Somebody Likes It.” And in fact, “ambivalent” does go a long way to describe my feelings for this particular slice o’ wax. At the risk of sounding like a newlywed who picked the highly-touted restaurant for an anniversary dinner and found it lacking (and then took to Yelp to let the world know), I really wanted to like this more. Even more than that, I wish that that each and every rock critic in the free world at that time had liked it less. Perhaps then we’d have all been saved from a decade of smug, lazy wielders of Tascam cassette recorder “bedroom prodigies”. Laden with down-tuned guitars and a distaste for song structure, they pretty much convinced the hipsterati at the time that they were the next big thing. I, much like Shane, very much appreciate Pavement’s subsequent output, but had some trouble digesting what sounded to these ears like nothing so much as some really talented dudes just screwing around and barely trying. Ryan Newsum
Couldn’t have summed it up any better than that.
Next Week—Father John Misty. This time for real…
If you have a few extra dimes to spare, please help us help a fan in need. Thank you!
As you might be able to tell from how late this post is going up, this is both a pretty complex topic, and one that I had to do a fair bit of thinking about how to address. A lot has been made of the “wisdom of crowds” and the power of social networking sites like Reddit to harness the power of the people to create a form of democracy more true to the etymology of the word, and less like the electoral system that so many have felt disenfranchised by over the years.
Our world (and in particular, our media) is so pessimistic that it’s refreshing to see people have this much faith in the new. But such optimism, much like anything, could stand to be tempered by reason lest it run away with itself. I was listening to the Nerdist podcast a while back when I heard Chris Hardwick describe Reddit as “the perfect meritocracy.”
*insert squealing brake sound here*
I immediately started mentally warning Mr. Hardwick to, as OOU’s own Martin is fond of saying, “slow his roll,” but despite my most formidable efforts, my psychic message failed to penetrate the abyss of the Internet and reach his overly enthusiastic eardrums.
The big problem I have with his enthusiasm comes from a seemingly innocuous equivocation of democracy with meritocracy. In essence, it implies that the option chosen by the unfettered will of the people will undoubtedly be the best option. The images that reach the front page of Imgur, for example, are by virtue of being there, the best images, because the most people voted for them.
I don’t know about you, but when reading that last sentence, I get a vaguely queasy feeling in my philosophical gut that tells me that not all is well. For that reason, on this week on Heavy Meta I’ll be testing two basic assumptions: First, the assumption that for the purposes of determining online visibility, unfettered democracy is the best option. Second, the assumption that social media systems like Reddit, Imgur, or Digg, represent the ideal meritocracy/democracy that e-vangelists like Hardwick seem to suggest they do.
The Front Page and the Illusion of Knowledge
“Sometimes appearance is different from reality.”
Reddit markets itself as “the frontpage of the Internet”, where all the links that are fit to peruse gather. Those chosen stories that occupy the main pages of its various subreddits are voted on by literally millions of users, creating an environment where the vox populi have directly given their consent (via upvoting) that these are the stories most worthy of your time.
The problem is the hidden implication that, if these are the stories most worthy of your attention, them those further down must be less so, and so on/so forth. Popular posts are rewarded with visibility, and therefore the less visible a post is, typically the less popular it becomes. The conclusion this particular logic train rolls downhill towards is one that assumes “most popular = best”, which is far from always being the case. If it were, Transformers 4 would be the robot-vehicle hybrid spawn of Meryl Streep, sweeping up awards left and right.
Another implication of this assumption is even more dangerous. In believing that the most popular stories are the best ones, it cultivates the Illusion of Knowledge: the erroneous belief that once you’ve read the front page, you’ve seen all that’s worth seeing. The other hundreds of thousands of news items, editorials, or original content, might as well not even exist.
As any seasoned geek knows, the things that are most popular are often there because they either appeal to the lower common denominator, or are the least offensive. For instance: the world’s funniest joke, determined by similarly millions of votes in a multi-year study by Dr. Richard Wiseman of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, goes as follows:
A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes have rolled back in his head.
The other guy whips out his mobile phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps to the operator: “My friend is dead! What can I do?”
The operator, in a soothing voice, says: “Just take it easy. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.”
There is a silence, then a shot is heard. The guy’s voice comes back on the line. He says: “OK, now what?
Not exactly gut-busting, is it? Wiseman determined that the cause for the popularity of a joke was more influenced by the number of people it offended, rather than the degree to which people found it funny. The same jokes that sent people doubling over to the floor tended to be the same ones that wrinkled the noses of others, leading to humor ratings that balanced out around average.
Much like the jokes in the study, the viewpoints and opinions that garner the most approval are hardly ever the most moving or impassioned, but rather those that adhere to accepted dogma, and avoid offending most anyone. They’re safe, neutral, and avoid rocking the boat by avoiding taking any kind of a solid stance.
The inverse of this, as many seasoned movie geeks will attest, is that the most affecting and important views are often the hidden, unpopular gems. Many movies that we take to be legendary now were critically panned or controversial when they first debuted. Blade Runner, Pulp Fiction, and Shawshank Redemption all fall within these categories. It’s only decades later, when the bold choices made by directors have irreversibly changed the cinematic universe that we in retrospect recognize the genius of their methods.
The parallel is easily drawn with strong or controversial opinions on boards such as Reddit. Sure, there are the rare examples of campaigns that go viral, but for the most part, revolutions (in thought or otherwise) are slow in building. It’s true that the internet has played a significant part in allowing niche media to find an audience, but when it comes to movements like gender equality or net neutrality, appealing to a proportionally small sect of the population (even if that percentage is made up of millions of people) amounts to preaching to the choir in an echo chamber of political opinion. Without the visibility to a wider audience, lasting change isn’t given the opportunity to occur on a large scale.
It’s for this reason that the algorithms that determine visibility on Google, Tumblr, and Reddit (and the Eclipse by the Mediocre that they cause) are so harmful. The important stuff, the world-changing stuff, the truly human, is almost never the most popular.
Power To the Empowered
Another issue that throws a wrench in the idea that Reddit is a People’s Meritocracy is the fact that for a democracy to be effective, the voters must both be properly informed, and comprise a proportionally representative sample from all relevant demographics (age, race, economic status, etc).
One of many social sites’ strongest points; the ability to let users post pseudonymously, is also an obstacle to be dealt with in terms of representation. Reddit in particular is a text-based site, so when a post reaches the front page, one might be forgiven for assuming that those who endorsed come from a venerable Benaton ad worth of diverse backgrounds.
However, a report put out by Pew shows that the sect of the population that uses Reddit, for example, is heavily skewed towards 18-29 year old males. Furthermore, only 6% of the adult population in the U.S. uses it. To be sure, that is a massive number, but if one were to poll the entirety of the country for their opinions on a given subject, 6% falls woefully short of what would be required to get a clear picture.
An annoying quirk in human psychology tends to cause us to assume that the views held by those around us are representative of people as a whole. The same thing happens with online communities, and when information about who is endorsing and saying what isn’t available, it makes it that much easier to believe that every guy thinks women who become friends with them but then refuse sex are manipulative bitches, even though its just you and the other fedora wearing neckbeards incessantly scratching Cheeto-dust off their oversized black t-shirts who feel that way.
The Front Page Illusion I mentioned in the previous section makes this phenomenon worse, as the one post by a woman who endorses the “Friend Zone” woes is likely to attract upvotes from (mostly 18-29, male) users like light into a singularity, rocketing to the front page. Once there, those who view it are liable to take it as further confirmation of that the view of this one user is representative of women’s views as a whole. All this culminates in a dangerously cyclical version of confirmation bias, making it increasingly more difficult to debunk these or other harmful social views in the process.
Get Smart(er)
The next question then becomes: How do we address these problems? Those NSA members in my readership (hi guys!) would likely be the first to suggest that requiring real-life identification and info documentation is the way to go. However, despite my mentioning of the problems caused by internet pseudonyms sounding like endorsement for surveillance and transparency, it’s improbable that these measures would help any more than they help curb abusive behavior.
One need only look at political articles from news sites that show Facebook comment threads to see that using real-life identification, pictures, and even locations, fail to get people to alter their behavior significantly from their anonymous/pseudonymous peers. Even Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has said on the Nerdist podcast that pseudonyms carry more benefits than drawbacks (at least on forums that are well moderated), by allowing people from marginalized communities to have honest and open discussions without fear of reprisal. Furthermore, Ohanian should be given brownie points for taking a proactive lead on modifying the algorithms underlying Reddit to prevent people from voting en masse to actively suppress or promote certain posts.
So clearly steps are being done on the other side of the screen to try and improve the situation, and some aspects of it like pseudonymity, require us to take the good with the bad. However, the fact remains that there are gaping holes in a network that so many people put such a great deal of faith in. The unpopular response to trying to fix those holes is this: We simply have to be smarter about it.
Michael Harris wrote in his book The End of Absence about the concern by many thinkers about the rise of shallow processing: the tendency of individuals to “know” facts, but to rarely do the deep thinking required to fully understand their logistical inner workings. People at large consider the Internet to be the repository of “where the information is.” You type a question into Google, you get an answer. Simple as that, right? Except that, as I’ve demonstrated in the earlier sections, the structure of various aspects on the Internet makes it so that numerous assumptions can be repeatedly endorsed without being actually backed up by factual proof.
It’s at times like these that I get to bandy about my philosophy education: we need to re-learn critical thinking skills. To take a skeptical eye towards what we see, hear, and read online. Especially given the deluge of information that we’re subjected to, the true wisdom comes in knowing precisely how to sift through and evaluate various points of view for their validity:
-What is the source this piece of information is coming from?
-Do we have reasonable cause to believe that a given source has a vested interest in pushing one side of the issue over another?
-Hm, that’s a well-argued, compelling series of points for that perspective. But I’d like to see what the other side has to say before drawing a conclusion.
-Do the premises and conclusion of this argument logically follow from one another?
-Is the author falling prey to any of these logical fallaciesin an attempt to make their argument more compelling?
-What relevant pieces of information aren’t present here? Is there a reason for that? How can I get access to this information?
Winston Churchill once famously said that democracy is the worst political system, except for all the others. In a world where we’re inundated with feedback on the opinions of the crowd, we’ve reached a point where an increase in the amount of feedback has diminishing returns. In order to make better use of the powerful forums like those of Tumblr or Reddit, we can no longer rely on the efficiency of machines. By re-learning how to deconstruct, analyse, and communicate effectively, we can both broaden our horizons by taking in a wider berth of perspectives, and then use that newfound awareness to participate in discussions that can further the cause of making society the kind of place worthy of the idealism we place on it.
Vince Smith is a writer, podcast host, and dyed-in-the-wool lover of minutia. You can check out his other work over at www.roguescast.com , or drop by his Facebook Page for other musings from the catacombs of the Internet.
-Written by Vincent Mendoza
If you have a few extra dimes to spare, please help us help a fan in need. Thank you!
It is no secret that we here at One Of Us dig the hell out of the new Guardians Of The Galaxy movie. Even weeks after its release, our lord and master, the great and terrible Brain Salisbury, stills answers most questions these days with the words “I am Groot.” With this in mind, I hit up the comic shop with my niece and nephew in tow and scooped up some goodies for the kids and myself, including the latest issue of Guardians Of The Galaxy.
What struck me about this issue was just how much of a jumping on point this issue was. In fact, just like Teen Titans #1, which I reviewed for the site just a little while back, this is a character introduction issue. All our major players are given quick moments to show off who they are and what they can do. Unlike the TT relaunch, which for better or worse was consistent, Guardians Of The Galaxy #17 is uneven and scattershot.
Ryan and Haley show off their comic store hauls. An Uncle’s heart swells with pride.
Let’s start with the cover. Sure, it is designed well enough, but why in an issue where we are reintroducing our characters do they not all appear on the cover? Where the hell are Captain Marvel and Angela? Actually, I don’t give a damn about Angela and don’t feel she added much to the book, but not having Carol Danvers on the cover is a crime!
Our next problem is the two main artists on the book, Nick Bradshaw and Michael Oeming. Now I’m pretty forgiving when it comes books split up between a few artists, but Bradshaw and Oeming should not be paired together. Their styles are quite good on their own, but do not compliment each other. Each artist does a competent job, but it’s clear that neither one brought his “A” game. I think the whole thing would have been improved by bringing on even more artists, having each one take a section of the book. It would have worked well with the book, as it already feels like as series of vignettes.
Brian Bendis is on writing duties and it feels like a pretty standard story for him. The Guardians trade one-liners with each other but not very much is going on. We spend the entire issue watching big things happen around the Guardians rather than have the Guardians be a part of the action. What saves the issue is the sense of possibility. Right now, the Guardians are a big deal. Audiences around the world have embraced them, or at least the version they saw on the big screen. Marvel wisely seems to be pushing the characters to reflect their movie counterparts as much as possible and that is a book I am excited to read.
So in the end, Guardians Of The Galaxy #17 is passable at best. While it is severely flawed, it is saved only by a few good jokes and a heaping of goodwill brought on by the movie. I’m saddened that this will be my Nephew’s first Guardians comic, but on the flip side I’m excited that he wants to read it at all.
If you have a few extra dimes to spare, please help us help a fan in need. Thank you!
Rain pummels the desert-browned roofs of Austin, teasing the night with tantalizing specter of quenched thirst. A quintet of scoundrels conspire to pierce the quiet night with a cacophony of snark as they spit dissatisfaction in the direction of Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For.
Chris, Beau, Ashley, Richard,and Elliott go all noir-y to cut down this sequel in an audio review “replete with negotiable virtue” as Richard would say.
Got the stones to venture back into the world’s scummiest town? Download and share this Highly Suspect Review.
If you have a few extra dimes to spare, please help us help a fan in need. Thank you!
Jean-Pierre Desperois. Born a slave in Haiti in a voodoo ritual with the power to travel through space and time. Now lives in Tunis. Smuggles salt. On payroll: crooked cops and hard-to-manage employees. When local gendarme Michel du Prix tells him about some corpses found in the desert, Jean-Pierre thinks nothing of it. But when the bodies start piling up, Jean-Pierre is implicated. Armed with nothing but his “baka” and his “ku-bha-sa”, Jean-Pierre tries to get to the bottom of the situation. But he’s in for more than he bargained.
Season One is 20 half-hour episodes released bi-weekly.
SALT is a spin-off of The Intergalactic Nemesis, an adventure set in the 1930s and taking the form of comic-books and graphic novels, audio drama, a web series, and a live theatrical production that’s touring the world. For access to all of this, check out www.theintergalacticnemesis.com.
Written and voiced by Jason Neulander. Additional voices by Buzz Moran, Danu Uribe, and Julie Linnard. Sound effects, audio engineering, and production by Buzz Moran. Original score by Adrian Quesada.
Chapter Four: The Legend of Makandal – In which Jean-Pierre is interrogated by a cop he knows well, seeks help from a friend, and relays the story of the man from whom the murderer in Tunis has taken his name.
You’re in for a treat, Digiphiles! This week, both inter-dimensional versions of Brian host a very special Digital Noise! What makes it so special? Is the gamut of crappy horror flicks the guys have to review? Is it the TMNT documentary that has Universe Prime Brian pining for his childhood? Or is it his very solemn apology to the Bronies? You’ll just have to listen and find out!
Also, tune in to hear how you could win one of our two giveaways this week. All in all, a damn fine show, DAMN FINE!
Sorry for shouting there.
Please do consider using our links below to make all your Amazon purchases! Much appreciated.
2) Tweet at us with the answer to this hypothetical: What part of your body would you least like to have smashed by a rock and why (it can’t be your “junk” and the why can’t be “I would die”)
3) Add #ProxyGiveaway
4) We’ll select favorite answer and contact that winner via Twitter (open to U.S. residents only).
If you have a few extra dimes to spare, please help us help a fan in need. Thank you!
As Marvel fans know, Ant-Man has gone through some tumultuous changes as of late. With Edgar Wright’s departure and Marvel Studios’ struggles in finding a replacement director, there has been a fair share of speculation on the film’s well-being. Well, in an effort to show that the long delayed Ant-Man is finally filming, Marvel has released an image of Paul Rudd as the master thief, Scott Lang.
The image isn’t exactly astonishing.
As you can obviously see from the picture, Rudd is not yet dressed in the red and silver Ant-Man suit that had been showcased at San Diego Comic-Con. No, instead it’s an image of Scott Lang dressed in a grungy looking hoody and jacket. It looks like the con-man has fallen on some hard times, and is perhaps preparing for a heist. Again, hardly anything is shown in the image and it was most likely released to prove that production is finally in full-swing.
Pictured behind Rudd is the Golden Gate Bridge, which has had a long career of being continuously destroyed over and over again in film. Making recent appearances in summer blockbusters like Godzilla and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, it comes as no surprise that the bridge will be making its first debut in a Marvel movie. Just so you know, Ang Lee’s Hulk and Brett Ratner’s X-Men: The Last Stand don’t count. Ant-Man, which will be shooting for the next several weeks in San Francisco, will eventually move to Fayette, Georgia for the remainder of the production.
Ant-Man is set to be released July 17, 2015, and will follow Lang as he helps his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), protect the secrets of the Ant-Man suit from a new generation of threats. Pitted against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
What about you reader? Excited for Marvel’s Ant-Man? Concerned over the recent changes? Let us know in the comments below.
If you have a few extra dimes to spare, please help us help a fan in need. Thank you!
If you have a few extra dimes to spare, please help us help a fan in need. Thank you!
