I didn't say that I think most Slashdot posters are "sad computer geeks and stupid sci-fi nerds". That is not my opinion. However, that is what a lot of "ordinary" people seem to think.
Bashing Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace because they are "made for children" isn't going to change that image. Consider the Trench Coat Mafia. The Columbine killers and their friends were bullied at school, so they started wearing these black trench coats to look "tough" or "cool". (This is what I remember one of these kids telling in a newspaper interview.) But, predictably, the trench coats didn't help: they just made them look stupid in the eyes of their peers.
It's the same with "geek culture" in general. Thou Shalt Criticize Ewoks And Other "Just For Kids" Crap And Praise "The Matrix" And Other Amazingly Cool Movies. Sorry, but it won't help. Of course, a lot of people will say that they don't care what others think about them, but I don't buy that.
Why does your subculture despise any and all forms of "offensive cuteness", as the Jargon File puts it? There are two main groups of people who actively hate everything that seems childish. Group 1 consists of teenagers - because they want to show that they are no longer children. Group 2 is the "geek" or "hacker" or "Slashdot" crowd - because...?
If you aren't happy with Ewoks or Jar Jar or whatever, why don't you just ignore them? If you don't like ROTJ, don't watch it. I don't understand this hate towards things that are "not dark". Why is happiness so universally reviled here? If you don't accept my explanations, let me know what you think. I'd be happy to hear your own opinions.
There's truth to what you said, but you kind of missed my point. "Lame ass cutesy characters" do not make all adults nauseous. Ewoks do not bother any of my non-geek friends. Why do all geeks hate them with a passion, then?
As I pointed out previously, even the Jargon File says that "hackers detest and avoid all forms of offensive cuteness". WHY? A lot of people here seem to think that "if it's dark, it's good" or even "if it's not dark, it sucks". Again, WHY?
Think about it.
(I don't think that the question of who's a hacker and who's a geek is relevant here. And, for the record, I do not classify myself as a geek or a hacker.)
PS. I may change my nick to "FlowerBoy" or "BarneyFan" in the future.
I have been reading Slashdot for several years. I created an account just to post this. And here is what I have to say:
This is getting silly. Half of the comments here seem to be lamenting the fact that the prequel trilogy appears to be geared towards children. Well, I've got news for you: the same applies to the original trilogy as well. You just don't realize it because you were so young when the movies first came out.
Do you know why almost everybody here hates the Ewoks in ROTJ? Because they make you feel insecure. You're afraid that people will laugh at you for watching a children's movie with talking teddy-bears in it. And they will. You should just shrug it off, but you can't because of your low self-esteem. And, for some reason, you can't realize that the average Joe sees all Star Wars movies as children's movies, regardless of whether they have Ewoks or Jar-Jar in them or not.
The Jargon File has a section called "A Portrait of J. Random Hacker". I'm sure most of you here have read it. The section has a list of "Things Hackers Detest and Avoid", and here is how it begins:
"IBM mainframes. All the works of Microsoft. Smurfs, Ewoks, and other forms of offensive cuteness."
"Offensive cuteness" seems to rank very high on the list, right after Microsoft. Why is this? I believe that the reason is the same as stated above: you fear that being associated with any sort of "cuteness" (such as the Ewoks in ROTJ) will make you look ridiculous and childish in the eyes of others. And a lot of people seem to think that enjoying "dark" movies such as The Empire Strikes Back or The Matrix will somehow help you gain acceptance and credibility.
Sorry to rain on your parade, but it doesn't work that way. Nobody cares if you prefer The Empire Strikes Back to Return of the Jedi, or The Matrix to The Phantom Menace, or Babylon 5 to Star Trek. Again, to the proverbial average Joe, it's just "stupid sci-fi for geeks and nerds". That's what people think.
And here's another explanation: many of you are depressed and therefore can't stand the thought of "offensive cuteness" such as talking teddy bears or Jar Jar. You'd rather wear all black, watch splatter movies and listen to German industrial rock while fantasizing about killing your classmates or coworkers. Sorry about being a bit over the top, but this is how "regular people" see you. They don't see you as intelligent persons who appreciate a good sci-fi movie. Instead, they see you as sad computer geeks.
Somebody here wrote something along the lines of "well, Star Wars sucks, but fortunately we'll still have The Matrix and Lord of the Rings".
Huh? Are sci-fi and fantasy movies all you have? If you get mad because the title of the new Star Wars movie did not live up to your expectations, I think you should seriously re-examine the priorities in your life.
Slashdot Mirror
Bashing Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace because they are "made for children" isn't going to change that image. Consider the Trench Coat Mafia. The Columbine killers and their friends were bullied at school, so they started wearing these black trench coats to look "tough" or "cool". (This is what I remember one of these kids telling in a newspaper interview.) But, predictably, the trench coats didn't help: they just made them look stupid in the eyes of their peers.
It's the same with "geek culture" in general. Thou Shalt Criticize Ewoks And Other "Just For Kids" Crap And Praise "The Matrix" And Other Amazingly Cool Movies. Sorry, but it won't help. Of course, a lot of people will say that they don't care what others think about them, but I don't buy that.
Why does your subculture despise any and all forms of "offensive cuteness", as the Jargon File puts it? There are two main groups of people who actively hate everything that seems childish. Group 1 consists of teenagers - because they want to show that they are no longer children. Group 2 is the "geek" or "hacker" or "Slashdot" crowd - because...?
If you aren't happy with Ewoks or Jar Jar or whatever, why don't you just ignore them? If you don't like ROTJ, don't watch it. I don't understand this hate towards things that are "not dark". Why is happiness so universally reviled here? If you don't accept my explanations, let me know what you think. I'd be happy to hear your own opinions.
As I pointed out previously, even the Jargon File says that "hackers detest and avoid all forms of offensive cuteness". WHY? A lot of people here seem to think that "if it's dark, it's good" or even "if it's not dark, it sucks". Again, WHY?
Think about it.
(I don't think that the question of who's a hacker and who's a geek is relevant here. And, for the record, I do not classify myself as a geek or a hacker.)
PS. I may change my nick to "FlowerBoy" or "BarneyFan" in the future.
I have been reading Slashdot for several years. I created an account just to post this. And here is what I have to say:
This is getting silly. Half of the comments here seem to be lamenting the fact that the prequel trilogy appears to be geared towards children. Well, I've got news for you: the same applies to the original trilogy as well. You just don't realize it because you were so young when the movies first came out.
Do you know why almost everybody here hates the Ewoks in ROTJ? Because they make you feel insecure. You're afraid that people will laugh at you for watching a children's movie with talking teddy-bears in it. And they will. You should just shrug it off, but you can't because of your low self-esteem. And, for some reason, you can't realize that the average Joe sees all Star Wars movies as children's movies, regardless of whether they have Ewoks or Jar-Jar in them or not.
The Jargon File has a section called "A Portrait of J. Random Hacker". I'm sure most of you here have read it. The section has a list of "Things Hackers Detest and Avoid", and here is how it begins:
"Offensive cuteness" seems to rank very high on the list, right after Microsoft. Why is this? I believe that the reason is the same as stated above: you fear that being associated with any sort of "cuteness" (such as the Ewoks in ROTJ) will make you look ridiculous and childish in the eyes of others. And a lot of people seem to think that enjoying "dark" movies such as The Empire Strikes Back or The Matrix will somehow help you gain acceptance and credibility.
Sorry to rain on your parade, but it doesn't work that way. Nobody cares if you prefer The Empire Strikes Back to Return of the Jedi, or The Matrix to The Phantom Menace, or Babylon 5 to Star Trek. Again, to the proverbial average Joe, it's just "stupid sci-fi for geeks and nerds". That's what people think.
And here's another explanation: many of you are depressed and therefore can't stand the thought of "offensive cuteness" such as talking teddy bears or Jar Jar. You'd rather wear all black, watch splatter movies and listen to German industrial rock while fantasizing about killing your classmates or coworkers. Sorry about being a bit over the top, but this is how "regular people" see you. They don't see you as intelligent persons who appreciate a good sci-fi movie. Instead, they see you as sad computer geeks.
Somebody here wrote something along the lines of "well, Star Wars sucks, but fortunately we'll still have The Matrix and Lord of the Rings".
Huh? Are sci-fi and fantasy movies all you have? If you get mad because the title of the new Star Wars movie did not live up to your expectations, I think you should seriously re-examine the priorities in your life.