The Lego Movie and cinema magic

I'll likely re-examine both of the central themes of this brief post later on, but I'm trying to stick to a regular posting schedule again and this is a good summary so far. Also, there's a jump here, because of spoilers. You were warned.

A Double, Neat -- Quick Hits from Around the Internet

* Undoubtedly the next subject of the various "20 Tweets"-esque articles that have cropped up like particularly annoying fungi around the major Magic websites, the issue of "fake geeks" exploded on Twitter to the tune of about nine hours of conversation.  The "bad guys," as far as this subject is concerned, appear to be the anti-feminist "pretty girls" who have drawn the ire of "real geeks" by not actively memorizing the characters from the Star Wars EU or mastering the art of shouting louder during arguments about whether or not Iron Man could beat Batman in a fight.  Either that or the enemy is the exclusive geek crowd who refuse to believe someone can do geeky things in their spare time and still self-identify as a card-carrying TCG fan.  Or it's the inclusive geeks who don't mind seeing gorgeous women pretend to be interested in the same things that they are in order to feel attractive and desired.

Because every guy who watched this knows what Jimmy Choos are.

It may not be a popular opinion, but I happen to think that women that can hold a conversation with me about the use of conjugations in Tolkien's two Elvish languages are not actually figments of my imagination.  I also could not give less of a crap about whether or not anyone "sells out" in order to make a few dollars.  I can't believe this conversation is literally still going on as I write this.

* Cole Hamels received a $144 million dollar contract extension to remain with the Philadelphia Phillies, who announced, via a spokesperson, that the $80 million dollars they plan on paying just four players next year is actually Monopoly money, due to a cleverly worded proviso in the contract documents for Cliff Lee, Roy Holladay, Hamels, and Ryan Howard.  When asked to comment, Hamels remained silent, but his nephew brightened up, convinced that he would never again lose the game by having to pay his evil step-sister $20,000 for landing on Boardwalk.

* Kristen Stewart allegedly cheated on Robert Pattinson, which is heartbreaking to none of the people who care about this sort of thing since nearly all of them wanted Tinkerbell to be single so they could get back to fantasizing about glittery love-making with a few shades of bondage sprinkled in.  Sadly, when asked if he noticed a change in her demeanor that could have clued him in to her infidelity, Pattinson was forced to admit that, like the rest of us, he still isn't sure she even has a personality. "And, maybe, you know, it was another K-Stew, I'm pretty sure they make them in a factory somewhere," Robert did not add.

Lady in the Street: The "Chasing Amy" Problem and Modern Relationships

The blood-spattered camp satire Red State is a gore-stained polemic that takes aim at just about everyone, but Kevin Smith's most enduring commentary is actually found a good fifteen years earlier, in his oddly poignant paean to geek love everywhere, Chasing Amy.

Ron "Squee" Jeremy the Barbarian

Grand Prix: Indianapolis Tournament Organizer Pastimes have found themselves in a bit of a bind over their recent promotion of BDSM Magic-gear.  Namely, at least five people were incredibly offended by the art on the playmats that were intended to be handed out at the GP.  Thanks to the diligent work of various eyes on Twitter, the mats are apparently headed for wherever they send the "We Won the Super Bowl" t-shirts made for the team that actually, cough, lost the game.

"You said, licking, right?  Right?!"

While I usually prefer hiding in the corner of the Twitterverse whenever someone starts talking about a subject that involves an issue where I am part of the unwanted majority, in this case, I'm fine with adding my own opinion to the largely ignorable conversation.

“But If He Lies to Me about Being in Love...: Rookiemag.com and the Increasing Disconnect Between Logic and Reality”

Before continuing, please take the time to familiarize yourself with the website mentioned in the subtitle.  If you do not, please be aware that what follows assumes that you have at least encountered mention of the same.  (Ed. Note: We found a good, non-Rookiemag article that discusses the site here)

“If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and smells like a duck then you need to kill it and perform an autopsy before you can determine whether or not it is, in fact, a duck.”

Judgment, assumption, stereotyping, and solipsistic rationality are not new breeds of cultural insensitivity.  It is sad, therefore, that they are becoming a kind of cultural touchstone; the mark of the twenty-first century intellectual.

Rookiemag is the emerging phenomenon that purports to celebrate feminist ideology and female empowerment by disabusing high school students of their popular misconceptions.  The heart of the magazine lies in its unflinching stance on girls and the difficulty of existing in what is universally acknowledged as one of the most poisonous environments sponsored by the government and society in general. 

Hailed as a radical new voice and forum for teenaged girls to express themselves in a free-flowing context that attempts to subvert stereotypes, Rookiemag is a powerful medium through which previously ignored or sublimated discussion points are illuminated and deconstructed.