39hp's recent activity
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Comment on Louis CK's return raises questions of justice, sexism in comedy and #MeToo in ~news
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Comment on Is Lovecraft supposed to be scary? in ~books
39hp LinkThis is just my personal take. I feel like older horror is harder to be scared by because I have to do more consciously to buy into being scared. One of the major themes that Lovecraft uses is...This is just my personal take. I feel like older horror is harder to be scared by because I have to do more consciously to buy into being scared. One of the major themes that Lovecraft uses is forbidden knowledge and insights that come with immense costs; this is not inherently scary but I believe any reader at any point in history would have related to that idea in about the same way because none of us have any idea of what "forbidden knowledge" is.
Some themes have survived really well, e.g. going to spooky places and experiencing spooky things, forgotten guilt catching up with you.
In contrast, other major themes like "shady foreigners" and "secret heritage" have simply not stood the test of time. Even if you take out the inherent racism, the theme of "the other" is not as pointed as it used to be. Going out and seeing the world is something sold to us as a good thing. Genetic analysis companies compete on the basis that they can reveal to you MORE about unknown heritage and that discovering you are actually Irish and not German is quirky, but cool. E.g. Shadow over Innsmouth doesn't scare me at all.
There are some collected works by modern authors that revisit Lovecraft's work to reframe it in a way that makes it scary to a modern audience. For example, Lovecraft's Dunwich Horror is a 'blood curse' + 'forbidden knowledge' kind of story.
Wilbur is the child of a human woman and an Outer God. He is grotesque but still human. Old Whately, Wilbur's grandfather, tries to steal a book to summon the Outer God, and comes to the attention of Occult Scholars. In the end, Wilbur succumbs to his dark heritage and becomes a complete monster, screaming for his Outer God father, thrashing until the scholars and police can destroy him.
In the revisit, we get a retelling from someone in Dunwich who fills in important details lost in the original story. Many of the occult details are the same; Wilbur is still a grotesque half-Outer God child, Old Whately still seeks occult help, Occult Scholars still come to Dunwich -- however we also learn that Wilbur is loved by his family. The Whatelys protect him and adapt to him to try to give him a normal life. Old Whately travels to get help from Occult Scholars who see in Wilbur an opportunity to test their theories and spells. They lie to the family and the resulting struggle results in Wilbur becoming a grotesque monster who is then put down and mourned by the people of Dunwich. He goes on to say that he and others resent the scholars for what they did to the Whatelys and their perceived heroism in the official (Lovecraft's) account.
I feel that the revisit to Dunwich Horror took a dated horror trope, the 'blood curse', and added a more modern trope to it, 'abuse of authority,' to make that story, in my opinion, better and more horrific.
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Comment on Louis CK's return raises questions of justice, sexism in comedy and #MeToo in ~news
39hp Link ParentI mean, he’s already using rape in a punchline so... yes? I guess?I mean, he’s already using rape in a punchline so... yes? I guess?
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Comment on Louis CK's return raises questions of justice, sexism in comedy and #MeToo in ~news
39hp Link ParentTo the question of, “Has #MeToo gone too far?” In this case, no. Emphatically, no. Add to this that he didn’t even book these sets, he literally just showed up and asked to be put on. He is...To the question of, “Has #MeToo gone too far?” In this case, no. Emphatically, no.
Add to this that he didn’t even book these sets, he literally just showed up and asked to be put on.
Both appearances were surprises, and neither, reportedly, met with resistance. “He just went and told the emcee that he wanted to go on, and it’s pretty much autopilot at that point — the emcee let him go on. It’s not an open mic, but it’s Louis C.K., somebody famous like that,” Comedy Cellar owner Noam Dworman told the Hollywood Reporter.
He is demonstrably still totally fine with flexing his privilege to get what he wants and the people around him are still totally fine with letting him.
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Comment on Weekly Writing Prompt Group - Prompt 0 - The Road Trip in ~creative
39hp Link ParentStill figuring things out, lol. If this works out, we'll get to 1.Still figuring things out, lol. If this works out, we'll get to 1.
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Weekly Writing Prompt Group - Prompt 0 - The Road Trip - Submission Thread!
I hope you guys had a good time writing for this week. Show me what you got!
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Comment on Tildes, I'm going on a ten day road trip with my s/o, what are some things I should prepare for? in ~travel
39hp (edited )Link ParentAnd that’s why we drink. Is two friends talking casually about spooky stuff and serial killers. The last podcast on the left. Three friends talking casually about spooky stuff and serial killers....And that’s why we drink. Is two friends talking casually about spooky stuff and serial killers.
The last podcast on the left. Three friends talking casually about spooky stuff and serial killers. Some of the gallows humor is ironic, off color (el oh el murder; to be fair it does take the edge off the gruesomeness, which I think is necessary to make it listenable), so heads up for that. It does get a little political when they speculate on why sex workers are often the victims of serial killers (full disclosure I largely agree with their arguments).
Lore. One dude. Pretty short, gets a little repetitive after a while, but he describes really spooky real life events.
No sleep podcast. Narrations/dramatizations of good creepypasta.
Pseudopod. See above. There’s also some analysis of the story which is good.
Creepypodsta. Narration of bad creepypasta. The operation is pretty low budget on this one.
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Comment on Tildes, I'm going on a ten day road trip with my s/o, what are some things I should prepare for? in ~travel
39hp LinkSince most of the actually important things are accounted for. I’d get some podcasts or an audiobook to listen to. My SO and I drove from NY to StL back and forth on horror podcasts and it made...Since most of the actually important things are accounted for.
I’d get some podcasts or an audiobook to listen to.
My SO and I drove from NY to StL back and forth on horror podcasts and it made the boring in between parts of the trip way more bearable.
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Comment on Three's a crowd: Millennials are shifting Australia's family values in ~life
39hp Link ParentWoah, I’ve never heard this perspective before. Is there an article somewhere about this?Woah, I’ve never heard this perspective before. Is there an article somewhere about this?
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Comment on It’s OK to call racists ‘racist’ in ~society
39hp Link ParentI wonder which province of Cana- I mean, of course. Of course it was Quebec. Why do I even ask? I know racism isn't unique to Quebec, but why does it seem so prominent there? Is it actually that...I wonder which province of Cana-
... called out a woman for intolerance and racism while at an event in Sabrevois, Que.
I mean, of course. Of course it was Quebec. Why do I even ask?
I know racism isn't unique to Quebec, but why does it seem so prominent there? Is it actually that much more racist in that province? or is that just the my perception, especially with so many Quebecois hate groups popping up in the news?
Going on a road trip through Canada, I noticed that Ontario at least shows some deference to the First Nations and acknowledges the aboriginal history of the region, even if it just stops at recognizing that history. But god damn, from my experiences in Quebec you'd think the French landed on an empty continent.
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Comment on What's the Best Horror book you've read in the past year? in ~books
39hp Link ParentIt’s the kind of book you hope you never need, but I’m sure it’s kept more than a few people away from harm.It’s the kind of book you hope you never need, but I’m sure it’s kept more than a few people away from harm.
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Comment on Which character from a tv show do you admire and want to be more like? in ~tv
39hp LinkMacGyver - mullet MacGyver. I love that he's a hero who consults his brain first when deal with a problem. When he gets stuck he doesn't get flustered, he just looks at the problem in another way.MacGyver - mullet MacGyver. I love that he's a hero who consults his brain first when deal with a problem. When he gets stuck he doesn't get flustered, he just looks at the problem in another way.
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Comment on Trans people keep getting suspended from Twitter—and they want answers in ~lgbt
39hp Link ParentGeez, with this and the fuckery with London Pride, the TERFs are really coming out in force. I mean, if they'd be happier if I just called them "bigots"...Geez, with this and the fuckery with London Pride, the TERFs are really coming out in force.
I mean, if they'd be happier if I just called them "bigots"...
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Comment on What's the Best Horror book you've read in the past year? in ~books
39hp Link ParentThis is the author's summary of the event. For a pulp-ish horror novel, it's really well researched!This is the author's summary of the event.
For a pulp-ish horror novel, it's really well researched!
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Comment on What's the Best Horror book you've read in the past year? in ~books
39hp Link ParentI hate to admit that I did not know about the Tulsa Massacre before reading this book. I think it would be best to familiarize yourself with it as the fallout of that event is central to some of...I hate to admit that I did not know about the Tulsa Massacre before reading this book.
I think it would be best to familiarize yourself with it as the fallout of that event is central to some of the stories.
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Comment on Paul Manafort juror reveals lone holdout prevented Mueller team from winning conviction on all counts in ~news
39hp Link ParentI think they are. Both of the Dem candidates for NYSAG are running on trying Manafort for state crimes if Trump pardons him for federal crimes. Both of them are arguing that they are the most...I think they are. Both of the Dem candidates for NYSAG are running on trying Manafort for state crimes if Trump pardons him for federal crimes. Both of them are arguing that they are the most ready to try Manafort.
I think the major wrinkle of a pardon is that a pardon comes with an admission of guilt for a crime. That will make any defense against prosecution by the state of NY that much more difficult.
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Comment on Paul Manafort juror reveals lone holdout prevented Mueller team from winning conviction on all counts in ~news
39hp Link ParentThere’s also the state of New York that is ready to put Manafort on trial for violations of NY state law. No President is allowed to pardon those. One cage or another, he’s going to prison.There’s also the state of New York that is ready to put Manafort on trial for violations of NY state law. No President is allowed to pardon those.
One cage or another, he’s going to prison.
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Comment on Do we really need to add summaries to posted articles? in ~tildes
39hp (edited )Link ParentI think that might lead to the issue of editorializing titles, which is worse...? Maybe a middle ground could be allow to post a link and accompanying text?I think that might lead to the issue of editorializing titles, which is worse...?
Maybe a middle ground could be allow to post a link and accompanying text? -
Comment on The Guillermo del Toro produced ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’ begins shooting this week in ~movies
39hp Link ParentWhich page? I was scared of every. Single. One.Which page? I was scared of every. Single. One.
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Comment on What's the Best Horror book you've read in the past year? in ~books
39hp LinkBest horror I’ve read in the past year is Lovecraft Country. I don’t think it’s possible to recommend that book enough. The author very deftly wields the parallels between Lovecraftian cosmic...Best horror I’ve read in the past year is Lovecraft Country. I don’t think it’s possible to recommend that book enough.
The author very deftly wields the parallels between Lovecraftian cosmic horror and the very real horror of being black especially in a pre-Civil Rights Era America. The bombing of Tulsa is every bit as terrifying as an invasion by Flying Polyps except that terror actually happened. The blood curse is not what it brought out in you, but what others did to you. The Negro Motorist’s Green Book is every bit as important as a script from Al Hazred for navigating a world of horrors. So many vignettes in that book and I love every one of them.
One thing I especially loved is how the existential terror of being black in America has hardened the characters in the book for when they encounter the Mythos terrors of the Cosmos.
Honorable mention: Winter Tide which is not as good, imho, and is not really horror except for its use of Lovecraftian themes. I just enjoy seeing Lovecraft turned on it’s head.
Bumping less famous people because you are famous is a shitty thing to do.
He could have booked it under a pseudonym, but instead made it so the world bent to what he needed when he needed it. And he only did it because he’s famous. And I guess it’s fine because he’s famous.