Beavis Is Alive And Well...

...and he's wearing your mom's underwear.

:m: Peace.

 

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Hey goofy,

This doesn't sit well with me. It's fine that we condemn what he's done, but that doesn't give us a carte blanche to ridicule the size of his forehead. Obviously, he was born that way. I'm willing to bet that his mother loved him, prominent forehead and all. His malformed head ought not be a source for our entertainment. Transmitting his photo around the Internet is, to paraphrase Justice Clarence Thomas, nothing more than a high tech freak-show.

I know that you're a kind and fair-minded man, goof, so don't take this as a reproach. I'm just asking all of us to reconsider what it is that we're giggling at.

"Our laughter can often be cruel; our tears rarely if ever are."
Andre Comte-Sponville, A Small Treatise on the Great Virtues

Regards,
Michael

 

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Point taken. Consider me chastened.

:m: Peace.

 

Orthogonal

There is such a thing as being too sensitive. Personally, I think the guy looks funny as hell. I feel totally comfortable saying so.
If, by some strange twist of fate, this man ever should come across this post and decide that he wants to confront me on the issue, i have no problems with that.

You are asking us to reconsider what it is we are giggling at? All right, i have thought about it. The answer? I am giggling at a man who, in my oppinion, looks funny. This is mainly due to his strangely large forehead.

Honestly..
The point here isn't thathis mother loved him. The point of this thread was simply that the guy looks like beavis.

When the world gets to the point of having to stop and consider the ramifications of laughing at a joke, that is when I am going to check out.

My advice to you: lighten up.

On a side note, I've noticed that everypost i have read by you has at least one quote in it. Why?


edit:
I just saw one that doesn't have a quote in it, so we can retract that question.

 

Mephura,

As a college freshman, I remember sitting at the lunch table one day with my friends and some other guys from my dorm. One of them had a newspaper and he happened to read aloud an article describing an accident at the local high school. It seems a cheerleader was dressed in a giant bird outfit when some joker “flicked his Bick” cigarette lighter at her. The article described how her feathers caught fire and how she was horribly burned. For some reason the image of a burning bird running through the hall stuck me as funny. Laughing, I said something like, “A bird outfit? But when I looked around I quickly noticed that everyone was looking at me and not one of them was laughing. In about three-tenths of a millisecond I realized that I was laughing when I should have been expressing pity. One of my friends mercifully broke the silence by calling me a “sicko.” Not only was it one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, it also prompted me do some soul-searching.

Mephura, you’re perfectly free to laugh at someone’s birth defect. You’re also free to pick your nose or sniff your armpits in public. There’s no argument that I could possibly give to make you feel compassion for another person. Have you ever wondered about the Christian Commandment that we should love each other? It’s ridiculous. Love is an emotion; a feeling. How could anyone be commanded to love (to feel)? You could no more order me to feel happy at my mother’s funeral than I could order you to feel compassion for the guy with the extended forehead. But the reason why I can’t explain why you shouldn’t laugh at someone’s physical deformity is the same reason why it’s useless for you to tell me to “lighten up.” It feels unworthy for me to laugh at another man’s misfortune. What’s more, I’m not at all sorry for feeling this way. Goethe wrote:

”Du gleichst dem geist den du degreifst.”
“You resemble the thoughts that you conceive.”

This brings me to your question why I sprinkle quotes throughout my posts. I read a great deal. Strangers have told me that they know me as the guy who always has a book in his hand. It’s been that way for as long as I can remember. I read mostly mathematics, philosophy and physics. What’s more, I take notes when I read. I always have a journal with me into which goes my equations, quotes and ideas. I have a bookshelf filled with some twenty five years of these journals. I have a pretty good memory of where things are in them. I can flip through them and remember not only what I was reading, but often where I was and what I was feeling at the time that I wrote a certain passage. And when I want to make a philosophical point I almost invariably remember what someone else has said in support of that point. So, I thumb through my journals and find the quote. I find it a pleasant task to do this. And since the quote impressed me enough to pull it out of the book in the first place, it obviously has some significance to me. Since everything I write is written primarily for myself, you can think of my quotes as little mental prompts, or notes in the margins of my writing. Another reason I include quotes is that I want to pay homage to the source of an idea.

”To read means to borrow; to create out of one’s reading is to pay off one’s debts to the author.” Georg Christophe Lichtenberg

Michael

 

Orthogonal,
Like you, I would've laughed. I find the idea of a giant flaming chicken funny. You say that this makes me uncompassionate, that I am not considering the person inside that flaming chicken suit. That is exactly the point we disagree on. You see, you are right. I'm not considering the person inside the suit. I'm thinking only about the visual image of a giant flaming chicken. That is what I find funny. It isn't the idea of that poor girl inside being burned alive, and I'm fairly sure it wasn't for you either. When I think about the girl, I feel bad for her. When it comes to our friend, I laugh because he happens to look like a cartoon character and I find the similarity amusing. I doubt you could find anything funny that i could find a reason for someone to get upset over.

Now, with that being said, let's look at the true nature of your 'compassion'.

A birth defect? The guy has a large forehead and you label it a birth defect? I see a guy that bares a resemblance to a cartoon character, but is nevertheless, a normal human being. You see someone that is defected, subhuman. Is that the nature of your compassion? To judge anyone that doesn't conform to your narrow view of what is 'normal' as defected? Look at your own words, and speak to me about the nature of your heart.
Why the implied insult? Because I find the picture comparison funny, I am suddenly the type of individual that would pick his nose, etc in public? Is that the view you have of those that disagree with you; Rude, crude individuals with little or no social skills?

No wonder your 'compassion' is so free flowing. You view the rest of the world, or more precisely those that don't share your views and general appearance, as being deformed, ignorant, stupid, uncouth, and miscreants. You look at society as being less than you are and thus worthy of your pity and compassion.

And there is your arogance showing again. You presume I don't feel compassion for others. Why? Because I laughed at something I found humorous. Perhaps if I removed all the joy and laughter from my life I might be virtuous in your eyes?

Actually, it isn't ridiculous in the least. (This from a guy that doesn't buy the religion or the book in the least) The quote is "Thou shalt love thy neighbor like thyself." Those last two words are why you find it ridiculous. How can you love anyone else as you do yourself when you start off by reducing them to less than you? The idea is to view those around you as equals to yourself and treat them as such. Love them as you love yourself.
Simple really.

Interesting. First you 'suggest' that we change what we find funny, then you tell us that we can't control what we feel.

Again with the deformity talk. The man has a large forhead, not a tenticle growing out of it. You presume the man is unfortunate why? Because of how he looks? What you have said is that this guy looks different than what you would consider normal, therefore he must have a birth defect and a horible life, so we should pity him. Honestly, don't you think you are being the least bit judgemental?
You like quotes. What is that biblical one about judging?

If that is true, you have my sympathies.

You read and learn so much, but find the simplist bible verse ridiculous and beyond comprehension? I will admit, though, that that is one of the bestdefenses I have heard for the habit. I will leave my personal feelings on it for another time.

 

Orthogonal:

Then you'd imagine you'd at least come up with more interesting quotes than the one's you're so bleeding trigger happy with. Like so:

"Being a member of Mensa means that you are a genius, with an IQ of at least 132. This enables you to meet other members who will understand what the hell you are talking about when you say, for example 'That laompost is tawdry.' Joining Mensa instills in you a courtly benevolence toward nonmembers who would pretend to know what you know, think what you think, and stultify what you perambulate."

and he continues:

"That's where I met Lola....She had hair the color of rust and a body the shape of a Doric column, the earlier ones, preinvasion......If she truly was Mensa, she would have no problem with my intoduction "Please don't relegate me to a faraway lea", I said.

"I can see you've read Goethe, the Snooky Lanson translations," she countered. "Lozenge?"


-From Steve Martin's "Pure Drivel". Mu-ha-ha.


Lastly, Orthogonoal- your reasoning was null and voided the second you wrote the word "defect".

 

Just because, that's all ... but, Why?

 

The man's equated a deviance from what he sees as norm to a "defect", that's why. See or no see or will I have to beat that into you?

 

I understand exactly what Gendanken meant. Bad choice of words Ortho.

 

I see no reason why people are entertaining this clown (orthogonal) with a discussion. His crying, his indignation, the pontification, everything just leaves you wondering why you are arguing with someone whose telling you what you should feel. Oh wait no, at first he did, in his first post, then he took it back in his subsequent post, well done sap! Such a topic is relative and subjective. Apropos, his big forehead is not a defect, there are plenty people with big foreheads.

Now lemme break down why you're a milksop...

Well, that does it, we should all base our morality upon ORTHOGONAL'S life! Please, tell us more, so we too can adhere to your quintessential morality, oh high and mighty powerful autocrat who dictates our every emotion! :bugeye:

I would've laughed at that burning bird too. And you use fear of being ridiculed in public as to merit your pedantic morality. Oh no, public agony, that must mean you're wrong and they're right, because they're the majority, right? No! And I know you're going to turn this around and throw this right back at me BUT, if you need flak from your peers and fear of being labelled a rogue to induce some serious "soul-searching", you're shallow.

Kinda goes against your whole, "that doesn't give us a carte blanche to ridicule the size of his forehead" argument, doesn't it? Well, of course it does.

Would you like a cookie? If so, what kind? I mean, it's no problem, I can go to the store to get you your precious cookie. You must obviously want something of a prize for all your studious research involving... quotes :bugeye:

That was pure rhetoric on your part, with a touch of verbosity. But fear not, you've succeeded in impressing me, I will make it my business to add you to my 'buddy list' and we can 'chat' sometime... :bugeye:

You're veritably logorrheric, get over yourself. I'd continue but Mephura done said everything else. Orthogonal, I have some advice for you: try crying a little less; it makes you look like a nudnick, and we all know how you wouldn't want others thinking negatively of you (evident by his college lunch room story). And you thought you were going to get through to us... way to fuel the fire!

 

Gendanken:

In this you're wrong.

That he has made that comparison is reflective of the mocking nature of the topic.

Unless you would call the physiological source of mockery a human augmentation?

I mean, if you want to make an issue, take it up with Goofy, who already stands "chastened" by the response.

Get therapy: Whether it's me, my child, dead horses, or off, you seem to have a ridiculous devotion to beating.

I mean, really, anyone's welcome to declare the fellow the next Joe Millionaire, but it looks to me like you and Chalaco are just out to stir trouble.

 

:bugeye: keep my name out of your posts. My comments were not incendiary. Read it again... slowly (if you want to pass judgement on my comments that is)

 

Mod Hat:

Chalaco

Keep your attitude problem out of my forum.

They were inflammatory.

Which part do you think is actually useful? The part where . . .

(A) . . . you call Orthogonal a clown?
(B) . . . you deliberately misinterpret in order to heap on sarcasm?
(C) . . . you resort to patronizing belligerence in lieu of a point?

Take your time. I'm not seeing any right answers among the above, and that's the problem.

 

hmmmmmmm...... it appears as if though you're a mod. If that is the case, it would imprudent to congregate with you, because you may go on a powertrip and ban me. However, if you took offense to my comments, you need not. See, he was passing his morality off as being objective, or intimating that we should feel more compassion rather, I aver that morality is completely subjective and that we can laugh at whatever we see fit to laugh at, and I didn't like it when he patronized Mephura. Not that I need to explain myself, though. His follies were overt.

BUT, I'm man enough to admit when I may have crossed the line between being facetious and just plain insolent, I lament it fully, I assure you, Mr. Moderator.

 

oh and ummm.......... who are you again? :bugeye:

 

Tessie:

"Nope, actually it's too much dope, too little sleep, primacy and recency, and a miserable misfire."

With the exception of it being a miserable misfire.....ring any bells?

You're saying either two things: the "physiologcal source" itself , meaning mockery, is an evolutionary supplement of humanity. True- its what makes man man that he can laugh at his peers' jokes, sneer at their peer's misfortunes and cry with the rest of them when they get their house burned down by this same peer who was bullied in high school for having what Mr. Orthoganal here would call 'defects'.

Much the same as it takes seconds to find a face attractive or fuckable, its in the human pedigree to feel repulsion and mockery, quiet or not, at other's ..........~unpleasentness~.


Or: you may just be trying to be funny by calling the huge forehead an augmention. He was born like that, Tessie.

You're directing this to the wrong person, no?

No he doesn't. He's provided a wonderful picture to both sneer and cringe at, that's all. Say it or don't ......I know you'd at least look twice if the man came and sat next to you on the subway.

Chalaco:

He's none other than the Ethics, Justice and Morality mod. Of course you know that now but I doubt you know his huge posts would wear holes through a word count.

Chalaco, meet Tessie. Tessie, Chalaco.

 

Chalaco:

...and in between quotes he speaks as if emotion is something wholesale that without automatically makes one reptilian.

While not as extreme, this is what Orhoganal sounds like.

 

Not this time out.

A nickel's worth of free advice: Don't overspend that point, Gendanken.

What in the world are you going on about?

It's real simple:

• Calling someone "Beavis" ain't exactly a kindness.
• This mocking lack of kindness is based on a physical aspect that, as some have pointed out, is related to birth.
• Is anybody here mocking him because of his superiority?
• It rather seems that the source of this mockery is his apparent stupidity combined with his resemblance to a cartoon character.

But I suppose Orthogonal owes an apology. Heck, I do, too. I hadn't realized that the mockery was all praise to this man's superiority.

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How so?

There's a difference between looking twice at what seems a statistical anomaly in my range of experience and going out of my way to mock it.

There's a bit in Eco's Foucault's Pendulum where Jacopo and Pow discuss the difference between doing the right thing for the wrong reasons and the wrong thing for the right.

I find it quite odd that you would bear the message you do while defending the mockery--or, rather, attacking the defense against mockery--of someone's physical aspect inasmuch as that physical aspect is not a chosen style.

I have no problem with the words "birth defect" in this topic because it reflects the context of what Orthogonal chose to address.

In that sense, I think the only real ethical issue so far in this topic has already been addressed by Orthogonal and Goofy.

To me, the humorous editorial content of the topic comes with the fact that i can't get Pink Floyd out of my head when I look at the topic post. And that has nothing to do with Beavis himself, or the forehead of our topic subject.