Asteck

Sorry guys, my cat got on my computer last night while I was in the other room taking notes on America’s got Talent. She has a little problem with walking away from conflict, even when she has no stakes in the argument or knows it will ruin the tone and light-hearted feeling of whatever setting she’s in. I think she just likes feeling “right”. Anyway, she seems to be acting pretty guilty and I don’t think she’ll do it again.

I didn't say anything about what quantified somebody as a gamer and after re-reading the other comments, unless I missed something, neither does anybody else. It was the general, and completely subjective title of "nerd" that I could find no useful gain in definition by your post. I just wrote that, look at what you just made me write. What I'm going to say, I convey with all due respect: I took issue with that part of your comment because, I believe, your job is to moderate and extinguish inflammatory and insulting commentary on these boards, not contribute to them. IF you had believed he was in the wrong (and I agree, he was) for calling this girl, that he did not know, a gold-digger, you could have told him he was crossing a line and that was not the kind of discussion supported here. If you did not like the suicide post he made, you could have done the same, or sent a private message warning him not to do so in the future. Instead, you insulted him. Then, when he replied, you brought up a completely unrelated set of information, the kind that leads to the sort of caustic language represented in the very conflict we're debating. "What makes a nerd a "nerd". I just wrote that too. In my opinion you did the opposite of moderating. You instigated, inflamed and then 'won' by banning. I'm not saying that what TheNarnold said was defensible, but there are certainly times when I get all heated and don't have anybody to stop me from getting to the keyboard and typing things that I'll regret. The meltdown I had a while ago on the I4H forums is fine, embarrassing proof of that.

Thanks for clearing that up, although I'm not sure why you used quotes here, were you using my words to strengthen your argument, or be condescending or something? I'm not trying to be confrontational or aggressive toward you at all, I was just trying to figure out your point of view. I read your links and I'll say that this still does not fall into my definition of a social issue worthy of concern, at least not outside of the one encompassing the overt sexism or racism that tends to cultivate through the anonymity of the internet. I’d actually seen the damsel and distress videos and the ones that counter them. I thought that they both gave fine points and I’ll acknowledge that an unfortunate difference between the two is that the guy probably didn’t get many emails of dicks photoshopped onto his face for doing so. I find those responses deplorable, but I don’t think they represent an oppression specific to nerd girls. They’re just representations of the lazy, morally boundary-less reactions and insults found all over the internet, of which you can find examples directed at basically everybody. They’re the finger-shits of countless assholes affirming their own points of view by insulting people anonymously. Anybody who presents themselves for judgment on the internet, unfortunately, opens themselves to the subjection of these kinds of insults. The reactions are so common that things like Youtube Reacts To are considered funny rather than disconcerting, which is something I would say is worthy of concern(if I wasn't so busy laughing my socks off ). I truly do wish that people on the internet would treat others like they would in real life. I don’t really see what TheNarnold’s gamer score has to do with anything, outside of attempting to establish an imaginary metric of what quantifies nerdness. That seems totally subjective and the sort thing that creates the resentment and insecurities you see at both ends of this nerd girl debate. I guess I’m being confrontational here, because I really don’t see how this supports your point or what reason you’d have for posting it other than embarrassing him. I think I made it clear in my last post that I don’t agree with what he said, but I have to say that I don’t agree with this either. If you feel anonymity negates opinions, my name is Adam Steckler and the girl I referenced as reacting negatively to the Portlandia sketch is Whitney Moore.

Do you really think that pulling the fake girl nerd card is upping the jackass ante over making fun of a girl who killed herself? I don't think of myself as a nerd and I'm not a girl, so I can't speak to the effect it might have on somebody, but to me it just seems like a thoughtless dismissal of somebody's value in a subculture based on how they look. Basically just calling them posers, which I agree is shitty thing to say to somebody, but not nearly as hurtful as mocking a dead woman. Is it because nerdy guys are known for being more vitriolic with their opinions and these girls are receiving some seriously hurtful hate? I'm genuinely interested to know if you consider this more offensive because in the threads that followed that Portlandia sketch phrases like "nerd girl shaming" were being thrown around, as if this were a legitimate social issue worthy of concern. To me it seems like the same reaction every other group of people who are uncomfortable with their community gaining popularity gives to the newcomers - lazily writing them off so they can continue to feel unique or special or whatever. Or were you just saying, “You annoyed me with this thread, and now you’ve annoyed me with this other thing” and the degrees of offense were irrelevant? I’m not trying to be confrontational; I’m just trying to get my head around it. The reactions I’ve been seeing from people about the nerd girl thing are confusing me to point of wondering I’d missed something major, like a girl bullied into suicide or attacked for not being truly nerdy or something.

Yep. I don't know about the gold digging part, but I've had to interact with one of her friends who is also a legitimate nerd who just happens to be an attractive girl and gets paid to cosplay. Oh boy you should have seen their reaction to that Nerd Girl Portlandia sketch.

I guess Sean and Hayes didn't realize that in this day and age you cannot simply give a mouse a cookie without imparting the expectation that you will hang out with that mouse and gratify its consumption of the cookie by liking its comments on your message board. This ain't your grandpa's podcast network; time to get with it guys. I'm hereby exposing Heroes of Cosplay as a shill operation for the Nerdist Network and will not be watching it out off solidarity for Earwolf and because it is boring.

I'll have sex with an animal, a blender, it doesn't matter. I'll fuck the monitor displaying these forums. I can do whatever I want as long as it's through the hole in the sheet.

You're right, it's a Fieri thing! Man that show sounds fantastic. A bunch of old dudes in aprons un-ironically going "Dude did you check out how baller this garlic-mayo is?" "You nailed it bro, totally baller." *fist bump*

I didn't understand a word of the second half of the show. I don't get sports. Athletes and balls don't co-exist within my sports free vacuum. It's important to tell people that I don't watch sports. I do. After every season I wonder if we'll ever get to see a "40-50ish failed rocker guy" food network show. They trot one or two of them out every time to, I suppose, taunt them with one last glimpse at fame. Or maybe it's just to put that nugget of curiosity in the audience's mind and get them thinking "I know this guy can't play the guitar or sing well enough to make a living, but will that soul-patch help him cook?"

I'm not sure which religion you abide by, but I lay my beliefs in the Cult of Cuban. "Lo! I'm gonna switch this up and let you make me an offer, but make it good... or I'm out." Spake The MarkCuban. And the equity came unto him thusly.

I'm in one of the Time Warner Cable markets that blacked out CBS, so I can't watch Big Brother. Can somebody post detailed episode recaps over a series of several posts? At this point I think 5 or more posts will get me caught up. Thanks in advance!

Wow that OITNBITNH discussion really shed a new light on how I’ve been representing my favorite media. For example, I love the reality Show show. So to express that, I did what I do with my favorite bands, or maybe even movies that most people haven’t heard of – I made a t-shirt. Nothing crazy, just a cool unique tee that I made with some stencils and I wear a lot to like, comedy clubs, or lines outside of movie theatres. When somebody who hasn’t heard of the show asks me about it, I’ll usually act all bashful and say something like “oh it’s just this podcast I listen to…” and then sort of rush to add “but you probably wouldn’t like it.” Regardless of how familiar I am with their preferences. Just to make sure they know it’s no big deal that they weren’t already aware of it. If somebody notices it who has heard of the show, they’ll usually give me a lot of compliments about how cool it is and how much they want one. They’ll ask where I got it and I’ll tell them I made it, so they’ll think it’s even cooler and not only do I have great taste, but I’m also super creative. It’s really great. After listening to this week’s episode I sat down and I thought to myself “Huh, what if what I’m doing isn’t about the show; what if it’s taking something that other people worked hard on and making it about me?” Then I thought “As much as I like doing this, maybe I shouldn’t?” I haven’t watched OITNBITNH yet, but if Hemlock Grove is any indication of Netflix’s ability to establish a coherent tone and well paced storylines, I’m sure it’ll be a doozy.

Extreme Cougar Wives "oo you're flashing me. Those are your undies dear!" "Yes... don't you find that interesting?" Stroking chin "veeerry interesting"

I have it on good authority that the Planet Money crew are all pretty hardcore The Challenge shippers. Chana Joffe-Walt is particularly dedicated to "Team CTiem" and even has her own set of wigs to match the ones worn on the show.

Not to mention the mysteriously absent Shark Tank tanks. I've checked so many times and they're never there! I wouldn't complain, but I just can't come up with a better way to conveniently let the public know I make savvy investments and remedy my shoulder's sickly pallor. These things are practically translucent.

Uh-oh. I've been specifically telling people not to listen to trSs so it keeps feeling like "my little secret"... is that bad? Since these forums are heating up, I'm gonna take the opportunity to get a little more real and way less polite. I was in a class with that Elisha guy and he sent me a nice message asking if I wanted to be friends. Then, when I asked if he wanted to grab a drink, he never replied! What the fuck man. Maybe that's just a thing they do things at Emerson, but he definitely made the list of people I'm not feeling.

If you guys ever find any downtime between Big Brother episodes, you should do yourselves a favor and watch a few episodes of Canadian Dragon's Den. It's like a goofier, bizarro Shark Tank and seems to focus more on the Dragon's hi-jinks with the entrepreneurs than the deal being made. It's great seeing Robert act like a top dog, knowing he's fated to become a cowering, neutered pup in Cuban's presence. If you need a bit more convincing: This person built a motorcycle hearse. Without prompting, Kevin climbs inside the coffin, then, one by one, the other Dragons fill it with money, close it and carry him away. It's so good. And look at how happy Robert is, poor guy doesn't know that fun's about to end. I thought Whodunnit was based on Clueless, but I might have gotten my facts wrong.

There are a few more details in this episode of Jordan Jesse go. If you're interested, the Kanye part begins around 84:00. It's pretty funny and definitely worth a listen. I'd love to know the name of the poor improviser from the end of the story just to put a face on him, especially of he's been a guest on I4H! For some reason I just picture a nonplussed Paul Rust or Mookie Blaiklock, standing in front of Kanye and his friends, not knowing what to do. And that image is hilarious.

Yes! I came to see if anybody else caught that! It's a reference to ep 21 Broke Mother's Back The suggestions and scene in question begin at 23:50 for anybody who's interested. Outside of being straight up hilarious, doing things like making references to shows from over a year ago are why Joe Wengert is, and always will be one of the best. PERKL

I guess I’ll have to keep filling the void in the same way I do when my favorite American shows go on hiatus by looking to their U.K. counterparts for content. The Reality SHOWE Showe is pretty good, there are funny segments like “Wha’s all dis den?” about Dragon’s Den. The only weird thing is there’s this pointless narrator who really dramatically sums up what you’ve just heard and then sets up what you’re literally about to hear. He’ll be like “Shawne has just aced a cracking send up of Dragon, Peter Jones. Will Heighs lose it like a wally, or play it brill?” And you’re like I know he’s play brill, that’s what he’s done every other time and he’ll probably shoot back a send up of his own. It seems unnecessary, but I guess it’s just a British thing.

Awesome.

You could say a lot of things about Anastasia after this week's episode, but did anybody else think she looked remarkably like Sheldon from Garfield and Friends when she was waiting for her boyfriend's cab to arrive? Maybe it's because her nickname's Bird and that just puts eggs on the mind by association, but seriously, that dress made her look like an egg with two legs sticking out of it.

Since we're deep in the middle of the hiatus and there's no sign of a Tanks but(or?) no Tanks in sight, I decided to watch some of the outtakes for Shark Tank on ABC's site. I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite moments. -Startled by an entrepreneur’s outrageous valuation, Kevin jerks his head so rapidly that the jar of honey he’d been eating out of becomes comically affixed to his snout. -After several minutes of Damon’s heated inquiries, an entrepreneur confesses that the product he had been presenting to the sharks not only did not exist, but the entire company had been imaginary! All of the Sharks go out, but after an impassioned plea from the entrepreneur, Lori comes back in and makes a full offer. -During a Tank update, Robert’s visit with a CEO is interrupted by a chime from his cell phone. “Oh looks like I got a picture message, I’ll pull it up with T-Mobile’s blazing fast 4G” he says. But he’s stunned when an image of himself with his arm around a man whose had Mark’s face crudely photoshopped onto it appears. In a daze, he murmurs “Who sent this… can this be... is it real?” before quietly nodding at the image for twenty minutes. -Following a child’s presentation of a product that would change the way kids learn to ride bikes, Kevin imparts an analogy about the natural order of life in the wild that is so long the production crew deems it un-editable. As the child had visibly aged into a young man, and Barbara was left degraded into nothing more than pile of skeletal remains. -An entrepreneur presents a mysterious orb containing all knowledge of the past, present and future. He proves this to Sharks by correctly predicting their reasoning for going out. Stating “Robert- ‘ I think you came here a little too early and I just can’t get behind the product, I’m out’ Lori – ‘I would invest in you, but the product just wouldn’t work on QVC, I’m out’ Kevin- ‘There’s no way to stop one the big-box guys from coming along and making an orb of their own, you’re dead to me, I’m out’ Damon- ‘your valuation’s crazy and I just don’t see how I can add value, I’m out’ Mark – ‘I don’t invest in magicy products, I think it’s a pseudoscience, I’m out.” After the man and the orb exit, the Sharks’ silence is only broken by Damon wondering “If he knew we wouldn’t invest, why did he come on? More importantly, why did he seem disappointed by the outcome? Do our lives have meaning, or are we merely acting out roles set by a greater power?” Production shuts down as a few of the Sharks weep openly, while others leave to be with their families. -Damon interrupts a pitch to call out Mark on a major stinker he let loose. Mark denies it while Barbara chuckles “It was me.” -Robert volunteers to try out a stationary skateboard workout device, but slips on his way, ripping the seat of his pants. Panicking, he looks directly at Mark and screams “DON’T LAUGH,” then frantically crab-walks past the entrepreneurs and off the set. Later, video from a news helicopter depicts him crab-walking on the 10 freeway, blocking traffic for miles. Witnesses report he was last seen crab-walking off the Santa Monica pier, surfacing near the horizon and disappearing into the sunset. -For the first time in Shark Tank history an entrepreneur returns for a third time, as Copa di Vino CEO James Martin re-confronts the Sharks. It was clear from the get-go that this would be no ordinary pitch when he entered wearing a “More like Kevin O’really” t-shirt. Without saying anything, and maintaining keen eye-contact with Kevin, he downed an entire bottle of wine and then proceeded to offer 100% of his ass for 100 of Kevin’s kisses. Kevin aggravated the situation by sticking his fingers in his ears, repeating “La la la la, I can’t hear dead men, you’re dead to me.” Martin was eventually grappled by security and escorted away after trying to force Kevin out of his chair, all the while screaming “Noo… I was right! I’m rich now! I’m one of you!” He never made a deal and his sanity was never restored.

I think it was the incredible effects you implied the idea would have on you that stirred my reply, not any wounding of feelings. I subscribe to the idea that what you say on the internet shouldn’t stray too far from what you’d say in real life. So walking through somebody actually saying what you wrote I got: “This idea was idiotic, but not just regular idiotic (heh, I can manage that!), no this was super-obnoxious idiotic (don’t worry, I made a note of it), but that doesn’t completely articulate it does it? No, this idea of putting the value of a debate segment to debate was so far beyond human tolerance idiotic that it made me sick.” Honestly if you’d called it stupid, I wouldn’t have cared. Heck you could have said all of that and offered a better solution and I wouldn’t have minded. I acknowledge that your reply reply brought value to the debate, but the way you went about it tinges a major pet peeve of mine regarding the I4H forums, mainly because of a fantasy I created when I first started listening. This show speaks to a specific comedic sensibility. When I started listening I recall hoping that the community that followed it would be like-minded, good natured, self-aware and usually light hearted. A community that reflected the style of comedy conveyed on the show. Then Chris Gore guested and it was like any sense of reason jumped ship. I literally made this account to try to get people to stop calling a stranger they’d had a 20 minute experience with a sociopath. Did they genuinely believe that? It’s been like a Chris Gore debate after every case closed to me. People aggressively asserting their opinions, whining when they don’t find a segment of the show funny, as if it had been forced upon them, and being downright assholes. I recall a person making a comment during the thread that followed the Prestonsinfield ep which read “Matt I’m a fan, but fuck you...” Would that statement ever be uttered in real life? Would somebody go to a show, wait in line to make a comment to the performer and say that? Clearly this all isn’t aimed at you. And if you’re thinking that I’m taking this way too seriously, I agree. I’m just bummed that something that could have been so cool was shat upon so heavily. I imagined what it must be like outside of the UCB with a bunch of people with similar interests in comedy interacting and got my hopes up. I appreciate your olive branch, but if there is any way to put those funds toward another chapter of the Master Classes being created, I will gladly match it. I’m gonna take my own advice and just skip the portion of the show that I feel brings the rest of the show down by peacing out of these forums. That being said, with RIP Spirit Bear being outed, I’d like to take this time to admit that this has in fact been a duplicate account, for the one I usually use: Lukas Holmes. I’ll probably change my mind later and try to use my other account to refute this, but in this moment, I’m glad I’m finally getting the truth out there. Thanks RIP spirit bear, it feels great! If anybody actually read all of that, I'll save you the trouble by adding this for you

I'll admit when I suggested this, I didn't consider how pointless actually doing it would be, as any result would likely result in a shit-storm of the super-obnoxious and aggressive comments, either for or against, I'm wishing would end. Honestly I wish there was just some way to put a lid on the whole conversation. Although the same conversation seems to have occurred in every thread following an episode containing a case closed segment, individuals still feel that they're capable of changing a faceless stranger's opinion over the internet. Some will even put idiotic amounts of time (gathering data, making list, etc.) into arguing something they must internally accept will not yield any results. Anyway, I was going to post that while I acknowledge that some of the folks who dislike CC are only mentioning this because they genuinely feel that it is not comedic and therefore not contributing to what their vision of what Matt's podcast should be, they have the option to skip the segment entirely. Unfortunately, coming to the comment section to write a post about why there's no need to write a post about a portion of the show that you can avoid entirely is not only hypocritical, it may also induce illness in meta-averse readers. So I decided not to. That said, thanks so much for your two cents on the idea and for your post altogether, I'm sure in some way they helped lead to a solution