Comments on: The Box http://www.shortpacked.com/2009/comic/book-10/02-i-am-also-batman/thebox/ Toys are serious business. Fri, 24 May 2013 06:28:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Dreadjaws http://www.shortpacked.com/2009/comic/book-10/02-i-am-also-batman/thebox/#comment-100815 Dreadjaws Thu, 29 Nov 2012 01:23:55 +0000 http://test.frumph.net/2009/11/04/thebox/#comment-100815 What movie is this referencing? What movie is this referencing?

]]> By: ajm5007 http://www.shortpacked.com/2009/comic/book-10/02-i-am-also-batman/thebox/#comment-61543 ajm5007 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:56:17 +0000 http://test.frumph.net/2009/11/04/thebox/#comment-61543 Mike wouldn't push the button. It's no fun if you don't know the victim. Mike wouldn’t push the button. It’s no fun if you don’t know the victim.

]]> By: Yoto32 http://www.shortpacked.com/2009/comic/book-10/02-i-am-also-batman/thebox/#comment-54529 Yoto32 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 01:54:07 +0000 http://test.frumph.net/2009/11/04/thebox/#comment-54529 I too have noticed that a disturbing number of Jeff Dunham jokes border on racism or rely on homophobia. But I quickly get past that when Peanut or Walter come out. I too have noticed that a disturbing number of Jeff Dunham jokes border on racism or rely on homophobia. But I quickly get past that when Peanut or Walter come out.

]]> By: RedScharron http://www.shortpacked.com/2009/comic/book-10/02-i-am-also-batman/thebox/#comment-52137 RedScharron Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:47:07 +0000 http://test.frumph.net/2009/11/04/thebox/#comment-52137 In the original short story (by Richard Matheson as was mentioned below) the wife pushes it and her husband dies -- she didn't really <b>know</b> him -- and the promised money takes the form of his insurance policy. The Twilight Zone changed it to having the stranger collect the box when delivering the money and promise to give it to someone they don't know. IIRC in the movie it's a test and conspiracy and blahblah. This is not an improvement on the story's question of the difference between long acquaintance and personal understanding or both the story and the show highlighting the hypocrisy and callousness of considering taking a life just because it isn't one that's important <i>to you</i>. From the first two it should have been clear it's one of those stories that's largely atmospheric while setting up a surprise ending and that adapting it into a full length feature totally misses the point. Whoever came up with this genius idea was obviously never unfortunate enough to sit through the pitiful attempt to make "The Lottery" feature length, a better piece of source material that's equally restricted to a very finite amount of stretching. (I have a particular love of short stories that rely on atmosphere and sometimes have incidental or completely non-existent plots and I think watching them get eviscerated and warped in shameless cash grabbing attempts to make them appeal an audience the producers seem to believe has the attention span and IQ of a houseplant is starting to break me. I have nightmares about someone convincing Ursula K. Le Guin that "Omelas" should be a movie...) In the original short story (by Richard Matheson as was mentioned below) the wife pushes it and her husband dies — she didn’t really know him — and the promised money takes the form of his insurance policy. The Twilight Zone changed it to having the stranger collect the box when delivering the money and promise to give it to someone they don’t know. IIRC in the movie it’s a test and conspiracy and blahblah. This is not an improvement on the story’s question of the difference between long acquaintance and personal understanding or both the story and the show highlighting the hypocrisy and callousness of considering taking a life just because it isn’t one that’s important to you.

From the first two it should have been clear it’s one of those stories that’s largely atmospheric while setting up a surprise ending and that adapting it into a full length feature totally misses the point. Whoever came up with this genius idea was obviously never unfortunate enough to sit through the pitiful attempt to make “The Lottery” feature length, a better piece of source material that’s equally restricted to a very finite amount of stretching.

(I have a particular love of short stories that rely on atmosphere and sometimes have incidental or completely non-existent plots and I think watching them get eviscerated and warped in shameless cash grabbing attempts to make them appeal an audience the producers seem to believe has the attention span and IQ of a houseplant is starting to break me. I have nightmares about someone convincing Ursula K. Le Guin that “Omelas” should be a movie…)

]]> By: Kristy http://www.shortpacked.com/2009/comic/book-10/02-i-am-also-batman/thebox/#comment-43912 Kristy Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:15:14 +0000 http://test.frumph.net/2009/11/04/thebox/#comment-43912 To me, it's the difference between laughing <i>about</i> something, and laughing <i>at</i> something - or someone. One can be funny. I've heard so many arguments about why it's bad to joke about this topic or that topic, and I don't buy it. You can joke about anything, you can laugh about anything, and sometimes you have to. Laughing <i>at</i> people, though, is mean-spirited and hurtful. Some people may find hurting other people to be funny, but most of us think it kinda makes you an asshole. And most racist/homophobic humor is definitely of the "laugh <i>at</i>" variety. To me, it’s the difference between laughing about something, and laughing at something – or someone.

One can be funny. I’ve heard so many arguments about why it’s bad to joke about this topic or that topic, and I don’t buy it. You can joke about anything, you can laugh about anything, and sometimes you have to.

Laughing at people, though, is mean-spirited and hurtful. Some people may find hurting other people to be funny, but most of us think it kinda makes you an asshole. And most racist/homophobic humor is definitely of the “laugh at” variety.

]]> By: jeschr http://www.shortpacked.com/2009/comic/book-10/02-i-am-also-batman/thebox/#comment-40673 jeschr Sat, 02 Jul 2011 09:22:35 +0000 http://test.frumph.net/2009/11/04/thebox/#comment-40673 If no one makes racist caricatures, the terrorist wins! I kid What's wrong with racial or homosexual or political caricatures? It's just jokes. I live in Denmark. We had the whole thing with the muhammed drawings, which caused a shitload of fuss a lot of places. all the while us danes are sitting like "you mad cus you didn't get the joke?" We have a very tolerating society. We joke about pretty much everything. Especially ourselves. Jeff Dunham's joke match a lot of our jokes. If no one makes racist caricatures, the terrorist wins!
I kid
What’s wrong with racial or homosexual or political caricatures? It’s just jokes.
I live in Denmark. We had the whole thing with the muhammed drawings, which caused a shitload of fuss a lot of places. all the while us danes are sitting like “you mad cus you didn’t get the joke?” We have a very tolerating society. We joke about pretty much everything. Especially ourselves. Jeff Dunham’s joke match a lot of our jokes.

]]> By: Paul1963 http://www.shortpacked.com/2009/comic/book-10/02-i-am-also-batman/thebox/#comment-37428 Paul1963 Sun, 12 Jun 2011 14:43:23 +0000 http://test.frumph.net/2009/11/04/thebox/#comment-37428 Y'know, sometimes I think getting that Comedy Central series was the worst thing for Jeff Dunham's fans. I mean, you see the guy live (as I did once, years ago--He just had Peanut and Walter then) and he's really funny, and it's over and you go on with your life. Same deal with his one-hour specials. And then he gets a series. And you see him coming up with a half-hour of new material every week, and you come to a realization: An awful lot of his material is really, really racist. Think about it: He has six characters: Walter, Peanut, the Mortimer Snerd superhero whose name I can't remember, Sweet Daddy D, Jose Jalapeno on a Stick, and Achmed the Dead Terrorist. <i>Half</i> of his material is based on racist caricatures. <i>HALF.</i> And since the superhero doesn't come out that often, it's <i>really</i> more like <i>sixty percent!</i> And then suddenly you don't feel too good about watching him anymore. Y’know, sometimes I think getting that Comedy Central series was the worst thing for Jeff Dunham’s fans. I mean, you see the guy live (as I did once, years ago–He just had Peanut and Walter then) and he’s really funny, and it’s over and you go on with your life. Same deal with his one-hour specials.
And then he gets a series. And you see him coming up with a half-hour of new material every week, and you come to a realization: An awful lot of his material is really, really racist.
Think about it: He has six characters: Walter, Peanut, the Mortimer Snerd superhero whose name I can’t remember, Sweet Daddy D, Jose Jalapeno on a Stick, and Achmed the Dead Terrorist.
Half of his material is based on racist caricatures. HALF. And since the superhero doesn’t come out that often, it’s really more like sixty percent!
And then suddenly you don’t feel too good about watching him anymore.

]]> By: Maycroft http://www.shortpacked.com/2009/comic/book-10/02-i-am-also-batman/thebox/#comment-36046 Maycroft Sun, 29 May 2011 05:55:10 +0000 http://test.frumph.net/2009/11/04/thebox/#comment-36046 That'll be the perfect toy for mike That’ll be the perfect toy for mike

]]> By: Despite Rage http://www.shortpacked.com/2009/comic/book-10/02-i-am-also-batman/thebox/#comment-35830 Despite Rage Thu, 26 May 2011 20:47:16 +0000 http://test.frumph.net/2009/11/04/thebox/#comment-35830 I disagree. Mike wouldn't like the randomness. He'd handle it himself. I disagree. Mike wouldn’t like the randomness. He’d handle it himself.

]]> By: Houro http://www.shortpacked.com/2009/comic/book-10/02-i-am-also-batman/thebox/#comment-33224 Houro Wed, 04 May 2011 14:43:16 +0000 http://test.frumph.net/2009/11/04/thebox/#comment-33224 That's the thing, Mike wouldn't care. He'd push the button before the guy would be able to finish his speech. That’s the thing, Mike wouldn’t care. He’d push the button before the guy would be able to finish his speech.

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