TrainBust - Latest Comments

Re: Hot or Ho? Sexy Signifiers and the Female Form

HarmonyP — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 03:08:20 -0000

I'm not attracted to women, so I just overlook ""hawtness".
A ballerina is the most beautiful female type. Sexless and the pinnacle of Grace.
Animals like swans and doves are more beautiful than any human. This is why Swan Lake is such a classic ballet.

Re: An Open Letter to the Atheist Community

ss — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:28:38 -0000

Interesting. What are your thoughts on "Indeed a growing body of psychological science is suggesting that religious people are happier, healthier, and recover better after traumas than nonreligious people" from 'the how of happiness, by Sonja Lyubomirsky, page 228'.

Re: From the People who Brought you Cheese: on Embracing Neurodiversity

ss — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 23:15:09 -0000

or maybe the alpha's of the society made the weaker people try it first as a test?

Re: The Funny thing about Thought Catalog’s SlutWalk Article (It’s Not Funny)

BlindGiant — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:04:56 -0000

Yeah, thank you for pointing that out. I noticed a link to a Thought Catalog article that was almost certainly hers, and I was rather disappointed myself. Still, that's what we started this website for: better writing!

Re: The Funny thing about Thought Catalog’s SlutWalk Article (It’s Not Funny)

Coiltesla — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:55:22 -0000

I came across this post via links from commentary on a more recent feminist baiting post on Thought Catalog (written by a different anti-feminist woman). You might be interested to note two things: 1. Chelsea Fagan is an increasingly adamant anti-feminist in her own blog. She's clearly more than a bit right wing there. 2. While it did not take down her article, Thought Catalog removed it from the list of articles under her name. They put it under a separate blank "Chelsea Fagan" bio, which seems a bit dishonest, like they don't want people to go to their popular "Boyfriend Application" post and find that ugly essay. Despite the alleged apology, Thought Catalog seems to have a fondness for right wing hipster women, and has a political agenda which it's not entirely honest about.

Re: Girls

Laura — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:48:48 -0000

The triangle? It's just a dialogue between the two girls. I consider it a mumblecore comic. It's just to cause you to laugh- a little.

Re: Girls

Jenn — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:19:01 -0000

I read all five pages. Is the light thingy a character? Help? lol

Re: Girls

Jenn — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:17:46 -0000

I don't get this. What are we looking at here? I know, not supposed to ask that, but I am just kinda confused.

Re: PoliticalSpectrumFear

BlindGiant — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 09:10:05 -0000

This article is available here.

Re: A Defense of Criticism; or, “If You Liked it Then You Shoulda Put a Leash on it”

Brit — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 02:21:57 -0000

When people disagree, definitely makes it worth your while to tell them to shove off, or listen to them politely and know you spawned a decent conversation out of the toadstool of life lol.

Re: A Defense of Criticism; or, “If You Liked it Then You Shoulda Put a Leash on it”

Rob — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:09:57 -0000

as long as people responding you're doing something, so good for you!!!

Re: A Defense of Criticism; or, “If You Liked it Then You Shoulda Put a Leash on it”

iandarda — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 05:45:05 -0000

This is vaguely in response to the general direction of some of the comments we get: Max's assertion that art should be transcendent and not partisan to a critical tradition; Brit's assertion that video games do not qualify as subjects of study in the same way that "great literature" does; some arguments against us playing "PC Police" (PCP for short) because words don't have any power or meaning unless one gives it to them; and so on. I suppose no one tells us explicitly not to, just that we're wasting our time.

Re: A Defense of Criticism; or, “If You Liked it Then You Shoulda Put a Leash on it”

Rob — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 02:20:47 -0000

well said but as far as I can tell you're fine. kinda cliche at the end haha.

Re: A Defense of Criticism; or, “If You Liked it Then You Shoulda Put a Leash on it”

Rob — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 02:19:09 -0000

who tells you not to do what you do?

Re: Mass Murder or Interactive Literature?

Brittybye12 — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 03:31:36 -0000

wtf?

Re: Mass Murder or Interactive Literature?

Brit — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 03:31:09 -0000

My response is at the top. Take heed, Trainbust designers, the aesthetic of these comment strips is morally comparable to genocide.

Re: Mass Murder or Interactive Literature?

Brit — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 03:29:00 -0000

K, but no game's message or delivery comes close to the complexities of great literature; this just... goes without saying.

Re: Chicago Slutwalk: Marching Against Shame, Control, and Sexual Assault

Saunajunkie — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:21:55 -0000

As far as crossing your legs, I think this is because dresses were the traditional for women. It is pretty unbecoming to keep your legs open. When I wore a miniskirt a while ago it was something I had to concentrate on so that I didn't show off my guy-parts. It just comes with the territory. While pants are nice for this, they really don't get the same breeziness as a good skirt. I saw a few guys wearing utilikilts, and one day I'll probably get one. First, however, I need to learn to like ska music. One day society will change and we won't have to be afraid of rape or judgements on our musical tastes (i.e. men wearing skirts.) Until then we march against the thought that egalitarian society can also have gender boundaries.

Re: Mass Murder or Interactive Literature?

Donnythesophist — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 09:51:47 -0000

P.S. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and discuss this with me.

Re: Mass Murder or Interactive Literature?

Donnythesophist — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 09:49:26 -0000

I think I see your point through all that defensiveness. You have a point that games should be judged on their own merits as opposed to trying to compare them to other media. There are things games can do that no other medium can because of the nature of interactivity. A book can describe the old west's fall but red dead redemption can more effectively put you in that world by making you the agent of the characters decisions. So yeah in some ways games are more effective in producing a message. However I don't agree that depth has to take away from enjoyment. I have played many games that have made me face the dichotmy of moral choice (fallout, mass effect, etc.) While still being very engaging. Red Dead had a lot of artistic merit, did that take away from it? Lastly, I am not sure why you think the fact that games are made for enjoyment makes them different from the "great works of literature" those works were initially written to entertain. Mark Twain is a clear example of this.

Re: Mass Murder or Interactive Literature?

Brit — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 16:36:10 -0000

P.S. I'm not sure what happens when apples and oranges mix, but I'm not willing to take the risk. Think of the children, damn you.

Re: Mass Murder or Interactive Literature?

Brit — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 16:22:58 -0000

My apologies to the lit and science communities. If I upset them folks, I'd be left with only my own judgments and opinions. No one would corroborate with me. Everyone would tell me I'm wrong. It'd be so hard to make friends. I'll never find a man! I'd be so open to ridicule. Oh no. Not that. Now I'm asked to defend my ridiculous claim that video games aren't as powerful or as moving as the great works of literature. Well, for one, video games are meant to be fun. If they become literature, and I feel like I'm "playing" a book, why don't I just read a fucking book? Likewise, if my book goes as deep as "now she's lost her innocence and can't go back to way things were," I'd probably think, "Man, I wish I were playing a video game right now. This game is totally gaysauce," (not that there's anything wrong with that). The point is, identifying similar themes in video games and literature doesn't make the video game deep. Video games will give you the bare-bones essentials of theme and symbolism without the character development and intricate details of plot, leitmotif, symbolism, dialogue, and literary genius. I do suspect making video games "deeper" will result in making them less fun. Generally, this is true for games that try to make games--especially war games--"more realistic." They're not more fun, per se, just more complicated. And of course, let's not confuse my strongly held opinion with empirical fact, we all remember what happened last time. And what wrath that statement hath brought.

But why not compare video games to video games and keep the study of them in that realm, hmm? Don't mix your apples with your oranges, lest we become beasts and not womyn and men.

As for the "definition of art" question: everyone's gotta shit, just don't miss the pot.

Re: Mass Murder or Interactive Literature?

Donnythesophist — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:34:08 -0000

Brit is bringing up a legit viewpoint. While i do disagree with the idea that it is an 'empirical fact' that games will never be art (never is a long time), i am aware that the idea is prevalent. I don't understand it, but it is prevalent. Before we write off Brit perhaps we should ask her how she defines art. Or what deficiencies are systemic to the medium of gaming.

Re: Mass Murder or Interactive Literature?

Kitsch22 — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:16:35 -0000

Pro tip: using "empirical fact" in a conversation about aesthetics and value judgments is a great way to discredit yourself for both the lit-folk and the science-folk. An empirical fact would be that, given the sample available to me, most of the books are made of paper and none of the video games are. You could maybe get into average number of words per-work and maybe even number of plotlines, but for anything sexier than that you'd have to open up the whole "art and social utility" can of worms and then do a bunch of fairly unprecedented studies. Since you're unlikely to do that, I'd recommend that you at least avoid abusing the English language while you try to assert your understanding of its canon.

Re: Mass Murder or Interactive Literature?

Brit — Tue, 31 May 2011 16:16:32 -0000

There is a difference between fun after-school conversations pitting satiric works against each other and classic literature. Video games will never stand next to great literature and don't belong on the same syllabus... this should go without saying. It is an empirical fact. To state otherwise is laughable and false.