NEWS

Conspiracy Theories bring the crazy--it's out now!

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CanRay

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« Reply #60 on: <11-25-11/1707:11> »
Is /dev/grrl legal yet?  :P

All I know is that Butch and Kane will be in pervert's row placing bets.  ;)
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Crimsondude

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« Reply #61 on: <11-25-11/1711:05> »
It depends.

CanRay

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« Reply #62 on: <11-25-11/1716:41> »
Yeah, good point.  Which country will this be happening in?  ;D  *Chuckles*  Damn, I must sound like a dirty old man now.

Without the old part.  Sorta.

...

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Fizzygoo

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« Reply #63 on: <11-25-11/1737:16> »
For a moment I got really confused. I was sure I remembered them having clothes on. Then I went back. Sure enough, I didn't really describe clothing, did I?

So they COULD be nude. If you really need that kind of entertainment. @=)

Glad you enjoyed the fiction. I had fun writing it.

Woa, so I went back and did a close(r) reading of Shadowtown Showdown. Not only is clothing, for Pistons and Netcat, not mentioned, but neither is hair color/style, eye color, distinguishing features, etc. In fact, I would say the best (or at least most comfortably) dressed entity in the story is not even metahuman;

Quote
Shadowtown wore early morning like a weary child in bulky, oversized pajamas...
(CT pg 22).

And the only place where one can assume exactly what either Netcat or Pistons is wearing is when Piston is in all likelihood actually nude!:

Quote
While Pistons showered, Netcat checked her messages.
(CT pg 24).

Now I would say this is awesome on several levels. 1st, because by leaving out physical appearances of the two main characters the story becomes deeply character driven. At no point is the reader left feeling like they didn't know or feel for the two characters. Admittedly some of that is attributed to the fact that both Netcat and Pistons have a long (literary) history that, by its nature, is all about their thoughts as expressed through JackPoint quotes but in the context of the story itself their "characters" emerge through their dialogue with one another; their individuality deeply rooted from their inner selves rather than distinguishing surface facades of clothing (or lack there of) and make up.

Secondly, it's awesome because it's a sci-fi story that has two strong female leads that aren't sexualized. The only sexualization that I could detect in the story was in the description of some of the AR arrows, "Half-naked AR models stepped out of the signs, beckoning those who came within ten meters of the entrance." To which Pistons "snorts." (CT pg 22). And even in that description...it's gender neutral.

So the thesis title of the Shadowtown Showdown literary criticism paper would be something like "Dystopian Future Births Gender Equality" with lengthy extrapolations of the text showing two strong female leads who don't require a male to save them and are fully capable of solving their own problems.

Anyway, that's my quick Feminism read of the story, we'll have to try a Freudian or Marxist one next time or really delve into it with a deconstruction reading ;)
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CanRay

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« Reply #64 on: <11-25-11/1747:28> »
I particularly like the gender neutrality that comes into play in Shadowrun.  Very rarely do you have a female character (Or a male one for that matter) that's completely helpless and unable to do anything to extract themselves unless they live in a Corporate Enclave (And thus protected all their lives) or are children (Who still get a few kicks in.).  There is some sexuality that is brought into play, but I've seen almost as much beefcake as cheesecake.  (The description of Argent certainly comes close.).

Few people in Shadowrun are the "weak and helpless" types.  Even the Geek on the subway has a Colt Asp in the accessories section of his Cyberdeck Case.

Even societal norms can be turned on their heads and few people would notice or care.  An example is the overly buff Nas (Who is near ork sized despite being an elf) and his twink boyfriend Chava (a Night One) are a typical couple in a lot of ways.  But it's Chava cuddling Nas at night as he cries in terror at the dreams that come...
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Crimsondude

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« Reply #65 on: <11-27-11/0600:12> »
Actually, that brings up something I didn't even realize I did until recently. It seems that many, if not most, of the "players" that are mentioned in DeeCee are women: The President, Vice President, three senators, three Cabinet secretaries, Colloton's Chief of Staff, Director of UCAS Intelligence, two regional commissioners, several appointees, Vanessa Marconi (Who's supposed to have taken over as the Mafia's "ambassador" from her father), Corinna, Daviar, Pritchard, Roz Hernandez, the head of Z-OG Terrestrial, CCMA/GOD liaison, and Majia Wright.

Looking at the original list (which was almost as long as the Who Do You Know subchapter itself), there are a ton of women who didn't even get mentioned.
« Last Edit: <11-27-11/0602:03> by James Meiers »

FastJack

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« Reply #66 on: <11-27-11/1227:13> »
Actually, that brings up something I didn't even realize I did until recently. It seems that many, if not most, of the "players" that are mentioned in DeeCee are women: The President, Vice President, three senators, three Cabinet secretaries, Colloton's Chief of Staff, Director of UCAS Intelligence, two regional commissioners, several appointees, Vanessa Marconi (Who's supposed to have taken over as the Mafia's "ambassador" from her father), Corinna, Daviar, Pritchard, Roz Hernandez, the head of Z-OG Terrestrial, CCMA/GOD liaison, and Majia Wright.

Looking at the original list (which was almost as long as the Who Do You Know subchapter itself), there are a ton of women who didn't even get mentioned.
That's because all the men went to the CAS.

Oh, I'm going to pay for that comment.

CanRay

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« Reply #67 on: <11-27-11/1230:27> »
*Sings in the key of off*  "All my exes live in Texas, that's why I live in Tennessee."
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Crimsondude

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« Reply #68 on: <11-27-11/2117:34> »
Actually, that brings up something I didn't even realize I did until recently. It seems that many, if not most, of the "players" that are mentioned in DeeCee are women: The President, Vice President, three senators, three Cabinet secretaries, Colloton's Chief of Staff, Director of UCAS Intelligence, two regional commissioners, several appointees, Vanessa Marconi (Who's supposed to have taken over as the Mafia's "ambassador" from her father), Corinna, Daviar, Pritchard, Roz Hernandez, the head of Z-OG Terrestrial, CCMA/GOD liaison, and Majia Wright.

Looking at the original list (which was almost as long as the Who Do You Know subchapter itself), there are a ton of women who didn't even get mentioned.
That's because all the men went to the CAS.

Oh, I'm going to pay for that comment.
Yeah, but now Jack Nicholson's comment about female superior officers in A Few Good Men is less fantasy and more of a plan of action.

Fizzygoo

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« Reply #69 on: <11-27-11/2139:53> »
Actually, that brings up something I didn't even realize I did until recently. It seems that many, if not most, of the "players" that are mentioned in DeeCee are women: The President, Vice President, three senators, three Cabinet secretaries, Colloton's Chief of Staff, Director of UCAS Intelligence, two regional commissioners, several appointees, Vanessa Marconi (Who's supposed to have taken over as the Mafia's "ambassador" from her father), Corinna, Daviar, Pritchard, Roz Hernandez, the head of Z-OG Terrestrial, CCMA/GOD liaison, and Majia Wright.

Looking at the original list (which was almost as long as the Who Do You Know subchapter itself), there are a ton of women who didn't even get mentioned.
That's because all the men went to the CAS.

Oh, I'm going to pay for that comment.
Yeah, but now Jack Nicholson's comment about female superior officers in A Few Good Men is less fantasy and more of a plan of action.

"They're all them, though, all of them are them, if all the men are all in CAS then that just means, I mean it's obvious, right, like, all of them: they're all of them...what?! Like you don't know, of course you know, you all know, you know what they are, I can see it in your eyes, you know, you know, UCAS is just one big nest of mantis spirits, all of them, mantises, manti, bugs, oh, what do you mean mantis spirits don't build nests, you know they do...look at UCAS, it's just one big nest, a mantis nest, check and mate about the no nests hypothesis there chummer, Occam's following the blood trail for his lost straight edge on that one. Sheesh, and I thought you knew bugs. What? No, no! Don't let her in, what is she doing here, ahhhh! Mother get out!"
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Crimsondude

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« Reply #70 on: <11-27-11/2158:18> »
Goddamn it.

I totally would have tossed something like that in if I hadn't managed to outsmart myself.

Catadmin

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« Reply #71 on: <11-28-11/1735:47> »
Actually, that brings up something I didn't even realize I did until recently. It seems that many, if not most, of the "players" that are mentioned in DeeCee are women: The President, Vice President, three senators, three Cabinet secretaries, Colloton's Chief of Staff, Director of UCAS Intelligence, two regional commissioners, several appointees, Vanessa Marconi (Who's supposed to have taken over as the Mafia's "ambassador" from her father), Corinna, Daviar, Pritchard, Roz Hernandez, the head of Z-OG Terrestrial, CCMA/GOD liaison, and Majia Wright.

Looking at the original list (which was almost as long as the Who Do You Know subchapter itself), there are a ton of women who didn't even get mentioned.
That's because all the men went to the CAS.

Oh, I'm going to pay for that comment.
Yeah, but now Jack Nicholson's comment about female superior officers in A Few Good Men is less fantasy and more of a plan of action.

"They're all them, though, all of them are them, if all the men are all in CAS then that just means, I mean it's obvious, right, like, all of them: they're all of them...what?! Like you don't know, of course you know, you all know, you know what they are, I can see it in your eyes, you know, you know, UCAS is just one big nest of mantis spirits, all of them, mantises, manti, bugs, oh, what do you mean mantis spirits don't build nests, you know they do...look at UCAS, it's just one big nest, a mantis nest, check and mate about the no nests hypothesis there chummer, Occam's following the blood trail for his lost straight edge on that one. Sheesh, and I thought you knew bugs. What? No, no! Don't let her in, what is she doing here, ahhhh! Mother get out!"

Seriously, Fizzy, STOP THAT.  :o You're giving me evil ideas and I don't think you want to see where I take a comment like that.

Unless, of course, you like the bugs... Is that it? You like bugs? You want bugs? I can give you bugs, Fizzy. Oh, yes I can...

Bwhahahahahahahahaha... ahem. I mean, stop giving me evil ideas, darnit!
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Bull

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« Reply #72 on: <11-28-11/1803:51> »
hrmm.  Brandie's off her meds again.  That, or she's possessed by a Bug Spirit.  I'd say it's a 50/50 toss up at this point.

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« Reply #73 on: <11-28-11/1926:09> »
Who says it can't be both?
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Fizzygoo

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« Reply #74 on: <11-28-11/2148:07> »
Seriously, Fizzy, STOP THAT.  :o You're giving me evil ideas and I don't think you want to see where I take a comment like that.

Unless, of course, you like the bugs... Is that it? You like bugs? You want bugs? I can give you bugs, Fizzy. Oh, yes I can...

Bwhahahahahahahahaha... ahem. I mean, stop giving me evil ideas, darnit!

Bugs? [munch, munch, munch], Oh yes, I like bugs. [munch, crunch, munch], They're very good. They are, [crack, pop, munch], better than hugs. [munch, munch, munch] But not better than hugs from [gulp] bugs. [toothy grin]

I GM, so bugs are good, case in point: http://forums.shadowrun4.com/index.php?topic=1417.msg16594#msg16594
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