Ultimate Paragon
Banned
A satirical Polish novella about the Soviet political system.
A documentary film by Scottish director Rory McClivert, about growing authoritarianism worldwide.
The 102 Chads
AH Cultural Descriptions
- Thread starter Ganesha
- Start date
The 102 Chads
Lars Porsenna
Banned
Widely panned sequel to the critically acclaimed film 101 Chads, its attempt to reenact 101 Chads's protagonist Myra's victories through her sister Megan descended into self-parody and lunacy. The movie duo is in general about the journey of a woman through life, and a world of assholes (the eponymous Chads).
If You Can't Make It, Don't Fake It
1999 romantic comedy, best known as the romcom debut of Jason Statham. Based on the Russian story of Lieutenant Kije, the movie stars Statham as an office worker who is in love with his boss's daughter (played by Jennifer Aniston). When she needs help to avoid her parent's pressure to marry, he invents a fictitious "star employee" for her to pretend to date. As her parents grow increasingly interested in meeting their daughters boyfriend, he struggles to invent more and more achievements, while dealing with his own feelings.
While the movie itself was only a modest success, it marked the first appearance of Jason Statham as a sensitive, quiet romantic, a role in which he would be typecast throughout his romantic comedy career.
Sense and Sensibility
Lars Porsenna
Banned
A book on political philosophy by Thomas Hobbes that delved deeply into the virtues of absolutism, it also delved into run of the mill philosophy, positing that men have inherent rights or freedoms. An absolute ruler must inherently rule rationally and with reason; if he does not do so, it is the duty of every man of that nation to rise up against him.
Help, I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
Help, I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
--The title of a New York Times article covering of North Korea's request of UN military assistance following a mainland invasion by a US-backed South Korea following a skirmish between the two North Korean navy patrols and a South Korean fishing boat which resulted in 37 casualties, later sparking a debate over the ethics of the war.
How the Clouds Frown
--The title of a New York Times article covering of North Korea's request of UN military assistance following a mainland invasion by a US-backed South Korea following a skirmish between the two North Korean navy patrols and a South Korean fishing boat which resulted in 37 casualties, later sparking a debate over the ethics of the war.
How the Clouds Frown
A groundbreaking 1983 progressive rock/electronica concept album by the band Forest Wires, featuring themes of apocalypse, society, and religion.
Mercury Floats Downstream
A 1972 painting by Crypticist art painter Rouben van der Flick, about the Mercertown, Ill. industrial accident in Nov. 1970.
Single Guy With a Heart of Gold (And a Million Bucks).
A 1938 novel in which the poor main character is gifted one million dollars by his dying employer. The story follows him as he spends the money and how his new found wealth affects his relationships with the people around him. Eventually the money is spent and the protagonist returns to life he had before but now is profoundly unhappy. Originally intended as a criticism of wealth and its negative impact on the common man the work eventually came to symbolize the exact opposite as it became increasingly popular view that the protagonist's foolishness was what lead to his downfall, not his riches.
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
The final sentence of Vladimir Nabokov's 1935 novel The Builders and the Wall about a group of itinerant construction workers in the Krai Republic following the Russian Civil War. The main character, Mr. Gorbachev, is ordered to destroy the wall he had spent 13 summers on, signifying his complete demoralization and devaluement as a person. Nabokov later criticized the novel, calling it "one of my weakest efforts" and "laden heavily with syrupy symbolism that adds only to the payrolls of University criticism departments."
I Still Haven't Moved
Cheers,
Ganesha
The title of Vladimir Nabokov's short story published posthumously in Playboy. Written after his move to the US the story follows Pittsburgh steel worker Charles Clinton who organizes a strike to protest poor working conditions. Clinton is initially celebrated as a champion of of the working class, however as the strike drags from months into years the factory decays and his fellow strikers slowly drift away. Eventually the cause he championed is made irrelevant due to the advance of technology and later Charles himself is forgotten, living in the ruins of the steel mill. Declaring the titular "I still haven't moved!" he prides himself on continuing the strike at a broken factory for a long bankrupt company. While not published while he was alive Nabokov was pleased with the work stating that it "struck at both the foolish idealism of unions and the blind ideology of communism."
Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
Ultimate Paragon
Banned
A memoir by a Polish politician named Casmir Adamczak, about the struggles of the Polish government since the refounding of Poland in 1900 following the Baltic-Prussian Wars.
The Malian-Moroccan War
Neutral historiographical name for what is also called the Zouerat Incident, the Zouerat Conspiracy, the Moorish Rebellion, the Zouerat Massacre, or the War or Mauritanian Independence, depending on your sympathies. The Republic of Mali, which consisted of most of French West Africa, was seen as large and unwieldy. Numerous separatist movements emerged almost immediately. Meanwhile, following Spanish withdrawal from the Western Sahara, a long guerrilla war broke out between Moroccan occupiers and Western Saharan rebels who wanted their own country. The president of Mali expressed verbal support for the rebels, incensing the Moroccans and triggering the conspiracy.
A group of Malian exiles and dissidents had fled to Morocco shortly after independence; now, in order to prevent possible Malian support for the rebels, a group of these dissidents, armed and equipped by the Moroccan Army, infiltrated Mali and seized the town of Zouerat. They declared the formation of the Republic of Mauretania, and were immediately recognized by Morocco, who dispatched a small force to protect them. The move was widely condemned, and a hastily assembled Malian force quickly retook the town in a fierce battle, executing the dissidents and their local supporters. While the conflict ended quickly, the perceived heavy-handedness of the Malian response led to the transformation of the dissidents from Moroccan puppets to martyrs for liberty among much of the local population, and helped inspire future would-be revolutionary movements throughout North Africa.
The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins
A statue by Polish sculptor Bogdan Borusewicz in Leeds, England. Leeds was the birthplace of Bartholomew Cubbins, who led the Tailor's Rebellion from 1231-1234. Not much is known about Cubbins, but the folk-tales about the Man of 500 Hats became a part of English folklore and are still commonly told to children today. The Rebellion was defeated by an army led by the Earl of Dunhaven, but laid the foundation for subsequent peasant rebellions against England.
The Birthday Party (must be a piece of music)
Cheers,
Ganesha
A widely acclaimed musical written by Robert Brown. It tells a story about a homosexual African-American teenager's coming of age amidst poverty and violence in 1980's Los Angeles.
Le Roi de France
A town in eastern Pennsylvania, formerly "King of Prussia". It was renamed amid the anti-German hysteria that followed the assassination of Theodore Roosevelt by a nephew of the Kaiser.
suffix: "-gate"
Refers to any type of political scandal that brings down a congressman or senator or any other U.S. public official; originated in 1971 after Georgia senator Thomas E. Bozeman was caught with a mistress at an Orange County, Calif. resort called "Watergate".
Hunter's Hollow
Ultimate Paragon
Banned
A militia headquarters in Idaho. For many years it was home to the Northwest Rangers, who distinguished themselves during the Vancouver War.
The Kamehameha Wave
A practice associated with fans of the Honolulu Kahunas football team. It combines a traditional crowd wave with hand gestures derived from hula dancing.
a verb: "to hoover"
Originally a colloquial term to describe the actions of a Hoover vacuum cleaner, it also can mean to eat or drink at a rapid pace.
a verb: "to Nixon someone"
To replace someone more popular and qualified than you by virtue of their death. Coined in 1973 in a book on the Nixon Presidency and the Korean War after Eisenhower's assassination during a troop inspection.
Pikmin