site banner
PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   3094 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for June 16, 2023

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

2
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Recently finished my nth rewatch of Twin Peaks as my girlfriend hadn't seen it. Granted I'm not a big TV person, but for all its flaws I've never seen anything else like it, and every rewatch feels like coming home. I watched The Return a few years ago but it didn't make as big an impression on me as the original series. My girlfriend is curious about The Return so we'll probably end up watching it too.

I had a difficult time the first time I watched The Return because I had such a strong desire to see the old characters I loved and have things resolved (silly summer child!). I watched it again a bit later and really enjoyed it as something different.

I understand Lynch and Frost's desire not to repeat themselves, not to indulge the desire for fan service, and to take the series in a radically different direction. With such a long interval between instalments, any attempt to slavishly emulate the vibe of the original series probably would have failed anyway. A creator who knows exactly what the audience wants and deliberately denies it to them can sometimes make for a very impactful artistic statement (e.g. Metal Gear Solid 2, one of the most powerful video games I've ever played - indeed, one of the most powerful works of fiction I've ever experienced in any medium).

For all that, The Return didn't quite click for me. I don't think it quite achieved the standard of "radically different from the original series, but still just as good in a very different way", and I say this as a huge fan of Lynch in general (Mulholland Drive is one of my favourite films ever, and The Return probably has more in common with that, stylistically and tonally, than the original series of Twin Peaks). A lot of it just seemed needlessly padded. But perhaps it'll grow on me after a second watch.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats