The Morning Dump: cosplayers ruin everything, epic Canadian PSA ads, Who’s words are those?, George Lois on George Lois

theashcan — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:43:35 +0000

Star Wars cosplay nerds give casual SW fans a bad rap. Why is it perfectable acceptable—nay, cool–to be a rabid Scarface fan but the heights of nerd-dom if you dig intergalatic epics? It’s a fucking classic movie man! The cultural cache is priceless! And with the invention of the Internet a bajillion SW fans (of both nerd and casual ilk) rejoiced in being able to discuss the films in broader terms (or in minutiae) with the like-minded. The ultimate for me? A LOST related discussion that heavily references Star Wars. I give you “The Real Problem With Midichlorians.”

I have a confession: I didn’t read anything this week! At least, not on the culture front. Well, not anything that wasn’t Oscar-related, and don’t worry I’ll spare you that headache. Instead, join me in re-watching some amazing Canadian public service announcements. Gawker.tv did a great round-up of clips, everything from “I can put my arm back on,” to “Don’t you put it in your mouth,” and the fun extends into the comments section with “Some people say I eat too many chocolate bars, but…” and “I smell burnt toast, doctor!” Who needs reading? Everything I need to know in life I learned from these clips. Now excuse me while I laugh at all the non-Canadian kids who became pimply epileptic fools with severed arms in their mouths.

I want to say this article by Anne Trubek over at GOOD magazine is a must read, except I’m not entirely sure if she technically wrote the thing at all. I won’t hesitate to say this is one of the most inventive uses of the written word I’ve ever seen online, articulating a philosophical debate on plagiarism, writing and originality in a way her own words probably could never have done. Great concept, well executed and probably worth talking about for a few hours over some beers. Seriously, call me after you read it. I’m so lonely.

When George Lois starting designing covers for Esquire in 1962, he brought in an era that saw the mag push the boundaries and create some of the most memorable imagesto ever be burned into the collective conscious. The Ny Times recently spoke to Lois, and got him to tell the stories behind his 12 favourite covers here.

The Ashcan » Star Wars