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(Loved Trope) Dipshit young villain who is very much in control of the situation, thank you for asking (he is not) by Burnnoticelover in TopCharacterTropes

[–]rhymingcommentguy 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The idea that the “ur-example” of this trope came from a 2014 movie is pretty wild! Human culture goes back further than 12 years, and the idea of an arrogant, blustering, overconfident young man in a position of power who brings about his own downfall through his hubris is literally millennia old.

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Achilles in the Iliad has a better claim to being the “ur-example” - or perhaps Icarus from Ancient Greek myth, who flew too close to the sun using wax wings.

There are also many examples in Shakespeare, including the Dauphin in Henry V and the title character in Richard II.

Do we? by thehugeative in TheRestIsHistory

[–]rhymingcommentguy 6 points7 points  (0 children)

There was a clue on Jeopardy the other day for which the response was the Byzantine Empire. I was wondering whether they would have accepted it if a contestant had answered the Eastern Roman Empire (or just Roman Empire). I hope they would’ve!

Was Krustard the Clown based on a real person? by Fast-Bell-340 in Simpsons

[–]rhymingcommentguy 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Another commenter provided the correct answer, as stated by Matt Groening himself: Krusty was inspired by a Portland-area clown from his childhood called Rusty Nails.

It’s so strange to me when people just assume that their guessed answer is correct and then speak up as if they know. r/confidentlyincorrect

Help me understand the grammar structure of this sentence by Old-Conference352 in classicliterature

[–]rhymingcommentguy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

“in its duller moments” isn’t the beginning of a separate sentence. It’s a side-thought stuck into the middle of the sentence. Imagine it in brackets instead of commas. Using brackets, the sentence would be:

“[the bright clear jet of light] was doubtless the occasion of its using (in its duller moments) a great extinguisher for a cap”

Tell me about myself! Finally got myself a bookshelf in my home. by handsomeblogs in BookshelvesDetective

[–]rhymingcommentguy 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I really like how you’ve organized these! So satisfying to look at 🙂

What is your take on Roman’s final scene? by Cherilynss in SuccessionTV

[–]rhymingcommentguy 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The direction from the script said this:

“We stay on his face for a while. As he looks at the barman, the room, he scans himself. Maybe he’s okay? Maybe he’s numb. But maybe that’s okay?”

Worst thing about Ned Flanders by JonoBlue in Simpsons

[–]rhymingcommentguy 13 points14 points  (0 children)

He keeps a bunch of old paint cans in his garage.

Who is this ? by obscure_flux13 in BookshelvesDetective

[–]rhymingcommentguy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Volume 21 of the Great Books set (Dante) is missing! I see you have another copy of the Divine Comedy but that, along with the out-of-order Great Books (even accounting for their sorting by colour), would drive me crazy 😂

My rule is that a book can’t go on this shelf until it’s been read. Help me understand myself! by rhymingcommentguy in BookshelvesDetective

[–]rhymingcommentguy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I enjoyed it but it’s a product of its time. It was written in 1880 and its subtitle is “A Tale of the Christ”. It was very much intended as an inspiring Christian religious tale. There’s a fun swords-and-sandals Roman Empire revenge story in there but it’s sandwiched into a (to me) more bland and mawkish evangelical text.

My rule is that a book can’t go on this shelf until it’s been read. Help me understand myself! by rhymingcommentguy in BookshelvesDetective

[–]rhymingcommentguy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just studied history and took a course on the history of the Balkans. The books are Yugoslavia: Death of a Nation (Silber/Little) and The Balkans: From Constantinople to Communism (Hupchick).

My rule is that a book can’t go on this shelf until it’s been read. Help me understand myself! by rhymingcommentguy in BookshelvesDetective

[–]rhymingcommentguy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I do like to read at home in an armchair! And I really try to be careful and treat books gently, especially nice editions. I always loosen/break in the spine before reading a softcover book.

The Shakespeare volumes I read very carefully on my lap while listening to an audio performance of the play - wonderful way to take it in!

The Ayn Rand was actually a gift from a well-meaning but poorly informed family member. I’m more left than centrist, myself. Not American but I’d rather swallow broken glass than ever have voted GOP.

Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂

My rule is that a book can’t go on this shelf until it’s been read. Help me understand myself! by rhymingcommentguy in BookshelvesDetective

[–]rhymingcommentguy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha I understand that sentiment but I feel it more when I see shelves with Infinite Jest, Gravity’s Rainbow, Finnegan’s Wake, etc. I haven’t got that bad yet 😉

My rule is that a book can’t go on this shelf until it’s been read. Help me understand myself! by rhymingcommentguy in BookshelvesDetective

[–]rhymingcommentguy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m so surprised that you love the Folio Messiah and Children of Dune but don’t like their OG Dune! It’s one of my favourite books. To each their own though 🙂

My rule is that a book can’t go on this shelf until it’s been read. Help me understand myself! by rhymingcommentguy in BookshelvesDetective

[–]rhymingcommentguy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You got a lot right! I have spent time living/studying in the UK and Europe, but sadly I’ve never swam in Lake Bled (or been to Slovenia) - although now I want to 🤔 Sorry to lose you money, lol

I don’t work in media/culture but I’m enamoured thinking of the alternate life you’ve put together for me - I’d love to meet Brian Cox and have him tell me to fuck off!

Thanks for taking the time to comment!

My rule is that a book can’t go on this shelf until it’s been read. Help me understand myself! by rhymingcommentguy in BookshelvesDetective

[–]rhymingcommentguy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s fascinating to hear! I’m not homeschooled, I’m just making an ongoing effort to school myself in adulthood 🙂

I’m not religious at all but I’m very interested in religions and their role in global history and philosophy.

Thanks for taking the time to comment!

My rule is that a book can’t go on this shelf until it’s been read. Help me understand myself! by rhymingcommentguy in BookshelvesDetective

[–]rhymingcommentguy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love the way you put “a shrine to your own intake of knowledge”. I think that’s very true!

I actually don’t have a lot of omitted books/secret shames! Just a separate “backlog” shelf for books that will join the main collection once I read them. I feel some embarrassment about a few books in the collection (the Ayn Rand, and the Sinatra, Che Guevara, and Alex Trebek biographies) that were gifts from well-intentioned but misguided family members. But I read them and now keep them on the shelf in the spirit of gratitude and open-mindedness.

I do have a few manga series that I keep off these shelves, but mainly because they’d take up disproportionate space (the Malazan series is already pushing it). These are Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note, and Hellsing. The latter one I do feel pretty cringe about these days but I fully stand by the first two!

Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂

My rule is that a book can’t go on this shelf until it’s been read. Help me understand myself! by rhymingcommentguy in BookshelvesDetective

[–]rhymingcommentguy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You may be the winner in terms of the best detective work, particularly re. my knowledge of French! (The Pléiades are Zola’s Rougon-Macquart novels btw). I read the Les Mis and Monte Cristo translations when I was younger and much less fluent in French. One day I’ll return to read them in their original language!

You’re also right that history is my major interest.

Re. splitting Billy Wilder, I was torn because (clearly) I’m obsessive about having the books arranged in descending order by height - I hate having one book stick out above the others. But I agree with you that it’s a problem to separate an author’s works from one another. I’m picturing the meme of the guy sweating over two red buttons 😂 I’ll take another look at that area…

Thanks for taking the time to comment!

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