Comments on: Anachronisms aren't anachronisms http://www.lippsisters.com/2008/06/19/anachronisms-arent-anachronisms/ Intelligent media, including Mad Men, Downton Abbey, The Walking Dead, Hell on Wheels & more. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:17:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: S. Tarzan http://www.lippsisters.com/2008/06/19/anachronisms-arent-anachronisms/comment-page-1/#comment-8092 S. Tarzan Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:44:02 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=591#comment-8092 GD, I think it depends on how jarring it is, and what the aim of inclusion is. F'r instance, I recall reading somewhere that before World War II, Americans used to salute the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance with a straight-armed Roman-style salute. (Actually, here's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bellamy_salute_1.jpg" rel="nofollow">a picture</a>.) Since it looks a lot like the salute you would associate with 'Heil Hitler', it was discontinued during the war; and even today I think it's too potent an image to be thrown into a period movie without careful thought about what purpose it serves. GD, I think it depends on how jarring it is, and what the aim of inclusion is. F'r instance, I recall reading somewhere that before World War II, Americans used to salute the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance with a straight-armed Roman-style salute. (Actually, here's a picture.) Since it looks a lot like the salute you would associate with 'Heil Hitler', it was discontinued during the war; and even today I think it's too potent an image to be thrown into a period movie without careful thought about what purpose it serves.

]]> By: Deborah Lipp http://www.lippsisters.com/2008/06/19/anachronisms-arent-anachronisms/comment-page-1/#comment-8091 Deborah Lipp Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:36:33 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=591#comment-8091 Since Matt Weiner is an admitted obsessive fetishistic nut for accuracy, I think the rest of us are laid back by comparison. We can gas all we want. Since Matt Weiner is an admitted obsessive fetishistic nut for accuracy, I think the rest of us are laid back by comparison. We can gas all we want.

]]> By: Oaktown Girl http://www.lippsisters.com/2008/06/19/anachronisms-arent-anachronisms/comment-page-1/#comment-8090 Oaktown Girl Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:33:37 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=591#comment-8090 Over at the AMC site, <a href="http://blogs.amctv.com/scifi-scanner/2008/06/nerdgassing-about-scifi-movies.php" rel="nofollow">John Scalzi</a> defines the term he himself coined, "nerdgassing": <i>Definition: The venting nerds emit when some (often minor) detail of a book/movie/TV show/comic book/etc. either conflicts with canon and/or handwaves through some suspect science. Example One: "In the third show of the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Data clearly says that the Glorithian flagship was constructed in orbit around that planet Norgar, but then in the 15th show of the sixth season, it's said it was constructed in the Buterian space docks! How do you explain that, hmmm?..."</i> What would be the equivalent "Nerdgassing" word for <i>Man Men</i> fanatics? Over at the AMC site, John Scalzi defines the term he himself coined, "nerdgassing":

Definition: The venting nerds emit when some (often minor) detail of a book/movie/TV show/comic book/etc. either conflicts with canon and/or handwaves through some suspect science.

Example One: "In the third show of the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Data clearly says that the Glorithian flagship was constructed in orbit around that planet Norgar, but then in the 15th show of the sixth season, it's said it was constructed in the Buterian space docks! How do you explain that, hmmm?…"

What would be the equivalent "Nerdgassing" word for Man Men fanatics?

]]> By: Glass Darkly http://www.lippsisters.com/2008/06/19/anachronisms-arent-anachronisms/comment-page-1/#comment-8089 Glass Darkly Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:57:39 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=591#comment-8089 I loved that article -- at least the skim I did, and I'll have to look at it again later. I tend to agree Deborah, and don't think writers should limit their choices if they don't need to, but at the same time I hate being jarred out of a story to wonder if the writer screwed up. I loved that article — at least the skim I did, and I'll have to look at it again later.

I tend to agree Deborah, and don't think writers should limit their choices if they don't need to, but at the same time I hate being jarred out of a story to wonder if the writer screwed up.

]]> By: Deborah Lipp http://www.lippsisters.com/2008/06/19/anachronisms-arent-anachronisms/comment-page-1/#comment-8088 Deborah Lipp Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:49:41 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=591#comment-8088 S. Tarzan, that is an amazing article and it will take up the rest of my afternoon! Glass, that's an interesting question. I think in MM it should stay, because MM is really interesting in breaking the mythos and being real rather than what we imagine is real. S. Tarzan, that is an amazing article and it will take up the rest of my afternoon!

Glass, that's an interesting question. I think in MM it should stay, because MM is really interesting in breaking the mythos and being real rather than what we imagine is real.

]]> By: Glass Darkly http://www.lippsisters.com/2008/06/19/anachronisms-arent-anachronisms/comment-page-1/#comment-8087 Glass Darkly Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:27:29 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=591#comment-8087 Should a writer write authentically to the period or what people perceive to be authentic? If a word or phrase is accurate, but it sounds off to a large percentage of viewers or readers, should it go? Should a writer write authentically to the period or what people perceive to be authentic? If a word or phrase is accurate, but it sounds off to a large percentage of viewers or readers, should it go?

]]> By: S. Tarzan http://www.lippsisters.com/2008/06/19/anachronisms-arent-anachronisms/comment-page-1/#comment-8086 S. Tarzan Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:38:34 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=591#comment-8086 Have you guys seen the NYT magazine profile on Mad Men? Among other things (it's long and quite interesting), there's a bit where Matt Weiner admits to two anachronisms: <i>“The only really big blunder I made that I was embarrassed about —” he started. “Well, there are two big blunders if you want to dwell on the negative, which is part of my personality.” He smiled. “The big blunder was that Joan quoted Marshall McLuhan. He had a bunch of books out in 1960, but not the one where he said, ‘The medium is the message.’ Unless she was in his class in Canada, she wouldn’t have known. He was probably using it already, but it was not in print. “The second one was that Betty went to Bryn Mawr, and she talks about being in a sorority, and there are no sororities there. Bryn Mawr was very militant. I feel Betty was part of the shallow end of it because she grew up out there, that was a local school for her. She’s Main Line, King of Prussia or one of those towns. But Maggie Siff, who played Rachel Menken” — the Jewish department-store heiress — “went to Bryn Mawr, and she said that’s wrong.” He sighed. “You do what you can.”</i> They also mention that a (verbal) fight broke out over the phrase, "I am so over you". The link is here: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/magazine/22madmen-t.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/magazine/22madm...</a> Have you guys seen the NYT magazine profile on Mad Men? Among other things (it's long and quite interesting), there's a bit where Matt Weiner admits to two anachronisms:

“The only really big blunder I made that I was embarrassed about —” he started. “Well, there are two big blunders if you want to dwell on the negative, which is part of my personality.” He smiled. “The big blunder was that Joan quoted Marshall McLuhan. He had a bunch of books out in 1960, but not the one where he said, ‘The medium is the message.’ Unless she was in his class in Canada, she wouldn’t have known. He was probably using it already, but it was not in print.

“The second one was that Betty went to Bryn Mawr, and she talks about being in a sorority, and there are no sororities there. Bryn Mawr was very militant. I feel Betty was part of the shallow end of it because she grew up out there, that was a local school for her. She’s Main Line, King of Prussia or one of those towns. But Maggie Siff, who played Rachel Menken” — the Jewish department-store heiress — “went to Bryn Mawr, and she said that’s wrong.” He sighed. “You do what you can.”

They also mention that a (verbal) fight broke out over the phrase, "I am so over you". The link is here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/magazine/22madm…

]]> By: Lipp Gloss week of June 16th « Basket of Kisses http://www.lippsisters.com/2008/06/19/anachronisms-arent-anachronisms/comment-page-1/#comment-8085 Lipp Gloss week of June 16th « Basket of Kisses Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:08:02 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=591#comment-8085 [...] on a word about hatsGlass Darkly on Curlers and rouge and steak in…Oaktown Girl on Anachronisms aren’t…Debra on Curlers and rouge and steak in…Roberta Lipp on Curlers and rouge and steak [...] [...] on a word about hatsGlass Darkly on Curlers and rouge and steak in…Oaktown Girl on Anachronisms aren’t…Debra on Curlers and rouge and steak in…Roberta Lipp on Curlers and rouge and steak [...]

]]> By: Oaktown Girl http://www.lippsisters.com/2008/06/19/anachronisms-arent-anachronisms/comment-page-1/#comment-8084 Oaktown Girl Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:04:01 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=591#comment-8084 Well hello, John! (or should I call you Daddy-O?) And I agree with you, it would be very interesting to see that linguistic evolution. I think it's sad that our language across this country has become so homogenized. It makes me wonder if other industrialized countries are experiencing the same thing and for the same reasons. Well hello, John! (or should I call you Daddy-O?)
And I agree with you, it would be very interesting to see that linguistic evolution.

I think it's sad that our language across this country has become so homogenized. It makes me wonder if other industrialized countries are experiencing the same thing and for the same reasons.

]]> By: john rothschild http://www.lippsisters.com/2008/06/19/anachronisms-arent-anachronisms/comment-page-1/#comment-8083 john rothschild Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:51:29 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=591#comment-8083 I would find it very interesting to see how the West versus East Coast lingo during the 1960's evolved. At some point the surfer/hollywood culture started to impact the general cultural message. P.S. Oaktown Girl: Hello from San Francisco.... I would find it very interesting to see how the West versus East Coast lingo during the 1960's evolved.

At some point the surfer/hollywood culture started to impact the general cultural message.

P.S. Oaktown Girl: Hello from San Francisco….

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