Is the whole of existence an 'in-joke'?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

All my life I've had this strange feeling that there's something big and sinister going on in the world. - Arthur Dent, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Y'know, I keep getting this feeling I'm out of the loop of... everything actually.

After looking at some posts for instance I keep hearing tell of certain posters who are considered to be famous and have actually been here for years and I who have been here forever have no freakin' clue who they are. For example it wasn't even until a few months ago I even heard of Trog.

Then there are constant sayings and references that leave me scratching my head. I know some have to do with anime or things like War of Worldcraft to which I am not privy, but it's like every other post has some reference.

I'm beginning to feel paranoid that there is some vast conspiracy to confuse me.

Anyways, I'm going to post questions about people, quotes, references, etc., as I find them, and ask you folks what they mean. Hopefully I'll begin to understand the world a little better.

Feel free to do the same.

[Jack Squat]

What's The Feud :smalltongue:

don't actually answer this...I know the history of it, even explained it to a few. It's just something that always pops up in these type threads

[Solo]

I'm beginning to feel paranoid that there is some vast conspiracy to confuse me.

Life's a joke and the last laugh is on you.

[Raistlin1040]

I hate when this happens to me. I'm so out of the loop at my school that I know it's a conspiracy. I'm never up to date on who's dating who. Ever. Like two people I know break up, and I don't find out until a week later. Or someone I though was single has been going out with someone else for "like forever". The only time I ever discover anything is when I hear talks about it on my bus, or directly ask (Which usually gets me a "How did you not know that?") :smallannoyed:

[Vampiric]

Mwahahaha!!!!

Damn! He's onto us:xykon:

Actually, I'd quite like to know what The Feud is.... So do answer it!:smalltongue:

@^ a week behind? I'm lucky to be less than a month behind! Then again, I do forget stuff quite easily....:smallsmile:

[Jack Squat]

The Feud was a war between El Jaspero (sp?) and Blackfox. It started in Stabbity Death and carried inbetween threads and boards. Basically they'd just "*stab*" eachother throughout the entire forum.

[Anon. and on]

Yeah, vorps, we are pretty much responsible for everything. Sacking websites, destroying myspace accounts, and ruining innocent people's lives.

This isn't that impenetrable a forum, actually - as far as they go.

[blackfox]

What's The Feud :smalltongue:Tee hee.

Is El J ever around GitP anymore?

[evisiron]

Life's a joke and the last laugh is on you.

Haha, good one.

In the theme of the thread: Monty Pythons Life of Brian, Outro Song 'Always look on the bright side of Life'. Right?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Tee hee.

Is El J ever around GitP anymore?
Heh, have you even been around? :smallwink:

[Sneak]

All my life I've had this strange feeling that there's something big and sinister going on in the world. - Arthur Dent, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Y'know, I keep getting this feeling I'm out of the loop of... everything actually.

After looking at some posts for instance I keep hearing tell of certain posters who are considered to be famous and have actually been here for years and I who have been here forever have no freakin' clue who they are. For example it wasn't even until a few months ago I even heard of Trog.

Then there are constant sayings and references that leave me scratching my head. I know some have to do with anime or things like War of Worldcraft to which I am not privy, but it's like every other post has some reference.

I'm beginning to feel paranoid that there is some vast conspiracy to confuse me.

Anyways, I'm going to post questions about people, quotes, references, etc., as I find them, and ask you folks what they mean. Hopefully I'll begin to understand the world a little better.

Feel free to do the same.

I now have a very strong urge to reply in a post chock full of WoW references. If only I watched anime. :P

But yes, I do often feel that way as well. The words "oh, it's just an inside joke" are so satisfying to use and so unsatisfying when used to you. :P

[VeisuItaTyhjyys]

Life is one of those in-jokes the guy who's telling it keeps ****ing up, so it's not funny. The punchline is you die. It's sort of a meta-humour, really; the meaning of life is akin to "So a horse walks into a bar, and the bartender asks, why the long face, and the horse says 'my wife just left me.'"

[averagejoe]

Heh, sounds like the story of my life. Of course, a lot of it has to do with the fact that I simply don't care about the sort of things most people seem to like to talk about, making me often left out of the loop. And then, of course, no one gets the things that I think are hilarious. All I can say is either get into the loop, or learn to be happy out of it.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

If only I watched anime. :P
You've just risen another level in my respect ;)



All I can say is either get into the loop, or learn to be happy out of it.
Naw, can't say I really care either way. I make my own loop, and it's something like a mobius strip I'm sure.

I just don't like being ignorant or unaware of going ons, even if it's something I don't give a flying flip about.

[Semidi]

I just don't like being ignorant or unaware of going ons, even if it's something I don't give a flying flip about.

That's why I read wikipedia--don't get a reference? Read up.

For instance someone makes an X-men reference, and I'm all over it like I know what I'm talking about, despite never having actually read an X-man comic.

I do the same thing with some Anime, though I usually prefer to act like I don't know what The heck a Full Metal Alchemist is just to keep my non-conformist cool points up.

[Mr_Saturn]

You've just risen another level in my respect ;)

Believe it! :smallwink:

[Trog]

For example it wasn't even until a few months ago I even heard of Trog.

Uh... I was the one who first noted that you looked like your avatar. :smalltongue: Which I think was more than a few months ago. But perhaps I was incognitab... iconjugat.... drunk.

[Ceska]

Sure it is. Life's a satire and you have to be in to get it.


I'm beginning to feel paranoid that there is some vast conspiracy to confuse me.
He's on to us!

Honestly, I don't get half of the references because they are in the wrong language and either translated differently or I've never heard about them. It's why I make references to classical German literature or modern Austrian authors nobody's heard of. After all I am the perfect being, with attributes of animal, machine and man, installing, awaiting the restoration of unsequenced chaos.

[Lucia]

Yeah, rings a bell. I wouldnt even dare to step in most threads here, it´s like i am constantly trying to catch up with what seems common knowlegde to everybody else :smalltongue: ..At least you can always try searching the web to find out about something. I dont know what to do when reading the newspaper i get this feeling that everything in there is pure cover-up for whatever is really going on in my country :smalleek:

[Brickwall]

There are people who are very popular in RB, SMBG, or Gaming but not so much anywhere else. Thus, they may receive reception that seems undue when they post outside their little nooks. I, for instance, never post in the Comics section, because the worst folk post there, and I have no wish to associate with them. I think I've been clean for over half a year now.

[Winter_Wolf]

Hey VT, welcome to the club. Been feeling like that a very, very long time. Eventually you come to realize that if you just ignore it, it will eventually pass you by.

Whether that's a good thing or not is totally subjective, I suppose.

And hey, I often end up asking myself, "who the heck is this guy (or girl, or whatever it's supposed to be)?"

[de-trick]

with my friends I was the last guy to know anything so I always say " we need a newsletter"

here I just go with it

[The Extinguisher]

I'm beginning to feel paranoid that there is some vast conspiracy to confuse me.


Rule #0: There is no Cabal. There is, however, a net-wide conspiracy designed solely to lead Dave Hayes to believe that there is a Cabal.

[FoE]

My family's nickname for myself has always been "Forrest" due to my amazing ability to somehow not only survive but succeed in situations where, by all accounts, I should decidedly not. (That and my low-70s IQ. :smalltongue:) And you know, I've always felt the universe was looking out for me, that my life was running by a plan, because no matter what horrible mistakes I've made, I somehow manage to come up aces. :smallbiggrin:

[Dispozition]

Believe it! :smallwink:

*slaps* dattebayo!

[Kaelaroth]

I can see why you might think that. Everyone has there own specialist fields. Don't worry if you think that you're out of someone else's loop. Eventually, they'll be out of yours. Then you can rain fiery vengeance upon them.

Brickwall's point is entirely valid. I, although being a gamer, hardly ever post on Gaming (d20), and have never entered Erfworld's boards. On the other hand, I thrive in Friendly Banter. Whatever takes your fancy is nothing to be ashamed of, and neither is the possbility that you're a cultureless shmo. You should rejoice in your own interests and opinions.

However, I am pretty sure something out there in the big wide cosmos is out to get me... *schemes*

[StickMan]

Here is the question I know you spend a lot of time over on the Homebrew and RPG forums but how much time do you spend in silly message board games? I've noticed that all the "cool" kinds on this site seem to hang out together over there. Just saying spend enough time in Silly message board games and you in the click and suddenly people know you.

::Waits for silly message board kids to give him a wedgie and seal lunch money::

[Castaras]

Mmm...I feel like this sometimes as well.

But I don't care one little bit. I'm happy just being in my own loop. They have their in-jokes, I have mine. :smallsmile:

The thing that makes me nervous is that I have this strange feeling that I'm in something like in the Trueman Show...That everyone's an actor, and I'm the only one who doesn't know...>.> <.<

@^ Yeah...SMBG is one of the most active forums, so most "famous" people that you hear about in FB and SMBG are from SMBG mostly.

Yeah.

That made no sense whatsoever. Oh well. :smallbiggrin:

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I've been in the SMBG section... only a handful of times. Homebrew and Gaming is my main place, while occasionally dipping into Friendly Banter here.

[Smeik]

Hm. I don't play WoW or any other computer games (much), i don't like anime, I don't play D'n'D (though I feel by now i know pretty much all about it:smallconfused: ), I do not read all those "popular comics", though I am catching up on that at the moment. And I was never in the SMBG sofar, I believe.

Yes, it geht's a bit annoying if most people around you have so many themes to talk about you don't have a clue about. But that's the point I ask people explaining to me. And they do. A lot. I feel like a sponge for geeky references, absorbing everything but never get on the inside of it.

Still, it's funny. And I am absolutely certain nobody is on to people like us. There are just too many diferent worlds and interests overlapping that it is impossible to be informed and interested in everything at once. Just look out for what looks interesting and ignore the rest as soon as you have enough informations about it to regard it as uninteresting for yourself.:smallbiggrin:

Smeik

[Trog]

*notices VT still hasn't acknowledged him. Stands right in front of him.*

Er... Trog was also the one who was coming after you in the Monster Truck cop car with... the... nair... ... ... gun?

:smallconfused:

*waves hand in front of VTs face. Then jumps up and down in front of VT ridiculously, waving arms. Turns to others jerking thumb back at VT*

Trog thinks Trog may have solved the problem... Can he see through those things? :smallconfused:

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Those WERE only a few months ago :smalltongue:

(I'm considering anything since this summer 'a few months ago')

[Trog]

GAH! It speaks! :smalleek:

Careful, "Bumbles," Trog knows a dentist and Trog's not afraid to use him.

*decides he's probably not in that much danger after all. Pulls up an elf. Sits on him. Starts a fake looking Rankin-Bass fire*

On a completely unrelated not you haven't sniffed out any Peppermint Schnapps Mines around these parts have you? Prospecting makes a guy thirsty.

*Puffs. Warms hands*

[StickMan]

I think there is also an arts and crafts click, not sure about that one but I feel like it is there.

[rollfrenzy]

Yeah, VT I know how you feel. It's mostly due to you not being on the SMBG forums. Although I consider you to be one of the titans of the boards so it's wierd to see you say that.

[wojonatior]

oddly enough i didn't know about deja vu untill a few years ago :smallredface:

[rollfrenzy]

oddly enough i didn't know about deja vu untill a few years ago :smallredface:

oddly enough i didn't know about deja vu untill a few years ago :smallredface:

oddly enough i didn't know about deja vu untill a few years ago :smallredface:

oddly enough i didn't know about deja vu untill a few years ago :smallredface:









oddly enough i didn't know about deja vu untill a few years ago :smallredface:

[Castaras]

oddly enough i didn't know about deja vu untill a few years ago :smallredface:

oddly enough i didn't know about deja vu untill a few years ago :smallredface:
Seriously! I didn't get it until I started to learn French!

[banjo1985]

Hehe I think you've broken wojonatior's mind :smalltongue:

Yeah I often feel out of the loop at times, that even extends to these forums. Until a month ago I rarely ventured into Friendly Banter and found it a bit strange seeing all these people others new well but I hadn't seen, talking about in-jokes that I knew nothing about. That's cleared up rather quickly though.

There is most definitely an Arts & Crafts clique, based around the battle royale threads that happen there. I'm a little bit of an outsider there, I do my own webcomic and take some avatar requests, but I don't post in the battle royale, can make you feel out of the loop sometimes. Must be even worse for people who don't wonder into the forum very often though.

[bosssmiley]

In answer to OP VT's q: yes, if you're doing it right. :smallwink:

As for missing out on things: *meh* If it's important enough people will tell me. If not, then it's just ephemera anyway (and can thus be safely ignored).
Great trick I learnt of watching parents (and other people with high demand loads):

IF someone's still screaming about it after a minute or so
THEN it might be worth paying attention to
ELSE "run thatsnicedear.exe" :smallwink:

Ignoring the small stuff = more time to do what you want.

See also "annoyingly efficient relevancy engine (http://www.randsinrepose.com/archives/2007/11/11/the_nerd_handbook.html)".

[Green Bean]

You know, VT, I'd be less worried about the way you're missing the in-jokes, and more worried about the way you've referred to this board as the whole of existence. :smallwink:

[The Vorpal Tribble]

You know, VT, I'd be less worried about the way you're missing the in-jokes, and more worried about the way you've referred to this board as the whole of existence. :smallwink:
Oh, I was referring to all of existence in general, but specified just the bits relevant to the forums :smallwink:

I'm always the last to know things in the outside world as well. Folks just always seem to think I already know it, and actually come to me to ask about it. Thats how I find out generally. Really very strange.

Heh, my mom has told me stories about how when I was young I barely ever slept, even when I was an infant, that I always acted like I was too afraid of missing 'something' to stay asleep. Whatever this something is I still don't know.

oddly enough i didn't know about deja vu untill a few years ago :smallredface:

[Green Bean]

Oh, I was referring to all of existence in general, but specified just the bits relevant to the forums :smallwink:

I'm always the last to know things in the outside world as well. Folks just always seem to think I already know it, and actually come to me to ask about it. Thats how I find out generally. Really very strange.

Heh, my mom has told me stories about how when I was young I barely ever slept, even when I was an infant, that I always acted like I was too afraid of missing 'something' to stay asleep. Whatever this something is I still don't know.

Yeah, I definitely know how that is. In RL, I have several female friends, and after three years on hanging out with them, I discovered that between them was a seething undercurrent of complex interrelations, with fights and alliances being made and broken under my very nose. I opened the doorway, saw the other side, and quickly shut it again.

[Yeril]

Believe it! :smallwink:

I laughed so hard I choked and fell out of my chair :smallbiggrin:

[Dragonrider]

Yeah, I didn't know anyone on the 'boards till I started posting in RB. Suddenly I started recognizing people and one day...voila! - I was recognized!
:smalltongue:

[wojonatior]

once again:smallredface: (but hey i get to stay up all night at a lock in with probably 30 copies of halo 3:smallbiggrin: )

[Raiser Blade]

The thing that makes me nervous is that I have this strange feeling that I'm in something like in the Trueman Show...That everyone's an actor, and I'm the only one who doesn't know...>.> <.<


That would be crazy although I haven't found any cameras..... yet.

*is paranoid*




::Waits for silly message board kids to give him a wedgie and seal lunch money::


Ummm okay.

*gives wedgie*

*stamps SMBG seal of approval on Stickmans money*

:smalltongue:

[unstattedCommoner]

That would be crazy although I haven't found any cameras..... yet.

*is paranoid*


CCTV. That is all.



Ummm okay.

*gives wedgie*

*stamps SMBG seal of approval on Stickmans money*

:smalltongue:

You forgot to charge ad valorem stamp duty of 100%.

[RandomNPC]

as for in jokes. Back in high school i met a new group of friends who had some kind of joke with the word "muffin" so when someone randomly said the word muffin i thought it was funny and they all looked at me wierd because i thought thier in joke was funny.

as for the world being in on a joke, i convinced friends that the Truman Show and the Matrix were both foreshadowing.

[Lucia]

Yeah, I definitely know how that is. In RL, I have several female friends, and after three years on hanging out with them, I discovered that between them was a seething undercurrent of complex interrelations, with fights and alliances being made and broken under my very nose. I opened the doorway, saw the other side, and quickly shut it again.

I must say, this is very common but ONLY among women. We are far more complicated for most things than men are. I don´t want to turn this into a "too hard to understand women" thread so i´ll just say that when it comes to being out of the loop, never take the world of women friendship as reference, there´s a mess of loops in there totally out of control :smalltongue:

[SurlySeraph]

I'm beginning to feel paranoid that there is some vast conspiracy to confuse me.

Anyways, I'm going to post questions about people, quotes, references, etc., as I find them, and ask you folks what they mean. Hopefully I'll begin to understand the world a little better.

Feel free to do the same.

Move your hand slightly to the left, Mr. Tribble. It is blocking the camera. No, you may not know what it is blocking our view of.

Back on topic, I don't know what the "In America!" thing is from, and my google-fu has not helped.

[Jack Squat]

"In America!" is, IIRC, from Yugioh: The Abridged Series (http://yugiohtheabridgedseries.com/), although never having watched it myself, I can't say for certain.

[Raiser Blade]

In the show Bandit Keith always says "in america" after every statement.

It's making fun of the fact that he wears the american flag on his head in the show. (Overemphasizing the fact that he is american).

[Green Bean]

It's making fun of the fact that he wears the american flag on his head in the show. (Overemphasizing the fact that he is american).

Or is he... :smallamused:

[Ceska]

In the show Bandit Keith always says "in america" after every statement.

It's making fun of the fact that he wears the american flag on his head in the show. (Overemphasizing the fact that he is american).
"I summon copy-cat. I can now copy your catch-phrase, in America!"
"You're not American, you don't even have a flag on your head!"
"Oh, I must have left it at home... in America!"

[ghost_warlock]

I find it the title of this thread entirely too amusing...something about having to exist in the first place in order to be resposible for your fate and be "in" on the joke. I can feel something philosophical rumbling around in my brain but maybe I'm just too tired, and not caffeinated enough, to get anything more than a somewhat pleasant buzzing sensation... Maybe, in order to exist as part of the grant joke that is existance, you must first make your presence known to others; which is something you are ultimately responsible for and which can be accomplised only by posting on the GitP FB and SMB forums... :smallwink:

Furthermore, since I'm certain that many of the posters in this thread don't know me and have never heard of me, did I not exist until they read this post and suddenly became aware of my presence? How can I know, either way? What about my memories? Has everything I've ever done simply been an illusion that has suddenly come into being, without my knowledge, simply because others recognize my presence? If that is so, then how did I exist for them to suddenly become aware of me in the first place? How can anything exist if it must first be discovered by an outside observer? :smalleek:

[SurlySeraph]

I find it the title of this thread entirely too amusing...something about having to exist in the first place in order to be resposible for your fate and be "in" on the joke. I can feel something philosophical rumbling around in my brain but maybe I'm just too tired, and not caffeinated enough, to get anything more than a somewhat pleasant buzzing sensation... Maybe, in order to exist as part of the grant joke that is existance, you must first make your presence known to others; which is something you are ultimately responsible for and which can be accomplised only by posting on the GitP FB and SMB forums... :smallwink:

Furthermore, since I'm certain that many of the posters in this thread don't know me and have never heard of me, did I not exist until they read this post and suddenly became aware of my presence? How can I know, either way? What about my memories? Has everything I've ever done simply been an illusion that has suddenly come into being, without my knowledge, simply because others recognize my presence? If that is so, then how did I exist for them to suddenly become aware of me in the first place? How can anything exist if it must first be discovered by an outside observer? :smalleek:

TURN EXISTENTIALIST OR POSSIBLY ANTI-REALIST! (can't keep philosophy terms right now... :smalltongue: )

Of course, I already knew you, so having already observed... dur... complicated. The point is I win. :smallbiggrin: