Vanilla Ice Isn't Even a Good Punch Line Anymore
I got my 65th Fark headline submission greenlight today:
As you can see (or can you? -- read on), I went with the Vanilla Ice joke. As you can also see by looking at the ensuing comment thread, this comedic choice was met by indifference, even confusion and outright disgust, over the fact that I didn't make a Pandemic 2 joke out of that hanging meatball of a Madagascar/disease reference.
If you're not familiar, Pandemic 2 is a Flash-based, disease simulation videogame. You play the pathogen -- virus, bacteria, or parasite -- and you try to infect and wipe out humanity. Madagascar is often the lone holdout, since it only has one seaport, and if they shut it down, you can't kill the last remnants of humanity to win.
I'm familiar with the game (I've taken to naming my in-game disease-self "Joelogonorrhea"), but since I'm of a certain age (old), the first thing that came to mind was the Vanilla Ice joke. Apparently, the Fark admin who approved the headline was also of this generational mindset (that is to say, culturally irrelevant), so I guess I got lucky here.
I also have to conclude that '90s hit rap artist Vanilla Ice has been overshadowed by a semi-popular Flash video game on the Web.
Sic transit gloria mundi (Latin, of course, for "Drop that zero and get with the hero.")
**********************
Like I've said before, for me, submitting Fark headlines is a way to test my writing chops, and to see if other people find what I find interesting, interesting. (You don't get any recognition for a greenlit headline, except a notch in your greenlight count.)
(Actually, today I also got my 66th greenlight, but that one got taken back. Apparently, Fark has this rule against posting links to snuff films. In my defense, it didn't look in any way real, so long as you define "real" as "the way Michael Bay shows it.")
 |  | Deadly, incurable vanilla fungus hits Madagascar. Word to your mother |
As you can see (or can you? -- read on), I went with the Vanilla Ice joke. As you can also see by looking at the ensuing comment thread, this comedic choice was met by indifference, even confusion and outright disgust, over the fact that I didn't make a Pandemic 2 joke out of that hanging meatball of a Madagascar/disease reference.
If you're not familiar, Pandemic 2 is a Flash-based, disease simulation videogame. You play the pathogen -- virus, bacteria, or parasite -- and you try to infect and wipe out humanity. Madagascar is often the lone holdout, since it only has one seaport, and if they shut it down, you can't kill the last remnants of humanity to win.
I'm familiar with the game (I've taken to naming my in-game disease-self "Joelogonorrhea"), but since I'm of a certain age (old), the first thing that came to mind was the Vanilla Ice joke. Apparently, the Fark admin who approved the headline was also of this generational mindset (that is to say, culturally irrelevant), so I guess I got lucky here.
I also have to conclude that '90s hit rap artist Vanilla Ice has been overshadowed by a semi-popular Flash video game on the Web.
Sic transit gloria mundi (Latin, of course, for "Drop that zero and get with the hero.")
**********************
Like I've said before, for me, submitting Fark headlines is a way to test my writing chops, and to see if other people find what I find interesting, interesting. (You don't get any recognition for a greenlit headline, except a notch in your greenlight count.)
(Actually, today I also got my 66th greenlight, but that one got taken back. Apparently, Fark has this rule against posting links to snuff films. In my defense, it didn't look in any way real, so long as you define "real" as "the way Michael Bay shows it.")
Tags:
Labels: dumb things, fark
posted by Joelogon at
12/09/2008
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4 Comments:
That one was yours?
Man...
No offense, but I took one look at the headline, got the joke, didn't even come close to laughing, and happily moved on rather than enter the thread to verbally assault the submitter.
Honestly, my first thought on reading it was that the person writing the headline was trying way too hard.
Of course, it's better than what I have. I've got nothing for that headline. Maybe something about fat people and penguins shedding tears, but I don't know.
Still... Congrats on #65.
By
Dan, At
12/09/2008 2:35 AM
Of the things that come to mind about that headline, "trying way too hard" doesn't remotely enter into it -- that one was a no-brainer quickie that just happened to tickle a generationally-minded admin's fancy, apparently.
By
Joelogon, At
12/09/2008 2:46 AM
That's sad that the first thing you think of is Vanilla Ice, Joe.
I will weep you, my friend. You are indeed a very tortured soul.
By
Dan, At
12/09/2008 12:56 PM
Ooops... I meant I'd weep for you.
By
Dan, At
12/09/2008 1:38 PM
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