HRWiki:STUFF/Archive/disconnected

I am the Eggman?

From: disconnected
Posted on: 22:02, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

Arguments for:

• The logos are quite similar, particularly the teeth (which is notable, as you cannot normally see the King's mouth).
• They reference old video games all the time.

What do you think?

Or is it more general?

• I may be alone here, but I think they're both a stretch.
  • Firstly, The logo isn't that similar, they could have easily made it a more obvious reference, if it was supposed to be that. The logo is made that way simply to look totalitarian, something evil and controlling; possibly as a reference to Big Brother, but not to Sonic. Personally I think it looks closer to Darth Vader's mask then to Dr. Eggman.
  • Secondly, Homestar calling Strong Bad's head "Eggman", is obviously because Strong Bad's head by itself is the shape of an egg. Why would he be calling Strong Bad Eggman, who was earlier fighting against the proposed reference to Eggman? If anything, he should have been called Sonic, if it were a reference. These two Facts are both stretches, especially the "Eggman" comment, which doesn't even make sense as being a reference. The only reason they're even being considered is because of the coincidence that they both appeared in the same toon.
    • Besides, doesn't Homestar have some sort of obsession with eggs? What if it's just a reference to that?
• The only thing really similar is the teeth.
• I think that the KOT logo references more generally the skull-like logos of evil legions. See for example the above logo of Totenkopf from Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. So, the logo cannot be pinned directly to Dr. Eggman, and the "Eggman" comment is just a reference to the shape of SB's head.
  • They're all variations on a theme that makes their faces look more menacing by making it look more angry-eyed-looking and skull-like. Therefore, once can't implictly be a reference to another since they are all collectively a reference to one thing.
    • The poopsmith doesn't look at all like a bad guy from the Sonic series.
      • The Poopsmith doesn't look like one of Eggman's robots, but he does resemble a GUN (Guardian Unit of Nations) army robot with a shield.

Additional comments:

• While one could argue that Strong Bad's head is vaguely egg-shaped, I think it's a stretch to assume that they chose for Homestar to say "Eggman" without thinking of the Sonic connection.
  • It's not vaugely egg shaped, It's very egg shaped, and has been described as such before. "Had a head like a big ol' round ol' Red ol' Nasty ol' egg!"
• In response to "They reference old video games all the time" argument, the Sonic games are not as old as most others they've referenced, in addition to the fact that Sonic Team didn't start calling Dr. Robotnik "Eggman" until Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast.
  • Most. Not all. (Chrono Trigger, anyone? Donkey Kong Country, anyone?)
• How many Sega games have they referenced in the past? Most games they reference are either Amiga-era or Nintendo.
  • I can think of some Sega references (Altered Beast, Shaq Fu, Road Rash, Sega tapes in general), but these are all Genesis-era Sega games, and in recent times Matt (and presumably Mike) has been a "Nintendo man all the way".
    • Sonic the Hedgehog is a Genesis-era game (mind, the American translation didn't call him Robotnik at the time, but he was always Eggman in Japan according to my knowledge.)
      • My point exactly...I always knew him as Dr. Robotnik.
        • Although, with Sega releasing Sonic games on Nintendo consoles, it's still possible that TBC as "Nintendo men all the way" could've seen him referred to as Eggman... Though this doesn't really make me want to change my vote.
• Remember, that could have been the best TBC could have done to make the logo resemble Eggman's emblem as their heads are completely different.
• Why do I have the feeling that this'll be one of those fun facts that everyone declines as being too much of a stretch, yet when the DVD with this e-mail rolls on out, the commentary will prove it true? It's happened before, after all.
  • That may end up being true, but it's not really a reason to accept it now.
• I think this might actually be a combination between Eggman's emblem and Bowser's logo. The eyes resemble Bowser's symbol's eyes.
  • If by the Bowser logo, you mean the evil Bowser head silhouette that appears when, among other times, you lose a life on Mario 64, then not only do you have a point, but that also proves this fact is entering the realm of TTATOT. That makes the fourth "evil skull-like logo/emblem" we have here, thus meaning it's referring to the concept, not anything in particular.

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I am the other Eggman

From: disconnected
Posted on: 22:47, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

Arguments for:

• TBC have mentioned the Genesis several times, so what's to prevent them from having played - and thus referencing - this series?
• Dr. Eggman is a well-known villain, and has been known as "Dr. Eggman" here in the United States since 1999. TBC almost certainly know of the character and his name, whereas the "KOT emblem as Eggman emblem" link is much more tenuous since both emblems resemble so many "evil empire" symbols (and because Eggman's emblem is a fairly obscure thing to know about). I doubt TBC mentioned the name Eggman without thinking of the character, Dr. Eggman.

Arguments against:

• The one below is more concise; it does say who Eggman is, but it also combines it with a reference to the King's logo.
• This particular link is less certain than the emblem link; I don't think it's worthy of more than the comment it currently has at the end of the fact below.
• Homestar calling Strong Bad's head "Eggman", is obviously because Strong Bad's head by itself is the shape of an egg.

Additional comments:

• This was removed from the Real World References section without any reason listed, and is quite a bit older than the one listed below. Better phrased, too. However, the point behind both are different, so I thought I should list it separately, unless somebody's proposing a revision to the item below that merges 'em.
• There's no reason both cannot be used. A vote for the one below does not make a vote here superfluous.
• Eggman was known as Dr. Robotnik in America until the release of Sonic Adventure in 1999.

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Thing Bad

From: disconnected
Posted on: 19:37, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

Arguments for:

• Strong Bad's disembodied head, when regenerated, grows legs out of its head similar to the fashion to a scene in the movie when the Alien (posing as a human) is decapitated and grows legs in an insectioid fashion.

Arguments against:

• This is not "very" similar. It merely presents an interesting yet unnotable coincidence.

Additional comments:

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V for validity

From: disconnected
Posted on: 18:47, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

Arguments for:

• The poster and everything else DOES have 1984ish style written all over it, even if the fact, as worded, sounds TTAOT.
• Don't forget that V for Vendetta is a highly-publicized movie currently being advertized. The timing indicates this is no coincidence, and I belive they at least drew from this as inspiration (and that from 1984 i'm sure)

Arguments against:

• As written, looks like TTATOT.
• Either being a reference is a stretch.
• It doesn't look all that much like V for Vendetta, anyway.
• Every totalitarian we-see-you government story is based on 1984. "V" itself is probably based on 1984, so V shouldn't be in the reference.

Additional comments:

• What's being voted on here? Whether to include either reference, neither reference, or both of them?
  • Yeah, something about this item needs to change; we can't be voting on two references at once. The V for Vendetta one seems tenuous to me, but the 1984 one seems possible. As it stands, though, the argument against is right in that it's TTATOT.
• The poster seems to have a more generic 20th century propaganda feel IMHO. It reminds me of Orwell's descriptions as well as Soviet and American propaganda. Since Hollywood likes to pillage 10-year-old fashion, the fact that there's a movie out now that has the same feel is likely coincidence.
• Rewrite it as a more general reference to propaganda posters and I'll vote for it.
• Before commenting further, please see the opening paragraphs of 1984 at http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/1984. The significance is that both that passage and this email include:
  1. A poster...
  2. with a large face on it (of the governmental figurehead)...
  3. and a slogan communicating unavoidable surveillance and governmental omniscience.
• The fact that both express totalitarian regimes is not sufficient for a fact, or else Minority Report would be in there too. The fact that both are expressed as portrait posters is interesting, though, since TBC had no contextual reason to.

Proposed revision:

Arguments for:

• Gets rid of the stuff about "V For Vendetta" and extra info about the book

Arguments against:

• It's too different.
• Losing "V For Vendetta" and generally tightening up and simplifying was good. I regret the fact that it doesn't mention the poster anymore, though (see comment above). I hate re-revisions, but... I might just be in favor of one here.
  • I tweaked it slightly. I don't think I changed it enough from the pre-tweaked version to justify a whole revision, but if anyone disagrees, it can be split below.
    • To be honest, this revision seems "boringified". In my opinion...only the part about V for Vendetta really needed to be cut. The fact itself didn't need to be gutted.

Additional comments:

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Egg Roll

From: disconnected
Posted on: 19:37, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

Arguments for:

• Strong Bad would surely hop or bounce because rolling would be very disconcerting for him.

Arguments against:

• How else would an egg-shaped character move?
• This is supposed to be a fansite for Homestar Runner, not Weebl and Bob.
  • Not that I agree with this "fact", but that's a really pointless counterargument.
    • I don't see any point to it either... it's like saying the Outside References are... uhh... nonexistant.

Additional comments:

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