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[Raphael]

Does anyone here know whether the R.E.M. song Shiny Happy People was intended as a parody of certain things, or as a serious work? I'm asking because IMO, if you take it as a parody of certain sub-genres of pop culture, it's pretty brilliant, while if you try to take it seriously, it's pretty much an embarrassment.

[zompist]

Does anyone here know whether the R.E.M. song Shiny Happy People was intended as a parody of certain things, or as a serious work? I'm asking because IMO, if you take it as a parody of certain sub-genres of pop culture, it's pretty brilliant, while if you try to take it seriously, it's pretty much an embarrassment.

I know almost nothing about REM except that they have a song called "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)", but based on that alone (and watching the video) I'd say it's satirical.

[cedh]

Does anyone here know whether the R.E.M. song Shiny Happy People was intended as a parody of certain things, or as a serious work? I'm asking because IMO, if you take it as a parody of certain sub-genres of pop culture, it's pretty brilliant, while if you try to take it seriously, it's pretty much an embarrassment.

Since basically all other R.E.M. song lyrics are quite elaborate and meaningful (and, at least to me, often feel like they deliberately allow several different possible interpretations, and this in a remarkably balanced way), this song is almost certainly a parody.

The lyrics for the song were allegedly written as a satirical translation of the Chinese government's propaganda used after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

[Raphael]

Slightly belated thank you, zompist and cedh!

[MacAnDàil]

Does anyone here know whether the R.E.M. song Shiny Happy People was intended as a parody of certain things, or as a serious work? I'm asking because IMO, if you take it as a parody of certain sub-genres of pop culture, it's pretty brilliant, while if you try to take it seriously, it's pretty much an embarrassment.

Since basically all other R.E.M. song lyrics are quite elaborate and meaningful (and, at least to me, often feel like they deliberately allow several different possible interpretations, and this in a remarkably balanced way), this song is almost certainly a parody.

The lyrics for the song were allegedly written as a satirical translation of the Chinese government's propaganda used after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

I removed the word 'allegedly' from the Wikipedia page becaue the source used includes a citation of the singer.

[Raphael]

I really like the latest xkcd:

https://xkcd.com/2573/

[dɮ the phoneme]

I suppose if anyone's been wondering where I've been recently, well I finally have some news - having completed my master's at SOAS and had a few months aimless wondering/wandering, I managed to land a PhD position with funding at the University of Surrey in the field of historical morphology. Obvious this means I'm probably not going to be super active here over the next 3 years, but I'm at least doing something purposeful and getting money for it which is an improvement on before.

Oh, congratulations! I'm waiting to hear back from PhD programs now, so I know how unpleasant the process can be. I hope all goes well. If you have time, spare us a post or two about your research every once in a while!

[Civil War Bugle]

Has ye olde Geoff Eddy webpage on bogolangs permanently disappeared from the internet? I was prompted to look for it and anyplace which refers to it only has dead links.

[alice]

Has ye olde Geoff Eddy webpage on bogolangs permanently disappeared from the internet? I was prompted to look for it and anyplace which refers to it only has dead links.

I think you'll probably have to ask him that.

[Sol717]

Has ye olde Geoff Eddy webpage on bogolangs permanently disappeared from the internet?

If I've successfully divined the page you're seeking, it's been archived here using the esoteric technological sorcery of the Wayback Machine. Of course, this will provide little benefit to you if you're wanting to do more than simply ogling at it wistfully.

[Raphael]

Just in case Civil War Bugle hasn't figured it out yet, I'll spell it out for them: alice is Geoff.

[Rounin Ryuuji]

I am now very confused.

[Moose-tache]

Is this the same Geoff who made Noyahtowe?

[Civil War Bugle]

Has ye olde Geoff Eddy webpage on bogolangs permanently disappeared from the internet?

If I've successfully divined the page you're seeking, it's been archived here using the esoteric technological sorcery of the Wayback Machine. Of course, this will provide little benefit to you if you're wanting to do more than simply ogling at it wistfully.

This is exactly what I was looking for, thanks.

Just in case Civil War Bugle hasn't figured it out yet, I'll spell it out for them: alice is Geoff.

I was unaware of this; thanks for the pointer. I must have missed out on the name change and regret that I did.

[alice]

Just in case Civil War Bugle hasn't figured it out yet, I'll spell it out for them: alice is Geoff.

Obviously, that depends on your precise definition of "is", but you have the right idea.

Is this the same Geoff who made Noyahtowe?

Not to the best of my knowledge.

[Ares Land]

In other words, go ask alice!

[alice]

In other words, go ask alice!

alice #2

[Raphael]

For a while, I've been trying to decide whether, if I try to read Picketty's main works, I should read him in a German translation or in an English translation. I don't know French, so I can't read him in the original French.

The argument for a German translation is that German is my first language, so if I can't read something in the original language, and a translation into my first language is available, it feels stupid to read a translation into some other language instead.

The argument for an English translation is that, with my life looking the way it does right now, if I should eventually talk about his work to other people, it would probably happen in English-language online spaces, like, for instance, the ZBB, so it might be useful to have quotes, chapter headings, technical terms, and so on, available in English.

Decisions, decisions...

[MacAnDàil]

Well, I'm reading it in French and talking to you lot here occasionally in English so it doesn't seem a bother to me.

That does remind me though that some books I would like to read in German (basically anything interesting that's originally in my mother's language). There's a book I bought in Edinburgh but the original is in German so that would have been preferable.

[hwhatting]

I'm currently reading "Capitalism" in English because that's what I got from my daughter for Christmas. I had thought of specifically asking for the French version, but I didn't want to add an extra layer of complexity - my French isn't good enough to read books without a dictionary.