Video Games are Real

Category: Unexpected Literary References

  • My night with Edgar Allan Poe and screaming teenagers

    My night with Edgar Allan Poe and screaming teenagers

    (part of my ongoing Unexpected Literary References series)

    Last night I went with a few friends to the Chambers of Edgar Allan Poe Haunted House in the 12th street West Bottoms area of Kansas City. This has become a bit of a tradition for us, going to the haunted houses, which many people consider to be the best in the nation.

    Being the literary nerd that I am, the Chambers of Edgar Allan Poe house was especially intriguing to me. This is not to discredit the others (The Beast, The Edge of Hell, and Macabre Cinema – this last one is designed to replicate famous horror movie scenes; I’m looking at you Stephen Graham Jones). They are all great, but being able to experience Poe’s stories in full round simply meant more to me.

    This was the first year for the Chambers of Edgar Allan Poe house, and in being so, lacked some of the pizazz I was hoping for. The experience was amazing, definitely, but I wanted more Poe immersion. The house felt more like someone took iconic (re: well-known) Poe imagery and fluffed the scenes with traditional horror garb. Ravens and black cats galore, yes, but where was the Mask of the Red Death? What about the The Cask of Amontillado? Perhaps these were included, but if so, they were so buried by strobe light and fog that I couldn’t tell.

    However, the Tell-Tale Heart room and the crawlspace illusions were worth the ticket price alone. If you are in Kansas City, definitely go. If you are not, consider making a trip this way to take in all four of the houses.

  • Slaughterhouse-Five means delicious BBQ

    Slaughterhouse-Five means delicious BBQ

    (part of my ongoing Unexpected Literary References series)

    Historically, with these Unexpected Literary References, I have focused on cartoons. But today, when I made my rare trip just a few miles north to Oklahoma Joes Barbecue on  47th street I was reminded of one of the strangest literary references I’ve encountered. The name of the barbecue team which birthed this amazing restaurant/gas station is Slaughterhouse-Five. Yep. Nothing says “let’s eat meat” more than images of dying war prisoners.

  • Fry eReads; should I too?

    (part of my ongoing Unexpected Literary References series)

    Fry'sEreader

    The episode of Futurama titled Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences featured a suspiciously eReader-esque device (pictured in the above screenshot, though the episode contained better images of the device), which got me thinking, yet again, about my inevitable adoption of an eReader.

    I’ve held off so far for two main reasons:

    1. I simply like having books. Yes, possibly just to show off for my two friends who would be impressed by a bookshelf, but also because I feel that the nurtured associations of a book–the smell, the feel of the pages, the statement of class–are part of the reading experience and actually add to the overall gratification of a finished book.
    2. No single eReader delivers what I want.

    And what do I want?

    • Low price point. Overall, eReaders have recently dropped in price, which is encouraging. But still I feel that $149 is too much.
    • E-ink screen. Fuck the LCD. This  means no Literati reader. Sad, too, because I was really looking forward to that one.
    • Ownership of files. Some people don’t realize that when you purchase a book for your Kindle, you don’t actually own the file. Amazon does. I want a copy on my local computer.
    • Choice of storefront. Again, a fault of the Kindle. This device can only read .pdfs and Amazon files. I’m uncomfortable with being forced to suckle a single teet.
    • Ability to read a variety of file formats. The Sony eReader and the Cool-er Reader can read many different formats including .pdf and the (slowly becoming) industry standard ePub format. But store options for purchasing the books are still limited.

    I am getting closer. But come on industry! Give me what I want.

  • Peter Griffin does porn and literature

    Peter Griffin does porn and literature

    (part of my ongoing Unexpected Literary References series)

    In my continuing hunt for literary references in cartoons, I sometimes forget those that have been with me for years. I’ve long been a fan of Family Guy, and the episode “Peterotica” features some delightfully tacky parodies of contemporary classic novels used as the titles for Peter Griffin’s erotica writings. Enjoy. If you feel so inclined, watch the full episode here.

    Angela’s Asses by Peter Griffin Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
    Shaved New World by Peter Griffin Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

    Harry Potter and the Half Black Chick

    by Peter Griffin

    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

    by J.K Rowling

  • Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” mentioned in The Simpsons

    Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” mentioned in The Simpsons

    UPDATE: While I still keep an eye out for all literary mentions in cartoons, my main focus now is YouTube videos about video games. Check out my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/calebjross

    (part of my ongoing Unexpected Literary References series)

    Ever since I made my first “Great Unexpected Literary References” post, I seem to have grown keen to book mentions in cartoons. And to be honestly, none has surprised me more than Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” a short story that I assumed was only known among the academic literary cliques. But no. Unless of course Matt Groening, Trey Parker, and Matt Stone were all at one time part of a literary clique. I wouldn’t doubt this; those guys are smart.

    Trey Parker and Matt Stone I mentioned regarding “The Lottery,” in my first “Great Unexpected Literary References” post. Today, I bring you a brief mention in Matt Groening’s “The Simpsons,” this one from an older episode called “Dog of Death.”

    The Simpsons | “Dog of Death” (the image above is a bit fuzzy. To watch the entire episode, click here)

  • Many Clockwork Oranges

    Many Clockwork Oranges

    (part of my ongoing Unexpected Literary References series)

    I was watching an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force the other day (yes, I spend my time wisely), and for the first time I made the connection between the data-injection scene in the “Super Trivia” the infamous video scene in Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of Anthony Burgess’s novel A Clockwork Orange (yes, I said “for the first time” implying that I’ve seen this episode many times. Like I said, I spend my time wisely). The infamous scene portrays Alex (played by Malcolm McDowell) strapped to a chair, forced to watch morally positive images in order to cure his devilishness. This got me thinking, there has got to be more references out there, sprinkled throughout cartoon-dom. And there are. And surprisingly, the entire gamut from adult-intended cartoons to those created specifically for children, honor this disturbing scene.

    Though these references may not technically be a direct homage to the book, I’ll allow them considering that the book spawned the movie, which spawned the necessary cultural awareness to appreciate these various references. Enjoy.

    If you know of any others, please feel free to mention them in the comments below.

    First, the image from which all the following scenes are born.
    And now, the followers:
    The Simpsons | “Dog of Death” (watch a clip of this scene here)
    Duckman | “I, Duckman” (watch the entire episode here)
    Invader Zim | “Parent Teacher Night”
    Teen Titans | “Mad Mod” (the villain in this episode, Mad Mod, is voiced by Malcom McDowell, the actor who played Alex DeLarge in the film version of “A Clockwork Orange”)
    Doug | “Doug’s Nightmare on Jumbo Street” (watch the entire episode here). This reference is likely more driven by the plot of this episode rather than as a nod to “A Clockwork Orange,” but still it looks fitting.
    Recess | “First Name Ashley” (watch the entire episode here)
    Aqua Teen Hunger Force | “Super Trivia” (watch the clip here)
    Robot Chicken | opening sequence
    Phineas and Ferb | “Phineas and Ferb Get Busted”
    Homestar Runner | “A Jorb Well Done” (watch the entire episode here)
    30-Second Bunnies Theatre | “A Clockwork Orange” (watch the entire episode here)
  • Another Great Unexpected “Literary” Reference

    Another Great Unexpected “Literary” Reference

    (part of my ongoing Unexpected Literary References series)

    Last night, a new episode of Futurama featured another novel reference.  “The Duh-Vinci Code” appropriately features a reference to Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code. See the full clip here. The clip is actually quite funny, though isn’t this turd of a book a bit of an easy target? Yes, the quotations in the post title around Literary are intentional. I can’t bring myself to call The DaVinci Code literary at all. But, still any novel reference is a win for the good guys.

    See my original list here.