Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT Strips 3226 to 3230 (25 - 27 May 2016)
Case:
--- Quote from: BenRG on 26 May 2016, 09:40 ---Pathos is here used in its original meaning from classical Hellenic literature: Words and events that invoke in the audience and are meant to communicate from the source text intense emotions, primarily negative ones such as grief.
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So Clinton means "It's too early in the morning to rip my shirt and holler at the Gods for the evil that befalleth Humankind"? And Jeph adds "There's never a good time to rip your shirt and holler at the Gods for the evil that befalleth Humankind"!
\begin{tongue_in_cheek_snark}
Now I'm even more confused - Why point that out? Of course there's never a good time to rip your shirt and holler at the Gods when faced with tragedy? For starters, once you're done, the tragedy is still tragic - plus you've ruined a perfectly good shirt & managed to look like an idiot?
\end{tongue_in_cheek_snark}
(click to show/hide)Ah, I see. There's indeed the adjective "pathetisch" (the literal-literal parallel to "pathetic" - in the sense of meaning 'with pathos') in German - but the translations of "pathetisch" into English range from "with much emotion" to "histrionic". (And most of the German synonyms for the translations are ... very far from being complimentary).
On the other hand, the translations of the English "pathetic" into German mostly mean smth. like 'wretched' - only three of the eleven translations are synonyms for the term "bemitleidenswert", which I pontificated about explained above.
So a US citizen exhorting somebody "Not (to) be pathetic" would mean "Quit being whiny - it's not so bad" - whereas their German contemporary would mean "Oh stop the histrionics already - You're not on stage!".
--- Quote from: JimC on 26 May 2016, 11:29 ---
--- Quote from: Case on 26 May 2016, 09:37 ---"Pathetic", on the other hand, seems to indicate ... much of the same, yet I've frequently heard it spoken/written with a scornful, even condescending note?
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Multiple meanings... As well as the meaning you describe 'pathetic' has another meaning with shades of inadequate and unacceptable ('I was offered a pathetic 300 dollar insurance settlement, when it was easily worth a thousand') , hence your scornful/condescending note. This may be a fairly recent development. But I've never come across this kind of feeling being attached to 'pathos'.
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I see - there's the term "kläglich" (evoking pity/mourning) that seems to fit the latter meaning. For example, "Don Quijote" often has the subtitle "Der Ritter von der traurigen/kläglichen Gestalt" (The Knight of pathetic stature)
Neko_Ali:
eh, given the nature of the comic and past similar incidents I expect that Brun will get a settlement from someone, or a new place to live/job by the end of the week. Jeph has never been interested in showing characters dealing with the annoyances and issues around financial troubles. They tend to be wrapped up quickly and neatly, and really only serve to generate plot lines and character growth.
Gyrre:
--- Quote from: Eastrim on 25 May 2016, 07:55 ---
--- Quote from: emsilly on 25 May 2016, 07:25 ---(Also, epic foreshadowing.)
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I never really understood why it's so verboten to ship the characters when Jeph does so regularly, both in the sense of writing their relationships and writing characters who are shipping the other characters. Both the board and Jeph act like it's some kind of offense against the material.
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I can't speak for others, but it only really bugs me if the character is WAY OoC or if they're dropped into a super toxic relationship (usually with a fan chatacter or a self-insert character). The OoC issue can be mediated with a sizable and well written character arc that accounts for the personality change.
Other than that, it has to do with conflicting headcanons, conflicting opinions/egos/personalities, and an unnerving amount of your-kink-not-my-kink. And some people just hate crack-pairings. At least, that's what I've garnered from tumblr when posts discussing how to deal with the problematic fans of some fandom or another come across my dash (mostly for Undertale).
Tova:
I am no linguist, nor am I an etymologist*, so take my words with a grain of salt...
My understanding is that 'pathetic' in the sense of 'inadequate' or 'wretched' is a relatively modern affectation. The earlier sense of the word, and the one that I think is intended in the comic, is that of 'evoking intense pity or grief'.
Think Tchaikovsky's Pathétique symphony.
https://youtu.be/3ebQYH6EpJ8
* From the ancient Saxon etya (where our word for eat comes from) which means "to swallow", and the Latin mal which can mean either 'bad' or 'difficult'. Hence, the study of that which is hard to swallow.
--- Quote from: Case on 26 May 2016, 11:34 ---So Clinton means "It's too early in the morning to rip my shirt and holler at the Gods for the evil that befalleth Humankind"? And Jeph adds "There's never a good time to rip your shirt and holler at the Gods for the evil that befalleth Humankind"!
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Yes, exactly. 8-)
Case:
--- Quote from: Tova on 26 May 2016, 16:47 ---I am no linguist, nor am I an etymologist*, so take my words with a grain of salt...
...
* From the ancient Saxon etya (where our word for eat comes from) which means "to swallow", and the Latin mal which can mean either 'bad' or 'difficult'. Hence, the study of that which is hard to swallow.
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Ah ... so that's why one has to take it with a grain of salt!
As to the meaning of 'mal' ...
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