Dr. Frank's What's-it

I'm Not like Everybody Else

Further to my comment about how the thrill of perceived sub-cultural "signaling" tends to endure beyond all rationality (on the Necronomicon/wikileaks "connection" post) here's a case in point.

Lovecraftian Playing cards:

Every time something like this pops up on boingboing (as this one did) or elsewhere on the internets, I immediately think, in spite of myself, "ha, wow, that is so great. It's the Cheese Shop sketch, except instead of John Cleese and Michael Palin and cheese, it's Cthulhu and Nyarlathotep arguing about human heads! I've got to post about that."

Then, of course, the entire world lights up with posts about it. It's not all that sub-culture-y anymore, to the degree that it ever was, but the thrill remains, only slightly tinged with the shame that comes when you must acknowledge you're not as special as you like to think you are and you're caught thinking it.

Even if every single purchasable product were emblazoned with Lovecraft-ian icons, I guess I'd still have that reaction. Wow, Shub-Niggurath dishwashing liquid, toothpaste, and cat food, an umbrella that says Fhtagn! and a Charles Dexter Ward defibrillator! Man, that is so awesome…

I touched on this a bit here, and even here, when PBS stations were hawking their Clash tote bags.

But of course, I want the cards. And most of the hundreds of other items on that site, truth be told. I'm just not sure I understand precisely why anymore.

Posted by Dr. Frank at December 6, 2010 11:39 PM | TrackBack