Training for Nerd Olmypics 2011

Stop having fun: Barbies and video cameras involved in child porn

The FBI has issued a cyber crime alert for the Video Girl Barbie doll. Authorities note that dolls and hidden cameras are both tools of kiddie porn producers, and the combination of the two warrants a manufactured controversy.

The Barbie features a hidden camera in her necklace, with an LCD screen on the back for playback. A USB port is also included. In other words, the toy is completely awesome and I may have considered eschewing gender norms as a child for a chance to play with one had such a thing existed.

I suppose we should also be concerned about regular video cameras, computers, toys of all kinds, candy, and the human race, as all are known to be involved in or aid the creation and distribution of child pornography. Clearly, existence hasn’t been thinking of the children.

Source: CNN
Image: Adapted from Action Barbie by SamJUK under a CC-BY license.

Take a Mustache Ride

Women everywhere have rallied behind the cause. In support of Movember’s goal of eradicating prostate cancer, women the world over have pledged to show men sporting Movember ‘staches that just because they sacrificed respectability this month, they don’t have to throw their sex life on the chopping block too.

You’re not a whore if it’s for charity.

Shameful Human(s) of the Week: Hot Topic

Until today, I had no idea that the house that kids-who-wear-shit-on-their-wrists built was selling t-shirts featuring the “Rageguy” internet meme. You know, that’s the MS Paint doodle of a rather unhappy man declaring “FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU-.”

Such a brazen misappropriation of “internet culture” alone warrants the title of Shameful Human(s). This is a large corporation looking to profit on the culture of others. Think of the products associated with any culture or subculture. It’s the difference between members of a culture selling their own, “authentic” art, and cheap knock-offs sold by others. Is it okay for 4chan and other sites to make ad revenue off posts containing “Rageguy”? Sure, those sites are on the “inside.” Hot Topic is decidedly not.

Having said that, Hot Topic has gotten a lot more shameful in recent days over this. 4chan decided to get involved, “taking back” the Rageguy meme by associating it with racism under “Operation: Black Rage.” The image board’s community decided to turn “Rageguy” into a racist, plastering the internet with the meme’s new direction. They then contacted anyone who would listen to claim that Hot Topic was selling material associated with/promoting racism.

The company announced some 19 hours ago that it would cease to sell Rageguy shirts due to the character’s new direction. 14 hours later, the company reversed its decision, refusing to “cave to bad people doing bad things.”

It should seem obvious at this point that Hot Topic is more interested in maintaining profit (thus the decision to stick with Rageguy) than adhering to the desires of the community which created him. This also exposes Hot Topic as a disconnected exploiter of the subcultures which it seeks to associate with. If Hot Topic were really on the “inside” of internet culture, it would recognize Raceguy as a force for internet justice and keep selling his products.

Source: GeekOSystem

George Takei goes after furiously homophic school board member

George Takei is awesome. We all know this. He was in Star Trek after all. What’s more, he ran around shirtless with a rapier in Star Trek. Then there was that one time in The Undiscovered Country where he said, in his most Takei voice, “Fly her apart, then!” He’s also an outspoken proponent of gay rights and gay issues.

For all these reasons and more, you should watch “George Takei Calls Out Anti-Gay Arkansas School Board Member.” In this video, you’ll get to hear Takei utter the word “douche-bag” numerous times, and learn how former Arkansas school board member Clint McCance is definitely deserving of the title. Check it out here.

Image: Adapted from George Takei by maxintosh under a CC-BY license.