so i just found a thing
?
is that even-?
okay that’s not
???
is that even legal
There’s nothing that turns me on more than someone breaking me out of a word prison.
In my town, the mayor is a woman. She made a political commercial about garbage trucks or some shit, but I couldn’t pay attention to what she was saying. Do you know why?
She filmed the commercial in a kitchen. She filmed the commercial in a fucking kitchen! Why the hell wasn’t she behind her desk? They wouldn’t have done that if she was a man! Thank you so much for promoting feminism, Ashley Swearengin.
You mean sort of like this one? I mean, a quick search for political ads turned that up in the top handful. In reality, it’s far from uncommon for candidates trying to promote a particular view of themselves to choose their setting carefully. Canada’s Stephen Harper, for example, released a whole series (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) of ads with him situated in a living room. Historically being seen as a heartless bastard, he was attempting to present himself as warmer and more human.
Swearengin has built her political position on what could be termed “classic family values.” She’s pro-life, anti-gay-marriage, and has often brought up her long-term marriage and family situation as representative of her beliefs. Is it really a surprise, based on this image, that she’d choose a setting that evokes not only availability, informality and openness, but also serves as a strong symbol of the “traditional family”?
To be honest, you should be a bit ashamed of yourself. A central tenet of modern feminism is women’s freedom to choose, whether that choice is the boardroom, home, or somewhere in between. In attacking a successful female politician for doing something you consider traditionally feminine, all you’re doing is saying you think you should be the one to dictate women’s choices for them instead of someone else.
We’re not saying we support her; as far as we can tell, Swearengin is just yet another classic idiot Republican. However, this doesn’t make your complaint any less unjustified.
Dr. William Forscher Experiment Log
Experiment #04781: Magnesect, the Mournful Pokémon.Early research conducted on the evolution of Paras into Parasect and the process involved with its spores concluded that the spores themselves became the dominant life-source of the Pokémon upon growth. This information was first published by Professor Oak, creator of the Pokédex; however, it’s theorized that early Pokémon masters had a rudimentary understanding of the relationship between the insect and its spores, given the often impersonal relationship maintained between most publicized Parasect trainers and their Pokémon. These trainers would often have strong bonds with their team, yet would utilize Parasect as a type of organic machine, rather than a living creature.
Further study into the curious nature of the Pokémon revealed that, upon evolution, the spores of the Pokémon seem to simply put it in a catatonic state. Though the mushroom does the primary ‘thinking’, the body is still alive in its most basic form, and is still capable and required to function as a living host in order for the spores to stay healthy and strong. It was observed that Parasect consume organic matter for its energy to revitalize the mushroom atop its back; ergo, it was hypothesized that the mushroom was supplying the Pokémon vital nutrients for survival.
In conducting Experiment #04781, our goal was to determine the effects of a living, conscious host integrated with its organic master. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to revive the creature within the mushroom— experiments which often resulted in the release of defensive toxic spores from its back— it was suggested that a secondary, non-organic host be spliced with the Pokémon to balance the attention of the controlling spores released into it. Magnemite was proposed as both an excellent non-organic Pokémon test subject as well as an acceptable power source to successfully revitalize the catatonic creature within the mushroom.
For the purposes of the experiment, we gave #04781 a name: Magnesect. This spliced Pokémon went through several variant degrees of applied electricity before a successful, living result was created. The Magnemite was spliced and dominantly maintained control of the creature’s brain, purging the spores from within it. Its bolts were recreated and used to secure its mutated form in place within the Parasect’s body. The strain of the machine on the Pokémon caused many fissures in its exoskeleton, exposing ligaments often associated with non-insect life.
For the Pokémon itself, the Parasect life-form is capable of seeing— visual electronic receptors installed within the body of the Magnemite that connect to its limited occipital lobe— and is capable of digesting food without the aid of the mushroom cap on its back. Injuries caused from the splicing have shown some consequence: the spores have increased in ferocity within the Pokémon, and are far more numerous. Despite our best efforts to maintain a consistent harmony between the influence of the machine and the mushroom’s spores within the Pokémon, a constant battle for dominance between the two are observed within the Pokémon, with the life-form caught in the painful struggle.
Attempts to raise Magnesect have resulted in across-the-board failure. The Pokémon appears to be in constant, endless pain from these struggles. It seems to only eat via command of the machine and mushroom controlling it; when these influences are forced ‘off’, it ceases all function in an attempt to end itself through malnourishment. Its enhanced vision is put to little use due to visual warping caused by its perpetual tearing and cries. The only seeming benefit of this genetic splicing is the result caused upon the spores themselves: their viciousness and toxicity is unlike any other seen within the Pokémon world. It’s as though it’s attempting to adapt to the machine within the creature in an effort to purge it from— or envelope it into— the Pokémon’s physiology.
Continued research and study is suggested: over time, the spores may well adapt into life previously unseen, and the Pokémon may be perfected into new form. With the influence of machine within it, it’s entirely possible that a perpetual state of evolution may be attained over multiple generations. Currently, however, it is not recommended as a battle-ready Pokémon, unless put to use against opponents who utilize non-offensive strategies early in battle— again, the toxicity of its spores are truly amazing.
Submitted for your review. Attached is our suggested entry for our catalog of experimental Pokédex entries. This information is confidential, and should not be published to the National Pokédex.
Details regarding our other ongoing experiments forthcoming.
Pokédex Entry: Its pained cries are filled with sorrow. During battle, it seems to act more aggressive and desperate when its opponent is not attacking it.
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Artist’s Notes
I wanted to jump in and join the pokemon fusion fun :D Picked Magnesect because it looked really interesting and undead. To give it a nice touch, I requested by husband to put some background to it :]
This crazy alien puppet was used as a “screamer” image and running gag in an episode of Drawn Together, of all things. Does it come from somewhere else? A leftover from a sci-fi series?
This comes from a Chevrolet commercial made by Boss Film Studios. Thanks to BoltThrow for pointing me in the right direction. There’s some behind the scenes info here and here, but I can’t find the video of the commercial itself. It may have been for the 1986 Chevy Corsica, and it may have been directed by Douglas Trumbull, but I can’t find anything to confirm those points.
An ancient mystery laid to rest with a more interesting answer than I expected.
