CompuServe Thread

#symbolism in 3dsr3 image

61 messages in this thread
#63171From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 24, 1993 10:29 PM
last night we had a bit of a social gathering over at Alan Iglesias' place. I asked them to confirm my suspicion that there is a phallic symbol in Robert Stein's image that appears on the 3dsr3 release notice (sent to all registered users), inside the reference manual (image 24), and on the front cover of Computer Pictures (slightly cropped). I'll let you all see if you can spot what I'm talking about, and I'm not talking about the building itself – it's far more obvious than that <g>. Let me know what y'all think and confirm that we hadn't just had too much beer :-\ BTW, we all agreed that it was a phallic symbol, if not a full-blown phallus. Anyway, nobody found it offensive. I just thought it was ironic that it slipped through (no pun intended).
#63197From: John TissavaryOct 25, 1993 2:37 AM
I think you're right, if you're looking at the same thing I'm looking at, although it's not THAT obvious.
#63259From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 25, 1993 11:46 AM
John, oh I think it's obvious! My wife, who has very little imagination but is lots of fun anyway, knew what it was straight away <g>. I was talking about the object at the bottom left of the image, parallel to the Chrysler building.
#63308From: John TissavaryOct 25, 1993 5:38 PM
Yeah, I guess it is pretty blatant. John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
#63332From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 25, 1993 6:49 PM
John, I've heard through the grapevine that it might actually have been unintentional but we'd probably have to ask Robert Stein privately to get the scoop <g>.
#63352From: ALAN IGLESIASOct 25, 1993 9:13 PM
That's it, Martin. I'm calling him in the morning! Everytime I see that picture now I just crack up! I'll let ya know what he says… -Alan
#63375From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 25, 1993 10:51 PM
Alan, yeah! Put Robert on the spot and find out what medication he was taking when he created that image – I want some <G>
#63470From: David TaffetOct 26, 1993 12:34 PM
Now, *what* image is this? DT
#63514From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 26, 1993 2:43 PM
looks like I've opened a veritable Pandora's box here. It's image #24 in the r3 manual colour section. Also, it's on the upgrade notice mailer you may have received in the mail.
#63562From: David TaffetOct 26, 1993 6:07 PM
OK. I gotta check this out. I've found various subliminal tricks in the past. I gotta see how blatant this is. Ever look at the cover to Gerry Rafferty's City to City album from about '79 or so? (Well, not many people have, actually.) He's crouched there with his hand on a huge penis, which has the word SEX in monster letters, right in the center of the painting. I showed it to some who smacked their foreheads, "Oh, yeah!" and to others who adamantly refused to register the image… Victorians…
#63616From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 26, 1993 10:31 PM
I haven't seen that record cover, but it sounds really, jolly, jolly, nice (said in my best John Cleese voice).<g>
#63692From: SyndesisOct 27, 1993 10:00 AM
There's a phallus-like object in the spires and buildings in the background of most of the "Little Mermaid" art, too. If you like, I'll upload GIFs of the "Face on Mars" along with NASA's answer to conspiracy theorists, the less-well-known "Happy Face" and "Kermit the Frog" from Mars, too. The Happy Face is a crater with two inner craters for eyes and a lava wave for the smile, it's quite accurate. Similarly, the "Kermit" looks like the famous frog in profile, right down to the bulging eyeball.
#63519From: ALAN IGLESIASOct 26, 1993 2:49 PM
Just got off the phone with RobertS and we had a good laugh! Seems that the "mystery phallus" was just a function of a random combination of sphereoids, texture maps, and opacity maps, like the rest of that part of the composition. He was as suprised as we were when he looked closely at it! Hey, ya never know — there may be some subliminal stuff at work there…
#63554From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 26, 1993 5:22 PM
a trick of the light, eh? <g>.
#63587From: Yost GroupOct 26, 1993 8:16 PM
Just a combination of conspiracy theorists and sex maniacs at work.
#63642From: ALAN IGLESIASOct 27, 1993 12:40 AM
..or was it conspiracy maniacs and sex theorists?…<g>
#63445From: Yost GroupOct 26, 1993 11:03 AM
If you could see the entire, uncropped image, you'd definitely see that it's just another sphere with an X-shaped opacity map on it. It's elongated a bit by the perspective… that's all. I think you guys all have a one-track mind. – G
#63457From: Oct 26, 1993 11:46 AM
>> I think you guys all have a one-track mind. And it's derailed at that!
#63509From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 26, 1993 2:35 PM
Robert missed have made a "Freudian slip" then with his composition. Well, at least we all had a good laugh 🙂 I'd better not start a discussion on what the yellow thing could represent <g,d&r>. Martin "el hallucinator" Foster
#63520From: ALAN IGLESIASOct 26, 1993 2:49 PM
Who? Us?<g>
#63501From: Gregory LeVasseurOct 26, 1993 2:29 PM
Not only blatant but circumcised! <BG>
#63213From: Gus GrubbaOct 25, 1993 7:22 AM
Hey Martin, You're right! And it's far from just symbolic, it's the real thing. Oh well, a syber-punk version of it any way… <g>
#63256From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 25, 1993 11:39 AM
Gus, looks the whole thing is full of sexual imagery and symbolism, it's just that "piece" was, ahem, more obvious than symbolic.
#63283From: CSA/CAOct 25, 1993 2:40 PM
Martin, Yep, absolutely pornographic! Good eye. Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
#63296From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 25, 1993 4:31 PM
Kevin, yes, I'm always scrutinizing this kind of stuff for moral infringements <g,d&r>.
#63346From: Gus GrubbaOct 25, 1993 8:43 PM
Pornographic? g'me a break! I hope you were just kidding! Porno: prostitute Graphic: story, the telling about, study Quite a long shot… Are you a Limbaugh fan?
#63473From: CSA/CAOct 26, 1993 12:50 PM
Yes, of course I'm kidding!
#63478From: krazy imagesOct 26, 1993 1:01 PM
Yes, in the bottom. It's clear, but also could be the perspective. Hey, Martin, I think you don't have to do the Jung project. Why don't start with Freud? <g>
#63510From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 26, 1993 2:37 PM
great idea. Steve Speer has already cornered the market on Jung and the Bible anyway. I need to do some Freudian work 😉
#63589From: Yost GroupOct 26, 1993 8:17 PM
I was wondering when Steve Speer was going to make it into this thread. As soon as 3D graphics and genitalia come up, he always manages to sneak in.
#63617From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 26, 1993 10:38 PM
Yes, Steve has done his fair share of symbolic stuff. If the material I've seen is his public stuff, I wonder what his private collection is like? The reason I mentioned the Stein image was the distorted sphere/glans reminded me of an image I did way back. Mine's a bit more blatant, bit still symbolic (kindof). Maybe I can upload it and the sysops can decide if it's obscene or not.
#63629From: Gus GrubbaOct 26, 1993 11:11 PM
He, he, he… now try to define obscene in this country…
#63640From: Yost GroupOct 27, 1993 12:30 AM
Give it a shot… maybe they'll deem it ART!
#63718From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 27, 1993 12:42 PM
Righto! Then we can have a discussion on when art becomes obscene or pornographic – if it gets accepted which I doubt.
#63849From: Oct 28, 1993 12:06 AM
How far are you from the fires? We have fires on the horizon everywhere we look, Turtle Rock was just evacuated, getting pretty close to Newport Beach! Is Doug Wolfgram out there? How's your place up in the hills? Three of our employees had to leave early to help their families evacuate their houses, you guys cannot believe what it looks like out here!
#63863From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 28, 1993 2:27 AM
The closest it got was probably 2 miles. I could see it all today from my office/spare bedroom. The night sky was pretty dramatic. Our development is stucco, glass, and concrete tile roofs so I don't expect any problems here. Last I heard 225 homes went up in smoke in the Laguna Beach area. Very sad. 🙁
#63897From: Oct 28, 1993 9:52 AM
>> The night sky was pretty dramatic. Our development is stucco, glass, and >> concrete tile roofs so I don't expect any problems here. Why you'd want stucco and glass on the roof is beyond me! <g> Good to hear, though! Susan and I went for a walk around here around 11:00pm, you could see as if it was daylight up towards Turtle Rock/Spyglass Hill! We came back home, covered with soot, and our eyes tearing. Our neighborhood is all shake roofs, would go up pretty quick, I'm afraid! The little town of Laguna Beach had 25,000 people evacuated, sort of says it all. I hope everyone who came here for Siggraph had a chance to tour around, it may not look that good again for a while. Glad the wind appears to have stopped this morning. Lets see: earthquakes, riots, handguns, fires – did you say you are moving to Australia? I can't imagine why!
#63922From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 28, 1993 11:13 AM
You went for a walk last night? Isn't that dangerously close to being exercise? <g,d&r>. our house and yard was covered in ash this morning and I had some potential buyers coming round. Major sweep-up job at 8am – ouch!
#63937From: Yost GroupOct 28, 1993 11:40 AM
I'm praying for the wind to stay cool and from the west. Keep the faith.
#63992From: John TissavaryOct 28, 1993 6:38 PM
My sympathies go out to any and all who must evacuate due to the fires. I had freinds who's houses were endangered in the Oakland fire a couple of years ago, and have some idea of how nerve racking it can be.
#63952From: krazy imagesOct 28, 1993 12:33 PM
Sex is everywhere, ladies and gentlemen. You only have to read each innocent fairy tale you can find to know what pornography is about. From the chinese legends to the russian tradition, to the long first epic poems in spain. All is sex everywhere. And I'm not a sex maniac. The serious study of fairy tales is my serious hobby, and I have the intention of publish one of that thick books that nobody read about the subject soon (just when I finish it 🙂 John Foust was kidding about the The Little Mermaid, but that is one of the tales with more sex component in earth (not because of the pennis-like shape of biological marine forms). And even you can find the Disney "version" is more hard than the real one (well, the truth is that the Disney version is not sex intended, but the old oral tradition of the fairy tales IS). And if we get into modern literature… well, this chat could be last for the next couple of years 🙂
#63797From: Jim CarltonOct 27, 1993 7:05 PM
And maybe NEA will send you some money! After all, Bill, Al and the Crew in DC are into computers now… maybe they've dragged Jesse out of the Stone Age too.
#63860From: Gus GrubbaOct 28, 1993 1:55 AM
>> maybe they've dragged Jesse out of the Stone Age too… Certain things just can't happen. Only Hollywood can bring dinosaurs back to the 20th century.
#63595From: Gus GrubbaOct 26, 1993 8:21 PM
Jung or Ruth? <g>
#63623From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 26, 1993 10:59 PM
Well, I'm not sure. BTW, can I put my wishlist in for the DPS PAR software features with you? (sneaky change of subject, there)
#63650From: Oct 27, 1993 1:43 AM
>> BTW, can I put my wishlist in for the DPS PAR software features with >> you? Not unless they are already in the spec! We are on a serious time crunch with some _major_ penalties if we are late. Gus, stop reading this and get back to work! <g>
#63723From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 27, 1993 12:45 PM
OK, OK. <sigh>. I'll save it for the second release of the software…
#63953From: krazy imagesOct 28, 1993 12:33 PM
Sneaky change of subject everywhere in CIS. "mmmh, oh yeah, that phallus in image 24 at 3ds. BTW, talking about Jung, can I put my wishlist in for the DPS PAR software with you? I want to do it because I need some textures for my next animation and want to know how to make a pepperoni sandwich" is the usual kind of conversation you can find here. That's why you look to a subject with 256 replies and you can find that it's only related to the first three messages of the thread <g>
#64033From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 28, 1993 11:52 PM
Well this is the Take 5/General section, so at least it is OK to digress and follow the weaving patterns of thoughts that we have. When we "conference" live on CI$, the reaction time of CI$ is probably 30 seconds, so people start a new subject before the old one is finished. Pretty soon, you have a conference with 3 or 4 subjects running parallel and that's only 2 people. Imagine if more people were conferencing <g>. Very amusing. I hope the nature of "Asoft" does not bother or upset you. You did mention that you were thinking of stopping coming here. I hope that never happens and I hope it was not because of things I had said. I tend to get a little excited on here, because this is my local village pub/bar (without the music and drink). Anyway, I digress! Again! oh no! <g>. I liked your description of fairy tales and I think I will get the "Little Mermaid" again and watch it a little closer this time. I thought it was very sexy, but I was looking at the mermaid <g>. I think cartoons were for adults originally, anyway, and Tex Avery has some adult cartoon collections.
#64347From: krazy imagesOct 30, 1993 3:35 PM
It's not the imaginery in the little mermaid, but the history. For example, do you know when the sexy Ariel discovers her legs? And why she have to pay with her voice (a part of her, and a symbol of sexuality development) to the evil power -remember the Bible, the snake, etc…-? And when the woman (the "little" mermaid) leaves the house (the sea) and her father (Poseidon)? And why Rick, the future husband- have to kill the evil and "return" the power to Ariel's father -because Ariel is a rebel-? It's not only sex, it's moralism: the "stick" -don't know the word in english- in the ship who kills the evil? And do you know who is the evil woman in the story? Correct, she is her mother. C'mon, Disney! What are you trying to sell us? 🙂 When you have a little girl, you will tell me what this Little Mermaid is all about, Martin. To be true, the Disney's Little Mermaid is not that sex oriented, because it's created for pure, actual capitalism society, no-thought entertaiment. But the real fairy tales -which, in most ocasions- have become more impure along the years, are like the stories that the actual parents tell to his sons and daughters about the reproduction process (you know, the bees and flowers and everything). It's moreless the same -the explanation is a little simplistic- but the fairy tales are no more than complex (but simple) sex awakening and sex development stories with more epic/fantasy/magic component, and a highest and better simbolism (bees and flowers? that is not simbolism, that is stupid! 🙂 Now we can talk about the drugs in Alice in Wonderland! <g>
#64378From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 30, 1993 7:01 PM
I think some fairy tales, once considered innocent or at least harmless, have now been banned or censored in some American schools. Especially religious schools where there is sexual symbolism or in liberal schools where the content is considered politically incorrect (offensive to women, offensive to racial or religious groups, offensive to ferrets etc). I think it's going too far, myself. I heard a story about a college in the USA somewhere called Antioch college which requires all new students to attend a class on proper sexual behaviour and consent. Apparently, a man or woman needs to ask his partner for permission before doing anything and everything. For example: man or woman says "May I kiss you now?" "Yes". "May I unbutton your shirt?" "Yes" "May I touch your ******?" "Maybe" "No, I'm sorry I need a specific yes or no, answer." "OK" "Is OK a yes, or a no, or an OK, I understand?" "OK is yes, you fool! Just do it" "No, I can't just do it. We have to do the proper thing in the correct order" "Well, just forget it! I'm going to the library! Goodbye…" There I go again, my imagination running away with me. It's not as bad as it sounds. It could work well for some people, but not others. Did they do that in the Little Mermaid? I need to watch it again.
#64460From: krazy imagesOct 31, 1993 12:36 PM
Are you kidding me, Martin?
#64504From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 31, 1993 9:30 PM
No, I'm not kidding about the Antioch college mandatory sexual behaviour class. It has been widely discussed in the media. What do you think about that? And please, be specific <g>.
#63630From: krazy imagesOct 26, 1993 11:24 PM
You don't need to do "some Freudian work". YOU are The Freudian Work <g>
#63719From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 27, 1993 12:44 PM
>> You don't need to do "some Freudian work". YOU are The Freudian Work<< Thank you. That's the nicest thing anybody has said to me all day. I just got out of bed though, so that could change <g>.
#63951From: krazy imagesOct 28, 1993 12:33 PM
It seems that you go with the "bed" in mind all the day <g>
#64032From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 28, 1993 11:38 PM
>> It seems that you go with the "bed" in mind all the day <g> Probably, not much more than than the average 30 year old man, BUT, I do love the imagery and symbolism of erotic art.
#64346From: krazy imagesOct 30, 1993 3:34 PM
You won't find that in Australia. Well, probably the Sidney Opera Hall <g>, but that is a symbol for very sick minds… yeah, probably 30 and up minds. Fortunately I am still in my twenties 🙂
#64410From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 31, 1993 1:22 AM
What won't I find in Australia? Cartoons? I lost the thread, sorry. I know what I will find….the Great Barrier Reef! We booked an extra side-trip to Cairns, in addition to the main trip to Sydney. That means 3 days, 2 nights at the Great Barrier Reef and I'm going to try and catch me a Mermaid <g>.
#64470From: krazy imagesOct 31, 1993 3:22 PM
No, sex symbols. It seems that in God's land, sex is considered even worse than in the US. However, that's only "legend". I really don't know what are the restrictions and laws regarding sex in Australia (I mean, about records, movies, etc…)
#64505From: MARTIN G FOSTEROct 31, 1993 9:32 PM
I'll give you all a complete report on sexual attitudes in Australia _after_ I return. I'll need to do a complete search for phallic and other sexual symbolism in public places. I will check all the beaches for signs of nudity and other immorality.