Tuesday, July 22, 2014

HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE???

Roomie just came home and showed me a thing. Did you folks know there's a counter on the right hand side that shows how many times the blog gets visited? Because I did not know that and it is my blog and I have just seen it and HOLY SMOKEBALLS HOW DID I GET TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND VIEWS
 
I don't even know what to say. I don't know what to say. I thought maybe a hundred or so people I was way way off how did this even happen?

How is it that so many people are reading the crap I write? I shout at movies. In text. For fun. Where are all you people coming from?

Well actually, I know that now too, and there's thousands of you all over the world. Finland, Belgium, New Zealand, Japan, France, the USA well I guess that one would be particularly obvious BUT STILL. HOW DID THEY KEEP THIS HIDDEN FROM ME? Was the thingy there this whole time?

I don't know how to feel. I'm ridiculously bowled over with happy but at the same time it's just... how do me and my stupid rambling about not having time for shit have so many people reading? What do you do with an audience that size? Is it growing? Is it shrinking? I'm so lost right now.

I wonder how many people are enjoying themselves and I'm just not hearing from them? I hope it's all of you. I really do. I had no idea that so many people were coming to look at my thoughts. WHAT DO YOU EVEN SAY TO AN AUDIENCE THIS SIZE? I'm lost. Completely. Hello? Hello. Hello, world. I'm Jeremy, and you've been reading me. A lot, it turns out. Some of you talk back, some of you send money for pizza, a lot of you are just quietly out there. There's an eerie thought.

I guess I should say how much I appreciate all of you who read, but you know that. I just didn't know how many of you there were! I can't promise to change my speed to keep you interested; my health has to come first and that's going to get in the way from time to time. I can't promise to like the things you want me to like, hate the things you want me to hate, or even choose to spend my time with the things Roomie and Lacy suggest for me (I have so far, but it's always up in the air. That Movie came damn close). All I can really promise is that if I have the chance to enjoy something, you'll get to share it with me.

I'm just rambling right now and I'm really sorry for that but I  just don't even know how to take this in. This is amazing and incredible and so far beyond anything I ever expected! I hope everyone continues to have a good time on this weird journey, and... just wow. Shoutouts to all around the world, all you wonderful people who are coming to share a bit of your time with a wacky crumpled-up athlete-geek from Butthole Nowhere, Canada. It means a lot to me.

24 comments:

  1. This blog is a magical place that I recommend to everyone I can.

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  2. DON'T CHANGE A THING!!!! This is one of the most unique internet experiences I've ever, well, experienced. Through you, I get to relive all my favorite movies, books, etc as if they were brand new. I know I check for new content multiple times a day, so that counter may be a little inflated. :)

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    1. Didn't consider that. That makes it a bit more normal-seeming, which is less stressful. :D

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  3. You are super fun and have an outside persepctive.

    Also you should totally watch Planet of the Apes and play Metal Gear Solid, no idea how nobody suggested those.

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  4. I think its because you're providing a fresh view to everything.

    For instance, I love Star Trek, Firefly, and the Lord of the Rings movies (among others). I've seen ST: The Original Series at least a dozen times, some episodes more.. I've watched the complete Firefly series about 20 times. I've seen The Lord of the Rings Trilogy at least 10 times, probably approaching 30 times for Fellowship of the Ring.

    But, nothing compares to that *first* time seeing things. So, reading the Blog reminds *me* of seeing the things for the first time, plus enjoying how *you're* enjoying them the first time. It's wonderful nostalgia.

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  5. Okay I've tried posting stuff here via Google account and it never goes through so this is me posting "Anonymously;" hi, I'm Stephen Lea Sheppard from RPGnet, if you think this isn't me, feel free to have Lacy PM me over there and I'll verify.

    You remember that scene in Pirates of the Caribbean where Barbosa is watching Elizabeth eat an apple, because he hasn't been able to enjoy eating apples in ten years so he can only do it vicariously? That's pretty much the situation we're all in here. You are experiencing stuff for the first time that the rest of us have only been able to watch through jaded eyes for decades.

    (Plus you're the only person in the history of Western civilization that watched Terminator 2 without being spoiled on the twist of Sir being an ally. Did you know they put that in the trailers?)

    So I've shared you on Facebook and Twitter, and I bet a bunch of other people have as well. It's very, very rare that someone with your combination of eloquence, critical thought, and sheltered upbringing starts to plow through thirty years of pop culture while liveblogging it, and it is vastly, VASTLY entertaining to read. I can't wait until you get to [insert my favorite movie here]!

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    1. That's an amazing analogy and I love it :D

      Did they seriously ruin that surprise for everyone when it came out? That's garbage. That was amazing to find out.

      So glad you're enjoying it enough to share. :D

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    2. Yeah, I agree with everyone else about staying for the combination of insightful commentary and infectious joy.

      But really the best thing is that I've had a small sadness for 20-some years that the marketing idiots ruined what should have been a fantastic movie moment in T2, but "watching" you enjoy the surprise has sort of balanced that out. I can die at peace.

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  6. The counter was there from the beginning.
    ...
    "What do you do with an audience that size?"
    Nothing. You keep doing what you were doing, which is why they all came to watch. Thinking things *should* change because there's many people watching will ruin the magic.

    -Anonyman

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  7. To be fair, a lot of those are repeat views.... because we keep coming back because it's just fun stuff ^^

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  8. What anonymous above said "But, nothing compares to that *first* time seeing things. So, reading the Blog reminds *me* of seeing the things for the first time, plus enjoying how *you're* enjoying them the first time. It's wonderful nostalgia."

    And what the other Anonyman said ""What do you do with an audience that size?"
    Nothing." Just keep doing what you love: watching movies the first time and letting us know your impressions, and then writing your analysis.

    I'd also add, you've made me see things I've missed in my first viewings and re-watches of the shows-- the music.

    For some reason, I've never paid attention to listening to the music in shows that weren't musicals. Now, I notice it all the time, and for that I thank you. (I'm an old-- I saw Star Trek:TOS when it first aired on TV and now I get to rewatch all my favorites afresh by just listening to the music and how it relates to the movie.)

    I'm looking forward to your comments on Big Trouble in Little China. *snicker*

    Terry Towels.

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  9. I know I'm like this, so I wonder how much is "*click* Has Jeremy updated?" Still, I'm pretty sure you got a good sized reader base and as others have said, don't change a thing. Your blog is a thing, and that is okay.

    Your watching and reading of stuff is a good kind of opposite schadenfreude and quite a bit of healthy nostalgia.
    -J-

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    1. Yeah, this. This Blog is on my daily list of sites I check for updates.

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  10. I originally came here because I came across a link to your Star Wars posts on the social media, with the sharer noting that here's a guy who never saw Star Wars before, watching it the first time ever. That's a great elevator pitch, so I came here.

    Only it turned out to be much more than they promised. Your observations are often insightful, sometimes mind-blowingly so. You write well, and in an entertaining style. Also, this bigger program of yours, to immerse yourself with the popular culture for the first time is interesting. All this made me to add your blog to my RSS feed reader. Oftentimes, I don't know the films you write about, and I skip those posts, but I do read the others with great interest.

    So, thank you. You are unique, in a very good way.

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  12. Same as above, following you via RSS and checking every post, only glancing through the movies I haven't seen but still reading your comments so I'll know if I would like the movie myself :)

    Your insights really are interesting and even mind-blowing, in that I did not expect those classic movies having so much to them, or them being often very relevant today. You're an expert critic and I love how you pay attention to important things like gender equality! If you just laughed at it like many geek guys still do, I wouldn't like reading your thoughts anymore, but now I've been happily surprised.

    I'm not on the RPGnet forum, so I hope my suggestion will be noticed here: Monkey Island series!!!! So many modern games, comics etc. pay homage to it that it is a must-know thing. And I love the games, as a child and now.
    And if Jeremy's ever going to read any webcomics, I'd have a ton of suggestions.

    Lurker from Finland saying hi,
    Zeggo

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  13. I can confirm the above's recommendation of Monkey Island. Thanks from Austin, Texas for providing a fantastic experience to see some of the best movies out there through fresh eyes. So many of us weren't alive, or couldn't appreciate these movies when they came out. We knew about Vader before we were able to appreciate the twist. You let us recapture that, what it would have been like (or for some, I imagine, what it was).

    I'm not certain if anyone's recommended it yet, but have you seen The Wizard of Oz? It's old, but undeniably one of the greats. You also might enjoy Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World- it's got a ton of video gaming references, so I don't know how up on those you are? But it's a really fun movie. Also Ferris Beuler's Day Off and The Breakfast Club (ok I'm done).

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  14. Lurker from Malaysia - found you on RPGnet. And I check here almost daily. Keep it up, and good speed with the recovery!

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  15. Glad I was in on the ground floor. I feel like one of the cool kids.

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  16. o hai, I come from the internet! Well, specifically Boulder, Colorado by way of MetaFilter. You've heard from me a time or 2 before - I'm the old lady who rides bikes and told you all about how I wrecked my left arm back when I was your age and tho it was rather useless for a time, I ignored the doomsayers and kept riding bikes anyhow :)

    In my specific case, your blog was linked on MetaFilter which is a big link aggregator site similar to reddit, and a lot of people on those sites came through and I'd suspect are now fans of yours just like I am. Because yeah, what everyone up there said - you are a tremendous combination of articulate, honest, unspoiled and a terrific observer and even better writer. To point out how very singular your skills are, I come from a family that contains classical musicians (my dad), I was a classically trained musician as a child (piano) and as much as I love movie soundtracks and that immersive quality when a good movie has a good soundtrack, to this day I STILL couldn't capture or articulate concepts like leitmotif and varying character themes in real time and as accurately as you do.

    Don't change a thing, you are doing exactly right.

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  17. If you're wondering why so many people have been reading, we're getting a vicarious thrill out of your unfiltered, virgin brain-dumps.

    And shouting at movies and books in text IS blogging. :-)

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  18. I get a computer programmer email every week at work from a support company and they have a section for interesting links. Your blog was linked a few weeks ago.

    Your reactions to the movies are exactly like mine. That's why I enjoy reading. I saw most of these movies in the theater when they were released when I was about your age. I hated horror movies. I'm a geek, but never cared too much for Star Trek. So I enjoy your initial reactions and your "second thoughts" are very interesting reading as well. Although I hated Tolkien's books, I did like the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. I don't even care to see the Hobbit movie.

    It sucks getting to be 50 years old and you've become jaded and every movie seems like it's been done to death. Your blog is a beautiful reminder of what the wonder of film is all about. Getting lost is a fun, fun movie adventure on a big screen in a dark theater.

    If you're looking for iconic movies that made their way into our pop culture, you should see:

    The Planet of the Apes (the original)
    The Godfather
    Dirty Harry
    Goldfinger, For Your Eyes Only, or any James Bond movie
    Enter the Dragon
    The Road Warrior
    Saturday Night Fever
    The Sting
    Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
    Woodstock; Three Days of Peace and Music
    Sixteen Candles
    Home Alone
    CaddyShack
    The Untouchables
    Die Hard
    Speed
    Ordinary People
    E.T.
    Billy Jack

    Two movies I really enjoyed :
    The Day of the Jackel
    Heaven Can Wait

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