Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248

[Anonymouswizard]

I had a writing professor in college who loved to do a similar thing with Romeo and Juliet. He’d ask the classroom to state the moral of the story and we’d come up with all sorts of answers: “vengeance isn’t worth it?” “Communication is important?” “…true love??” And he’d shoot each answer down with a little impish grin before ultimately giving us the answer:

The moral of Romeo and Juliet is: “Listen to your parents, or you will die.”

Eh, the moral of Romeo and Juliet is whatever you can argue with the contents of the text. He's right that the core of the text is youthful folly and the consequences thereof, but that's not the only moral.

Heck, I'd argue that there's a decent argument that it says not to shelter your kids too much. It's unlikely Juliet would have got in the mess she did if she was more aware of Romeo and his reputation. Heck his first scene has him bemoaning that another girl doesn't want to jump into his bed, and he gets over her shockingly quickly.

Which is to say, I think that for most texts talking about the moral is being reductionist in order to appear smart.

Hell I don't think we should be talking about Shakespeare's intent when there's actual arguments over whether him writing 'that young man is so ****ing hot' means 'I think that young man is so ****ing hot'.

But he's The Bard, and therefore all D&D bards must now be bisexual.

[Bohandas]

I had a writing professor in college who loved to do a similar thing with Romeo and Juliet. He’d ask the classroom to state the moral of the story and we’d come up with all sorts of answers: “vengeance isn’t worth it?” “Communication is important?” “…true love??”

Two of those are half right. The correct moral to Romeo & Juliet is "True love isn't worth it"

[Rater202]

Two of those are half right. The correct moral to Romeo & Juliet is "True love isn't worth it"

It wasn't true love to begin with, it was teenage infatuation.

[Anonymouswizard]

It wasn't true love to begin with, it was teenage infatuation.

Considering the sheer number of 'love is obsession' stories in our culture I'd hazard a guess that your average person doesn't know what love is (and wants you to show them).

[Coppercloud]

Which is to say, I think that for most texts talking about the moral is being reductionist in order to appear smart.

Now that's just nonsense - how could we possibly explain to students that texts can have multiple interpretations? Yes, I'm still frustrated from my teacher explaining how a character sitting on an upside-down flower pot is obviously foreshadowing his future love and marriage, why do you ask?

Hell I don't think we should be talking about Shakespeare's intent when there's actual arguments over whether him writing 'that young man is so ****ing hot' means 'I think that young man is so ****ing hot'.

But he's The Bard, and therefore all D&D bards must now be bisexual.

I'm not sure the logic holds but I'll accept this outcome.

Also, for the record the moral of Romeo and Juliet is this one.

[Peelee]

I'd hazard a guess that your average person doesn't know what love is

I would argue that is a good thing, as it gives us art.

[Rater202]

I think the lack of functional romance in fiction in comparison to stalking, obsession, toxic behavior, and will they won't they crap is because of a persistent idea that functional relationships built on the mutual respect and effort of two people who want to make it work is boring.

Like, they think that if the conflict doesn't come from the relationship or if there isn't any drama in the relationship then it's not narratively satisfying.

It's not like you can't tell stories about the people in the relationship having to deal with their own baggage to make the relationship function, right? Or have the narrative be about how the relationship grows and how the people in the relationship grow as people because of it? No, gotta be pointless drama for the sake of drama.

...Starco tying with Lumity in the Chibi Couple Game was bull****.

[Bohandas]

I'd hazard a guess that your average person doesn't know what love is.

Isn't it a gimmick that the industry made up to sell bad comedies and overpriced diamonds?

[LaZodiac]

Isn't it a gimmick that the industry made up to sell bad comedies and overpriced diamonds?

Naw, true love is real. I know it so from personal experience.

[Peelee]

Hot take: true love is as real as a true Scotsman. It's as true as you make it.

[LaZodiac]

Hot take: true love is as real as a true Scotsman. It's as true as you make it.

This is also true! Though it's really not all that difficult to make it that true.

[Peelee]

This is also true! Though it's really not all that difficult to make it that true.

Aye, lassie!

[LaZodiac]

Aye, lassie!

This is especially funny given my last name is a Mc-Name, but the only Scottish or Irish part of me is a slight enjoyment of the band Flogging Molly.

[Peelee]

This is especially funny given my last name is a Mc-Name, but the only Scottish or Irish part of me is a slight enjoyment of the band Flogging Molly.

No love for Dropkick Murphys?

[Rater202]

This is especially funny given my last name is a Mc-Name, but the only Scottish or Irish part of me is a slight enjoyment of the band Flogging Molly.

Meanwhile I'm all kinds of Scot and Irish but my surname is essentially gibberish.

Like, we tried tracing it etymologically and came back nothing. Tracing it back patrilineally we eventually came to a single-generation change in spelling but even then the name is likely Anglo in origin rather than Celtic and it's in the majorly Irish part of the family.

[Keltest]

My family name is very scottish. My dad's side of the family is also very scottish. A few of us did an ancestry test like a year ago and most of us came back like 80 something percent scottish, which is pretty impressive for like 4th generation Americans.

[LaZodiac]

No love for Dropkick Murphys?

Never heard of'em! I only know of Flogging Molly from the internet and my Mom's old cassettes.

[DataNinja]

My surname (before I cut myself off from that side of the family and decided to change it) was Italian, from a very particular region, but, like... we have no idea how far back that was. (Which got exhausting every time I met someone new and they asked if I was Italian. Glad I don't have to deal with that anymore.)

[Lord Raziere]

My last name's is as scottish as you can get, half my lineage traces back to scotland, the other half is like italian? but more realistically the entire tree is more general european if I remember correctly. don't like corn beef though, but I do like my fair folk stories and myths and such. though being descended from both scottish and italian might explain my anger management issues earlier in life if stereotypes are to be believed, which I'm not sure if I do, but those issues had to come from somewhere.

[BisectedBrioche]

Oddly enough, my surname is a common Scottish variant of a common British surname, but Scotland's pretty much the only part of the North Western European Archipelago I don't have any ancestry from.

[Manga Shoggoth]

My surname is very Irish - I share a surname with a (locally) well known brewing family, and last I checked I was one eighth Irish down my father's side. I also have a proportion of Scottish down my mother's side alongside a scottish surname that doesn't have a Mac in it (although ultimately it is derived from one that does).

In fact, The only bit of the UK I don't have is Welsh, who always seem to be left out of these celtic-flavoured discussions. (A cousin living in Cwmbran for a few years doesn't really count, and is nothing to crow about).

[Anonymouswizard]

I would argue that is a good thing, as it gives us art.

I was angling for Foreigner


My surname is very English, despite the Irish ancestry on that side being recent enough that I could apply for citizenship. I know why though, it got Anglicised to help avoid discrimination.

[Metastachydium]

I know someone who met a Scottish person once.

…and that's roughly the full extent of whatever I have to do with Scotland and its people, past or present.

[Ionathus]

We have no idea where our surname came from.

As far as we can tell, my great-great grandfather had his "old", foreign-sounding name when he immigrated the first time to get established, then when he left and came back to bring the family with him, he'd mysteriously changed it. We assume to sound more American, but will perhaps never know. All my research has unearthed no source or meaning behind the name: he may have just completely made it up.

I would argue that is a good thing, as it gives us art.

Holy cow, I'd never seen the original music video. This thing is friggin' hilarious! A true work of art for sure.

[Bartmanhomer]

My birthday was great on Saturday. I went to Starbucks to get my free birthday drink. Then I went to Barnes & Noble to get a new tarot deck. Then I went to the movie to see the movie Tarot which I got my free popcorn and free soda (in addition I brought a Diet Monster Energy drink and candy). I have fun.

[TaiLiu]

I know someone who met a Scottish person once.

…and that's roughly the full extent of whatever I have to do with Scotland and its people, past or present.

I once played D&D with a Scottish man. Or maybe he was just from the north of England. I don't recall.

My birthday was great on Saturday. I went to Starbucks to get my free birthday drink. Then I went to Barnes & Noble to get a new tarot deck. Then I went to the movie to see the movie Tarot which I got my free popcorn and free soda (in addition I brought a Diet Monster Energy drink and candy). I have fun.

Nice! Glad you had a good time.

Do you wanna make the new Random Banter thread? We're on page 50 and you qualify.

[Bartmanhomer]

I once played D&D with a Scottish man. Or maybe he was just from the north of England. I don't recall.


Nice! Glad you had a good time.

Do you wanna make the new Random Banter thread? We're on page 50 and you qualify.

Thanks friend and no thank you but thanks for the offer.

So anyway I wrote Chapter 10 in my Dungeons & Dragons: The Dragoon Family story. Someone on another forum read my D&D: The Dragoon Family story and they love it.

[Ionathus]

Do you wanna make the new Random Banter thread? We're on page 50 and you qualify.

Thanks friend and no thank you but thanks for the offer.

Do I qualify?

[Peelee]

Do I qualify?

No, money down and unreasonable interest rates!

[Metastachydium]

I once played D&D with a Scottish man. Or maybe he was just from the north of England. I don't recall.

I see you like to live dangerously!

Do I qualify?

Unles the thread list in the opening post is incorrect, you do. (And if it is, no one will know you don't, so you still do.)