8-Bit Philosophy, a new web series, aims to teach basic philosophical concepts through classic video game imagery. The first episode explores Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” using visuals from The Legend of Zelda. I like it a lot more than Thug Notes, the creators’ previous series, which uses a lazy, totally unfunny caricature of a black “thug” to teach literary classics. Look at him, in his do-rag and gold chain, using such modern urban colloquialisms as “yo,” “holla,” and “homies.” Isn’t learning fun?
The YouTube channel Thug Notes usually comments on famous great works of literature but has branched out into exploring philosophy. 8-Bit Philosophy explains philosophical concepts like "Is anything real?" and "Do we enjoy being free?" with original 8-bit, vintage video game-style videos. The newest video discusses Hegel and wrestles with the question "Is there…
Some games go to painstaking lengths to make their environments believable: fake products get integrated marketing campaigns, side characters wear realistically put-together outfits, original art hangs on the walls of houses. The Video Game Art Archive Tumblr focuses on the latter, compiling the stuff that's hanging on walls in classic…
Nick Cave (not be confused with Nick Cave) told Marc Maron that Russell Crowe asked him to write a script for Gladiator 2. Crowe watched the Australian western The Proposition that Cave wrote with John Hillcoat and liked it. When Cave asked Crowe, "Hey, Russell, didn’t you die in Gladiator 1?” Crowe answered, “Yeah, you…
