The Spider-Man Dignity Mortgaging Promotion - Eviscerate Your Sense of Self-Worth at Carl's Jr.!

By Geddy Cahoon

The idea of fast food companies promoting a superhero flick isn't exactly a groundbreaking idea. In fact, you'd probably find it more out of the ordinary if joints like Burger King and McDonald's DIDN'T feature toys and commercials plugging the new Batman movie. However, as fate would have it, some ad promotions just... Don't work. Maybe the movie's target audience doesn't buy Happy Meals. Maybe the TV ad campaign just doesn't do the promotion justice. Or maybe - Just maybe - the campaign is so insulting, so ridiculous, and so.... Well, downright stupid, that there's no way it should have made it past the "idea" stage, let alone become a full blown movie tie-in.

Such is the case with the new promotion from Carl's Jr./Hardee's: Dress up like Spider-Man, get a free bacon burger. Now, it sounds innocuous enough. But I think it speaks volumes about a bunch of corporate executives opinions regarding the dignity their customers possess.

So hit the jump to read my venomous and ridiculous overreaction to a simple movie/fast food restaurant tie-in!

The Deliciously Despicable Debauchery That Is Duck Dynasty 

by Scott Speegle

      These days if you can force something even resembling an alliteration, you've got yourself a show. Granted it's more than likely going to air in the dark and bile drenched recesses of modern TV, but hey, it's still TV. If you've got your shoehorned alliteration in hand there's really only one other ingredient that is an absolute must for a clearance on mindless dreck: crazy/stupid people existing in front of cameras (if you can manage both, E! should be kicking your door down within minutes). 

I'm so sorry for the automatic soul drain caused by viewing this image.

        Alliterations, for all their truly great qualities (see every notable super hero), have taken on an odd enabling capability and recently become a crushingly relentless trend. Now I'm not going to get into the myriad of shows that utilize this trend because I want to devote the lion's share of this column to one particular little gem, also if you're currently a living human you should know exactly what I'm talking about.

        

"Blake Lively is so talented!" Exclaimed no one, ever.

hit the jump to read about ducks!

Docu Picks - 'I Got Next'

A few days ago I was on a documentary kick (8 in three days) and among those was a particular nerdy flick that I thought I might share here. It's a nice look at the state of contemporary competitive gaming and it's interesting at how much has changed even since this film came out.

It's still streaming free on hulu so check it out cry baby.

-Scott-

John Dies At The End Quick Review

I wrote this review shortly after Geddy posted his John Carter film review and wasn't able to post it immediately due to some weird happenings within the blogger mainframe. Anyway I tried to keep it brief so hit the jump to read it... or go back to watching porn.

An Open Letter to Comics

by Scott Speegle

         Human beings tell stories. It’s been an integral part of our existence since we developed the ability to do it. And while the tradition of telling stories orally is undoubtedly the original storytelling medium, there is another form of conveying narratives and histories that has deceptively shifted its form to suite the times for almost as long as oral storytelling: comics, or more appropriately sequential art.

Debris - Short Story

Figured I'd throw this up here for anyone interested. Enjoy.

Cartoon Network's "Level Up"- An Insipid, Insulting Ad-Campaign, Sure to Lead to An Even More Insulting TV Series

Hey all you geeks out there, NWC's Geddy Cahoon here with a very special rant. I know I haven't done Figure Fraction in a while... Again, it's not conducive to my schedule, but I'm gonna try to get one done as soon as possible. Anyway, I do have something to complain about today! If you'd like to hear a bitter, hate-feuled critique of the ad-campaign for my favorite network's newest endeavor, please hit the jump dear reader! A pretentious, holier-than-thou pseudo-essay about a show that is in no way intended for someone of my age awaits you!

Mini-Cast Mishap

So I just realized (just meaning last night as I pushed my naked lover Alfonse off of me at four in the morning after a heated gay sex marathon) that things have been somewhat falling off of schedule here at the Nerd World headquarters. One of those things being the end of the week mini-cast that we have been trying to do to supplement the longer weekly podcast.

Frankly, I'm aware that no one cares at all whether we put up a mini-cast, or a regular podcast for that matter, but still I guess it's the principle of the thing that has me peeved. Yeah I just said peeved, cry about it. Anyway, depending on how things go we might not continue it as a regular feature or we may get our shit together and do it as a weekly thing. Either way you fans are what's important. So please keep giving your overwhelming support and continue throwing tons of money and love our way. Thank you so much.

-Scott-

Something, something... duty

http://kotaku.com/5858098/why-its-stupid-to-hate-call-of-duty?tag=modernwarfare3

   Somewhat relevant to the discussion we had about Call Of Duty in episode 3 of the podcast, for anyone who cares. Just figured I'd put it out there that we're (or at least I'm) not completely biased against the franchise. I don't think fervent fandom for the sake of it is something that has any merit to it, but being on the opposing side just to be obstinate is equally if not more so a waste of time and energy.

-Scott-