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Where would the world be without scientific studies? I think most would agree that some can be very informative, some not so informative and others are just plain silly and a waste of money. The studies on this list are all rather unusual in nature, hopefully entertaining and each study was sourced at least twice on different websites. Some here I believe do have some merit while others will fall into the questionable category and the results may need to be taken with a grain of salt. The reason I have selected so many sexually oriented studies for this list is unknown and is perhaps worthy of another study.
The Study: The Elephant Self-Recognition Study
Conducted By: New York’s Wildlife Conservation Society
Three Asian elephants named Happy, Maxine, and Patty were observed by researchers after a large mirror was placed in the elephant’s yard. Happy was marked with a white X painted above her eye and a similar mark was made on the opposite side of her head in invisible paint of an identical smell and texture. When Happy saw her image in the mirror she repeatedly brought her trunk to her own head to touch the white mark. This is the ultimate test of self-recognition. The Elephants also made repetitive movements in front of the mirror and apparently used it to inspect their body parts. Maxine even put her trunk tip into her mouth and looked as though she was trying to study her mouth’s interior.
Interesting Fact: Elephants have now joined apes and dolphins in being part of a small group of animals that are able to recognize themselves in the mirror.
The Study: Sheep Recognizing Faces Study
The Babraham Institute investigated sheep’s ability to distinguish and remember faces of both other sheep and humans. The researchers trained the sheep to associate one of the pair with a food reward. 20 sheep were presented with pictures of 25 pairs of sheep faces. They determined that the sheep could recognize the individuals associated with a reward even in profile. The team further discovered that sheep can remember as many as 50 sheep faces in addition to a familiar human face for up to two years.
Interesting Fact: Scientists concluded that because sheep have such sophisticated facial recognition skills, they must have much greater social requirements than previously thought
The Study: Do Married Couples Start to Look Alike Study
Conducted By: Psychologist Robert Zajonc at the University of Michigan
For this study 110 participants were presented with random photographs of faces, and were instructed to match the men with the women who most closely resembled each other. Two dozen of the photographs were of couples when first married and another two dozen were of the same couples 25 years later. The judges were able to match husbands and wives far more often when the couples were older than when they were younger.
Interesting Fact: The results could not be explained but there were some possible explanations. The first was diet with the thinking that if both partners eat a high fat diet, their faces will both tend to look chubby. Another explanation was environment such as sunshine that would affect the skin in similar ways. A third explanation was predisposition with the idea that people are more likely to choose partners who will grow to look like them. The most popular explanation was empathy. People grow to look similar because they are empathizing with each other so the couple would copy each other’s facial expressions. Then over time because of all the empathizing, their faces come to look more similar.
The Study: Curvy Hips Intelligent Study
Conducted By: The University of Pittsburgh and the University of California, Santa Barbara
Researchers looked at data from a study of more than 16,000 women and girls that detailed their body measurements, as well as their education level and scores on various cognitive tests. The women were measured by their waist-to-hip ratio or WHR. This is done by dividing your waist size by your hip size. The report indicated that women with waists that were about 70 percent of the diameter of their hips scored slightly better on intelligence tests and tended to have a slightly higher level of education than women with a higher waist-to-hip ratio. Also women with lower WHRs and their children had significantly higher cognitive test scores. One theory is the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in a woman’s hips and thighs are a key indicator of her heart health. It’s also important for the health of her brain and the brain of any child she may bear.
Interesting Fact: Scientists call the study intriguing but say the differences in cognitive ability that the researchers found were somewhat small. Because of this they think it would be a mistake to over interpret the findings that just because a woman has a curvy figure, she’s smarter.
The Study: Are Women More Attractive in Red Study
Conducted By: The University of Rochester NY,
This study wanted to test whether men have different attitudes towards women based on the color they are wearing. In one experiment Psychologists asked: “Imagine that you are going on a date with this woman and have $100 in your wallet. How much would you be willing to spend on your date?” Pictures of the exact same women were shown to men with different colors. The woman wearing red was more likely to be treated to a more expensive date. In all the experiments, women shown framed by or wearing red were rated significantly more attractive and sexually desirable by men than women in other colors.
Interesting Fact: One of the theories to explain the outcome of the study was it could be due to deep biological roots because nonhuman male primates, such as baboons and chimpanzees, are known to be attracted to females displaying red.
The Study: Do Herring Communicate by Passing Gas Study
Conducted By: Canada and Britain
Two teams carried out this research project. One studied Pacific herring in Bamfield, British Columbia, while the other focused on Atlantic herring in Oban, Scotland. It was discovered that the Atlantic and Pacific herring create a mysterious underwater noise. It turns out that the high-frequency sound was created by releasing air from their anuses. The noise was always accompanied by a fine stream of bubbles. Researchers suspect herring hear the bubbles as they’re expelled, helping the fish form protective shoals at night.
Interesting Fact: Researchers named the phenomenon Fast Repetitive Tick, which makes for a rather interesting acronym, FRT. Scientists say unlike the human version, these FRTs are thought to bring the fish closer together.
The Study: Bra Support for Bouncing Breasts Study
Conducted By: University of Portsmouth, England
70 women were recruited including students at University of Portsmouth with bra sizes ranging from A-cup to extra-large (DD, E, FF, G, H, HH, J and JJ). Each woman walked, jogged and ran while wearing different bra types. During the exercise, biomechanical measurements were taken of breast movement in three directions: up-and-down, side-to-side and in-and-out. During walking exercise, the women’s breasts moved relatively the same amount in all directions. But when participants sped up to a jog or run, their breasts moved proportionally more in some directions than others: The overall pattern of the movement resembled a figure-8. The study showed A-cup women, wearing a sports bra reduced overall breast movement by 53 percent, compared with a 55-percent reduction for G-cup women. A pair of D-cup breasts weighs about 15 to 23 pounds (7 to 10 kilograms) and had little support with ligaments and the skin doing most or all of the support work. It was concluded that whether women are flat-chested or big-busted, ordinary bras fall short when it comes to supporting bouncing breasts.
Interesting Fact: The momentum created by intense bouncing can stretch the breast’s connective tissues, causing sagging and pain for many women. An estimated 50 percent of women experience breast pain during exercise.
The Study: Do Women Walk Sexier When Fertile Study
Conducted By: Meghan Provosat Queens University, Canada
The idea behind this study was to determine whether women give subtle signals to men to advertise they are experiencing different levels of sex hormones. The lead researcher Meghan Provost had expected a sexy hip-swinging walk to be one of those signals. She analyzed the gait of female volunteers and their levels of sex hormones in their saliva. She then showed video clips to 40 men asking them to rate the attractiveness of the way the women walked and then matched the results to the hormone tests. The results were so surprising that she repeated the experiment again with another group of male viewers. The researchers found those with alluring walks were the furthest away from ovulation and the women who were most fertile walked with fewer hip movements and with their knees closer together.
Interesting Fact: It was suggested that during the most high hormonal time it is in a woman’s best interests to form a closer attachment to one man to help raise children rather than to advertise her fertile time and be approached by a larger number of competing males. Also a sexy walk would be too obvious, so women are thought to use changes in smell and facial expressions that can be experienced only at close range.
The Study: Why Female Monkeys Shout During Sex Study
Conducted By: The German Primate Center in Göttingen
To investigate the purpose behind the female monkey’s shouting calls, behavioral scientist and primatologists focused on Barbary macaques (Old World monkey species) for two years in a nature reserve in Gibraltar. The researchers found that females yelled during 86 percent of all sexual encounters. When females shouted, males ejaculated 59 percent of the time. However, when females did not holler, males ejaculated less than 2 percent of the time. To see if yelling resulted from how vigorous the sex was the scientists counted the number of pelvic thrusts males gave and timed when they happened. They found when shouting occurred thrusting increased and led to more vigorous sex. It was concluded that female monkeys may shout during sex to help their male partners climax. Scientists found that without these yells male Barbary macaques almost never ejaculated. The information on the study did not reveal how they were able to detect whether an ejaculation occurred but I guess its best to leave some things to the imagination.
Interesting Fact: Male and female Barbary macaques are promiscuous, often having sex with many partners. The females shout when they are most fertile, so males can make the most use of their sperm.
The Study: Foot Size and Penile Length Study
Conducted By: The University College, London
In this study the researchers measured 104 men’s feet and their penises. Because there is no perfect way to measure a man’s penis, they did what many other studies do that measure penis length. The researchers stretched the penis with a defined amount of force to determine how long it can get. This gives a pretty good indication of how long the penis would be when fully erect. The result of this study, (to the relief of all size seven shoe-wearing males) was that there is no scientific support for the relationship between a man’s shoe size and the length of his penis.
Interesting Fact: In another study a group of Greek researchers measured height, weight, waist/hip ratio, finger length and penis length of fifty-two men, aged nineteen to thirty-eight. They found that age and body characteristics were not associated with size of penis except for the “index finger length, which correlated significantly with the dimensions of the flaccid, maximally stretched penis.” A similar study with 1500 men also found that length of index the finger was significantly correlated with penis dimensions.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:41 am
Some institutions have far too much time on their hands
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:43 am
i wouldn’t consider 10 and 9 bizarre studies, and i already knew about 3 and 1
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:47 am
I was once paid $17 to try and steal a shopping cart from a homeless man so the grad students could see if his territorial instincts correlated with that of wild mammals.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:47 am
joe mama-much agreed.
i found 10 pretty interesting though
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:47 am
He beat me up pretty good :-/
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:48 am
Very funny list! Great job, the last one is almost to silly. ^^
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:50 am
‘Fess up everyone! You just looked at your index finger didn’t you?
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:51 am
Cool…
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:52 am
Nice list! Blogball has many good lists which i like and appreciate.
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:04 am
The “red” thing is actually really interesting.
The second one…. wAYYY to much time on ther hands. jeez…
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:05 am
ps. i know someone who has a theory about penis/nose size. What say you, listverse people?
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:14 am
Lmao @ #1
At my school a few years ago, all of the girls were going around and asking the guys what their shoe size was. XD
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:17 am
I did look at my index finger. No correlation at all !
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:18 am
I have a two foot index finger.
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:23 am
I4gotmymantra,
absolutely no relation to nose size.
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:26 am
oh my goodness. That kid in picture one has incredibly long finger-toes.
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:57 am
Damn right! Plastik
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:09 am
Don’t tell the girls that number 1 is false!.
(Shoe size is 48)
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:25 am
Looked at my index finger. Guilty!
Man, how come none of these studies were conducted in my university. I would have loved to participate in measuring female waists and hips and bosom sizes…wow. My 18 inch index fingers are very adept at taking measurements.
But then again I would seriously avoid other studies like watching monkeys and counting pelvic thrusts and finding out if it ejaculated or not!
Female monkeys screaming to make male monkeys climax, hmmm…. sounds like just another attempt to convince people who believe in creationism to think about the evolution theory. Oops! have I opened the floodgates to another creationism v. evolution debate. I hope not.
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:37 am
LOL on #1!
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:03 am
Could number 2 have any connection as to why we scream during sex?
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:31 am
For “look-alikes” the study deals with married couples, and yet American Gothic is of a father and daughter.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:16 am
I can only imagine how much monkey sex those scientists in number 2 had to witness. ick.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:34 am
“For “look-alikes” the study deals with married couples, and yet American Gothic is of a father and daughter.”
Inbreeds
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:38 am
Oh dear..
I knew about 9,8,6 and 3, but the rest were quite interestingly bizarre to read about.
I need to pay close attention to my boyfriend’s index finger next time I see him…
Just kidding…
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:40 am
I think if they combined #4 with #1 they probably wouldn’t have to do the whole ’stretching’ thing.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:41 am
Re 2: Could it be the other way round – that the male ejaculating causes the female to scream?
Re 1: I apparently have small feet. Once the scanner at the shop showed “Children’s Shoes”.
A few years ago there was an ad on television where someone mentioned the hand/feet/penis correlation. It then introduced the new boyfriend of one of the girls in the ad and then indicated that he had small hands and feet (by using oversized sleeves and trouser legs). I remember that “story” of the ad but I’ve completely forgotten what product they were actually advertising.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:51 am
I learned about #1 when I went out with a guy who was very tall, big hands, big feet. Smallest willy I’d every seen. Seriously small. He was neither a shower nor a grower. I call shenanigans and false advertising!
On the other hand, I found out that guys of a smaller stature held some big surprises.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:54 am
Oh, and #8, I’ve heard more often that people start looking like their pets after a while. Or maybe I’m thinking about Edward Scissorhands. The best possible explanation is that I’m home from work on pain meds and should just stop posting now.
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:04 am
“The researchers stretched the penis with a defined amount of force to determine how long it can get”
yikes!! words i would never like to hear associated with my linus.)
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:05 am
“Interesting Fact: Researchers named the phenomenon Fast Repetitive Tick, which makes for a rather interesting acronym, FRT. Scientists say unlike the human version, these FRTs are thought to bring the fish closer together.”
Funniest thing I read all day. Thanks, Listverse!
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:19 am
“The researchers stretched the penis with a defined amount of force to determine how long it can get”
o.O
Now who in their right mind would sign up for that? Hopefully these guys got paid nicely for their …ummmm…..participation!
Great list, Blogball! (nice that you added *where* the studies came from)
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:31 am
lol, oouchan: we found something we agree on!! neither of us likes a stretching force applied to penises.
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:38 am
14 jfrater -
so if that correlation is correct…must be hell buying pants, eh?
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:52 am
aaaaand I’m going to be staring at my coworkers index fingers all day long. Who is that jazz guy with the ridiculous fingers? He’s been featured on the site before.
Also, regarding #2, is there a study about facial regognition in dogs? Obviously they know their human’s and human’s friends faces, but I give my dog a mirror and she’s happy for hours smashing ehr face into it trying to say hi. Big dumb dog.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:19 am
This list bears a significant message. It is- for expensive dates, girls should wear red.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:20 am
“Scientists say unlike the human version, these FRTs are thought to bring the fish closer together”.
I dispute that. My husband and I are extremely close, so that would explain a lot.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:56 am
the lady in the pic for #4 looks cold
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:02 am
Grant Wood’s American Gothic isn’t a father/daughter. The woman is his sister Nan (1900-1990) The man is his dentist, Dr. Byron McKeeby from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:22 am
33 DiscHuker: I am not a male but I am cringing just “picturing” that in my head. Of course, now I am going to have dirty pictures in my head all day *and* will be staring at the index fingers of all the guys I work with.
~sigh~
Going to be an interesting day.
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:37 am
27 astraya, “Re 2: Could it be the other way round – that the male ejaculating causes the female to scream?”
Is there anything you want to share?
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:49 am
26 bucslim, LOL, imagine the combination of #2 and #3, the “sexy fertility screaming”, discotheques would certainly become more interesting.
Excellent list Blogball, truly bizarre and funny, great comments as well.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:06 am
I’m not sure I understand #7 O_o or how to calculate the WHR. Interesting if not useless study, though…
I loved #5
and #3 was quite interesting also.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:09 am
Great list Blogball
“The reason I have selected so many sexually oriented studies for this list is unknown and is perhaps worthy of another study” – I have no explanation but If I had written the list I would have too, these are fascinating.
“The information on the study did not reveal how they were able to detect whether an ejaculation occurred but I guess its best to leave some things to the imagination.” – No, I want to know, damn it!
#14 jfrater – pardon my skepticism, but could you please post a picture (of your finger of course, I would never question the size of anything else)
“The researchers stretched the penis with a defined amount of force to determine how long it can get”
#26 bucslim: “I think if they combined #4 with #1 they probably wouldn’t have to do the whole ’stretching’ thing. “
note to self: only volunteer for penile length studies if conducted by bucslim
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:09 am
so, as far as the index finger thing goes, do i get to measure from where the finger joins the palm or where it meets the thumb? one is accurate, one…not so much.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:30 am
# 7 Smart Hips, she does not need any intelligence – I can always show her the way if she becomes confused as what to do next.
# 9 The one with the sheep I believe, I have also experienced that first hand with goats.
Thanks for the list Blogball.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:32 am
I recently read about a study, which confirmed that homosexual necrophilia among male ducks occurs. It did not say how we’re going to use that knowledge, though, or why we even need it. But imagine being the scientist there – that’s a lot of watching dead ducks being raped…
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:37 am
DiscHuker: I would like to think that its where the finger meets the thumb. I don’t want to admit that I would have a small penis… ;D
I am also going to where red everywhere now!
Great list! though it IS making me late for work =D
ps. JFrater: it wont let me register a user account D=
it takes me to a blank page. any advice?
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:39 am
Thats awesome cause i have really long fingers…so far looking good. Lets see if part 2 of the theory is true in a couple years.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:40 am
It’s from the tip of your index finger to the bottom of your thumb, on it’s way to the wrist. If you draw a straight line from those two points you will get your number. Now I know why chicks always like to point out that I have huge hands….it was getting annoying lol
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:42 am
Yeesh! The index theory,. Is not true. Hehe
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:45 am
Ahaha, does size matter? Idk.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:47 am
Eh. The smartest woman I ever “knew” (in both senses–acquaintance and “biblical”)—who puts me and all the rest of you to shame in the intelligence department–was built like a twelve-year-old boy. Beautiful (she was a dead ringer for Winona Ryder) but waifish and elfin by definition.
The LEAST intelligent women I ever “knew” (again, in both senses of the word) were all, to a woman, decked out with curves like Jayne Mansfield. They weren’t STUPID, (your tasteful Randall never made it a policy to date or even merely bed down with numbskulls) but they weren’t in the same league with the aforementioned waif by ANY stretch of the imagination.
Seems to me that women, being human beings like we men, would be prone to the same circumstances of self-satisfaction, or lack thereof—and thus compensation, as we are. Short men are known for developing feisty, in-your-face attitudes, and quite a large percentage of male bodybuilders are in fact short guys who are looking to compensate for their lackings in the height department. (of course I’m speaking very generously and I know a few short guys who are neither angry dwarfs nor hypertrophied types).
Women, by the same token, who perhaps found themselves less well-blessed in the hourglass-figure department MIGHT choose to compensate by some means–one of which might be by pushing their intelligence to the max. That makes more sense to me than the reverse.
I must stress that by this I do NOT mean that I think curvy women are by nature or rule dumber or that less curvy women are more likely to be smarter. Frankly I think the whole thing is bullshit. I’m just saying that if you were going to make ANY sense out of this, it would go the one way, not the other. But I doubt it in any case.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:47 am
In some of the comments regarding the last study,that assumption seems to have been made that index finger size is directly proportional, without considering the possibility that it might be inversely proportional.
The article only mentions a correlation, but if it was inversely proportional, I feel sorry for #14 with his two foot index finger.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:18 am
Funny list!
Anon is right @ 54… we don’t know what kind of correlation it was… though I can’t imagine anyone with a 2 foot index finger.
And stretching penises?
o.0
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:11 am
That index finger to palm bit is spot on…its almost scary
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:30 am
Thanks for the interesting and funny comments everyone. It’s kind of nice to have a light noncontroversial list once in a while. I was going to make an avatar with just my index finger but then anon brought up the whole correlation thing so I decided against it. Maybe it’s best to have a really small one on one hand a really big one on the other. You are then covered either way and you could say “but on the other hand”. Also enjoyed astraya’s comment “Could it be the other way round – that the male ejaculating causes the female to scream?”And of course good ole bucslim with his #26 comment. Thanks for posting the list Jamie
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:32 am
Great list, Blogball. I found the ones with the elephants and sheep of particular interest. Some have said that the scientists had too much time on their hands. I think that all scientific study is fair game, even the ones that look like a waste of time and money. You never know what will become of the information learned, or where it will lead you.
As far as the penis measurements, I instantly pictured a guy standing naked in a room full of people with weights hanging from his equipment, and they keep adding weights till they get the length they want.
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:21 pm
It’s what I’ve been trying to tell people for years – all I’m doing is stretching my penis with a defined amount of force to determine how long it can get.
The fact that I choose to do it rapidly in the woman’s lingerie sectionof a department store is neither here nor there…
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:27 pm
60% of men do not recognize the face of the woman they woke up with (the other 40% are married).
30% of women do not recognize the face of the man they woke up with (the other 70% are virgins)
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Funny and entertaining list. #2 has some strong implications towards humans if you just think about it a little bit. A loud woman’s orgasem might just cause a guy to lose his cool (or something else) a little earlier.
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I did not approve the use of my face in #9
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Randell comment #53: Another theory could be that woman who are curvy study more – that way people don’t think just because they look sexy, they aren’t smart.
Or it could all be b.s., as you said.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:21 pm
@Maureen,
You’re certainly correct that the sister and dentist were the models, but the depiction is of a daughter and her father.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:53 pm
There’s an easier way to measure how long a penis is when it is fully erect, and that’s to measure it when it is fully erect.
C’mon guys and scientific researchers. A bit of imagination and a few pornos here, please.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Astraya
Do you have some expertise in penis measuring?
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:06 pm
I measured mine once – don’t all guys?
(and no, I’m not telling)
- there notice a blatant disregard of girth – I claim prejudice – what good is a pencil penis?
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:09 pm
TEX: Agreed…to me (as a woman) I would prefer having a guy with a short chubby then a ‘hang to my knee’ slim version.
(can’t believe I just posted that!)
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:09 pm
I meant – I notice a blatant disregard of girth – such as soda can shaped
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:28 pm
68 YOU WANT A CHODE HAHAHAHA
This is the first good list that has been up in a while
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:41 pm
I have a theory of long standing, which correlates tire size and/or truck/ATV size with penis size; The larger the tires (say you need a step ladder to enter the vehicle), or the larger the truck/ATV (say it’s the new Hummer with every toy they come with), the *SMALLER* the guy’s penis.
It’s not just me. I’ve mentioned this to other women and they all agree, so it seems to be a fairly widespread (no pun intended) bit of knowledge.
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:47 pm
This was the best list I have read in a while. I found the studies and the comments to be very funny!!!
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Segues
You are so right,
You have heard of women with penis envy – it is known amongst men that a man can have “big penis envy”.
Yes – large vehicles are a common manifestation of men with small penises, less well known but very common is crotch augmentation – and I’m not talking about a sock down the pants. It usually involves broad belts, large belt buckles, and many things hanging from the belt, such as knives, wallets with chains, electronic gadgets – it’s a sure tell that there’s very little for the bun.
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Don’t male humans respond to the “sexy shouts” of females too? lol
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:26 pm
TEX! I forgot all about the belt, belt-buckle augmentation. I have an idea where that may have come from.
Back in the old rodeo days, the real rodeo’s, not the circuses they’ve become, the rodeo champ won a belt buckle proclaiming him that years champion. Naturally, it took a “real man” to win the buckle. So there ya go…
Later it went to wrestling, etc., but the fact is, it always seems to proclaim the “stud”. Every little guy wants to be the stud.
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:38 pm
oouchan: i hope you never run for public office. that comment may come back to haunt you. or if your teenagers ever read it.
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:44 pm
But what if some of the men used for the “streching,” were circumcised, that would throw the results off would it not?
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:50 pm
haha this has sparked some awesome comments. Im totally going to make fun of dudes with big belt buckles now. And I have yet another reason to love girls with big asses
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:24 pm
76 DiscHuker: You are certainly right! It was kinda bad….hehe
Hope my kid doesn’t read this one.
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:05 am
I love big butts and I cannot lie
You other brothers cant deny
When I see a big butts first thing on my mind is
How smart this girl might be!!
June 3rd, 2009 at 5:39 am
Item 9–Haven’t ever owned a sheep, but our dog did really well at facial recognition.
At least until my husband shaved off his beard and mustache.lol
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:51 am
Typical that the UCL lot would have come up with study number 1. Oouchan you ask who would sign up for that? Trust me, UCL has its fair share of weirdos and that opinion is not based at any point upon our intense rivalry with said uni
tbh, i think that there are so few studies left for students to conduct that havent already been written about in a journal that as 3rd year medics or scentists or whatever we are pretty much left to come up with the kookiest, weirdest hypothesis and test it. anyone have any suggestions for future studies along such lines??
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:49 am
76 segues, there is actually some serious and interesting research on the penile-car analogy done by the famous ethologist Desmond Morris in one of his books. It´s either “The Human Zoo” or “The Naked Ape”
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I would say this topic merits another list. There are a lot of different sciences that can be called unusual, some valid some not. Personally, I am fond of one almost unheard of science that is completely valid. Cryptozoology.
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Hi all, It wasn’t long (!) before the main thrust (!) of this list reared it’s head (!) – cue the dick jokes:
http://www.mendhak.com/165-more-than-101-big-dick-jokes.aspx
Great! That’s something else I’ll have to bear in mind from the LV. Yesterday I was eating a raspberry muffin and all I could think of (and taste) was damn BEAVER ASS JUICE. Thanks a lot L.V.
June 3rd, 2009 at 2:53 pm
85 Lifeschool: Soooo… how does beaver ass juice taste?
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:35 pm
love the list
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
86: oouchan: Lousy!
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:13 pm
To Kibey #24:
According to Wikipedia, “The painting [American Gothic] shows a farmer standing beside his spinster daughter, figures modeled by the artist’s dentist and sister.”
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:13 pm
When I put on a red dress or my red high heels, I feel like there is no stopping the sexiness! LOOK OUT!
Of course, I also feel this way after about three margaritas.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:38 am
On #10, recent studies have shown that certain species of birds, like magpies and crows, can also do the self recognition tests.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818220557.htm
Great list
June 5th, 2009 at 9:01 am
segues: I had a Jag V12..what does that say? For me it just meant being able to enjoy driving real fast and the warm hood with that sensual bulge made a wonderful place for a female to lay upon!!
no.6 $100.00 wow! cheap date! no.1 poo! size 8 shoe equals inches..hehe 
June 5th, 2009 at 10:43 am
83 psychosurfer: 76 segues, there is actually some serious and interesting research on the penile-car analogy…
****
Since I’ve read both books by Desmond Morris (among others by him), long, long ago, it’s possible I, unknowingly, pulled that tidbit from my subconscious and developed my own theory around it! ACK! I’m an intellectual plagiarist!
June 5th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
i am of an average height(5′9″), have a short index finger, but possess a very large penis. I vary between 7.75 and 8.5 inches in length, and am around 5.75 inches around. That index finger study didn’t have enough participants to justify their conclusion.
June 5th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
92 lostatsea1: segues: I had a Jag V12..what does that say?
****
It says you have good taste and enough money to foot the mechanics bills.
June 8th, 2009 at 8:58 am
I definetely get more attention when I wear red
the best bizarre study I heard of was one that found that goldfish become more aggressive after drinking tequila!
June 8th, 2009 at 9:25 am
I like hips! I therefore regard their study as scientific!
June 8th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
96 spidermonkey: I totally agree about wearing read! I have certain red outfits that just knock ‘em dead. Even ordinary red touches tend to bring on extra attention…and what female has ever turned away from a little extra attention?
The tequila, otoh…well, it might not be good for gold fish, but as I have mentioned on another list somewhere, I was on a job deep in southeast Mexico once for a month. Not a tourist area. So the food was not prepared with our digestive tracts in mind. We survived the month on tequila, beer, bread, and “safe” fruit. Not a diet I’d recommend at 10,000 ft. having to hustle ( read run) from one location to another. But we survived and it was fun, after all! Still, I’ll never drink tequila again.
June 8th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Of course, that first sentence should read: I totally agree about wearing red!
June 9th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Here is the scam. Gov’s give taxpayer money away. I personally would like to do a study on “Climate change effects on Breasts” will probably get the money because “Climate change” is the going money issue. (We know the breast outcome, no matter). Scam Scam Scam
June 10th, 2009 at 3:02 am
“To Kibey #24:
According to Wikipedia, “The painting [American Gothic] shows a farmer standing beside his spinster daughter, figures modeled by the artist’s dentist and sister.””
And wikipedia is such a great source, lol.
Wood never stated what the couple’s relationship is, except they were not intended to be seen as husband and wife.
June 10th, 2009 at 3:10 am
101 Sarsmi: American Gothic is indeed a depiction of a farmer and his daughter. Anyone who has studied even the most elemental Art History knows this, absurd Wiki referrals aside.
June 10th, 2009 at 3:11 am
And the farmer happens to be a dentist.
June 10th, 2009 at 7:15 am
Wow, segues. You are a bit condescending considering you are completely incorrect. Go do some research. Better yet find me a Grant Wood quote that states the pair are father and daughter.
June 10th, 2009 at 9:08 am
104 Sarsmi:
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/6565
The Art Institute of Chicago
Grant Wood
American, 1891-1942
American Gothic, 1930
Oil on Beaver Board
78 x 65.3 cm (30 3/4 x 25 3/4 in.)
American Gothic depicts a farmer and his spinster daughter posing before their house, whose gabled window and tracery, in the American gothic style, inspired the painting’s title. In fact, the models were the painter’s sister and their dentist.
June 10th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Drat the cat!
I really *HATE* when some know nothing tells me I am completely wrong, when they haven’t an iota of an inkling of what’s right!
Who did Sarsmi think the couple in American Gothic were? Pinky and The Bean?
June 10th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Clearly you don’t understand what I meant by a Grand Wood quote. Someone else’s interpretation of the subject is only their opinion.
All the reading I have ever done on the painting and the artist has indicated that he intended it to be an ambiguous relationship.
So AGAIN, find me a quote BY THE ARTIST stating it is a man and his daughter.
June 10th, 2009 at 10:03 am
BTW some further information for you, Wood actually wanted an older model as the female but couldn’t find one, which is why he ended up using his sister. Oh, but since you’ve taken “elemental Art History classes” I guess you already knew this. *snorts*
June 10th, 2009 at 10:14 am
segues…hey there! I found this information about the painting:
Wood’s subjects spurred much of the debate. Was the pair a farmer husband and wife, or a father and daughter? Many Iowa farmers’ wives objected to what they perceived as a negative portrayal, writing letters of complaint to the artist. Wood later revealed that the models were his 30-year-old sister and their 62-year-old family dentist.
I never thought it was husband and wife, but thought it was father and daughter until I found this quote. However…you are correct. It is supposed to depict a farmer and his spinster daughter as per Wood’s own words.
Ignore the jerk who has no sense and can’t read.
June 11th, 2009 at 12:10 am
109 oouchan: Thank you. I had no intention of wasting any more time with the witless jerk, anyway, but it was wonderful of you to find the quote anyway.
It’s too bad that he is under the impression that all I have taken is “elemental Art History classes”, but he/she/it is new and has to earn some chops somewhere. Imagine it’s embarrassment were it to discover the truth!
Or maybe not. It *snorts*, which reminds one one of a pig, and last I checked, pigs have a high threshold for embarrassment.
Nothing lost in a relationship with this itship, this nothing, who demands I do it’s bidding. I do no its bidding.
June 11th, 2009 at 5:55 am
Wow and yet again you provide no quote to back up your claims. JUST ONE QUOTE from Grant Wood from a verifiable source would do it. Until then I’m right, and you are wrong.
I also fail to see how I’m the jerk, since you’re being the condescending asshole. But whatever, ya’ll can play superfriends on the internet and back each other up if you want.
June 11th, 2009 at 6:07 am
@Sarsmi (111): Can you read what I wrote? Seriously. I did provide a quote that was paraphrased from an interview he had. How much clearer do you want it?
Also re-read what she said. It is NOT a farmer and daughter BUT it was to be portraying that. What part of that did you not understand?
And yes…it makes you a jerk for being such a condescending butthead who fails to comprehend what is written. Then try to pass it off as a know-it-all.
June 11th, 2009 at 6:09 am
@segues (110): Glad to be of service. I also studied that painting for an art class I had, wayyyy back when. Although I did respond to a second post being as clear as day, I won’t bother any more. A troll is a troll.
June 11th, 2009 at 6:25 am
It amazes me how rude people are when you merely disagree with them, as if having the “audacity” to dare think someone else is wrong is a crime against their person. You guys need to step back and realize that you are just as fallible as anyone else, and that when you debate with someone else there is no need to resort to immature name calling and condescension. Seriously, I come to this site because I enjoy it, and I posted in order to discuss the painting a bit, but to get bludgeoned by a couple of internet bullies isn’t particularly entertaining for me.
I have studied this painting as well, it is one of my favorites which is why I chimed in. Please provide a link to a source that shows grant wood explicitly stating the relationship of the couple, and stop trying to act like everyone should believe every word you type, just because you typed it.
June 11th, 2009 at 6:31 am
You know I even reread this three times trying to figure out where in this paragraph it states that wood intended the characters to be father and daughter, it only states that the people who were in the painting had a 30+ year age difference:
“Wood’s subjects spurred much of the debate. Was the pair a farmer husband and wife, or a father and daughter? Many Iowa farmers’ wives objected to what they perceived as a negative portrayal, writing letters of complaint to the artist. Wood later revealed that the models were his 30-year-old sister and their 62-year-old family dentist.”
He may not intended for them to be husband and wife, but that doesn’t mean they *have* to be father and daughter. They could be cousins, uncle and neice, neighbors…it’s ambiguous, and I believe that was intended by the artist.
If it wasn’t then please give me a quote. I really love this painting (it is one of my favorites) and would welcome learning anything new about it.
BTW just for your elucidation a troll is someone who intends to make someone else angry or upset. If you’re getting upset it isn’t my intention that that happens, I’m not trolling you.
June 11th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Hi segue(s), sarsmi & oouchan. I submitted this photo to go along with the particular study thinking they were husband and wife. So you can blame the whole thing on me
I actually remember seeing this painting in person when I was in 4th grade on a field trip to the Chicago Art Museum. I remember the museum lady pointing out the seams on the man’s overalls was in the same shape as the pitchfork. The only thing I could think of is the old Kellogg’s Corn Flake commercial (You have to be old like me to remember that one) Anyway this is about how sophisticated my art knowledge is even today. Your discussion did perk my interest and I was able to come across this book on the painting. After reading through it, it seems to me that it is still a gray area what the artist intended. What do you guys think? I found it pretty interesting. here is the link (it starts at page 46)
June 11th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Sorry I tried edit the links length but didn’t work.
here it is
http://books.google.com/books?id=kYpWGHYabCMC&pg=PA50&lpg=PA50&dq=american+gothic+husband+and+wife%3F&source=bl&ots=ZlfweDavw7&sig=YHof7XUiywyDhtAWyaROr4qsquM&hl=en&ei=rS0xSvjWMI3aMZCnsc8H&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5#PPA40,M1
June 11th, 2009 at 11:27 am
I found that ad it was actually Country Corn flakes not Kelloggs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCf-fNygmKk
June 11th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
“If it wasn’t then please give me a quote”
Oh goodness… Wood is NOTORIOUS for not discussing his work so you’re intentionally setting everyone up for failure. He’s got a few quotes regarding where he gets his inspiration…’something along the vein of I get my best ideas milking cows’ or something like that…quotes of which is how much of American Regionalism is defined, but he is amazingly reticent when it comes to discussing his works. That is why he is at times called the Leonardo da Vinci of American Art because of the mystery behind “American Gothic” in particular.
But I wouldn’t be so quick to discount segue’s inclusion of the Art Institute of Chicago analysis. Wood went to school there, after all. If anyone might have the closest interpretation, it may be them.
All that can be made are interpretations given knowledge of composition and Northern Renaissance style since Wood was largely influenced by that movement. The tightened composition conveys an intimacy or familiarity. Although physically close, psychologically, they are not. She stands behind him, denoting she is less equal in the eyes of the viewer. He has no physical connection to her, implying he does not consider her his equal. Even she is not looking at HIM, giving the sense that even she (perhaps resentfully) believes she is not equal to him. So it’s a rather safe assumption that it is either an oppressed wife (which is why there was so much controversy over the piece to begin with) or a daughter. Given that it represented the American Ideal, I’d be hard pressed to believe it was a farmer and his neighbor’s second cousin’s best friend’s brother’s girlfriend.
June 11th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
blogball:
Did you stand in front of the “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” like they did in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?! I’ve wanted to go there SPECIFICALLY so that I could do that, haha. Missed my chance when I was somewhat close by. Perhaps some time in the future…
June 11th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Blogball: You have nothing for which to be blamed. I certainly find no fault with any of your actions. The only one here who has anything of which to be ashamed is the itsome, who began the entire debacle by being so snortish, not to mention demanding and calling me wrong when I was perfectly right. oouchan and gabi both came by with information backing up my information, but was it enough for his itsomeness?
No!
He simply demanded more and more. Of course, we all are done doing his bidding. I have a very low threshold of tolerance for trollz and demanding coqs, so I was through with itsome after one.
OTOH, it *was* entertaining.
June 11th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
120 gabi319: My son got his postgrad degree at the school of the Museum of the Art Institute of Chicago.
June 11th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Grant Wood quote:
http://www.campsilos.org/mod2/students/wood_letter.htm
June 11th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
@gabi319 (120):
Hi gabi, I didn’t think about doing that becase Ferris Bueller’s Day Off wasn’t made yet when I was in 4th grade.
@segues (121):
I have to say it was interesting reading the comments as well as researching to lean more about this famous painting.
Thanks.
@Maggot (123):
That was a great find! The artist sure seemed like a nice guy.
June 12th, 2009 at 2:48 am
@segues (121):
Hrm not sure if this will work, I’m trying to reply to comment 121.
First I’d like to apologise for getting angry. I found myself blindsided for no reason that I could understand (Segues perhaps you should reread the comments starting at 101 and have your memory refreshed that you were in fact the instigator) and allowed myself to become defensive instead of stepping back.
I think it is a completely valid request to ask for verification of opinions presented as facts. I don’t know who you are or why I should believe anything you type, nor you me. I think it’s also completely reasonable to not accept as validity someone else’s opinion of the work, but only the artist’s own words, hence my belief that the subject’s relationships were intended by wood to be ambiguous. He may have his own private idea of who they are to each other, quite possibly they are father and daughter and it’s totally reasonable to come to that interpretation, but I think he encouraged people to draw their own conclusions. I never said they *weren’t* father and daughter, only that it was ambiguous.
To say otherwise would require the person saying such to back up their claims, and I haven’t seen that done yet, I haven’t seen a Grant Wood quote yet and I have re-read all the comments pertaining to this situation.
If you’d like to continue discussing this Segues I’m more than open to the idea, since you seemed to drop hints that you have more than an amateurs knowledge of art and art history. I’d appreciate it if you’d refrain from calling me names, or intimating that I’m some troll only here to stir up trouble. I really enjoy this site, and I don’t want to regret getting involved on a more personal level with the “regulars”.
I did not expect this to happen when moving from the realms of anonymity to this sort of site, where people seem argumentative but generally friendly and respectful.
June 12th, 2009 at 3:08 am
sarsmi I think I know where you went wrong:
“And wikipedia is such a great source, lol.”
Wikipedia is the most horrible resource on the planet. If I used it at uni, my lecturers would refuse to accept me work.
Still, segue is a reasonable person (except when the WoS has descended upon us all…)who likes to debate so I am sure your request for reasoned debate will be snatched upon!
Happy posting
June 12th, 2009 at 3:09 am
@gabi319 (119):
Really the point about asking for a quote is (besides actually wanting to see one) trying to impress upon people that there is a wealth of difference between opinions and facts. Certainly we can have very strong opinions that are supported by facts, and you made quite an excellent case for showing that Wood intended the pair to be father and daughter, but to claim an opinion no matter how well backed up is a fact is misleading.
Verification is very important, even in minutiae such as this (maybe especially so in the fine details). To me, this issue is a matter of opinion, as I thought it was something that was never stated, but would have liked to have learned if maybe Wood ever had too much at Thanksgiving one year and let slip what he intended. Or maybe it *is* common elementary art knowledge (Wood penciled it in on the backside, for example) as Segues suggested, in which case there would be quite definitely an easy way to verify that their father-daughter relationship is a fact. I mean, it would be documented in a million textbooks, right?
However since no one has done that, as you say Wood was notoriously close mouthed, it seems like a case of “well its what most people believe and its what my prof taught me which his prof taught him” etc. You can see where I’m going with this. I don’t like to take someone else’s word for something.
You made a strong case btw. But I think Wood put in a lot of enigmatic little things in order to create an atmosphere of interest, I think the ambiguity was more important than knowing exactly what was intended…
June 12th, 2009 at 3:17 am
@cymraegbachgen87 (126):
Hehe, sorry. That was sarcasm on my part. Wikipedia is a great source as far as looking up something general you may know nothing about in order to point you in a better search direction or give you a feel for a subject, but for specific details it isn’t to be trusted. There’s a great Penny Arcade comic strip about it here:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2005/12/16/
that highlights how wikipedia is in a constant state of flux, never being completely reliable in it’s entirety because there are always people out there who can screw up the works.
June 12th, 2009 at 3:18 am
“but only the artist’s own words, hence my belief that the subject’s relationships were intended by wood to be ambiguous.”
And this is another thing sure to get people’s backs up.
You have made this ascertation yet again that wood intended the subjects to be ambiguous in their relationship, and yet the link helpfully provided by Maggot on 123 clearly states he sees the man as a farmer who occasionally preaches…and his grown up daughter
Not reading the quotes supplied, when you have been asking for them for the better part of 25 posts is rude.
Now this quote does not make you wrong per se, as wood himself in the letter says these particulars don’t matter. However, it does show that he DID have a clear impression of who the subjects of his artwork were, and their relationship to each other. He even thought about their professions.
“I haven’t seen a Grant Wood quote yet and I have re-read all the comments pertaining to this situation.”
Clearly if you HAD read all the comments, you would have stumbled across the link where these quotes reside. As a help to you (courtesy of Maggot) I shall repeat the link below:
http://www.campsilos.org/mod2/students/wood_letter.htm
Note it is signed not by wood, but from the top of the letter it clearly states it is from Grant Wood.
I do suggest in future you read all links – they often contain some interesting stuff, and those that don’t can be seen through quite quickly.
June 12th, 2009 at 3:21 am
LOL! Excellent strip…ahh He-Man…takes me back
I apologise for taking that literally though…on LV you can never be too sure. Many people out there spout pages of Wiki as if they are gospel, and refuse to accept that they are 100% wrong in some instances
June 12th, 2009 at 3:36 am
@cymraegbachgen87 (129):
Oh wow, I don’t know how I missed that link! I was trying to respond to comments as I could and somehow just flat out missed it.
Maggot, I appreciate you doing the research to find that for me (and other interested people, of course). That rather demolishes my theories, though I think Wood probably did enjoy different interpretations inspired by his general reticence.
June 12th, 2009 at 3:43 am
Its easy enough to do when you are on a mission! We have all made that mistake
June 12th, 2009 at 9:06 am
119 gabi319 – June 11th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Wood is NOTORIOUS for not discussing his work…
123 Maggot – June 11th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Grant Wood quote:
This is twenty-three minutes after I wrote that! Were you purposefully waiting until I had my foot firmly in my mouth before you let out that little gem?! haha… It is a great find, though. I haven’t seen that before. Thanks for finding it, Maggot!
127. sarsmi – “I don’t like to take someone else’s word for something.”
An admirable trait. Note that I didn’t say either one of you were wrong. I simply said don’t be so quick to discount the other side, especially when it’s a fairly decent source. We are, after all, a product of our schooling! (whether that schooling is formal or not)
Art, by its very nature, is all about personal interpretations. That is why it is fascinating to some but boring to others. With the exceptional few who do play up to the media, most artists will leave the piece as the statement and leave it up to the viewer to make the conclusion. I do see what you mean, though, by taking what is passed by word of mouth with a bit of skepticism. The “Mona Lisa” is still thought to be by some as a portrait of LdV in drag when it is actually a commissioned work of the wife of DiGia…something something (I am on a public computer and only allowed an hour here. Not wasting precious time on name accuracy). But on the plus side, it keeps people talking! I rarely see any art-related discussions on LV and am glad it’s kind of here!
June 12th, 2009 at 10:19 am
4:28 pm & 4:55 pm
This is twenty-three minutes after I wrote that!
Apparently, I’ve just shown off my embarassing inability to do mental math, haha. That should be twenty-seven minutes.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:30 am
@Maggot (123): Excellent find! Thank you.
@sarsmi (131): No hard feelings towards you. segues knows that I routinely defend her…it’s a habit of mine. I saw it as you going after her and grabbed my sword and shield. Glad Maggot found what you were looking for.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Wood put in a lot of enigmatic little things in order to create an atmosphere of interest
Read up on Wood. He really is a fascinating mystery. His dislike of Modernism and preference for Northern Renaissance style does clear up some of the ambiguity. They aren’t random little things to add mystery but small details intentionally placed there. He intentionally went with a gothic-style house. He intentionally chose the dentist as a model to create what he believed to be a great representation of a Mid-Western American. He even consciously altered his sister’s depiction to fit the composition better (which is why I thought this image was chosen. What with the physiological changes and such being discussed). Symbolism and a seemingly-obsessive attention to details are a big part of Northern Renaissance art (just discussing the symbolism of the art style takes up a full college term! Not even venturing too deeply into the artworks but just the symbols!) and Wood was greatly inspired by that.
But the fact that we don’t understand the symbolism makes it mysterious and very interesting!
June 12th, 2009 at 11:55 am
In my opinion I think sometimes you can over interpret art. For example:
Some have interrupted the couples relationship as both wife’ and daughter and the pitchfork signifies something satanic. It’s also pointed out because the pattern on the dress is the same as the curtains it could make one wonder what could be going on behind those curtains.
Good grief, but I guess that’s the cool thing about art
I also thought this was pretty neat:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3181/3034060831_148e6c3774.jpg?v=0
June 12th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
blogball, what a great find! Even twelve years later they still look very much alike. I have to say, neither have a particularly friendly face.
oouchan, gabi, Maggot, blogball, cym, all of you are my friends. None of you would back-stab me any more than I would you, so please, can’t we all just get along?
Seriously, I have felt amazingly supported by all of you with this absurd situation. I thank you all. You all know (I believe) what my postgrad degree is in, and you all know my other peripheral health info which makes long, dragged out arguments such a difficulty for me (though I am still able to summon up the WoS, right, cym?).
Anyway, thank you all.
June 13th, 2009 at 7:59 am
@segues (138):
It’s ok, don’t feel bad. We all make mistakes sometimes. I’d not say what you did was absurd, I think it natural to believe that when we know something we can tend to treat others contemptuously because we are so certain of our own knowledge we let it go to our heads (oh how dare you not know that! how dare you question ME!)
I feel guilty when I do it too, and try to remember humility and patience are virtues that serve us well.
June 13th, 2009 at 8:02 am
@gabi319 (136):
I have done quite a bit of reading actually, though more centered around the painting than Wood. I didn’t mean that what he added was random, but that there are enigmatic (to the viewer) traits in his paintings, which occurs a lot of course but I think I just especially enjoy how he’s done it. It’s things like that that draw people in, you can look at a painting once and feel like you have an idea of what is going on, but your subconscious pricks at you and you have to go back and look at it again, and you can realize that there are things you noticed but didn’t notice that change what you thought the meaning was…and normally quite intended by the artist to do so. Really quite neat.
June 13th, 2009 at 11:42 am
gabi, could you please reread my 138 and see if I mentioned feeling guilty anywhere?
June 13th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
@segues (141):
Some things are just obvious. Apologising for bad behavior can be embarrassing, and if it’s an admission you’d rather not make then at least know I forgive you anyways.
I feel kind of weird to be addressing you when you seem to be unable to address me. I’d rather resolve this than leave it like some kind of festering wound, since I like this site and would like to keep posting here, and you are someone who posts here quite a bit.
If you dislike me and would rather not fix this then just ignore me. If you’d rather fix it then uh, I registered on the forums (same name) but I don’t know if you have. You could send me a message there. I feel like we’ve really derailed this list into something uninteresting for other people to keep up the exchange here. If you’d rather this be a source of drama for you and something to perk up your day, then I’d like you to let me know so I can bow out. I’m a real person, with real feelings, and it’s hard enough trying to make peace with someone who calls me an “itsome” (whatever that is) a “coq” (I think I can guess at that one), a “troll” (which I am not), etc. I’m not a sub and verbal abuse holds no interest for me.
So yeah.
June 13th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
@ 104 you began this by stating, “Wow, segues. You are a bit condescending considering you are completely incorrect. Go do some research. Better yet find me a Grant Wood quote that states the pair are father and daughter.”
There are any number of ways you could have responded to my post (which was correct), but you choose to attack me. You continued to up the attack with each post thereafter, making me sure you were nothing but a troll.
You claim you are not.
Now, you put words in my mouth, admitting to feelings of guilt, which I do not harbor. Another troll trick.
I admit that now, when you are not being verbally abusive, you appear to be quite intelligent, and possibly possess a sense of humor. Since you seem to be willing to work this out, I am willing to do so as well.
Let the entire episode be forgotten. Brand new start from this moment on.
OK?
June 14th, 2009 at 3:30 am
I’m willing to forget it and move on. But in case you were curious, what set me off was “Anyone who has studied even the most elemental Art History knows this, absurd Wiki referrals aside.” I HAVE taken a few art classes, and found it provocative of you to dismiss me so brusquely, as if your knowledge of the matter was superior to mine, and it would not be worth your time to educate me but rather scoff at my ignorance. Especially since the world of art and knowledge contained within is so vast that even making the assumption that anyone who had ever taken an art class would know specific minutiae referring to a single painting. It was phrasing that said to me “any idiot knows this, clearly you don’t know it, therefore you are an idiot.”
So you can take or leave that information as you see fit, choose to think I am overly sensitive or consider there is something in your manner that is less tactful than it could be, and if so it may be something you might want to soften or alter. But yeah, I’m no longer upset about it.
June 14th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
holy crap. wat a massive fight over such a trivial topic.
segues, you seem quite an ignorant and arrogant prick.
merry christmas.
and while you sit there thinking of a reply that will make you look even more intelectualy superior (when in reality it just makes you look like a complete twat!), i’m going to go find a homeless person and give him some bread and a razorblade.
June 14th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
sarsmi : read the post above. This is the kind of troll about which I was speaking. You can tell from any number of “tells”, not the least of which is a complete lack of the mastery of spelling. I would add a lack of the complete lack of the normal use of grammar, but I suppose he/she/it is quite young and is using the vernacular, so one must allow some leniency for youth and the herd mentality.
June 14th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
I find it amazing that the desire to be the first to point out someone else’s faults, can so often make one the fodder of ridicule themselves.
Check your spelling and syntax, haters!!
June 15th, 2009 at 12:21 am
The upside to this (for me anyways) is that during the time this debate took a lot of new lists were posted.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:44 am
I don’t see what’s wrong with the facial recognition and bra support studies…
June 15th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
@segues (143):
I’m glad you have made up, but fyi the catfight would’ve been hotter if you were wearing red.
June 16th, 2009 at 9:29 am
@blogball (137):
I’ve heard of that one!
There’s also another one I vaguely recall likening the two to Adam and Eve and the house to Eden. There’s a curly lock of hair near her neck that is supposedly the serpent from the tree of knowledge. haha… No denying some people can get creative with their overinterpretations!
On the other hand, works can be UNDERinterpretted. Take Jackson Pollock and the many many complaints on the LV art lists about his work. They say it’s crap, they say it’s mess, they say they themselves could do it. Most of those who complain don’t know his background and his lifelong struggle with alcohol addiction. Lavendar Mists and his few other truly noteworthy pieces were made during his very very brief time of sobriety, which I can imagine was pretty hard on him mentally and it reflects that in the paintings.
So not too long ago, I was wandering around an art gallery, listening to my ipod. A frantic Ludivico Einaudi (a contemporary classical composer) piano piece starts playing just as I approached this Pollock piece. I was entranced. Hearing the desperation in the piano combined with the action in this painting before me had me intrigued. I moved close to the piece so it could take over my entire field of vision. I could almost ‘get into his head’ and see the mental chaos that plagued his every waking moment. The addictions his wife tried so hard to keep him from. The mess he made of his life (he eventually died when he crashed his car in a ditch, drunk driving, with one of his mistresses in the car with him). I saw the vices and even his own creativity that kept him from being a productive artist. There was no one focal point. As the piano played faster, my eyes moved more and more throughout the piece…looking at some subtle sprays of grey-blue here, a particularly large black splatter that looked as if he flung his brush in frustration. White, black, blue, black, white, black, blue, black… Some see a Pollock and see paint thrown on a canvas. I saw a Pollock and saw THAT.
Here’s another scientific study you could look into for your next scientific study list, blogball! Does ‘too much creativity’ REALLY lead to mental and behaviorial problems as present in Pollock, van Gogh, Poe, etc.?
Listening to Ludivico Einaudi in an art gallery… I sound rather pretentious, don’t I? Just to tone down the snootiness, I was also had Journey on that playlist too! “just a smalltown girl, living in a LOOOOneeely wooorld…”
June 16th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Hi gabi, I have to admit guilt as far as making fun of Jackson Pollock. I remember the artists being mentioned on a previous list. It was the Top 10 Most Expensive Paintings. http://listverse.com/2007/11/07/top-10-most-expensive-paintings/ I just looked at the list again and Pollock was number 1 at over 142 million. What’s really funny is the very first comment is mine making fun of the painting.
I do admire people like you that actually get something out of painting like this. Your description and emotions you described are certainly sincere and not put on or pretending to enjoy abstract art because it’s the in thing to do. It actually gave me some inspiration to perhaps give abstract art another try. The next time I look at a Pollock painting and if something clicks in my head and start to appreciate it I will let you know.
However I might need more than an ipod and Ludivico Einaudi playing.
June 16th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Take a look at a Jackson Pollock and a Sam Francis side by side sometime. Just stand and stare for minutes, or hours, if you have the luxury of time.
Sure, you’ll notice they haad many things in common, but the longer you look, the more the differences become obvious.
Pollock was an angry man, and his paintings are filled with rage…this does not diminish his work, it only makes it’s mark on his work, rough, gouged.
Francis’ work is delicate and sweet. You want to be gentle in it’s presence, quiet, calm. You almost feel as if faeries danced across the face of the painting, leaving the colors behind.
Two men who worked in the same way (sort of), but came out with very different lights.
June 16th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Segues & gabi, This is something that has always interested me. Maybe it’s something you are born with. Like a sense of direction. (Which I also don’t have) Either you have it or you don’t.
Like you were both born with a recognizing talent out of what looks like a bunch of chaotic shapes, lines and colors gene. Or is this appreciation something you can teach to people even like me with an open mind?
June 16th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
blogball, I don’t know the answer. I’m an artist. Everyone in my family and my brothers family are artists of one kind or another. Is this because it’s in our DNA or because an artist raises their children differently than a non artist?
I don’t know. I do know that if my ability to look at art and appreciate it, recognize it, was suddenly taken away, I would feel bereft of something enormously important.
I think of it kind of like music. I like all sorts of music, from classical, opera, romantic, classic rock, to African tribal music, reggae, jazz, blues, more…I hear a connection running through it all.
My mind is full of color and sound, sizes and shapes. I used to think everyone thought the same way.
If you haven’t been to my website, go. Check it out. It might explain better what I am trying to say.
June 16th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
HAHA! Woops! I should learn to look back and see who I’m complaining about before I complain TO THEM about them! If it helps any, I wrote a comment on that list months ago complaining about the the monetary value the art market has placed the works. Having worked as an artist assistant a few times…networking, handling the business aspects, art production, etc… my personal experiences and thoughts on the matter is it is 75% pretentiousness. I got to be pretty decent at acting snobby so if there’s ever a need here for someone to play the part…
I AVOIDED abstract art, actually. I SUFFERED through two modern art history courses and am certain I passed conceptual sculpture studio because the professor felt sorry for me, haha. Regardless of it was vogue or posh to enjoy abstract art, I steered clear of the whole field because I didn’t understand it. That is until I took a summer course on 20th century art by an adjunct with a quiet demeanor and a voice like Jimmy Stewart. He was a great story teller and did a wonderful job getting us to see the artwork in a new way. While I didn’t come out of it embracing the whole genre, I at least gained an appreciation for the field. And the beauty of it is that it’s still subjective. If you don’t like a particular piece, you don’t have to!
I don’t know if this would help you but what does for me is the fact that part of my talent/duties involves reproducing art styles or specific artworks. Thinking “what would [artist] paint next and how?” “what compelled him/her to do this part this way?” was a good way for me to pretend to think like them and attempt to figure out their M.O. Along the lines of what segue said earlier about Pollock’s anger… put yourself in his shoes and try to fling the paint as he would have. The anger and turmoil is apparent through the actions. To understand what he went through to create the work is one step closer to understanding his art.
As far as the artistic genealogy… It would certainly help to be surrounded by artists to nurture artistic abilities at a young age but that certainly doesn’t apply to me. Far from it. I think I have friends with “coming out of the closet” stories that are kinder than my “I want to study art” experience, haha. That didn’t stop me because I simply felt drawn to it (pardon the pun). I’m not sure how or even if I could explain it because there really isn’t a lot of forced thought process or even linear thinking that comes with the territory.
June 17th, 2009 at 8:02 am
@gabi319 (156): fun! I have a half-baked theory that abstract art, especially that of the 60’s &70’s, is more of a generational thing than anything else…like rock’n'roll of that period, or jazz in the 40’s and 50’s. You almost had to be there, or had to have the mindset that would allow you to “be there” whenever necessary.
I had the great advantage of knowing most of these artists, of attending their openings at Gemini G.E.L. and,, before they were well known enough for that, at peoples homes. I remember listening to Robert Raushenberg talk about his work, especially the cardboard series for some reason,
June 17th, 2009 at 8:23 am
Sorry, had to bail half-way through…router problem…anyway, all of the big names is abstract art came through Gemini G.E.L. at one time or another, and because I was an Art major, I always got invitations to opening nights, when the artist was sure to be on hand, and available to chat with, in addition to his or her prepared speech. In such ways, through GG.E.L. and private showings, I got to speak with Edward Hopper, Sam Rothko, just go down the list and I got to meet and speak with them.
It gave me an insight into their psyche’s which I otherwise might not have had the opportunity to do, and to find that the selfsame fire which burned in me, burned in them.
I’m not saying you had to be there to “get” abstract art. I am saying you had to have a certain mindset, a very open mindset.
I still prefer abstract art over representational art. I even turn my photographs into abstract works.
It all comes down to what speaks to you. If it reaches out of the frame and touches you, you have found your art.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:19 am
I think you guys might cringe at this but I ran across this website a while ago.
On the link below, by waving your mouse around and left clicking to change color you can make a Jackson Pollock type of painting. I found it to be kind of therapeutic.
http://jacksonpollock.org/
June 17th, 2009 at 9:29 am
@blogball (159): Great…another time waster at work! (hehe….I am having too much fun with this one!) Thanks!
June 18th, 2009 at 2:57 am
@blogball (159): Very much fun, blogball! I can see this is going to put a crimp in some time I would otherwise be putting to good use.
Ohh, woe is me! I have too much to do as it is.
Can we roll the clock back a few hours, and you don’t post this? That would be a perfect solution, otherwise, I will have to learn self-restraint, and what fun has that ever ever been?
June 24th, 2009 at 2:38 am
Wow.
Loved your list and yes i dfid look at my index finger!Ha Ha are we males all so shallow!
John J May
June 27th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Hey blogball!
There’s another way to help you find ‘good art’. Hire yourself a specially-trained art critic pigeon.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090625/od_afp/sciencejapananimalpigeonsoffbeat_20090625160522
And it’s yet another bizarre study in case you’re building up your ‘Another 10 truly bizarre…”
True online therapy comes in the form of never-ending online bubble wrap
June 30th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
@gabi319 (163):
Perfect! Thanks gabi, I’m sure the pigeons could teach me a thing or two about abstract art.
August 2nd, 2009 at 5:21 am
7 Smart Hips
There you have it folks – hips don’t lie
4 Bouncing Bosom
I don’t see nothing wrong with a little bump and bump and bump and bump …
@DrFrigmundPseud (59):
that’s.. strange technique
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:08 am
As a point of information the research paper published in the top scientific journal “Nature” on sheep face recognition also reported new findings about how specialised face processing networks function in the brain. It turns out that the sheep brain is organised in the same way as the human one for recognising and remembering faces. The research has important biomedical relevance in understanding how the human brain recognises faces and face expressions, and why these key social skills can become impaired following brain damage and in developmental (autism) and psychiatric (schizophrenia) disorders. It has indeed also had major beneficial impact on sheep welfare around the world by showing that the animals have much more complex social and emotional lives than previously thought, but that was only part of the story. In any event, neither of these two outcomes are trivial and that is presumably why the work was considered of sufficient importance to be published by Nature.
August 4th, 2009 at 8:26 am
whp is that hot chick in 7
October 29th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
the pink top in the pic on number 4 comes from primark lol…… i have the same top!
and on a different note… my ex has really small feet(size 6) hehe!
October 29th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
@Miguel Dias (167): uhm..thats Beyonce!
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:54 am
hi evry bady