Issue 93 – Quipping – GonnaGeek – Geek Podcasts, Tech, Comics, Sci-Fi, Gaming & More

We take a serious look at a not-so-serious topic: quipping! Why do characters do it? Why do WE do it? And can we stop, or should we? Listen now to find out!

SHOW NOTES:

Intro
- Thanks for donations to Extra Life – beat the puzzle in 6:19:44 – still taking donations – potential video game livestream coming in a few weeks
- Last week for nominations – next week nominees will be announced for 100th episode
Background (02:43)

- Quipping in comics is as old as the medium itself
- “It’s hailed as a sign of wittiness, but let’s call it what it is: a mechanism for covering up the manifestations of anxiety in high-stress situations… it’s still a problem screaming for attention, and there has to be better ways to deal with it”
- Ramped up in the 60s – Stan Lee wrote almost all of his characters as witty jokesters, ESPECIALLY Spider-Man
- Spider-Man is the patron saint, so much so that if he’s NOT cracking a joke, something is horribly wrong
- Flip side is Batman – no joking, which gives his rogues gallery plenty of room to do so
Issues (09:44)
- Barry Allen’s words shouldn’t be able to be heard by anyone except other speedsters, and even then, it’s likely violative of physics in some way
- Obvious point – time – it’s a function of the medium, but there’s a LOT of talking during fights that shouldn’t be happening
- Wit as distraction vs Wit as humor – there is a difference between getting an opponent to respect your side or pause in debate, vs the (typical) comedic delivery in fictional prose (17:15)
- Personality and situation are key (why quips backfire in the wrong crowd) (27:15)
Break (45:03)
- Plugs for Freudian Sips, Cage’s Kiss, and Al Ewing
Treatment (46:58)
- In-universe
Ending (60:30)
- Next episodes: Baphomet (with guest Jered from Fantom Zone), Killer Croc, Black Adam
- Plugs for social