Battles B.C.

[Aemilius Paulus]

of Sarah Palin's daughter and what a scandal it was that she was pregnant; and the Jackson woman (intentionally) letting slip her tits out and the reaction it provoked among the US media (few seconds delay in live shows); etc. For us it is part of the really, really weird American folklore.

Same here. I loathe all those sexual scandals. I also tolerate adultery among politicians. It is their business. Just because mayor Kilpartick, governor Spitzer, or President Clinton had affairs with other women, it does not mean they are shoddy politicians. People should just stay out of that.

What I am against is injecting blatant, hard-core pornography into mainstream television. That is simply moral decay.

Remember, I am not an American. I am a Russian. I share none of their views on sex. And I am also an asexual, which might perhaps explain some of my rather unusual stances on this.

[Africanvs]

I didn't want to bash America, sorry. :embarrassed:

I was so amazed about Aemilius Paulus' reaction on the sex depicted in Rome. I thought it somehow "typically American again.", I reduced it to what seems to be an typically American habit from a European point of view: being so hypocritical and prudish etc. "I don't want to have sex before I marry, I think it's better to wait..." seems totally awkward to us, like e. g. the case of Sarah Palin's daughter and what a scandal it was that she was pregnant; and the Jackson woman (intentionally) letting slip her tits out and the reaction it provoked among the US media (few seconds delay in live shows); etc. For us it is part of the really, really weird American folklore.

Of course I figure that Americans want to have sex like every one else wants. I'd want to know why they have so much problems with it. Why is it such an issue? Does it have something to do with the pilgrims?

As an American, and I am by no means the voice of America, but I would say there is a big difference between what many American people are, and what America is portrayed as by our media. For example, everyone I know who saw Janet Jackson's breast fall out during the super bowl just figured it was one of those funny little moments you know? But of course, the media had to play it, replay it, make a huge deal out of it, etc. We have our hardliner conservatives who freak out if they show a breast on TV, our debauched porn addicts, our sexual liberals, etc. I think a lot of the conservative sexual attitude in this country does, in a way, stem from our puritan roots. I've done a fair bit of traveling myself, and I find the same type of thing practically everywhere I go. Americans are typically more conservative when it comes to sex than say Norway, or Denmark, but we are far less conservative than say Iraq, or Afghanistan. I have heard that the places with the biggest sex trades like pornography and prostitution, are typically places with a more conservative outlook toward sex. Thailand for example has a large sex trade and are sexually conservative people generally speaking. My own views of sex are pretty liberal. I don't giggle or point if I see nudity, such as on a nude beach in Europe, but I wouldn't be comfortable having sex in public for all to see either. I think everyone's view of sex depends on the society and value system they grow up with, for the most part. I think the general American opinion is that it is something to be shared between people in private. Of course there are sex-obsessed people of all ages running around. I have seen the same people in Germany, Australia, Pakistan, Mexico, Portugal, Italy, etc. In the end it's one of those human elements that I just have to shake my head at and say, "who knows these things?" You tell me why some people are depraved and others are prudes, and I'll tell you how to travel at the speed of light. But in the end the end this is one of those issues that most people seem to have made up their mind about, and no matter what I say, I'm not likely to change anyone's views on the matter. So I say we just agree to differ, and not let this thread degenerate into a bash session on Americans, or Europeans, or anyone. (The previous statement is not directed at anyone in particular.) But I assure you, there is no U.S. and them. I guarantee yo that if something that is done in the United States bothers a person who lives in Russia, or France, it probably bothers a lot of Americans living in the United States as well. We must remember that everyone is an individual, and try not to divide humanity into nations with borders, with specific cultures, and specific points of view. We now, more than ever, are in new worlds. Witness the power of the information age where we can have conversations with people on the other side of the world, and share viewpoints practically instantaneously. OK, this is getting long, so I digress.

Edit: @ Aemilius Paulus

Same here. I loathe all those sexual scandals. I also tolerate adultery among politicians. It is their business. Just because mayor Kilpartick, governor Spitzer, or President Clinton had affairs with other women, it does not mean they are shoddy politicians. People should just stay out of that.

What I am against is injecting blatant, hard-core pornography into mainstream television. That is simply moral decay.

Remember, I am not an American. I am a Russian. I share none of their views on sex. And I am also an asexual, which might perhaps explain some of my rather unusual stances on this.

I agree with you 100% on the Clinton thing, but remember that in America we have party politics, and Americans seem to love a good scandal for entertainment purposes. The big problem with the Clinton thing is that he tried to lie about it. If he had just said, yep I did it, I would like to think it wouldn't have been near as big of a deal. This is one of those American hypocrisies, and believe me I am not saying we don't have them, in that everyone knows politicians lie, but the public just doesn't want to catch them lying, know what I mean? I know, ridiculous. There is a reason I do not vote or participate in American politics. As far as the sex in ROME, please try to remember that in Ancient Rome, things were MUCH worse than this, and in the series the sexual debauchery helped identify characters. Lucius Vorenus was a conservative man. He never took a prostitute, except for in the end after his wife was dead and he was swimming in depression. Attia used sex to get what she wanted, like when she got the horse in the first episode, or slept with Tymon to make sure he would do her dirty work, but with Antony, she really did love him. Antony had sex with anyone he could, because that is historically how he was. How else do you think it was so easy for Cleopatra to seduce him? Pullo was a soldier, and as a person who was in the Marines myself, I can tell you that that is how soldiers are,and I don't mean just American ones. I have served beside Brits, Germans, Thai, and Australians as well who are just the same. Octavian was a bit kinky, but then it helped to illustrate his character as well as a person who is a bit out of touch with humanity. So I would say there was no sexual act in the series that was there just for the sake of having it there. Could the story have been told without it, yes. But in my humble opinion, it wouldn't have been near as good, and with the easy access to pornography on the Internet, if I really wanted some, it's not hard to find. ROME was not pornography, I believe it was the best thing I have ever seen on the period, and the only thing that really made me feel what it was like to live during that time.

[desert]

The moral decay argument is one of the most overused in history. Get over it.

Also, the problem with Spitzer was that he lied like a mofo and possibly spent taxpayers' money on prostitutes.

[Aemilius Paulus]

The moral decay argument is one of the most overused in history. Get over it.

Also, the problem with Spitzer was that he lied like a mofo and possibly spent taxpayers' money on prostitutes.

Not true. He was an incredibly honest man. His reputation before the incident was the cleanest in this country. Analysts pondered on the idea of him running for President in the near future. His only fault was that he was impulsive. He knew, 100%, that he was going to be caught. He used to be the person catching such solicitors of prostitution and breaking up the prostitution rings. He was aware of all the techniques that were employed on him in order to provide surveillance. And he still did it.

Such a shame this happened in America. The bloke had perfect future ahead of him... His only negative action was his involvement with the prostitution ring and the following cover-ups he attempted.

The moral decay argument is one of the most overused in history. Get over it.

Meh, it is, but perhaps because it is so often the decisive factor? Most of the world's empires fell partially and/or largely to moral decay. People become pampered, decadent and indolent, which is when some other country takes over. Romans no longer wanted to serve in the Army on the eve of the Empire. Neither did the Chinese at various times. The two paid for it. Many large empires and civilisations fell because of the decadence of the ruling class which was toppled by leaner, hungrier, and more desperate newcomers.

How mcuh longer US wills stay a world power with its populace in such state? Not much longer... And if US was actually under the threat of invasion, as most great nations in history were, then it would already be gone. Seriously, can you imagine today's Americans driving off invaders? Considering the 64-67% obesity rate in US??

[mlc82]

How in the world can anyone call the sex scenes in HBO's Rome "Hard Core Pornography"? They were hardly any more explicit than what you can see in an R rated (in the US) movie...

[desert]

How mcuh longer US wills stay a world power with its populace in such state? Not much longer... And if US was actually under the threat of invasion, as most great nations in history were, then it would already be gone. Seriously, can you imagine today's Americans driving off invaders? Considering the 64-67% obesity rate in US??

You should know the answer to this very well.

Stavay strana ogromnoya, stavay na smertny boy, and all that.
And the obesity rate isn't that high. You are including overweight people in that figure. Only a third of the population is really obese.

[antisocialmunky]

I'm actually watching the Hannibal Battles BC rerun right now and I have to say, they like blew all their CG budget on the intro. For the most part it looks quite tacky and it strikes me rather odd that ancient battles took place in twilight and the dead of night. :-\ Does anyone know if the same gorup of dolts did the battle of Thermopylae 'docu-drama-tainment-thing?'

I wish they made more seasons of Dogfights.

[desert]

Hey, are there any streams of it? I don't have the time to catch it on TV.

[Africanvs]

No, you have to buy it if you want it legally. As far as Aemilius Paulus, I'm starting to think he's mad at America because they won the cold war. :P Just kidding Aemilius, but you do rather thinly disguise your disdain for the U.S. Ah well, we're used to it.

[mlc82]

What little I've seen so far has only confirmed to me that this show is a stunning exercise in retardation. From the horrific breakdown of Hannibal's troops, to all the Romans being decked out in bronze cuirasses like EB Camillan Triarii, and the especially award winning big, buff, dual falcata wielding black man as Hannibal.

This makes "300" look like a documentary by comparison so far.

[desert]

On-topic once again:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Hannibal: WTF is this ****!?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

"Always look on the briiight side of life!"

[Ibrahim]

On-topic once again:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Hannibal: WTF is this ****!?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

"Always look on the briiight side of life!"

ahhh heck!!

they have really puched the envelope of what s acceptable in a historical documentary..


*sound of rumaging in closet. temporary silence, then sound of dead weight falling then being tugged violently*

[Africanvs]

On-topic once again:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Hannibal: WTF is this ****!?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

"Always look on the briiight side of life!"

Haha! Those are great. It's true, a picture really is worth a thousand words. Notice that even the guy on the cross has ripped abs? I wonder if when he was doing those crunches in the gym he was thinking to himself, "10 more reps, I have to look good for my Crucifixion!"

[A Very Super Market]

Maybe a prisoner?

Honestly, I won't bother judging anything the History Channel excretes anymore. I don't care if they are operating under the pretense of history, the battle scenes would be just as interesting if they weren't so over-the-top out of proportion.

[Aemilius Paulus]

Hey, are there any streams of it? I don't have the time to catch it on TV.

Wait a bit and they will appear on various Chinese sites such as Tudou, 56, etc. You can watch just about anything there, from the all the Simpsons/HBO Rome episodes to all of the recent Hollywood films. The only minus is low video quality. I do not mind it, however.

[Aemilius Paulus]

As far as Aemilius Paulus, I'm starting to think he's mad at America because they won the cold war. :P Just kidding Aemilius, but you do rather thinly disguise your disdain for the U.S. Ah well, we're used to it.

Of course you are right. How can two enemies like each other? Even now, Putin hates America, and it shows.

Actually, I dislike the US populace in general, but I actually like the country alone. It is a great country indeed, with millions of faults, but still better, considering other countries have billions of faults. And much bad that US does around the world is justified by my Machiavellian attitudes that dictate that once you have power, you must abuse it.

[antisocialmunky]

You abuse your power to keep your power.:-p Its how being the big fish in the pond works. You operate as a rogue state and do what you have to do. However you can be a total bastard about it like Sparta was or atleast try to keep the fascade of your moral high ground and don't look for a fight but be ready for a fight all the time like Athens did.

[desert]

Eh, that won't be necessary, AP.

[The Fuzz]

Jesus. Christ.

*cries*

This show makes me so sad.

[Aemilius Paulus]

You abuse your power to keep your power.:-p Its how being the big fish in the pond works. You operate as a rogue state and do what you have to do. However you can be a total bastard about it like Sparta was or atleast try to keep some of your morale high ground like Athens did.

No actually, my idea on the abuse of power is as follows: every other nation who has held power, abused it, so once you obtain power, you must abuse it as well as to not fall behind and to trump your own national interests, deriving some use from the power.

Eh, that won't be necessary, AP.

What are you talking about? Sorry, I do not understand.

[desert]

Nothing, nothing.

[SwissBarbar]

You should know the answer to this very well.

Stavay strana ogromnoya, stavay na smertny boy, and all that.
And the obesity rate isn't that high. You are including overweight people in that figure. Only a third of the population is really obese.

Alone the word "only" in consensus with "a third of the population" and "overweight" made my day. Thank you

[A Very Super Market]

Helvetia...? Oh, SWISSbarbar.


Currently, obesity in the US is about to be considered the number one cause of premature death, surpassing smoking. That is incredible.

[SwissBarbar]

well, i guess it's not only that way in the USA but in many european countires too. I'm young and more or less lithe and lissom, but if I don't watch out I'm going to run to beer belly too

[Belisarius12]

that is not history this is madness wtf i mean hitory is madness but this make it fantasy like it really is a scandal

[SwissBarbar]

madness equals history in the making, if you didn't realize yet

[Ibrahim]

that is not history this is madness wtf

madness? THIS IS THS!!
*kicks Belisarius12 into bottomless well*

sorry, I know this is an old one, but I couldn't resist.

[A Very Super Market]

I was a well? HTF did they get water out of it if they kept kicking people down there?

[Africanvs]

By the way, did anyone catch the last episode of Battles B.C.? I believe the latest installment was David: Giant Slayer!!!!! After last week's fiasco I skipped it and played EB. Just curious if anyone had any reports on it. Making fun of this show seems to be quite fun.

[mlc82]

By the way, did anyone catch the last episode of Battles B.C.? I believe the latest installment was David: Giant Slayer!!!!! After last week's fiasco I skipped it and played EB. Just curious if anyone had any reports on it. Making fun of this show seems to be quite fun.

If they're going to call David v Goliath real history, can we also get Achilles vs Hector and maybe Davy Crockett vs the Bear when he was only 3?

*goofy folk song lyrics* "killed him a bur, when he was only 3!"