"Crucify This!"

Christianity and religion in modern cartoons...

Watching South Park, The Simpsons and Family Guy I couldn't help noticing the way all of them treat religion. Emphasising the bullshit that modern christianity offers and the business behind it all, not even mentioning the clerical layness. And although my views strongly agree with them, i think there's a serious question here: how much of that is just for the laughing effect and how much expresses the feelings a normal man has/should have towards modern-day religion?...

With the naiveness of the strong believers and (why not?) idiocy of religious fanatics, today's parochies are so easily misled that the 'rulers' don't even try to hide their 'imperfections'. (be it sex with young boys or the kitsch surrounding every 'holiday')

Today's R-rated cartoons offer a caricatural overstatement of all churches, with more weight on catholicism. One wonders as to - why? Is it because of the 'cheap laughs', the creator's beliefs or are they simply trying to get our attention, widen our view angle...?

South Park straightforwardly personifies Jesus (alongside Santa Claus) in characters. Then, all of a sudden, you're looking at a bent-on-revenge Jesus Segal. Tipically SP: sarcastic and cinic.

Family Guy probably has the funniest takes on Jesus (mostly because of their unthinkable stupidity), but they miss out on integration into context.
Family Guy on Christianity

The Simpsons are, as always, the most subtle. Even though relying on idiot characters such as Homer J., you can only admire the elegance Groening and the other writers put in their work. And perhaps that's the biggest insult they could offer.

In their absurdity these cartoons are very serious. And behind my big laughter there's always a bit of sorrow...

Spite and Alice

"Alice is a slightly disturbing, eerie, and wickedly fun experience"

I could honestly say no pc game had caught my attention for the past 3-4 years.

Today I woke up with a vision. If you had to summon it in a few words, I guess 'American McGee's Alice' would be it.

American McGee's Alice is a follow-up on Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. And it's something you'll hear about this summer, when the movie Alice will be released.

The difference is that we're dealing with a catatonic suicidal Alice (notice the armbands), that has to sail through her own dementia and save... well, Wonderland. It's a third person action-adventure, whose puzzles are satisfyingly difficult.

The game's a good one, with elements of surrealism and psychedelism all around Wonderland. Of course, all with a touch of morbidity. This can also be seen looking at the new skelletal Cheshire Cat, whose grin is "rather devious than mischievous". (Brilliantly-developed character, in my opinion)

Nice to see a non-boob-oriented female character, for a change. That's only because it's a 2000 game probably.

Alice: "But I don't want to go among mad people!..."
Cheshire Cat: "We're all mad here..."

Nicely-done trailer, too: