What does Lucid's avatar mean to you? [Archive]

Josephine1012

05-12-2009, 10:01 PM

I think Lucid's avatar is kind of funny.
The way the hands are held, I imagine the subject glancing around the room hoping for a convenient wet-nap.

That's funny, I kind of always thought the same thing. I projected myself onto it, and that's the first thing that comes to my mind too:

Looking for a sink..

Btw, Rara, I think you're a lot less sullen as a sexy librarian than as a sad cow *ahem* excuse me bull.

Storm

05-12-2009, 10:02 PM

I always thought the subject of Lucid's avatar was dead. Was that too obvious?

altoid

05-12-2009, 10:12 PM

I always thought the subject of Lucid's avatar was dead. Was that too obvious?

I always thought the subject of Lucid's avatar had just finished making someone else dead. As if she had just finished this very brutal act, but was pausing to observe the result of this act nourishing a tiny, delicate creature in a very circle-of-life sort of way.

Hmmm...maybe this is the darkness SquirrelKitten was talking about.

Storm

05-12-2009, 10:20 PM

I always thought the subject of Lucid's avatar had just finished making someone else dead. As if she had just finished this very brutal act, but was pausing to observe the result of this act nourishing a tiny, delicate creature in a very circle-of-life sort of way.

Hmmm...maybe this is the darkness SquirrelKitten was talking about.

If you look, the blood is dried and the body appears to be in a supine position. They are also eerily still for having a fly upon them. Thus, dead.

SquirrelKitten

05-12-2009, 10:28 PM

Dead for sure. Rigor mortis has set in.

Lucid

05-13-2009, 06:04 AM

That's interesting, I think the subject is alive. And that he or she has just failed in trying to save someone else. The hands look like they're being extended in sort of a beseeching gesture, or one of disbelief. Although I may think that because the title of the original picture was something like "but he couldn't save his son." Or maybe it was "the child." I did a few quick searches on flickr, from whence this photo comes, because I thought it would be neat to link to the original and to the artist's page, but I have to go to work. Maybe I'll try again later when I have more time.

pausing to observe the result of this act nourishing a tiny, delicate creature in a very circle-of-life sort of way.

Yes, I agree with you here. The fly gets nourishment from death. If you think about it, so do we.
I just noticed that your Vadar is clipping that hedge into a death star. Hilarity ensues. :)

Someone should change their avatar to a wet nap. :laugh:

TheLastMohican

05-13-2009, 06:13 AM

That's interesting, I think the subject is alive.
I thought so too, because of the positioning of the hands. We can see that if the person is lying dead, then se must be face-down, with the arms reaching past the head. That would be a very strange position, because people instinctively thrust their arms forward when falling, and therefore the arms should instead be under or near the torso, or at least the hands should be palms-down. (Just try lying on your stomach with your arms outstreched and your hands facing up, and see how awkward it is.)

JustMel

05-13-2009, 08:21 AM

when maybe we aren't at our perkiest...

perky? don't we eat perky people? :smartass:

dalidaisy

05-13-2009, 08:29 AM

perky? don't we eat perky people? :smartass:

I know some of us would like to (endocannibalism anyone?), but, alas, I don't eat people, so speak for yourself...

JustMel

05-13-2009, 08:38 AM

I know some of us would like to (endocannibalism anyone?), but, alas, I don't eat people, so speak for yourself...

I don't eat people either so I suppose I should edit that to say "don't we feed perky people to the dragon?"

rara avis

05-13-2009, 08:42 AM

I always thought the subject of Lucid's avatar was dead. Was that too obvious?

Apparently, Lucid's avatar is more of a Rorschach test than we knew. I really imagined the subject having sort-of-accidentally done someone in and now, in true senstard fashion, just tuning in to the mess they've made.

A scenario of attempting to save someone, or of the subject being dead, never occurred to me.

I know some of us would like to (endocannibalism anyone?), but, alas, I don't eat people, so speak for yourself...

Soy protein is people!!!

rara avis

05-13-2009, 08:52 AM

Maybe, but Lucid makes most of her posts in the Politics subforum so I'm having a hard time believing that Lucid's avatar was a catalyst for SquirrelKitten's impression that INTJ women are sullen. I don't think we've gotten to the reason behind this.

I'm OK with blaming Lucid. Shall we take a vote? :devilish:

dalidaisy

05-13-2009, 08:53 AM

Soy protein is people!!!

Oh NOOOO! Now I'm sullen...

Storm

05-13-2009, 08:54 AM

I thought so too, because of the positioning of the hands. We can see that if the person is lying dead, then se must be face-down, with the arms reaching past the head. That would be a very strange position, because people instinctively thrust their arms forward when falling, and therefore the arms should instead be under or near the torso, or at least the hands should be palms-down. (Just try lying on your stomach with your arms outstreched and your hands facing up, and see how awkward it is.)

Well, I thought that the subject had recently been murdered in some horrible fashion. Perhaps died on a torture rack? Thus, the subject is on their back and the arms are stretched above the head.

Lucid

05-13-2009, 10:09 AM

Well, I thought that the subject had recently been murdered in some horrible fashion. Perhaps died on a torture rack? Thus, the subject is on their back and the arms are stretched above the head.

It's always the people with the least offensive avatars who are truly the most morbid.

Jeeze.

I'm OK with blaming Lucid. Shall we take a vote? :devilish:

Rara, please don't make me come to your town of residence and find you. That would be unpleasant for both of us. :p

EDIT: Though it might result in a new avatar. :)

TheLastMohican

05-13-2009, 10:56 AM

Well, I thought that the subject had recently been murdered in some horrible fashion. Perhaps died on a torture rack? Thus, the subject is on their back and the arms are stretched above the head.

Then how did the blood get on the hands? On a torture rack, the subject cannot reach down to touch the wounds on the torso.
My impression of the avatar was that it was the attacker, not the victim. (The pose of the hands suggests some remorse, so as not to come across as entirely sadistic.)\

EDIT: I should add again that the subject, if lying down, must be face-down, because you can see that the thumb in the background would otherwise be on the wrong side. (If this is too hard to discern, then look at the curvature of the fingers; the pinky and ring fingers naturally curve more than the index and middle fingers when relaxed, and it would be very awkward to reverse that order.)

Storm

05-13-2009, 11:08 AM

Then how did the blood get on the hands? On a torture rack, the subject cannot reach down to touch the wounds on the torso.
My impression of the avatar was that it was the attacker, not the victim. (The pose of the hands suggests some remorse, so as not to come across as entirely sadistic.)\

EDIT: I should add again that the subject, if lying down, must be face-down, because you can see that the thumb in the background would otherwise be on the wrong side. (If this is too hard to discern, then look at the curvature of the fingers; the pinky and ring fingers naturally curve more than the index and middle fingers when relaxed, and it would be very awkward to reverse that order.)

Aw, I never noticed the thumb. To be honest, I try not to look at the avatar. Anyway, the killing blow is not necessarily the only injury the victim received.

Geeze, I am kind of morbid.

Lucid

05-13-2009, 11:15 AM

To be honest, I try not to look at the avatar.

Why? It's just blood.

And I think you're right; the avatar is only as morbid as your imagination makes it.

Storm

05-13-2009, 11:45 AM

Why? It's just blood.

And I think you're right; the avatar is only as morbid as your imagination makes it.

It's not the blood that bothers me, it's the fact that I imagine I'm looking at a small part of a very grisly murder.

Lucid

05-13-2009, 01:47 PM

It's not the blood that bothers me, it's the fact that I imagine I'm looking at a small part of a very grisly murder.

Your imagination is morbid indeed. Seek counseling. :p

Wapiti

05-13-2009, 02:03 PM

I think the subject is still alive, looking at the fly on the finger in awe as to why a fly would land on her finger. Totally oblivious to the blood that is there, in shock cause someone's been naughty.

Lucid

05-13-2009, 02:21 PM

Wapiti

05-13-2009, 02:27 PM

I was trying to avoid saying "her" in that post but I just couldn't help it. Obviously knowing you are a she (I think, at least the pictures lead me that direction) influences that use of her. I was trying to think whether I could justify saying the hands were female or not before I posted that too and yes, I think I would say they are of a female. The shape of the thumb in the background, the way the hand is positioned lead me to think they are female hands. Are they????

Lucid

05-13-2009, 02:28 PM

I have no idea. I didn't take the picture. I'd be willing to say they look feminine though.

demaugustus

05-13-2009, 02:31 PM

I was demonstrating the actions of a "literally minded" individual in the Are most of you guys literally-minded? thread:

Lucid, would you please wash your hands!

Every time I'm strolling through a thread and come across your avatar I have to smell your morbid, bloody, diseased ridden, disgusting, hands! There's a fly on it too, do you not see the fly?! Don't you think that a fly crawling around on your hand is a signal for something?!

Here's a hint, since you are unable to make the correlation: (fly) + (blood on hands) = (Wash your hands!)

...and for god sake woman, get a manicure!

childofprodigy

05-13-2009, 03:36 PM

whatever it is, it's creeping the crap out of me

Storm

05-13-2009, 05:11 PM

I was thinking about this. If the subject isn't dead, the piece becomes absurdly humorous.

Someone has just done something very great in their life. Committed murder or failed to save another and the horrible weight of it has just hit them. Meanwhile, a fly lands on them and is thinking "MMMM! Tasty! nom nom nom."

Lucid

05-13-2009, 05:28 PM

A tragedy, a meal, what's the difference? ;D

rara avis

05-13-2009, 05:31 PM

I'd just like to say that Storm's avatar is now much stranger than Lucid's.
Storm, would you care to explain yourself??

dalidaisy

05-13-2009, 05:32 PM

I'm glad she changed it. That last one was creeping me out...

JohnDoe

05-13-2009, 05:35 PM

No one else thought of Macbeth?

Lucid

05-13-2009, 05:36 PM

It's giving me the Johnny Quest's Argentinean dad creeps.

It makes me think of seedy travel advertisements. What does Storm's avatar mean to you guys?

HackerX

05-13-2009, 05:40 PM

Lucid's avatar is a photo I took of her after the last debate she had with a person who didn't have a valid and meaningful response. She was reflecting on the fact that the fly didn't have anything else to land on but her bloody hands, because there just wasn't anything left of the person.

(Yes macbeth came to mind at first. Then I reflected, and well, Lady Macbeth had second thoughts. So no, not really relevant to Lucid :p)

dalidaisy

05-13-2009, 05:40 PM

I'm having a hard time looking at it by her name. It just doesn't fit. My mind is working double-time to find a reason behind it, but I find none.

*blue screen*

(this was about Storm)

Stratego

05-13-2009, 05:43 PM

So, last one in before we move on to Storm...

I admit the avatar creeps me out in a way, only because I don't like images of blood and the like. It made me think of feminime power, though, like Kali the destroyer. It made me think also about the fragility of life--I thought it was an oddly visceral and sensual image for an introverted thinker judger...

Lucid

05-13-2009, 05:57 PM

So, last one in before we move on to Storm...

We can do a bunch at once. No need to stop talking about my greatness...er, avatar. ;)

I admit the avatar creeps me out in a way, only because I don't like images of blood and the like. It made me think of feminine power, though, like Kali the destroyer. It made me think also about the fragility of life--

I'm a huge fan of Kali. I have a thing about life and death and the duality/equality of the two.

I thought it was an oddly visceral and sensual image for an introverted thinker judger...

Why do you say that?

On a side note, I had not thought of Macbeth, though it's totally obvious now that you mention it.
Shakespearian fail doth I.

I'm having a hard time looking at it by her name. It just doesn't fit. My mind is working double-time to find a reason behind it, but I find none.

I agree. I think it's because in my mind, for whatever reason, Storm is kind of sleek and modern. Maybe it's because of a past avatar? Maybe it's her personality? I don't know. But that's what I think of and that avatar doesn't seem to match with my mental impression of the essence of Storm.

...Sleek and modern isn't quite right either. She makes me think of this:

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/4061/manwhowasntthere67f16absk0.png

Storm

05-13-2009, 06:12 PM

I'm glad she changed it. That last one was creeping me out...

A picture of a modest lady from the early 20th century was creeping you out? Interesting.

Inspired by LP, I decided to change my avatar to something which doesn't fit me at all. Read into it what you want.

Storm added to this post, 2 minutes and 11 seconds later...

...Sleek and modern isn't quite right either. She makes me think of this:

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/4061/manwhowasntthere67f16absk0.png

:cheesy: I am honored.

dalidaisy

05-13-2009, 06:14 PM

I agree. I think it's because in my mind, for whatever reason, Storm is kind of sleek and modern. Maybe it's because of a past avatar? Maybe it's her personality? I don't know. But that's what I think of and that avatar doesn't seem to match with my mental impression of the essence of Storm.

...Sleek and modern isn't quite right either. She makes me think of this:

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/4061/manwhowasntthere67f16absk0.png

Perfect! I was going to say something similar, but you hit the nail on the head with that pic...

rara avis

05-13-2009, 06:55 PM

It's giving me the Johnny Quest's Argentinean dad creeps.

That is bizarrely close to what I was thinking.

scout5

05-13-2009, 07:21 PM

I think of a phrase from Pearl Jam's "Black"

And now my bitter hands cradle broken glass
Of what was everything?
All the pictures have all been washed in black, tattooed everything...

Ender

05-13-2009, 07:36 PM

It never once occurred to me that Lucid's avatar might be of a dead person. I thought it was someone who had just killed another and that Lucid just had a morbid twist to her personality. The striking visual seemed to couple well with "Lucid."

TheLastMohican

05-13-2009, 07:57 PM

Let's have a contest: "Get an avatar more disturbing/morbid/creepy than Lucid's."

Quite8the8bell

05-13-2009, 08:06 PM

When I saw it I always thought of some murderer in a forest guilty for killing his or her victim... I didn't think Lucid was a murderer or anything haha. That's just what the picture said to me.

altoid

05-13-2009, 08:55 PM

I'm glad she changed it. That last one was creeping me out...

Seconded. Old portraits like that are always creepy. Kind of like clowns. :scared:

WyohKnott

05-13-2009, 09:25 PM

... Wow, my mind must be less morbid than I thought. :rolleyes: I initially thought of Lucid's avatar as the hands of a doctor/surgeon, after some bloody operation or something, though I agree with what others have said about the fly - it's a small sign of life, in the midst of a reminder of death. I too failed to notice the possible Macbeth reference, though it's kinda cool now that I think about it.

As for Storm's, I have to admit that I sort of liked the creepiness of the old one. I have an odd fascination with old photos, and that one looked like it might have an interesting story behind it. (I do agree that it didn't seem to suit her all that well, though). The new one, my first thought was that the guy is thinking, "Oh geez, I did not need to see that." I have a strange imagination ;D

Audi

05-14-2009, 03:28 PM

I also thought of a doctor, but one in a country with poor medical tech (hence the lack of tools, gloves, presence of fly). Maybe a field op. of some kind or a housecall to a rural area. There's an early 20th C feel to it for some reason... anyways. I feel as though having worked on keeping some poor ravaged soul alive through the wee hours of the morning, they have finished their work and only now are waiting to see what is to come of it as the sun gets higher in the sky. The fly, to me, shows focus. The person can't be bothered to flick it away, being so intent and hopeful on the results of their work... it feels like one of the moments where you hold your breath for what is about to happen.

Either that or someone really needs to cut back on their fruit intake.

jikin

05-14-2009, 03:48 PM

I see Lucid's avatar as a live person. It brings to mind an image of a person staring in disbelief at their own hands after they've flown into an unexpected and murderous rage. I agree that is is a bit creepy.

green eyes

05-14-2009, 04:22 PM

I hardly ever notice the blood when I see Lucid's avatar. And the fly...I always think it's a contact lense...maybe it has to do with the position of the hand that it's on. So when I see the avatar, I think it's the hands of someone putting in their contacts.

Seriously.

Nemesis

05-14-2009, 04:23 PM

It's not blood people... it's red jello.

rara avis

05-14-2009, 08:04 PM

mmm, jello.

zibber

05-15-2009, 12:40 AM

I always interpreted the little thingamajig (I love how that gets through Firefox's spell check) as a feather, indicating that the subject has just strangled some fowl in the most problematic of ways (before perhaps tearing it to shreds and most likely consuming it raw).

TheLastMohican

05-17-2009, 08:21 AM