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Yes, I'm spamming you...Origin of the Smiley Face
Now that the tides of wank are receding from my corner of LJ, a little fun factoid.
The smiley face as we know it was invented in Worcester, Massachusetts. I knew this years ago, of course, because Mommy Marcs actually worked with Harvey Ball (Or is that worked in the same company? In either case, she knew him slightly. I think.)
That concludes the historical trivia portion of our program.
[Thankfully I was fully unaware of the wank through most of it due to heatwave kicking me in the brainpan. Can someone please explain to me how miscegenation is not racist? And then making it a sexual kink? In the same tagline as bestiality? What the fuck people? I just read the word and my jaw droppeth. I didn't even have to look it up because, dude, I know my history. I'll be in the corner weeping over the lack of history education in U.S. schools.]
The smiley face as we know it was invented in Worcester, Massachusetts. I knew this years ago, of course, because Mommy Marcs actually worked with Harvey Ball (Or is that worked in the same company? In either case, she knew him slightly. I think.)
That concludes the historical trivia portion of our program.
[Thankfully I was fully unaware of the wank through most of it due to heatwave kicking me in the brainpan. Can someone please explain to me how miscegenation is not racist? And then making it a sexual kink? In the same tagline as bestiality? What the fuck people? I just read the word and my jaw droppeth. I didn't even have to look it up because, dude, I know my history. I'll be in the corner weeping over the lack of history education in U.S. schools.]
no subject
I know the word, but I tend to associate it with alien/human sex, mostly cause I read loads of sci-fi. The only time I would ever use it would be in a historical academic context, and I think that's the only time I heard it at school. Mostly in Victorian literature, if I recall correctly, which I may not.
Of course, I remember getting into arguments with Northerners about the causes of the Civil War too. Grr not slavery, grr. Funny thing was that we were all attending a very good college, and they had all gone to very good high schools. That period is one that many schools either spend way too much time on (4 months GAH!) or no time at all.
I think it all comes down to the Stone Age wiring in our brains. We need to file people into tribes and make assumptions, and an easy way to do that is by appearance. Is it right or good? Nope. But we all do it anyway. The trick is to be aware you do it, and fight against it.
And wow, this is much longer than I expected. I guess those race days in high school sunk in.
Sorry if I added to the wank, and nifty but about the smiley face. I've been there, but only in passing.