Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2010 August 14

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August 14

Old movie kiss

I have been watching American films from the Hays code era and marvelling at the expressions of passion therein. It would appear that for kissing scenes, the actors would just sort of mash their faces together chastely. I find this most peculiar. Was this actually the style of the times, had french kissing not crossed the Atlantic, or was it censorious social conservatism at work? Insights and digressions appreciated, Skomorokh 11:48, 14 August 2010 (UTC)

The code itself explains it - "Excessive and lustful kissing, lustful embraces, suggestive postures and gestures, are not to be shown." - see [1]. Exxolon (talk) 16:43, 14 August 2010 (UTC)

The term doesn't actually come from the French. And the sex lives of people were much the same in the era of the Hays code as they are now. It just wasn't talked about to the extent it is today. There's nothing new under the sun, as they say. Dismas|^(talk) 17:42, 14 August 2010 (UTC)

As a practical matter, tongue-kissing a fellow actor is kind of risky (then and now), as you don't know where that tongue has been. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:45, 14 August 2010 (UTC)

Those old movies were more than happy talking about people seeking and engaging in "romance". Of course this usually meant "sex", but they weren't allowed to say that, just as they weren't allowed to show a married couple sleeping in the same bed. They could show them sleeping in separate beds in the same room, and giving each other a peck on the cheek before saying 'nighty night, dear' and turning the lights out - which was extremely realistic. (Not.) -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 01:12, 15 August 2010 (UTC)

In Gone With the Wind, forgetting the brouhaha over the "I don't give a damn" line, there was the famous scene where Rhett says, "You're not turning me away tonight!" and carries her upstairs underscored with dramatic music. Cut to the next morning, where Scarlett has a large smile on her face. That was pretty explicit for its day. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:24, 15 August 2010 (UTC)

From what I understand, under the Hays Code, a couple must keep at least one foot on the floor while kissing on a bed. Everard Proudfoot (talk) 05:36, 15 August 2010 (UTC)

They must have thought they were playing snooker. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 05:46, 15 August 2010 (UTC)

Thanks all for the replies thus far. I understand the sentiment to prevent any implications of sex – nothing heavy near the bed etc. What does not make sense is that if Dismas's claim above about sex lives being unchanged today, that the perfectly common open-mouthed kiss would not be shown as normal on-screen. Skomorokh 13:18, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

I believe he's suggesting that while sexual behaviour hasn't changed the depiction of it has. Britmax (talk) 11:21, 19 August 2010 (UTC)

identifying an online game based on inventing consistent rules

Some time between fall of 2004 and summer 2006 I found a text-based online game (possibly already defunct but still visible online) in which someone would post a rule to restrict subsequent posts in some way. Each post would adhere to previous rules and extend the complicated series of rules. I think the idea was that whoever wrote the last post consistent with previous rules and still capable of restricting things in a new way would win, but there might not have been a winning mechanism if the game was more of a role playing game. There may have been other default constraints.

I know the example I came across had a theme: The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. There were other chains of rules that may or may not have had themes.

Rules would often be something like "All subsequent posts must be expressed as limericks."

Can anyone help me identify the game, or suggest a way to search for it in an internet archive?inquiryqueue (talk) 15:12, 14 August 2010 (UTC)

Crikey... that does ring a bell, though I'm not sure this is going to be of enormous help to you. Anyway, I remember playing Mornington Crescent online c.1996 and I know some of the people who played that also played the game you describe. So I would suggest asking around the Mornington Crescent sites in the first instance. --Hence Piano (talk) 14:41, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

Not an answer to the original poster's query, but Eleusis (card game) is a game in which you deduce secret rules. Comet Tuttle (talk) 21:56, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

Nomic ?  Chzz  ►  08:14, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

Oh, it turns out it's actually a variant on Nomic! A friend of mine suggested searching for something related to "self-modifying games" and turned it up. It came from http://www.win.tue.nl/cs/fm/engels/frc/index.html, sometime around or before 1997, so Hence Piano was in the right time range. Thanks for your help! K.E.Peterson, inquiryqueue (talk) 18:59, 21 September 2010 (UTC)

80's Band who sued lead singer

I won tickets in I think 1987 to see the lead singer of a former band, who was sued by the band members from using his name (which was also the name of the band before the broke up) while he toured solo. For the life of me, I cannot remember the name. It was not Dokken, Van Halen or Winger. Can someone please help me remember (getting old sucks!)? Thank you... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.26.156.145 (talk) 20:39, 14 August 2010 (UTC)

Pink Floyd and Roger Waters saga perhaps? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.89.16.154 (talk) 10:08, 15 August 2010 (UTC)

This list: [2] may have the group/artist you are trying to find. 10draftsdeep (talk) 14:44, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

Trying to find the title for two books I want to re-read

Hi, I am looking for the title + writer for two books. Having read a lot in the past 20 years I can't remember much more than the general plot for both.

1) The book is about a secret agent that works for an organisation with a supercomputer to further the agenda of the "good" side, but he later finds out that the organisation was evil all along.

2) A female FBI agent who hunts serial killers gets frustrated by the difficulties of catching serial killers and finds out about a message board where they communicate with one another. Instead of bringing them to justice she starts killing them, becoming a serial killer in her own right.

I hope someone will be able to help me. Jarkeld (talk) 23:17, 14 August 2010 (UTC)

1) Billion-Dollar Brain by Len Deighton? Clarityfiend (talk) 00:11, 15 August 2010 (UTC)

Don't know if that is the right one, I think it was more recent (written in the 90's).

Looks like a good read either way. Thanks! Jarkeld (talk) 18:36, 15 August 2010 (UTC)

I think you are describing the "Windchime Legacy" by AW Mykel, a (not terribly good IMHO) espionage thriller with SF elements published in the mid-80s. Colin Johnston (talk) 09:24, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

Could be. The name seems familiar. Should know in 3-5 days when the book I ordered arrives. Thanks! Jarkeld (talk) 22:39, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

Is the second "Watch Me"(ISBN 0312959974)? --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 19:35, 15 August 2010 (UTC)

Yes! That is exactly the book I'm looking for. Thank you! Jarkeld (talk) 20:00, 15 August 2010 (UTC)