Dr McNinja III: You Rad Bro?

[guttering flame]

So far my sympathies are with the rad horsy.

[Flickerdart]

So far my sympathies are with the rad horsy.

Why? It's pretty clear that there's some process for determining who ought to be the next king, and it chose Sir Sicknasty. Sir Hellacious is just a sore loser.

[PhantomFox]

Why? It's pretty clear that there's some process for determining who ought to be the next king, and it chose Sir Sicknasty. Sir Hellacious is just a sore loser.

Somewhat. My bets are that he killed the previous king, expecting that he would be next in line. Now he's killed the king for nothing, and is pissed.

[Forrestfire]

Those tattoo needle birds scare the crap out of me.

The stuff of nightmares

[Mando Knight]

How else are you going to quickly tattoo "MOST RAD." on the newly-minted Most Radical Man* in the Radical Land?

*Or Woman, in the hypothetical event that a successor to the throne of the Most Rad is found to be female. The Radical Lands aren't sexist.

[Forrestfire]

I have no idea, but I wanted to sleep tonight and those monstrosities aren't helping me.


I'm also terrified of needles, so there's that.

[Coidzor]

Rad is Not Good. Good is Not Nice. Various TV-Tropes Platitudes.

[ericgrau]

Well that escalated quickly.

Seems a bit cliché though.

[Hydranova]

It's how things work in Radical Land. Why use intrigue and plot when you can get to flaming guitarcycle duels?

[Giggling Ghast]

I'm liking the name of this arc.

So far my sympathies are with the rad horsy.

You might want to re-think that statement.

[Spamotron]

It would totally fit this kind of story if Sparkledancer actually was the second most radical person person in the Radical Land and was unknowingly next in line. But attempting an usurpation through regicide is so not radical and the act dropped him below Sir Sicknasty costing him the crown.

[Lix Lorn]

Headcanon'd until proven otherwise.

[Cracklord]

I always figured that King Radical came from the universe of Axe Cop (I mean, it's established that there is some sort of connection between the universes, right?), or at least some kind of approximation of it. That's why he didn't see anything wrong with essentially killing all the jerks. They're bad guys, he is a good guy. QED.

[Flickerdart]

I always figured that King Radical came from the universe of Axe Cop. That's why he didn't see anything wrong with essentially killing all the jerks. They're badguys, afterall, and he's a good guy. And lets face it, Axe Cop is about the only thing more ludicrously radical then Dr Mcninja.

I'm pretty sure that Axe Cop Earth still has racism, though.

[Cracklord]

All right, how about this:

In our (incredibly uncool) world, and current fashion, we're taught to value life, because every sentient individual has the right to exist, and determine it's own identity. Pretty reasonable. However, sentient is a tricky term, so normally is only applied to humans, regardless of their actual sentience (I.e, ability to recognize their own existence). We aren't bothered, as a society, by eating meat (at least enough to stop) because animals are less intelligent then we are, can't express their sentience in a way we can understand as communication, and plants aren't intelligent in any recognizable way. Besides, outside the garden of Eden the world is competition, and we happen to be the winners (We eat sharks, and we don't even swim very well). Nonetheless, we hold them having the right as a species to exist if not as individuals (plus they might be useful one day) so we do what we can for endangered animals. Simplified a complex topic for the sake of the discussion, but more or less the case. So eating is allowed. Besides, we wouldn't get far without it, right?

King Radical, however, does not value life simply for the sake of life. No, he values life because life allows one to do awesome things. And it makes sense, from a pragmatic viewpoint, in that his world is very different from ours. I mean, in his world, everything is sentient. Even a vegetarian is eating walking, talking trees and skateboarding cacti, both of whom are apparently able to vocalize this (judging by King Radical's attempts to talk to them). In his world, horrible as it is, you eat beings you would be capable of having a conversation with, and probably have quite a lot in common with, or you starve. Of course he's a killer. Just being a living person individual in the Radical Lands makes you one. And therefore, they don't hold life sacred based on race (i.e specieism, killing humans is wrong, killing animals is necessary) but on contribution. Those of the most value deserve to exist, because they make living better for everyone. And the most value is making the world more awesome for everyone else. So more the more you contribute, the more worth you have.

I find it refreshingly devoid of hypocrisy, though it has the benefit of being almost completely ridiculous, and in those terms can understand King Radical a bit more. Sure, he's apparently a bit of a racist, but we don't know the whole story, and we do have plenty of evidence that Sparkledancer is a jerk who kills people once they are of no use to him. Hell, for all we know all horses in the comic are like that, and King Radical holds his attitudes based on actual empirical evidence and personal experience. But whether he has his reasons or not, the fact is that to make a pizza, you have to kill numerous living, breathing, intelligent and probably unwilling individuals (so you hope it's good. Be a shame to kill them for a bad pizza). And you have to eat to survive.

And so, to him, this is exactly the same. He's making something awesome (a world instead of a pizza) so people can go on living (getting off a sinking ship, instead of getting sustenance, but nonetheless go on living). What's wrong with that? Nothing, to his mind. Nothing, based on the way he was raised, and the way his world actually works. It only seems malevolent from an outsiders perspective, who don't have to kill their own food and so can go through life without having to hurt anyone else. Killing the jerks doesn't bother him, because killing doesn't bother him. Life isn't sacred, in the radical lands holding this view makes you starve and lose your own life. So instead, awesome is sacred, and killing Derek is hardly wasting any potential, his existence benefits nobody. Quite the opposite, he's so far from awesome that his death probably made the global radical average slightly higher, and thus a slightly better place to live.

Which is, afterall, what King Radical wants. He was chosen by the land to decide who contributes and who gets eaten. It's his moral imperative, given to him by an empirical authority to do what he can to protect his people and perpetuate those under his protection (Noblesse oblige). He has no such moral imperative to protect the people of this land. That's what being an actual king means (in worlds unfortunate enough to have actual monarchistic institution as an actual definable force, rather then an unfortunate perpetuity that has since been discarded).

Does that make sense?

[Lix Lorn]

All right, how about this:

In our (incredibly uncool) world, and current fashion, we're taught to value life, because every sentient individual has the right to exist, and determine it's own identity. Pretty reasonable. However, sentient is a tricky term, so normally is only applied to humans, regardless of their actual sentience (I.e, ability to recognize their own existence). We aren't bothered, as a society, by eating meat (at least enough to stop) because animals are less intelligent then we are, can't express their sentience in a way we can understand as communication, and plants aren't intelligent in any recognizable way. Besides, outside the garden of Eden the world is competition, and we happen to be the winners (We eat sharks, and we don't even swim very well). Nonetheless, we hold them having the right as a species to exist if not as individuals (plus they might be useful one day) so we do what we can for endangered animals. Simplified a complex topic for the sake of the discussion, but more or less the case. So eating is allowed. Besides, we wouldn't get far without it, right?

King Radical, however, does not value life simply for the sake of life. No, he values life because life allows one to do awesome things. And it makes sense, from a pragmatic viewpoint, in that his world is very different from ours. I mean, in his world, everything is sentient. Even a vegetarian is eating walking, talking trees and skateboarding cacti, both of whom are apparently able to vocalize this (judging by King Radical's attempts to talk to them). In his world, horrible as it is, you eat beings you would be capable of having a conversation with, and probably have quite a lot in common with, or you starve. Of course he's a killer. Just being a living person individual in the Radical Lands makes you one. And therefore, they don't hold life sacred based on race (i.e specieism, killing humans is wrong, killing animals is necessary) but on contribution. Those of the most value deserve to exist, because they make living better for everyone. And the most value is making the world more awesome for everyone else. So more the more you contribute, the more worth you have.

I find it refreshingly devoid of hypocrisy, though it has the benefit of being almost completely ridiculous, and in those terms can understand King Radical a bit more. Sure, he's apparently a bit of a racist, but we don't know the whole story, and we do have plenty of evidence that Sparkledancer is a jerk who kills people once they are of no use to him. Hell, for all we know all horses in the comic are like that, and King Radical holds his attitudes based on actual empirical evidence and personal experience. But whether he has his reasons or not, the fact is that to make a pizza, you have to kill numerous living, breathing, intelligent and probably unwilling individuals (so you hope it's good. Be a shame to kill them for a bad pizza). And you have to eat to survive.

And so, to him, this is exactly the same. He's making something awesome (a world instead of a pizza) so people can go on living (getting off a sinking ship, instead of getting sustenance, but nonetheless go on living). What's wrong with that? Nothing, to his mind. Nothing, based on the way he was raised, and the way his world actually works. It only seems malevolent from an outsiders perspective, who don't have to kill their own food and so can go through life without having to hurt anyone else. Killing the jerks doesn't bother him, because killing doesn't bother him. Life isn't sacred, in the radical lands holding this view makes you starve and lose your own life. So instead, awesome is sacred, and killing Derek is hardly wasting any potential, his existence benefits nobody. Quite the opposite, he's so far from awesome that his death probably made the global radical average slightly higher, and thus a slightly better place to live.

Which is, afterall, what King Radical wants. He was chosen by the land to decide who contributes and who gets eaten. It's his moral imperative, given to him by an empirical authority to do what he can to protect his people and perpetuate those under his protection (Noblesse oblige). He has no such moral imperative to protect the people of this land. That's what being an actual king means (in worlds unfortunate enough to have actual monarchistic institution as an actual definable force, rather then an unfortunate perpetuity that has since been discarded).

Does that make sense?

This is excellently reasoned and argued.

[Giggling Ghast]

That's some well-reasoned and interesting speculation, Cracklord. Personally, however, I always assumed food in the Radical Lands simply appears out of the ether, since actual food preparation is decidedly un-radical.

[Fates]

Well that escalated quickly.

Seems a bit cliché though.

Aha, but that just proves how incredibly uncool sparkledancer is.

[Nerd-o-rama]

That's some well-reasoned and interesting speculation, Cracklord. Personally, however, I always assumed food in the Radical Lands simply appears out of the ether, since actual food preparation is decidedly un-radical.

You haven't watched many cooking shows.

[The Glyphstone]

And they're from our world. The Radical Home Food Network must be seen to be believed, especially since it does frequent crossovers with the Hunting Channel.

[Flickerdart]

That's some well-reasoned and interesting speculation, Cracklord. Personally, however, I always assumed food in the Radical Lands simply appears out of the ether, since actual food preparation is decidedly un-radical.

I'm pretty sure that Radical Land cooking looks a lot like that one crossover episode between Epic Meal Time and FPS Russia.

[Radar]

I'm pretty sure that Radical Land cooking looks a lot like that one crossover episode between Epic Meal Time and FPS Russia.

I'm not sure about those, but Regular Ordinary Swedish Meal Time would fit right in.

[ThirdEmperor]

Every cooking show in Radical Land begins with the contestants being tossed into a steel cage arena. They then proceed to fight (on motorcycles) (with chainsaws) to decide who's the chef and who's the ingredients.

[SlyGuyMcFly]

I'm not sure about those, but Regular Ordinary Swedish Meal Time would fit right in.

Vegan Black Metal Chef might too, but I'm not sure if the brütal-to-radical exchange rates would screw him over.

[Radar]

Every cooking show in Radical Land begins with the contestants being tossed into a steel cage arena. They then proceed to fight (on motorcycles) (with chainsaws) to decide who's the chef and who's the ingredients.

Two chefs in, one chef out! Two chefs in, one chef out!

On the other hand, current King Radical might have more tame tastes.

[The Glyphstone]

He ordered a huge number of the most expensive pizza on Planet Earth to throw a party for the neck of it. I'm pretty sure he left that note just to screw with Doc.

[Scowling Dragon]

Subtle is almost the opposite of Radical.

[Mando Knight]

especially since it does frequent crossovers with the Hunting Channel.

"The Hunting Channel" consisting of shows that look like Teddy Roosevelt going on safari with a SEAL team. Rappelling out of stealth helicopters, liger wrestling, the works.

[Fjolnir]

So in Radical Land chefs operate like in Toriko?

[Cracklord]

Two chefs in, one chef out! Two chefs in, one chef out!

On the other hand, current King Radical might have more tame tastes.

Sure, he's got tame tastes here, because that's what he's doing. Supporting other peoples awesome, which is more important then supporting as much life as possible (to King Radical, at least). Of course, there's every indication that vegetables are fully realized individuals capable of independent movement, thought, and extreme car stunts in the Radical Lands. So that doesn't necessarily make it any tamer.