Bubbles, No Tea

Scott Hardie | July 6, 2005
If you haven't seen it already, check out tetka.swf. (link) (You can give the woman a tug if she gets stuck; otherwise it's non-interactive.) Not only is this Flash movie an excellent demonstration of physics-based actionscript, it's goddamned mesmerizing to watch. Can I get this in a screen saver, please? I've read comments that this subtly promotes violence against women, but I don't believe it; were the lifeless mannequin male instead, no one would be calling it misandry. It's just a toy, albeit the most endlessly watchable one I've seen in a while. It even keeps my cat enthralled for several record-breaking minutes at a time.

Amy Austin | July 6, 2005
Well, you can do more than just give her a tug -- you can actually drag her all over the place, if you want to... ;-D

Scott Hardie | July 6, 2005
True, but it doesn't amount to anything. I've tried flinging her upwards but my cursor always seems to wind up going off the upper edge of the Flash, which causes the model to be stuck to it. If you make your browser window only an inch tall but spread it across the full width of the monitor, you can drag her over into the empty space, but as soon as you let go, the Flash just re-centers itself again.

Scott Hardie | July 6, 2005
I could imagine the charges of "violence" gaining ground if the Flash was adapted to load a cut-up image of any person you like, instead of this anonymous stranger. You could bash around ex-lovers with impunity. That would be somewhat disturbing.

Michael Paul Cote | July 6, 2005
So that's what people would be like with out a skeletal system.

Amy Austin | July 6, 2005
Oh, I wasn't implying a basis for claims of misogyny, Scott... in fact, I wouldn't even find the ability to superimpose pictures all that disturbing, but rather cool! ;-D (After all, isn't it better that someone exercise their frustrations in this manner, rather than on the real body?!?!?!)

Scott Hardie | July 7, 2005
I know, just saying. :-) Maybe it's because I'm in the midst of writing a New Orleans adventure for FIN, but I can't help but think "cyberspace voodoo doll" when I play with this Flash.

Amy Austin | July 7, 2005
Yeah, it does seem a little like transferrance... ;-D