Why so many dark, foreboding, negative avatars?

Yes, the "cool" thing is scary/spooky/"evil" looking pics & avatars.
Guess I'm not cool...

i know what you're saying.. you see it everywhere...
it's pretty pathetic actually..

its more or less scared goth kids or computer gamer addicts that feel that "evil" .. or "scary" ... or "foreboding" images instill a certain essence of "warning" in the viewer.. a "purchased identity" as it were.. ala "Hot-Topic" .. etc..

simple result of feeling scared lonely and weak, and the opposite representation, an aggressively dark image, should or would.. create a feeling of power, to fill the void.

same ideas as gargoyles on buildings.
they "scare away the evil spirits" ....

however...if everyone had ninja avatars... i wouldn't complain.



-

Originally posted by BlackProjects
With help of AshleyD I chose another and most of fantasy art out there did seem to be dark.

Thanks for your contribution to our thread.

This is certainly an interesting avatar.

The color is clearly warm and an emphasis on light.

Is it the angels of light false light?!

High-LIGHTING the BLACK PROJECTS is an interesting visual play on . . . icons.

I think mostly based on color and the forest . . . the following feelings are evoked:

--curiosity
--hope . . . in eventual disclosure? . . . that not all is 100% black??? . . .
--wariness
--annoyance to anger at the reality of so many BLACK PROJECTS so deeply entrenched & so deeply treasonous and destructive . . .
--INDEED! YES! DENY IGNORANCE!
--concern--how long before we get out of this forest of galactic level deceit and evil?

I think it's certainly in the top 5%, maybe in the top 3% of the avatars according to my sensibilities.

Much appreciate your contribution.

1. What were your thoughts to yourself about it once it was chosen and posted?
2. What do you hope the viewers respond with?
3. What parts of your core being and priorities are most touched by it or most resonant with this avatar?

reply to post by prevenge


I think your insightful comments are exceedingly accurate, right on, perceptive, revelatory.

Wonderful post.

Your avatar is quite suggestive . . .

thanks much for your very meaningful contribution to our thread.

And I'll discipline myself to resisting further comment until I come on it in sequence.

Blessings,

reply to post by sc2099


Thanks for your post . . . a quick reply out of sequence . . .

1. I was under the mistaken impression that avatars required a hefty point payment. AshleyD has corrected my misunderstanding. Further, as usual, she has offered an avatar that I like a lot--alas, as a component. It's not . . . quite complex enough for me.

She's waiting on me to come up with additional elements. And I'm awash in priorities on and off the forum. May take weeks before I come up with one.

Another complicating factor is that I want to change the all white background color a bit . . . and that does take 2500 points. May wait on that until I have 57500 points as I'm resistent to going below 55,000 points. Silly me.

Will get back to analyze your new avatar IN SEQUENCE. LOL.

Sorry. but that's the most fair thing to do.

Blessings,

Assuming that my avatar is either dark, or foreboding...... I'd like to point out that it's me singing with a friends band on the first anniversary of my fiancee's death. Sorry. I'm now married to a wonderful woman and will change it when i see fit.

It's because
A. they want to feel important
B. they want you to fear them
C. shock value
and
D. Because they can

I was going to use a Red Wings logo, but then I'd look like I'm bragging. So I decided to use an upside-down cross instead. Because I'm anti-religion but at least there I'm the underdog. When I found one with a pentagram attached I thought, "Even better!"

Mine is very simplistic, but makes the point I wish it to, without being overbearing. I see my avatar as my billboard to convey my main reasons to be a member of this forum.

Semper :

When one discusses such subjects as the Chupacabra, Marauding Aliens and Government cover-ups, one may expect to encounter the "darker" side of our perceived persona's…

Right on Brother! Well said…..and thanks again for the avatar!! And if anyone does not like it….I will smack them with this here spear…bam….seriously, I am sure that there is some amazing anthropological studies going on. studying the social implications of this trend. The trick, it seems to me, is to get the funding to conduct the study.

BO XIAN
This is absolutely not new…from the gods and evil demon icons on the walls of the tombs of pharos, to the comic book heroes like Batman, Wonder woman or Unicorns, and all manner of fantasy persona. People have always aligned themselves to some kind of fantasy character that somehow relates to the particular situation or mood. It is, in fact
How they came to be.

It might just be the areas of ATS/BTS that you frequent. An overall statistical study of this forum would show, in MY opinion that a more general consensus of non-foreboding avatars would prevail. Remember, it is only based on YOUR perspective of dark foreboding and discomfort. Mine or other’s perspective would differ greatly.

I'd guesstimate that 65-75 or even 85% of the avatars fall with the above descriptions though I haven't done any statistical analysis.

My perspective would possibly put that at 4-5% you see; it is truly a matter of personal perception. And if you would like to tag a standard of social acceptance as your benchmark of “dark”, “bizarre” or “evil looking “, What global societal norm would you use to filter or judge them? The “Civilized World”? You see, That Framework Wont fit my perspective. From My Perspective, the “civilized world” dose not yet exist!


Don’t stare at that inkblot too long……..you’ll see something that you might not have wanted to!

Peace

What an excellent contribution to our thread.

Thanks.

Originally posted by pieman
ascetically, images look better in darker shades, the lower the ambient light level the better and more defined the parts of the image appear.

NO doubt. However, the DEGREE of darkness and the percentage of the image that is absolute darkness so common hereon is quite beyond that phenomenon you describe, imho.

And the WHYS of THAT are fascinating to me.

also, highlights can draw the eye to particular message conveying elements. for instance you will notice how eyes and lips tend to be rendered in brighter tones. also it blends well with the dark ATS background.

That similarity vis a vis the ATS background really put me off for quite a long time.

But, yeah, certainly highlights on an otherwise dark image can sure carry lots of effective quickly registered info.

on a more psychological note, mainstream culture at the moment is pretty light and plastic fantastic, generally speaking. it's all celebrity air brushed money chasing image based consumerism,

I think that's true in selected areas.

On the whole, I believe the puppet master controlled media and Hollyweed have been pumping out dark, foreboding, fear drenched, frightful, horrific programs, themes, memes, indoctrination, propaganda 24/7 across the whole spectrum of modern life for decades--with increasing awfulness.

My hypotheses about that are . . .

1. it serves the dark lord's nature and agenda in a variety of ways.
2. Winding people up in dark, horrific emotional ways helps keep them distracted all the more effectively from the real darkness going on under the table toward establishing the global tyranny.

3. Setting people up to be frayed and fraying them as much as possible around the edges with heightened anxieties off the scale helps reduce the population through anxiet related diseases. It also helps weed out those the globalist controllers view as weaker and more in the category of "useless eaters."

4. If the global culture has been so drenched with dark, foreboding, evil memes for decades . . . what happens when the worst such PLUS WORSE than has been imagined REALLY BEGINS TO FALL OUT OF--welll--literally the sky; out of the woodwork; from the 'government' . . . from ET's . . . relentlessly . . . ?????

5. THEN the masses of conditioned global citizens will likely in greater droves find their hearts failing them for fear . . . again helping with population reduction as well as getting the 'weaker' sorts out of the way and out of the 'gene pool' in the globalists' eugenics minded tyranny.

6. And the sizeable numbers of folks wound up and set alight toward going berzerk will make identifying the troublemakers also easier.

7. I THINK the Hollyweed, MSM superficiality plastic lipstick sleaze etc. is soooooooooooooooooooooooo shallow and phony as to foster an almost automatic revulsion, aversion . . . and, sadly, when the phony is so 24/7 on so much of the media . . . making Disney look like DEPTH . . . the rush to something frightful and intensely darkly evil becomes all the more automatic, reflexive, easier.

8. THEN--AUTHENTICLALLY FEELING ANYTHING REMOTELY REAL becomes a relief even if it's masochistic, sadistic or satanic evil. NONexistence and numbness is one of the most frightful things.

the counter culture, which is ats' natural demographic, is naturally going to tend towards darker stuff to identify themselves as seperate from it.

I agree. I think that's a BIG factor.

soon enough the main stream will swing towards the dark stuff, (at the moment it's being used commercially, so it won't be long) and the counter culture will go neon. give it six months and ats will look tie dyed. it's just a normal, reactionary, pop culture cycle.

Plenty of truth to that. But I think the darkness has a lot longer to pervade everything and that ultimately, it won't end until Armageddon. The dark lord will be worshipped as god as he will demand--for a very brief period--until he's resoundingly defeated and locked away for the thousand years.

Until then, I think the dark themes will increasingly pervade everything. There is to be a brief period of peace--evidently as long as 3.5 years . . . there may be an effort on his part during that time to put a brighter face on things. We shall see.

===================

To your avatar . . . very interesting avatar. What a paradox.

The motifs and setting but with SPINACH! LOL.

Certainly the colors are bright and fun. The images friendly. But the suggestion of smoking something is fairly brazen.

Feelings evoked:

--fun
--interest
--curiosity
--puzzled.

Questions:

1. What are your first 3 thoughts on finding this avatar?
2. What 2 things do you most hope viewers respond with?

3. What parts of the image do you most identify with and why?

Thanks much for your fine contribution to our thread.

Originally posted by ListenD
Why dark?

Well because:

LOL.

Of course.

Now . . .

1. WHY does Dark matter? And what defines dark for you? And what's the criteria for mattering?

2. What do you most like about dark things?

3. What concerns you most about dark things?

4. Has anything dark ever alarmed you? If so, what, in what context?

To your avatar . . . which, I think, is a new one from the last time I scanned your post . . .

The colors are pleasant enough . . . though there's plenty of black background.

The image is a bit disquieting in that it evokes thoughts of ET test-tube babies housed on big motherships . . . against mothers' wills and possibly against humans' interest.

The mechanization and the warm skin-tonned child is a bit of a startling juxtaposition--as likely you intended or wanted.

The child's foot up is a bit . . . something . . . what's it up for . . . discomfort, twitching, dreaming . . . odd.

The antenna on the helmet in the foreground . . . kind of a pointed emphasis on cold detached handling of a very warm, human individual. A harsh juxtaposition.

FEELINGS EVOKED:

--curiosity
--Wow
--startled
--Ewwwww. wouldn't want to be that child
--aghast . . . what a pickle for a child to be in.
--concerned, alarmed for the child.
--Wariness about what the image may imply vis a vis our era and culture.

==============

QUESTIONS:

1. What 3 things most drew you to the image?
2. What do you identify most with in it?

3. What do you most want viewers to respond with?
4. What are your fantasies about the child?

5. What are your fantasies about the context?

Thanks much for your contribution to our thread.

For more info... click the link in my signature: ...but Sri, why the evil avatar?

-Sri Oracle

I encourage folks to read your own narrative about your avatar and situation:

www.belowtopsecret.com...

WHAM! OUCH! WOW.

HEAVY DUTY TO THE MAX.

I feel a bit speachless.

As I try to imagine being in your skin and place . . . the very dark heavy dull thud is overhwelming.

From my values, perspective, reference point . . . only God could guide out of that confluence of impossible things to manage.

The odds likely are that older folks living a reasonably short number of years there could come away relatively unscathed. IIRC. If I Recall Correctly.

I wonder if it would be workable to offer one or more for half-way houses for homeless with a responsible family managing such in each one--their rent being the cost of their utilities and maybe taxes on the place; maybe part of the bank payment or all of it and a bit for handling.

I wonder if it would be possible to interest some city survivor types to warehouse staples there with a trustworthy one living there or rotating as watchmen or some such.

I wonder if any would be suitable for hydroponic tomatoes under growlights.

Sure a challenge to brainstorm solutions on.

====================

Back to the task before me . . .

I don't see any merit in my comments adding a lot to your about your own avatar--great commentary.

Certainly the avatar describes emphatically well the reality you are in/construe yourself to be in.

FEELINGS EVOKED:

--puzzlement
--disgust
--outrage
--concern
--angst
--potential for anger
--alarm

=================

QUESTIONS:

1. If you could express your trapped outrage most powerfully and hopefully with some effectiveness . . . who would the top 3 targets be?

2. If you could be extricated from the mess with enough funds to do something meaningful for a new start with . . . what would a new start be that was most attractive to your 4 highest priorities?

3. Who do you consider your allies (roles--not names)?
4. Who do you consider your deadly enemies (roles, not names)?

5. If you could have a year to recover, where would that be and what would it look like?

Thanks tons and tons for your very meaningful contribution to our thread.

May God lead you out of all the angst and doublebound dreadfulness.

May you have hope and fulfilling times with those you love.

Originally posted by adrenochrome
Fear & Loathing!!! Hunter S. Thompson lives on!!

Hmmmmmmmmmmm OK.

I have no idea who Hunter S Thompson is.

Fear of what?

Loathing of what?

"government, economics and religion should be abolished?"

Replaced by what?

There's SOME need for SOME organization around groups, within groups, between groups . . . else a lot of suffering needlessly occurs. In part, a lot of waste occurs reinventing the wheel constantly.

What would replace economics?

We seem to be designed NEEDING to worship someOne, something. There is no culture anywhere without it. There appear to be no individuals anywhere without such demonstrated.

Even the atheist worships scientism.

=====================

To your avatar . . .

Not overwhelmingly dark. Not very light.

Colors not particularly communicative except maybe the warm flesh tone and somewhat the darkness.

Man looks quite startled--a bit . . . 'in your face--up . . . 's' sort of expression . . .

FEELINGS EVOKED:

--curiosity
--puzzlement
--sooooo????
--Therefore what????
--Hmmmmmm

=============

QUESTIONS:

1. what do you most like about the avatar?
2. What do you most identify with in it?

3. What did you tell yourself when you first saw it posted?
4. What do you hope those viewing will respond with in their thoughts?

5. If that's you, How long have ciggies controlled you?
6. What do you wish the avatar had more of?

Thanks for your contribution to our thread.

Cheers.

Originally posted by RubyGloom
en.wikipedia.org...

Wow.

I think the wiki link is quite informative.

Thanks.

What a paradox . . . a chronically 12 year old girl and tons of gloom.

Great for highlighting things.

To your avatar . . .

Black and white are not my favorites . . . given the background presented on Wiki . . . the avatar captures such motifs rather well.

The "Ruby Gloom" in red squiggles at the top is barely readable.

Feelings evoked:

--puzzlement
--wariness
--aversion re the black and white and skulls
--curosity . . .

Given the Wiki writeup . . .

a persistently chronically cheery person could readily be in short supply almost anywhere in our era.

the capacity to turn any lemon into lemonade is a wonderful skill and focus.

=========

Questions . . .

1. How old were you when you came on this character and story?
2. What influence has it had on your life?

3. Have you become more optimistic and positive? How much more?

4. What did you expect viewers would respond with on first seeing your avatar without any awareness of the Ruby character?

5. Are there gloomy, black aspects to your life which are troublesome to handle?

6. How quickly have you bounced back as an overcomer when life has handed you a devastating blow?

7. What have you learned from your efforts to be optimistic and positive?

Thanks much for a very insightful contribution to our thread.

Originally posted by BO XIAN

VERY WELL DONE. Very POWERFUL. Doesn't necessarily look mean nor even unnecessarily gratuitiously violent--oddly. JUST POWERFUL. No nonsense.

Well put, Thank you.

I suppose the red flame effect in the background could give an impression of violence prone . . . but mostly, I interpret it as "Attack me; do the wrong, violent thing in my sphere, against my family or responsibility--and you're toast." Which fits my values fine.

I couldn't have put it better myself! There was a lot of violence in my youth due in fact that i was a "white boy" living in a all black neighborhood. I was taught to never take crap from anyone and I didnt. Funny thing is after quite a few violent encounters I became very well respected in that neighborhood. Which made it much easier to live there.

My family comes before all else! I will defend them with deadly force if the need arose.

Don't know anything about it but it sounds like a rather bloody game! Life has enough blood, to me, without choosing games with it!

I use these types of games as a release if you will. When I've had a bad day, i find it much better to take it out on some kid on the other side of the globe via a virtual conflict. (online Multi-player) Then take it out on my family or the people I love. Besides it can be very gratifying to be an old man and "own" some kid who thinks he's slick. They are not all blood and guts, some require quick thinking and a lot of strategy. Which I think keeps my skills finely honed if for some reason I ever need them in the real world. You never know these days...

Good for you. Though the puppet masters seem quite prepared to do that.

Thanks! 2 Words..... Bring it!

Not in my scheme of things. Except for the globalists determination to take it to ultimate darkness as soon as they can manage it. And that's more darkness than I even prefer to contemplate.

Without being to obsessed with it, I feel we also should be prepared for what this gov/vistors have in store for us.

1. Were your parents as gun oriented?

Yes, my father was awarded the silver star via the Vietnam War. He bought me my first gun when I was six. He showed me the do's and dont's of handling them. I was taught to hunt at a very young age. Also that I should never shot anything unless I'm going to eat it or as a last resort of self defense.

2. When did this focus awaken in you? In response to what?

In response to the very violent streets of New Orleans. Where I was raised after my parents were divorced.

3. What do you do with the verse about "Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword." ??

I'd rather go in a hail of bullets then cowering in some corner. So if that's how I gotta go, then so be it. I will add that I have never had to use one on another human and I hope it stays that way. I don't care what laws our police state gov passes. I will not give them up. I may have to bury them in the woods. But they will not get them!

4. Do you have children? What ages? Are you training them well, I hope?

Yes, 3. Ages 7,5 and 7 months. I have not, as i think it is to soon for them. We're moving to a rural area soon where it is legal to shot on our property. I will pass down all that I know to them, once we move.

impressed; admiration for the polished well designed image; Hopefulness that you are really--at least on such scores--prepared for what's coming down the pike; A bit of curiosity about the origins of the focus--maybe some slight concern. Confidence that you'd be great on a team protecting a group of people. Hope that you are as passionate about loving as you are protecting those you love.

Thanks! As much as the anti-gun sheep despise guns, If we go to war against our gov, they will be glad to have folks like me on their side. IMHO

I show my family love every chance I get. Daily...

reply to post by BO XIAN

Ran out of characters....lol


Thanks for your very "thoughtful" reply.

Great Thread,

Stared!!!!!

I guess mine is dark and foreboding.... I should change it soon, I just thought it looked kind of different.... plus it goes along with my mood.. bleh.

[edit on 7/16/2008 by porky1981]

reply to post by john-Q


QUICK END-OF-THREAD RESPONSE:

LOVE YOUR KIND REPLIES. EXCELLENT RESPONSES.

SOOOOO BLESSED to get to know you better.

I pray you all get to the rural area ASAP.

May God bless all your efforts, prep, with abundant provision; wholeness, joy, peace, clear guidance and all the intimacy and togetherness you each can stand.

I may well have other comments when I return in sequence to your excellent post.

Thanks for a great contribution to the thread.

reply to post by porky1981


Quick end of thread scan response . . .

Then I pray somehow that you have a better mood ASAP. Don't think I'd like to try sleeping with THAT sort of mood! LOL.

If you need a sounding board, feel free to U2U me.

And, may you learn whatever you're learning the first time around the mountain.

Cheers.