little, yellow, different

Apparently, Yahoo! would like you to be more effusive in your online interaction:

These emoticons are actually super-secret bonus emoticons - just in case you weren't able to express a suitably wide range of emotions with the fifty-odd emoticons that are already available to the Yahoo! chat community. You know, for all of those times when nothing really says "I'm sorry" like an animated chicken.

Now, I realize that it is VERY EXCITING to be able to insert moving pictures into our chat windows, but please: don't. It's bad enough that we have, like, as a culture decided that we can justify any asshole comment we want by following it up with a semi-colon and a parenthesis, but if I start seeing yin yangs in work emails, I'm going to have to pull a Dark Phoenix and just, really, obliterate the planet.

Here's an idea: use WORDS. After all, we've spent enough time coming up with them. And, hey, who knows, you might even like them.

However, on the plus side, this does mean that I'll finally be able to finish my chat-based adaptations of great literary and cinematic moments.

Like Hamlet's soliloquy.

Hamlet: thinking confusedsighskull

Or Marlon Brando's speech in On the Waterfront.

Charlie: straight face
Terry: liar
Charlie: batting eyelashes
Terry: shame on you

Or the final, explosive confrontation in Brokeback Mountain.

Ennis: at wits' end - New!
Jack: not talking
Ennis: waiting
Jack: phbbbbt
Ennis: not listening - New!
Jack: frustrated
Ennis: broken heart
Jack: crying
Ennis: cowboy
Jack: pumpkin
Ennis: flag

7 comments:

Leigh said...

That was brilliant.

Dave Lucas said...

Cool! I've linked to you from my blog! ;)

Elizabeth said...

I'm pretty sure that my friends are too scared of me not to pretend that they like my ramblings - as you have no reason to be scared, I appreciate the sentiment that much more. Thanks for reading!

Leigh said...

Hey! I resent that. I really do like your stuff.


{looks around for stealth knee-capper}

ellen said...

SERIOUSLY. If I could, I would reach through my computer and smack you on the head.

MertMengelmier said...

Really like it - can you do the James Vanderbeek fight in Varsity Blues? Are there enough emoticons to encapsulate the profound acting talent?

Elizabeth said...

Sadly, I don't think there's an emoticon on earth that could possibly communicate the profound and powerful angst implicit in the words "I don't want your life."

If there were, though, I would totally use it all the time.