Best Post of the Week

[Bêthberry]

Yes, yes, we have the reputations system, but we cannot see all the highly rated posts there, only the tallies, unless Barrow Wight does his magic again.

Therefore, let us here make nominations for the laurel wreath. And make good our reasons.

To start things off, I hereby nominate Kransha's post #30 on the Why There were no women in the fellowship thread in Mirth.

Firstly, the modesty with which Mr. Kransha begins his address. A true gentleman, his tongue never drools but is kept firmly in his cheek. Second, the dexterity with which he addresses issues of philological import. Mr. Kransha's overarching metaphorical grasp of golden and star takes my breath away. Third, his grasp of early mythological texts which allows him to boldly make interpretations where others have not gone before. We all knew about the derivation of 'Gandalf' but who had the patience, perception, and downright prescience to seek out Gimli? Fourth, Mr. Kransha's very clever re-visioning of the very stale Legolas-Gimli question should put to rest henceforth any questionable aspertions about those who only serve. 'Nuff said here.

Fellow Downers, I ask you: Can Mirth get any better than this?

[Imladris]

No. That is Mirth at its best. A perfect example of humour. *claps hands*

*mutters under breath* Intelligence I tell you...pure intelligence.

[Bêthberry]

Right. I forgot reason the fifth: it's darn funny.

[Encaitare]

Ah, yes, I just read that one. Delightful; it gave me many a chuckle. Note to Kransha: I wanted to add to your reputation for it, but apparently I gave recently and can't again for awhile... oh well, I suppose it's the thought that counts.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Bêthberry, what a wonderful thread idea! I'd have seconded your nomination for Kransha's great post if I hadn't read The Saucepan Man's post on the 'Reunification of the Entish Bow' RPG first. As it is, I must cast my vote for that one. My reason(s):

This is parody at its very best! The names are hilarious, the characters well-drawn, their dialogues side-splitting, the ideas sparkle with wit (Aerophaunts!!), the clever inclusions of movie allusions and non-LotR references, the descriptive writing, especially at the beginning, commented by the sentence:

One thing that could be said about the weather of Muddled-Mirth was that it had a profound sense of occasion.

And all of that so well-written that the only complaint could be the one Tolkien heard about his book - it wasn't long enough!

I could quote the whole thing, but go ahead and read it yourself!!

[Bêthberry]

Estelyn, a superb nomination and one which I'm sure makes SaucepanMan feel better about how Kransha upstaged him on the Why are there no women in the Fellowship thread.

I am in a quandry here, as I have found another post which I think stands head and shoulders above the rest--and this isn't a quick shampoo job to get rid of the flakes.

Am I allowed two nominations in one week? Can I say this is a tie? Yes, I believe I can.

Therefore, let me call upon kudos for Imladris' Post #1 on her thread The Capturing of Myth in the Movies forum.

Movie threads are rarely as well argued and well-thought out as Imladris' thread here. Often, they depend upon a simple statement of "well I liked" or "this is just my opinion" rather than a reasoned argument. (Not to be 'holier than thou' here, I've been guilty of this simplistic response myself.)

Imladris provides a clear sense of what she means by myth (well, okay, she cribbed it from Lewis, but she acknowledges that *insert winking smilie here as I might have used up my limit*) and by Peter Jackson's treatment of myth. She provides examples which demonstrate her point.

More importantly, I think she also gets us thinking about what a mythological impulse is. We all tend, I think, to refer off hand to Tolkien's mythology or Legendarium but we don't often ask just what it is that makes Tolkien's fantasy a mythology.

Definitely worth a read and very deserving of thoughtful replies!

[Tulkas the Mighty]

Sorry. i had thought I linked Lindolirian's post . That should work now. Fordim's was also funny.. Poor guy.

[Bêthberry]

Now why does Lindolirian's post make me think of Frodo sneaking mushrooms from Farmer Maggott's field? " Linfrodolirian"

This was, it seems to me, a very busy week on the forum. I haven't kept up with everything--which is a shame as I am sure there are other meritorious posts out there which deserve recognition-- but for now here are several posts which brought more than a wee chuckle to me this week.


Kransha's Hobbit Hooplah contains too many gems to quote here. Who could keep a straight face over the "legendary, elusive and often hunted homo legolasus" or Napoleon Bonaparte as the only French hobbit? It's as good on subsequent reads as on the first. We'll take your two kopecks' worth any week, Kransha.

Then there is Saucey's Lament for Celeborn . I'm sure that these pictures were indeed worth a thousand words and did more for Sauce's argument than any post on the Chapter by Chapter thread could have.

Deserving honourable mention for its proof that a good post need not imitate those of the Canonicity thread or Kalessin's rant is Rimbaud's one sentence reply on the "ONLY the Silmarillion" thread. It almost makes one wish burrahobbit would return also. Nice to have you back, Rim.

There were a great number of worthy posts on the Chapter by Chapter thread this week--Chapter 7, Galadriel's chapter, Book 2. An old nugget, Kalessin's Rant, proved that mining old threads can still bring forth treasures. And our hobbit discovery threads, from Child's serious thread to Lalwendë's mirth thread, were as good as a tankard or two.

I know I've missed threads and posts. Can anyone else suggest other posts they wish to single out for particular merit?

[HerenIstarion]

I second legendary, elusive and often hunted homo legolasus . 'To do' list activated.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

I have a new nomination for post of the week - it's appropriate for the season, on-topic for LotR, and very funny besides! To top it off, it's the first post by a new member - what a way to start with a bang! Thanks, Kima Pesan, for Middle Earth Christmas Carols!

[mark12_30]

Unbelievable.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I would like to nominate Inktomi Slurp Spider's first post for not only being an enigma in itself, as well as hilarious, but for encouraging a highly on-topic and uh... somewhat in depth... discussion.

[Lhunardawen]

mark 12_30 with post #32 of Death of Crystal Heart thread by Child of Seventh Age

Oops. I knew I should have done something else aside from repping it. Thanks, HI.

[Bêthberry]

Wonderful to see people contributing here, and learning the various ideas and styles each of us appreciates! Helen's post is poignant and Inktomi Slurp Spider is certainly generating curiosity, but I would like to recommend a post here from someone who is long overdue for acknowledgement of fantastic contributions to the Downs.

Behind this post lie many others, week by week, which direct and inspire a very long-term discussion. Each of them could easily be nominated here, but since I'm back this week with my new computer, I have chosen to draw your attention to Estelyn Telcontar's initial post in the Chapter by Chapter thread "Book 3, chapter 11, The Palantir."

What I like in particular about this post is that is raises questions for us to answer about Pippin and provides some context for the use of the poem in this chapter. We seem quickly in the Chapter by Chapter discussion to jump ahead with ideas and connections and less interested in tying in the current thread with what has gone before. Not something wrong by any means, but it is good to have the eagle eye of the Ghosted Princess keeping track of when things were last brought into the story.

Kudos, Estelyn!

[Nimrodel_9]

Can we nominate a whole thread? Me thinks the Death of Crystal Heart thread would win.

I nominate burrahobbit's post in the Death of Crystal Heart thread. http://69.51.5.41/showpost.php?p=377446&postcount=25

It is rather short, but it was so sudden (and shocking) that I later found it hilarious.

[Bêthberry]

My dear Nimrodel_9, there is indeed a thread to celebrate Best Thread of the Month.

However, one essential criteria is that the thread starter manage it successfully. I wonder if that has happened with The Fate of Crystal Heart thread.

Brevity, thy name is wit, or burra. He rocks, often. And I love him. But Esty still deserves considerable commendation for her work here. Sometimes the size (of a contribution) does matter.