As a vanity plate, it's trite; on that particular plate, it's disturbing and subversive.
I laughed and laughed.
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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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« Student bloggers: want money? | Main | Lucy is going on tour »
Context matters
Category: Weirdness
Posted on: October 26, 2006 2:36 PM, by PZ Myers
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TrackBack URL for this entry: http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/24431
Comments
Posted by: Warren | October 26, 2006 2:46 PM
Innit great? "Kids first" ... and bloody little handprints...
Posted by: rqz | October 26, 2006 3:05 PM
best. license plate. ever.
Posted by: DouglasG | October 26, 2006 3:12 PM
Oh! those elder gods driving around with expired plates! I wonder what kind of car it is on. For some reason I'm thinking a 1987 Chrysler K Car...
Posted by: Charles Darwin | October 26, 2006 3:13 PM
Ok, someone explain it please.
Posted by: melior | October 26, 2006 3:17 PM
The Great Gazoogle knows.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=cthulhu.
Posted by: El Christador | October 26, 2006 3:18 PM
As per an above request, here's an explanation:
Wikipedia on Cthulhu.
And you'll note that spelling isn't essential so omission of the first u is just fine.
Posted by: J-Dog | October 26, 2006 3:19 PM
Google it...Even GW can google....
Posted by: wintermute | October 26, 2006 3:21 PM
Bah. The Ohio equivilents are "Choose Life" oe "Celebrate Kids", neither of which would work. And lacking the bloodied handprints...
Ah, well.
Posted by: Guenter | October 26, 2006 3:26 PM
You're not alone wintermute, the Wisconsin equivalent is also "Celebrate Kids." I'd get the "endangered species" plate, but I doubt that they'd let me get a picture of Cthulu instead of a wolf...
Posted by: AJ Milne | October 26, 2006 3:35 PM
Ok, someone explain it please.
See also 'Who will be eaten first?' from the Cthulu 'Chick Tract', at http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=135 . Quoting:
"You're right George... It's hopeless. But there's one thing we can hope for.... To be eaten first!"
Posted by: Kristine | October 26, 2006 3:38 PM
Virginia's state motto is Sic Semper Tyrannis, but I never thought of it in terms of children before!
Posted by: wintermute | October 26, 2006 4:20 PM
Guenter:
You could always mask out the "ed" in "endangered". I'm sure there's something there you could make a joke out of.
Posted by: justawriter | October 26, 2006 5:28 PM
OT, but I just had to point out that this article contains a great quote:
Posted by: llewelly | October 26, 2006 5:41 PM
Those of you lauding this plate need to ask yourselves a simple question: Would Jesus Drive a Car With A Vanity Plate Like That?
Posted by: PK | October 26, 2006 6:05 PM
Would Jesus Drive a Car With A Vanity Plate Like That?
Jesus would take public transit.
Posted by: Dan | October 26, 2006 7:10 PM
I think Jesus would appreciate the irony, actually.
Posted by: ronbailey | October 26, 2006 7:53 PM
I nearly fell out of my chair...
Posted by: ZorkFox | October 26, 2006 9:14 PM
Wintermute:
Most states have laws against modifying license plates. Not, of course, that it stops people from doing so. Police officers, of course, pull me over when my tabs are one day past expiration, while I see other motorists sailing past me, speeding, with tabs three years old. That's irony for you. :P
Posted by: JohnnieCanuck | October 26, 2006 11:37 PM
The picture was taken in Feb, 2005 and the submitter writes that it was on a jeep.
The slogans on plates fashion hasn't reached this far North yet, so I couldn't even try to get one. I'm guessing the owner was inspired after seeing another 'kids first' plate. Twould be strange indeed if s/he wasn't at first aware of the combination.
Posted by: Rey Fox | October 27, 2006 12:54 AM
Jesus would walk.
With a Cthulu license plate hanging over his butt.
Posted by: llewelly | October 27, 2006 1:36 AM
I guess if you've sold your clothes to buy a sword, you've still got to cover your ass with something ...
Posted by: Thursday | October 27, 2006 3:53 AM
I suppose "Nayarlathotep, the Goat With A Thousand Young" was a little too difficult to contract into six letters...
Posted by: MJ Memphis | October 27, 2006 8:16 AM
I think Nyarlathotep is the Crawling Chaos, and Shub-Niggurath is the Goat with a Thousand Young. Still not good vanity plate material.
Now, "DAGON" would fit nicely, and would be very appropriate for anyone in a coastal community.
Posted by: kmiers | October 27, 2006 10:37 AM
Hello Cthulu....
http://www.hello-cthulhu.com/?date=2003-11-30
Posted by: Hank Roberts | October 27, 2006 12:38 PM
In other news, the Intelligent Designer has taken a job as a NASA press release writer:
NASA Science News for October 26, 2006
A satellite orbiting Earth is learning to think for itself. This artificial intelligence offers a powerful new way to study Earth, and it may prove useful on other planets, too.
FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/26oct_sensorweb.htm?list15225
Posted by: pluky | October 27, 2006 1:59 PM
Let's not forget Moloch.
Posted by: Kristine | October 27, 2006 6:24 PM
It has begun!
Posted by: Arei | October 30, 2006 10:52 PM
The plate is on a 2002 Jeep Wrangler and, as the owner of this plate, I can assure you that the "Kids First" was very intentional. In fact, earlier version of the plate are on the "Animal Friendly" style plate that Virgina offers, but when I saw I could put it on "Kids First" I knew that delicious halarity would ensue (for like 4 people in the state of virginia).
Glad y'all enjoyed it!
Posted by: AE | July 2, 2007 5:50 PM
I thought it was reasonably well known that Jesus drove a Honda, but didn't like to talk about it. His followers seemed to have one as well, but must have been a tight fit because they all squeezed into the one car.
"For I did not speak of my own Accord..." - John 12:49
"The Apostles were in one Accord." - Acts 5:12
Posted by: danny | July 2, 2007 9:39 PM
it should say "eat the"
Posted by: Dhalia | July 2, 2007 11:42 PM
the fact that it's a virginia plate is the best part
http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/97/Jan/cthulhu.html
Posted by: DuWayne | July 3, 2007 2:01 AM
AJ Milne -
Thanks for the link, that was at least as amusing as PZ's post.
Posted by: Anony | July 3, 2007 8:16 AM
Arei,
OH MY GOD I saw this one on the toll road last weekish -- do you live in upstate?!
Ctu
Posted by: fetch | November 15, 2007 12:14 PM
AE: Sadly, apart from the total lack of historical context, this is pretty solid Biblical interpretation in the literalist vein.