site banner
PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   1600 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for February 20, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

1
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Why do Zoomer YouTubers holding their tiny mics in front of their faces and talking into them without inflection annoy me so much?

It's a rebuke of the hyper-polished style of Youtubing that made so many millennial youtube millionaires: super expensive radio-quality mic and and a ring light at the perfect most flattering angle.

It's been exchanged for the "schizo rambling in his bedroom" style which at least has the veneer of more authenticity, even if there's layers of irony the audience has to tolerate. Not to mention it might genuinely be a cheaper production.

super expensive radio-quality mic

Ah, the cliche Shure SM7B, used mostly by people who have no idea why you'd choose it and who don't even know how to use it. Aka the less colored more upscale version of the uniquituous SM58. Although at 400e it's hardly "super expensive" considering there are plenty of fairly run of the mill microphones that cost 1000e or more. Still, you can easily get that same "sound" from any number of cheap 100-200e cardioid electret mics (or even the cheap SM57 and a bit of EQ). All without looking like a goddamn idiot.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats