673

I know, I know: "grotesque"

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[-] ivanafterall@kbin.social 56 points 7 months ago

It's why things have taken a downward turn. We need to get gargoyles back onto our schools again.

[-] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 23 points 7 months ago

That's a solid platform if you decide to run for office.

[-] SturgiesYrFase@lemmy.ml 25 points 7 months ago

I'm a Stonemason, the actual issue, beyond modern architecture not taking weather into proper regard(I.e. shedding rain as a part of design) and more of minimalist bent to modern buildings, is the lack of skilled stone cutters. It's a dying trade, and at least where I am (Scotland) schools keep closing down as there's not enough students to keep the schools open.

The platform to run on would be to support and encourage trades and keeping the old knowledge alive.

[-] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 12 points 7 months ago

It's just another trade being eliminated by cheap manufacturing. Anyone with a 3D printer could download a gargoyle design, create an injection mold, and fill it with a fiber-plastic that resembles stone at a distance. While it requires talent and investment upfront, you could manufacture thousands of gargoyles in the time it takes a stonemason to make one by hand. It could be lighter, more detailed, and cheaper. And if you were to create market demand, you'll find 100 knockoff manufacturers coming out of countries without labor laws or IP protections.

[-] SturgiesYrFase@lemmy.ml 8 points 7 months ago

Those cheap ones are available in cementious materials, they'd be fine for new build stuff, but that wouldn't fly with historic buildings, where it's often government mandate that things are replaced like for like. I work in conservation, and when we pull a stone, the replacement is often sourced from the same quarry (if possible the same vein) as the original. Mortar matching is also a thing, where a sample is sent into the lab, and the exact same mixture is used, right down to the bits of shell from the same beach if possible.
Also those cheap ones really don't have the lasting power of actual stone.

[-] IMongoose@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago

When you put it that way, I might have to start installing gargoyles on buildings myself.

[-] someguy3@lemmy.ca 2 points 7 months ago

Imho, do it. We need a little more decorative element in our buildings. Brutalism is not good.

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[-] Lemminary@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago

No gargoyle left behind!

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

And crown moldings. There's a direct correlation between the decline of crown molding, and the decline of society.

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[-] someguy3@lemmy.ca 29 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Fun fact: They are called gargoyles because they gargle water out of their mouths.

[-] macrocarpa@lemmy.world 23 points 7 months ago

Yes! The etymology for both words is the French word gargouille, meaning throat. Gargouiller in frrench means gargle as we know it in English, and a gargoyle has a spout where rain water exits it's mouth when it's raining (via its throat)

From memory if it doesn't spout water it's called a grotesque.

[-] samus12345@lemmy.world 7 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Should have been Disney Grotesques!

[-] Crashumbc@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

Wow that show brings back memories.

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 3 points 7 months ago

I dont know. They can almost certainly spit water out of their mouths.

[-] ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 4 points 7 months ago

I have spent way too much time on the internet. My mind went somewhere very naughty halfway through that sentence.

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 2 points 7 months ago

I almost posted something much worse, but decided to go with what I sent instead. You aren't alone.

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[-] Patches@sh.itjust.works 2 points 7 months ago

Grotesques!

Goliath will remember this

[-] samus12345@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

He'll wax philosophical about how humans used such a negative term to describe something they don't understand.

[-] Patches@sh.itjust.works 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

The best part about that show is that most of the Voice Actors were almost all from Star Trek TNG.

I'm sure there's a fan theory out there that it's all a single Holo Deck TTRPG.

[-] Bartsbigbugbag@lemmy.ml 12 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

That is cool! I saw some gargoyles in China and they were so cool! I just called them dragon gutter spouts because I didn’t know this. Actually, I took some pictures, might as well share one.
Thanks for dropping some knowledge!

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[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 6 points 7 months ago

Then why aren't they called Gargwaters? Shouldn't they gargle oil? 🤔

[-] someguy3@lemmy.ca 3 points 7 months ago

gargoyles, a name that came to Middle English from the Old French word gargoule. The stone beasts likely earned that name because of the water that gargled out of their throats and mouths; the word gargoule is imitative in origin.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gargoyle

[-] undergroundoverground@lemmy.world 22 points 7 months ago

The evil spirits won. They're not exactly going to ward off themselves now.

[-] ours@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

Nah, with modern glass buildings the spirits smack into the windows and break their necks.

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[-] TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world 21 points 7 months ago
[-] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 17 points 7 months ago

The 90s rocked. The 90s had Gargoyles.

The math speaks for itself.

[-] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

Fat gargoyle, animal gargoyle, trog gargoyle, impossibly buff gargoyle, old gargoyle, neanderthal gargoyle... sexy lady with wings.

[-] lwhjp@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 7 months ago

In case anybody hasn't seen it, the relevant Oglaf (NSFW)

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[-] something_random_tho@lemmy.world 20 points 7 months ago

Fun fact time. They're basically water drainage pipes, but fancy. They're named gargoyles because it sounds like they're gargling when water comes out of them.

[-] Couldbealeotard@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

I think it's actually because the root word for gargoyle (and gargle) translates literally to "throat".

They are essentially a decorative throat.

[-] Lemminary@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago

It's true. In my country, we have like 3 gargoyles and we can barely function. We have one as our moral compass, another as a weather forecaster, and the last one as a spooky Halloween decoration. We're lucky we know the day of the week as it is.

[-] Pencilnoob@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago

This is quite accurate

[-] Dasus@lemmy.world 8 points 7 months ago

Upvote for "grotesque"

[-] Simon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Well, somewhat the opposite since the use of gargoyles was rooted in fear and superstition and later tradition. As the levels of fear and superstition in society decrease, so too does the use of gargoyles.

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[-] kratoz29@lemm.ee 7 points 7 months ago

I call this a conspiracy of the thugs for avoiding Batman messing around their plans!

[-] redcalcium@lemmy.institute 4 points 7 months ago

Back then rich people don't know what to do with their money, so they spent it on fancy scuppers. Now we have many other avenues to waste money instead, like the stock market.

[-] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

They also had the stock market. That's not an excuse. Today's assholes are just worse than yesterday's assholes. It's the only explanation.

[-] melpomenesclevage@lemm.ee 2 points 7 months ago

Dude, 3d printers tho. Poor people could be making ornament.

[-] HonorableScythe@lemm.ee 4 points 7 months ago

Unless you're in the World of Darkness, in which case the gargoyle index is a measure of Tremere tomfoolery

[-] Maalus@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

WE USED TO MAKE stEAL

[-] CheeryLBottom@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

Have you ever tried to decipher one talking in Discworld? Painful hahaha

[-] Gladaed@feddit.de 3 points 7 months ago

This is in part due to modern facades being water resistant. It is no longer necessary to project water away from fountains.

[-] someguy3@lemmy.ca 3 points 7 months ago

We still do, but we use downspouts.

[-] kubica@kbin.social 3 points 7 months ago

They got tired of going back to their position every morning.

[-] Snowpix@lemmy.ca 2 points 7 months ago
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this post was submitted on 02 Apr 2024
673 points (97.9% liked)

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