[edit] Gross! Shut up!
A gross is the term for 144 of any object (for example, a gross of chickens indicates 144 chickens). This is why Strong Bad misreads the name "Gossman" as "Grossman" during email #144.
From: narrator
Posted on: 07:50, 7 February 2006 (UTC)
Arguments for:
- Strong Bad misspeaks-intentionally (sp) (not misreads) Gossman, after he reads the email.
- There are several 'gross' things in the email, including a Grossman vs STRONG BADMAN comic book easter egg, an octopus, and boogers on a napkin. (why was this moved to the against? I demand a recount!)
- In the Inkhole_Interview Matt says they DO search their emails on occasion for appropriate emails. (Search- [ctrl+f] for thousand.
Arguments against:
- The pun is entirely dependent on the sender's name, which TBC do not decide. This is probably a coincidence.
- Yeah, because Strong Bad has never made fun of anyone's name without it having some higher meaning before. This is only substantiated if it is presented as a coincidence rather than something placed there intentionally.
- It seems to be a case in which 1) Strong Bad gets to do what he is wont to do (ie, make fun of someone's name for no apparent reason), and 2) in which he gets to make a pun. It doesn't appear to be more than a happy coincidence, though. Maybe TBC just decided, "Hey, let's roll with it."
- Grossman is also a common Jewish name, at least within America.
- Maybe Strong Bad's just insulting the sender by calling him disgusting a.k.a.: "gross".
Additional comments:
- A gross is a dozen dozen. Possibly you hadn't noticed.
- No. I did. Pretty impressive, huh? I bet you're pretty impressed.
- Quite.
- Argument against the argument against is that TBD DO choose the email to use.. (is this an argument for?)
- I was just about to add this, when I happened to notice it was already here. That said, if it's a coincidence... it's a huge one.
- Are you suggesting that they go through the thousands of Emails Strong Bad gets to pick one that will make a good pun? I find that unlikely.-(please see the last argument for)
- Maybe they save some appropriate ones for special occasions (like Sick Day)... but that's just speculation
- I won't discount it being a coincidence... but this is one of those cases where a coincidence seems too... coincidental. If you will.
- Even if it is just a coincidence, it's just too huge of coincidence not to at least mention it somewhere.
- And it will be mentioned somewhere at least one place for sure... on the talk page once this item is archived.
- The last argument against is superfluous. (and his name is grant...)
Proposed revision:
Strong Bad emphasizes the word "gross" when he says the name "Gossman" as "Grossman". Coincidentally, A "gross" is a term for 144 of anything, and this is the 144th email.
Arguments for:
- It states that it was a coincidence but mentions it nonetheless.
Arguments against:
- A coincidence, and therefore not something that should be mentioned as a Fun Fact.
Additional comments:
- I still doubt it was a coincidence. TBC make weird, obscure jokes all the time, and on at least one occasion, someone's pointed out said weird obscure jokes, they've been STUFFed, declined, and then re-added when TBC themselves said that's what they intended. In short, just because on the surface, it may seem like coincidence, doesn't automatically mean it *is*. And for those "it's all speculation" naysayers... isn't "it's a coincidence" just as much speculation?
- {note: inserted out of chronology} Actually, that is correct. As currently worded this makes an absolutist statement, saying that we are positive it was unintentional (in which case, as observed below, it wouldn't be noteworthy). However, we're not sure. In the above revision someone said "This is only substantiated if it is presented as a coincidence rather than something placed there intentionally." It doesn't have to be an either/or, since neither "coincidence" nor "intentional" is verifiable. A better wording would simply delete the word "Coincidentally" above, leaving two declarative sentences that leave the reader to assign significance. I'm not going to make another revision right now, but if someone agrees with me, then maybe it would be appropriate.
- Since the revision is winning handily, I would suggest you simply strike out the word above and leave a note. Then, if someone has an objection to the change we can figure out how to proceed at that time, instead of muddying up the waters now.
- Okay; done!
- Yeah, I like this a lot better. True, it could be coincidence, but there's just as good of a chance that it's intentional. This leaves out the absolutes to either case, and makes the fact more interesting at the same time.
- {chronology resumes} I believe that when it's believed to be a coincidence, it should not be mentioned until/unless something comes along that more officially proves it's a real reference. In other words, unless sometime in the future we get a QotW, an email from TBC, or something that specifically mentions a "gross of emails" or something like that, we should leave it at coincidence.
- Yeah, that does make sense. I still doubt it's coincidence, but I guess we don't have any proof otherwise, so I can live with that.
- meh, it just appears glaringly obvious to me, but that could be my overinflated megalomaniacal sense of correctitude.....
- We do know that TBC do stuff for special number'ed emails, ie Not the 100th Email!!!
- Yes, but is 144 particularly special? #100 is a major milestone for most episodic things, but who really bothers to celebrate "Issue 144"?
- It's not so much a milestone as it is a very easy number to base a joke on.
- me
- NOTE: The word "coincidentally" was struck out to make the item more NPOV (see above).
- Okay, now I want to suggest new wording, even though this version seems to be winning anyway. Reason being that, as currently written, the two sentences really don't fit well together. Here's my suggested rewrite: "...as 'Grossman'. While Strong Bad has made similar fun of people's names in the past, it is particularly notable here: A 'gross' is 144 of an item, and this is the 144th email."
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