Friday, June 12, 2009

The Font



Like most critics, I have a very strong opinion about films I have not seen before. After 40 Year Old Virgin, I figured there would never be a popular film featuring Seth Rogan that would be written with someone like me in mind. I respect that Judd Apatow is prolific, that a new branch of comedy has sprouted, and that such indie dramedies most likely have impeccable editing and solid acting. I just don't like when a film is sold as cool before I decide it is cool. I am hoping these cookie-cutter hipster films disappear from sight like so much trendy Zima spilled into someone's brightly-patterened Target rug.

Maybe Jonah Hill is hilarious. Maybe the accoustic guitar is romantic. I don't know, and I won't find out. Here's where you lost me: The font.



The font that says, I was drawn by a five-year-old. Or so they want you to think. This studio cares so little about aesthetics we have commissioned a team of highly paid engineers to design a program that delivers precision sloppy letters each time.



It also says, This movie is so hysterical, you will quote it (whispering) at art exhibits. This movie is so cutting edge, the soundtrack is by people you never heard of, but who have been blogged about for years. The issues the characters deal with are so real, you'll put down your man-bag to start a bro-mance with your dude-bra-ham-lincoln. Man-boobs a flopping.

It all started with a purpose: to mimic the handwriting you had in middle school.



But then it got out of hand.


I wouldn't be surprised if it were now used on wedding invitations. Ask for the "Michael Cera". I would go into how this font is a cue to buy vintage clothes and grow out your facial hair but Mark at I Watch Stuff already beat me to the punch...

And in case you need another signal that you are about to enter oaf-stoner-nerd trifecta territory, there's the red block-letter font.







Good luck exploring the infinite abyss



of my butt hole.

8 comments:

soce said...

It's funny, I never really noticed those patterns, but looking at it like that, it all makes sense.

Those films really are quite hip!!! I actually only hang out at the salvation army these days (or the salvo, as I call it), to buy cloh and find couches to fall into while we laugh about how awesome the cartoons we used to watch as kids were.

Abbi Crutchfield said...

Two words. Bed bugs.

soce said...

I wears 'em like earings! Tiny red bites and bandaids are the new tattoos and makeup!

Abbi Crutchfield said...

True! Sigh...this post deserved so many more comments than this.

soce said...

It's often the short, simple posts that get a zillion comments, and then the ones where you try really hard get few. Life is crazoi like that at times.

beep said...

I'm drawn to quirky (to borrow a worn out term) advertisements on movie posters, trailers, and promos.

The Kindergarten Cop poster has a similar font, albeit, done in Crayola.

Abbi Crutchfield said...

Me: Maybe this font is a tumor.

Arnold: It's not a tumor!

G.H. said...

Great post.
You crack me up

http://confessions-of-a-waitress.blogspot.com/