Homestar Runner: A forgotten relic that should be remembered > The originator of modern internet humour deserves a new fanbase Greg Waldock Staff Writer he internet was a fundamentally different place in the early 2000s. Before Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Tumblr, before being internationally recognized and politically relevant, the internet was structured and programmed much differently. This is best seen with Adobe Flash, a software no longer supported by modern browsers. It allowed amateur animators, often children or teenagers, to create web shows, minigames, and entire websites completely on their own. So much of the modern internet culture and humour comes from Flash sites, but I would say the most long- lasting, important, and hilarious was a site called HomestarRunner.com. Homestar Runner was a website with games and regular cartoon sketches all built in Flash. It was an interactive experience created and curated almost entirely by the Brothers Chaps; Matt and Mike Chapman—both of whom would end up working on children’s television shows like Yo Gabba Gabba! and Gravity Falls. It stands alone among countless other sites for its clean humour, likeable characters, and endless quotability. Despite the internet being a very different place now, Homestar Runner should be acknowledged and remembered for the important piece of cultural legacy that it is. The site launched in early 2000 and rocketed to popularity, with its children’s Hey, girl! book aesthetic and surreal comedy. This was one of the very first popular Flash webseries and inspired many animators and programmers, as accessibility of Flash allowed people to make their own Homestar Runner parodies or homages. The site also allowed viewers to submit emails, which were then read and replied to by Strongbad, one of the characters. This was their most popular series and all Strongbad Emails are still on YouTube. As someone who grew up on the internet with Homestar Runner, I can clearly remember its influence. Homestar Runner was quoted constantly, and its naive-yet-surreal humour propagated far across the internet, especially in animator hubs like Newgrounds and Albino Blacksheep, who both produced some of the oldest internet videos that are still appreciated today. I know this sounds silly: These videos came and went in under five years, nearly 20 years ago. It’s all about internet jokes, so how can something so unimportant be taken seriously? Why should an ancient Flash website be “respected and acknowledged?” Well, as we learned over the past two years, the internet matters. It can swing entire presidential elections and spread movements. That means the culture and history of the internet matters—that means Homestar Runner matters. So, when you have a night off, pour a glass of wine or a mug of tea and go through the old Strongbad Emails playlist, or the Homestar sketches. It will connect you deeper to the internet that now influences so much of the real world, and it’s still hilarious. > Why do you have such a problem with a friendly, feminine nickname? Janis McMath Contributor f you've been to middle school, you know what it’s like to suffer the phase of coloured braces and constantly saying “dude” unironically. “Dude” is a fantastic word, and as you may already know, the term is an extremely common synonym for “friend,” or “buddy.” While originally used in the 1800s to make fun of extravagantly dressed men, the expression has been used indiscriminately of gender since the twentieth century. Everyone (male, female, non-binary, etc.) seems to use the expression “dude” because it’s a damn good expression, dude. But, personally, I believe that the era of “dude” is over—I much prefer “girl,” so I use the term regularly with all my friends of all varying genders. “Girl” is a similar expression to “dude” because it is used in friendship and camaraderie. Furthermore, the term has evolved over time to take on a more gender-neutral meaning. To see an example of its neutral meaning, one only needs to look at the popular use of “girl” in drag culture. Regardless of gender or sex, cisgender male drag queens call each other “girl” in a way that highlights their companionship. The word is gaining traction as a synonym for pal—yet I keep meeting guys who are offended by my friendly use of “girl.” The reaction I have received from many guys at the use of “girl” is “I’m actually a guy if you didn't know!” Yes dude, I know—also, how is that relevant? While it’s totally fair for people to be unaware of language trends and correct me due to their ignorance, guys that respond this way will consistently correct my use of “girl” even if I’ve already explained that I only mean it as friend or pal. Adding to the hypocrisy, these guys will knowingly call me “dude”—yet constantly reject being called “girl.” If you understand that gendered words like “dude” can simply mean “pal,” why keep correcting me when I call you “girl?” The only difference between “dude” and “girl” is the masculine and feminine implications, and if you are offended by the feminine implication (i.e., you C C Despite the internet being a very different place now, Homestar Runner should be acknowledged and remembered for the important piece of cultural legacy that it is.” think women are lesser than men), then youre misogynistic! How fragile could your masculinity possibly be? It seems that everyone has readily accepted “dude,” yet “girl” keeps facing rejection from those who dislike the Homestar Runner logo via CommonvVision.org Illustration by Cara Seccafien feminine implication. “Girl” should be acknowledged and appreciated as a friendly term of endearment—and if you hate it because you're misogynistic, then I weep for the woman who literally grew you in her “girly” uterus.