Before there was your Gravatar, there was ‘Avatar’

/ January 15, 2015

(From syracusenewtimes.com)

(From syracusenewtimes.com)

Are you happy with your Gravatar?

I like mine so much I’ve given it a name. And The Head has taken on a life of his own, thanks to my friends here on WordPress and their artistic abilities.

But I digress. It’s fun.

Did you know that Gravatar comes from Globally Recognized Avatar, which really makes The Head’s trips around the globe appropriate?

And leads me perfectly into my other discovery, that James Cameron declared Wednesday that “Avatar 2” would not be released until late 2017.

How’s that for a segue into a tease about a sequel?

You can read today’s installment for my weekly Film News blog at the Syracuse New Times site by clicking the link below.

http://www.syracusenewtimes.com/james-camerons-avatar-2017/

I also write about “Chappie,” an upcoming movie about a robot with artificial intelligence that stars Dev Patel, an actor I like very much from his role as Neil, the man who ran the news network’s site on “The Newsroom” on HBO.

(Photo illustration by Rachel Carrera)

(Photo illustration by Rachel Carrera)

The Head celebrates his birthday last month. Do you know where your Gravatar is hanging out right now?

Did you think about James Cameron’s sci-fi world at all while choosing your gravatar for WordPress? Big picture, the premise of animation and graphics and such, not just choosing a mug shot, like I did? Did you watch the third and final season of “The Newsroom” on HBO, and if so, what do you think of the way Aaron Sorkin wrapped up his series?

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67 thoughts on “Before there was your Gravatar, there was ‘Avatar’”

  2. I love The Head. Your smile is so warm and inviting with a hint of mischievousness. I also like using The Head on different bodies, as you know. 😉 No, I don’t like my own. And I know I may make some people angry, but I don’t like that it’s named after “Avatar.” I’m not into sci-fi, and I did not care for that 11 hour movie. My sister dragged me to it at a full-to-capacity theater… I was stuck between her and the doppelganger of Tommy Chong who kept slapping me in the leg saying, “Groovy, Man!” Then he’d realize he didn’t know me and look at me and wince. Then he’d do it again a few scenes later. (Yes, really… That was actually the highlight of my sitting there.) On my left, Michelle kept slapping me in the arm when a “good scene” came on. (Yes, she does that every time we go to the movies!) I just glared at her and mouthed, “I hate you,” by the time I was black and blue on both sides. So my apologies to those of you who loved the movie. 🙂

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  3. I swapped-out my avatar about a month or so ago. I’d had the same one for about six years! It was a fantastic joke bu the problem was that it was so SMALL that nobody could figure out what it was. It was a statue of St. Lucy holding a plate of martyred eyeballs. Those kooky Catholics! But it was a joke just for me. So I changed it to what’s up there now, which is my girls at an art installation of two statues. Still not easy to discern but better than the last one.

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    • This gravatar is a good one, Mark. Your small daughters and the humungous art … a world of perspective right there for all to ponder and flip about in their mind. It is better than the eyeballs on the platter, I agree. You know have signed on for your symbolism in both cases.

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  4. Interestingly enough the Tomcat image I use as my gravatar was sent to me by my ex. She is a director at Canada Post’s head office and she saw it on the screen saver of an IT tech. She got a copy from him and sent it to me, saying she thought i would like it – and I do, very much. That is an actual photo that has been touched up a bit. The columns of water behind the jet really happen when they fly close to the surface – they actually have a name: Rooster Tails. To me life often feels like that – as if I am going very fast and too close to the ground. Too fast to see enough detail and yet leaving a noticeable trail behind me. i’ve always been fascinated by planes and would like to learn how to fly at one point. And yet, I’m a bit of a loner. I was picking up a remote control submarine from a 747 freighter coming from Germany into JFK in NYC one day. I had my grlfriend at the time (I was single) with me and we were parked beside the 747 while they lowered the crate with the sub out of the cargo hold.The plane was humongous – dwarfing my tractor-trailer (a fun fact – did you know that a long range 747 can hold 250,000 liters (about 65,000 US gallons or about 5 tanker loads) in its fuel tanks when empty?). There was a huge set of steel steps that lead up to the cockpit door, about 3 stories in the air. As i watched, the Captain came walking down the stairs with his hat on backwards and swinging a brefcase while he whistled. I told the girfriend that I would love to do that job, and she replied that i wouldn’t (she worked in the airline industry for10 years). I asked why and she told me that i was a loner and it took between 2 and 3 pilots to fly a 747. They won’t let you fly one by yourself. Bummer. Que Sera.

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    • You described yourself just as I picture you, Paul. Your stories are smart and warm about life and people … as an observer. And in a good, comfortable way, relating to the people you encounter and let in easily but still most ready to get back to that literal and figurative one-man apartment of yours. Yes, that rooster-tailing Tomcat is the perfect gravatar for you, my friend. Thanks again for adding so much to this string. And I hope you don’t mind my archair analysis of your personality. You started it. 🙂

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  5. love how rachel moves your head to the most unexpected places. mine is pretty boring and has never changed, partially due to my lack of tech ability, but you never know…..

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  6. My favorite gravatar had my wearing a red Indians shirt on. My youngest daughter put this on my blog. She also helped me to put those awards on when I used to get them… She promised to change my gravatar soon… We shall see, it is over a year plus a few months since i had this fall shirt with a cowgirl on a horse, sitting on Ohio Wesleyan’s steps. I am not a big fan of “Avatar.” Once I saw it, that time was enough. My brother, Randy, the artist and my Mom loved it, Mark. Somehow, I didn’t really love it!

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    • We all know you from your current gravatar, Robin. When your daughter changes it, we’ll all say, who’s that?! Be careful. Just pulling your leg. A little.

      And like I said to Colleen’s comment, the ‘Avatar’ movie is not everybody’s cup of coffee.

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  7. No, I did not know this about GRavatar. 🙂 And no, I did not know anything else you told us either! And guess what???? I have NOT seen Avatar. But I WILL now click over and read your review. But I’m still not going to see Avatar, or it’s sequel in 2017….. 🙂

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  8. not evn sure if i do have a gravatar; although i have tried to create one -couple of times. really ‘Avatrar 2″ sheesh!! i never really liked the first one tooo longggg. or was i just not into those type of movies??hmm Anyway it sounds like a cnadidate for that blog you wrote on remakes. i posted the idea of a rmake for ‘flashdance’ with kim kardsahian and that husband of hers… what do you think.

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  9. No, I did not think of JC when deciding on my photo. I have pondered getting a new one, but I think I’ll stick with what everyone knows. It throws me for a loop when someone changes theirs. I did, however, enjoy Avatar! What a funny guy you are, Chum. I’m down with part 2 of Avatar. I enjoyed the movie a lot, actually. I’m not normally a SciFi girl, but I was hooked from the beginning.

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  10. Didn’t connect the two .. have never seen Avatar. I think we missed years of films due to having limited nights out due to family! My gravatar was chosen from a very limited group of pics and I like it because it was a picture of me holding my new baby daughter so happy memories.

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    • Yes, the gravatar is my little face photo, which I also dubbed The Head during my month of hosting Nano Poblano. That’s when blogger Wormy placed The Head on a Pepper and dubbed him Captain Poblano. Just to confuse you even more, right? So, yes, Barbara. the little face photo. Thank you!

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  12. My gravatar also has a name… Atomic ES. We had someone on my Millionaire message board who frequently changed avatars back in the day, with the avatars usually related to a current post… we dubbed him the Purveyor of Avatars. When the movie “Avatar” came out, we naturally joked that it must be about him…

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  15. I got nothing for you, Mark. Never given any of it any though. Avatar was fun. But was it sad, too? Not remembering. For me the avatar is a picture to be identified by so it needs to be a photo so clients know how kind I am and how easy I look to work with 😉 Never heard of Newsroom 0-:

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  16. Yes I do, it’s right here in your comment section Mark and quite at home in this lovely place! I’m in awe of how you write so often and on so many topics – it’s no wonder your head makes the rounds! ❤
    Diana xo

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  17. I did not like “Avatar” so it never occurred to me. I was Hello Kitty for a long time, then Lego rocker, then me…but now I am probably permanently Lego Deadpool in a Pink Spacesuit.

    I did not watch very much of “The Newsroom” but I did finally watch “The West Wing” all the way through last year. 🙂

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  19. I didn’t even know there was a Heinz 57 Sauce… I had to Google it. One of my primary food groups is Heinz Tomato Ketchup (yes, it has its own food group in my house). The Simply Heinz Ketchup is the best, made the original way. Maybe I should change my avatar to a ketchup bottle…. In the meantime, next time I’m at the supermarket I’ll have to look for the Sauce…. maybe a whole new taste experience! Oh, despite being a fan of sci-fi, I didn’t really care for the movie “Avatar” so doubt I will be standing in line for the sequel.

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  20. I do think about “Avatar” each time I change my gravatar. The movie was good, but I did not understand all the fuss as usual. And although “Slumdog Millionaire” had awful scenes (blinding a child), I did enjoy Dev Patel. You did not mention Hugh Jackman in a mullet. That is enough reason to see this. How can you make a robot have a consciousness? We can clone and use stem cells to regenerate, but I don’t think man can ever create consciousness in a heap of metal. Only God can make life. And my green eyes. 🙂

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  22. I did think of the relationship of avatar and gravatar phonetically, and wondered if they were otherwise related.Thanks for clarifying. Anyway, I like the mug shot gravatars. I like to see what people look like.

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  23. I’m not sure I have a Gravatar Mark. Right now i’m hearing so many strange noises that I’m wondering if I have hearing problems on top of all my other problems. Uh, what was the question? My brain is still trying to figure out how 3 month old eggs can still test fresh. Or something like that. Ah, the joy of insomnia and the morning after.I didn’t sleep.

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  24. Fun fact – I stole my original gravatar from a photo still from a screen test of one Helena Handbasket, a Factory Girl of Andy Warhol’s. Another fun fact that I should have considered – that particular Helena was a transvestite.

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    • So I should look for a barely discernable stubble when we meet for that breakfast? No, that’s the Handbasket Gravatar of your past of which you speak, Helena. Warhol’s world was forever interesting. As is Hann-Basquiat’s.

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