The greatest graphic boston.com has ever run

By adamg - 1/7/09 - 12:18 pm

How to walk on ice for people too stupid to figure it out for themselves.

I could stare at that first slide all day (or maybe I should, you know, work). The third slide is worthy of a Three Stooges short - and it packs quite an existential wallop, when you think about it (will the guy with the ice pick help out the guy trying to tuck in his chin as he falls backward on the ice, or will the hapless loser forever find himself falling, falling, falling?). The second slide, eh, it exists solely so you can get from the first slide to the third.

Comments

The slides themselves are

By ShadyMilkMan - 1/7/09 - 12:26 pm

The slides themselves are quite off, but I really am perplexed about the penguin in slide one!

Underarm

By massmarrier - 1/7/09 - 12:40 pm

...great penguin, with the look of drying off deodorant.

Belly Sledding?

By SwirlyGrrl - 1/7/09 - 12:59 pm

Why is the penguin even trying to walk. I thought penguins preferred to belly-sled when the surfaces are slick. Seems more efficient than walking on ice.

Penguins

By anon (not verified) - 1/7/09 - 2:39 pm

Maybe you all need to head to the Aquarium and watch the penguins. You'll also learn that that most penguins live in temperate areas.

Hmm, what could we learn from watching seals?

By adamg - 1/7/09 - 2:52 pm

Besides the fact that all-you-can-eat buffets can't be beat?

Don't they pop out of igloos?

By SwirlyGrrl - 1/7/09 - 3:08 pm

Pal around with Polar Bears? No?

(and I do know most penguins live in temperate zones ... but IF you go to the linked graphics, that illustrated guy is an antarctic dwelling species of penguin :-p)

Slide 1

By neilv - 1/7/09 - 4:04 pm

Looks like a half-hearted attempt to fly.

They both know they're flightless, but still they yearn.

Change Slide #3

By SwirlyGrrl - 1/7/09 - 12:28 pm

It shouldn't be an appropriately dressed person. It should be some trendizoid fashionista with 4" boot heels, a heavy shoulder bag, and a cel phone for distraction.

I actually caught a (fortunately petite) woman in such a predicament during an earlier storm, and saw two fashionably ill-equipped persons(one male, one female) fall down before I got to work this morning.

There is also another way to fall ... slide in to home and land on the side of your hip. I did that just before christmas and escaped harm with a slight bruise in a very well padded area.

Seems Inaccurate

By Michael - 1/7/09 - 12:32 pm

The guy in panel #3 is carrying a shovel (or maybe an ice pick), which would seem to indicate that somebody gives half a rat's ass about keeping a sidewalk clear, which leads me to believe that the illustrator is not located in the Boston area.

FTW!

By adamg - 1/7/09 - 12:37 pm

Must be a drawing of that guy from the old boston.com commercial.

It actually looks like thats

By ShadyMilkMan - 1/7/09 - 12:37 pm

It actually looks like thats an area he just shoveled but is now glossed over in ice... Does that make him responsible for the second guys fall?

RE: Seems Inaccurate

By Ami (not verified) - 1/7/09 - 1:51 pm

Ditto on the fact the illustrator isn't from Boston - and indeed not from the Roslindale Square Business Association. Can anyone in Roslindale Square be bothered to shovel? Anyone?

Awesome

By Arielle (not verified) - 1/7/09 - 12:56 pm

I am oh so entertained. Sending that link to everyone I know...right now.

I don't know where it comes

By NotWhitey - 1/7/09 - 12:57 pm

I don't know where it comes from, but I'm reminded of a voice saying: "And now I will teach working class people how to eat cheese!" Maybe SNL thirty years ago.

Love it

By anon (not verified) - 1/7/09 - 12:59 pm

This is screaming out for a video.

I'd really like to see one of the local news programs go out & get people to try the different approaches, especially the penguin walk. Maybe they could film down by the Aquarium - they could get the seals to demonstrate how to move after you fall onto the ice.

Yeah, a video along the

By Eighthman - 1/7/09 - 3:29 pm

Yeah, a video along the lines of the commercial noting the symptoms of having a stroke.

You mean this?

By adamg - 1/7/09 - 3:35 pm

The extended version (and grandma says "Bof fry flew" instead of "Bof fri fleu"!)

ZOMBIE

By eeka - 1/8/09 - 1:32 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8nZlwndwb4

And now I can't stop staring at the slides either

By AC (not verified) - 1/7/09 - 1:23 pm

I'm trying to resist forwarding this around to everyone with a really concerned FYI note.

Yet more evidence

By Brighton Billy (not verified) - 1/7/09 - 1:38 pm

That the Globe think that it's smarter than their readers, which is one of the main reasons why it sucks so much.

Spot on Billy,

By aging cynic - 1/7/09 - 11:00 pm

They had to go to the "Canada Safety Council" since, (we all know that) America seldom gets ice and besides, people from out of town always have more credibility...

WGBH model?

By SwirlyGrrl - 1/7/09 - 11:27 pm

Watch out - it won't be too too long before the entire content of the Globe will be lifestyle features from the British papers and news from the BBC feed.

Well to be fair Canada is

By ShadyMilkMan - 1/8/09 - 10:17 am

Well to be fair Canada is just one big sheet of ice and thats how people walk all the time up there anyway! The poor people cant even bowl due to the icy conditions, thats why they have to go curling instead. Ice Hockey was just an attempt at field hockey that took an interesting turn...

"I can walk like a penguin!"

By twheaton - 1/7/09 - 1:39 pm

Who knew that little girl (at least I think it's a girl; with those awful '70s haircuts it's hard to tell) in that old New England Aquarium tv spot was on to something? Go figure!

"Oh daddy, you have GREAT surprises!"

By adamg - 1/7/09 - 4:08 pm

"Like those pants!"

Jean Shepherd was right!

By Stewart - 1/7/09 - 2:12 pm

See? "Keep your knees loose" is ALWAYS good advice!

Unfortunately...

By david_yamada - 1/7/09 - 2:22 pm

...I rank among the "too stupid," with bumps and bruises over the years to show for it.

It took me a while to realize that a backpack loaded down with heavy books affected my sense of balance.

J.P. was treacherous this a.m., walking to the Stony Brook T stop. Made me wish my boots had old-style metal football cleats.

I can't wait for the follow-up article

By Kaz - 1/7/09 - 2:52 pm

"Walking in Manolo Blahniks on ice? Women are getting out of the house on ugly weather days!"

Amiright or amiright?

Or maybe g will write about another thing women are doing

By adamg - 1/7/09 - 2:54 pm

BEHIND THE SHOVEL
Snow shoveling has long been a man's world, but that's starting to change.

Ice in the elevator

By Steve M (not verified) - 1/7/09 - 3:52 pm

Lots of good graphics today - can we combine into one and get a man slipping on ice while vomiting in the elevator and then a graphic on how to clean it up with your arm in a sling perhaps? Including a sarcastic note about Mom scores double!

Don't Forget the Special Shovel Sidebar

By SwirlyGrrl - 1/7/09 - 7:16 pm

Digging Out In Style!
Shoveling is hard enough work without facing the neighbors with a depressing gray, black, or woodsy green shovel. If you have to dig, dig this selection of special women-sized shovels put together by the g staff!
(Above: The Armani Plowattini Ladies' shovel, $785 at Newbury Street Hardware. Below: PinkPlow Signature Series PinkDig with faux gold-plate, pink ergonomic handle, and Swarovski Crystals, $250 at SnahTeh BuTeek, Brookline Village.)

The falling guy in #3 looks

By Jiffywoob - 1/7/09 - 5:04 pm

The falling guy in #3 looks like he's doing anything but trying to relax his muscles.