A Surreal Appearance: Negative appearance or Social Stigma: Monster?

[Flyndaran]

A human with a chair-head is by definition not a human with all the character/setting specific consequence that would entail.
Though most people in the real world would assume amazing costume not impossible inhuman, probably even when given "proof".

[Railstar]

Originally Posted by talonthehand

Depends on the setting. My first thought was the crimeboss Chairface Chippendale from the Tick. In a world like that, if you had a surreal appearance people might assume you're a supervillain, or going to become one.

In a more realistic setting it'd probably still be Social Stigma - with a lamp for a head I'm sure you'll get plenty of people going "Dude - look at the freak".

I think Freak is it's own Social Stigma from Supers, so I'd expect that to fit.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

A human with a chair-head is by definition not a human with all the character/setting specific consequence that would entail.

That's definitely a setting specific thing. The Tick is a very odd setting, and Chairface Chippendale is considered a human. He's a parody of Dick Tracy villains, who were also human despite also having a lot of impossible anatomy going on.
Chairfaces "condition" seems to be heritable but either is diluted or goes through permutations in subsequent generations; he has a son that has a 3-legged-stool for a head, I believe the sons mother is "normal".

Chairface "wouldn't work" in real life, but neither would "a human who can shoot lasers from their eyes", but those are humans too, in super-hero comics.

[talonthehand]

Originally Posted by Bruno

That's definitely a setting specific thing. The Tick is a very odd setting, and Chairface Chippendale is considered a human. He's a parody of Dick Tracy villains, who were also human despite also having a lot of impossible anatomy going on.
Chairfaces "condition" seems to be heritable but either is diluted or goes through permutations in subsequent generations; he has a son that has a 3-legged-stool for a head, I believe the sons mother is "normal".

Chairface "wouldn't work" in real life, but neither would "a human who can shoot lasers from their eyes", but those are humans too, in super-hero comics.

I really want to play a one shot set in The City now.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Bruno

...
Chairface "wouldn't work" in real life, but neither would "a human who can shoot lasers from their eyes", but those are humans too, in super-hero comics.

I think some Sentinels would disagree with that sentiment. ;)
Few settings or works of fiction really want to go into the whole "what does it take to make someone a real human vs. an imitation or lookalike" issue.

I was mainly thinking more about whether an ignorant person on the street would think, "WTH is that thing?" or, "WTH is that person wearing/doing/deformity/supernatural ability/etc.?"

Of course that boundary changes depending on person, culture, and era. Hence declaring fey, werewolves, or aliens when faced with real people with deformities.
I'd hazard to say that our present culture/era has by far the widest most encompassing definition of human of any that has ever existed.

[Flyndaran]

I also remember the body hopping episode where one elderly scientist is bemoaning being in Chairface's body. Chairface asks what his problem is, because the body is much younger and fitter. The guy just yells that he has no idea how he's even talking. He has a CHAIR for a head.
So if only to humorously break the fourth wall, some characters recognize the absurdity and subtle horror of it all.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Of course that boundary changes depending on person, culture, and era. Hence declaring fey, werewolves, or aliens when faced with real people with deformities.
I'd hazard to say that our present culture/era has by far the widest most encompassing definition of human of any that has ever existed.

Most likely.
But it's a separate issue from negative appearance or Social Stigma. Humans can after all have both of those, and nonhuman animals or objects usually have neither.

[mightyepop]

I know this is an old thread, but I found the description of the neatly-dressed man with a lamp for a head was very similar to the old Richie Rich comic book villain Dr. N-Er-G, a neatly-dressed scientist with a giant red light-bulb for a head!

(The old Richie Rich comic books had some funny villains who would fit into a lighhearted Supers game as well, such as the Onion, a man who ate onions all the time to fuel his halitosis breath weapon, and another guy who wore glasses that popped out his eyes on spring, rendering everyone who saw him helpless due to their uncontrollable laughter!)