History Main / CavemenVsAstronautsDebate

* Many a troper has probably been watching a classic movie with friends when an inane debate broke out. Ever witnessed a debate running the length of ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' over whether the Flux-Capacitor capacitates flux or fluxes capacitance? The winners are the people who made the physics students who started the trouble watch ''Film/TheCore''. As a similar example in literature, fans of Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium have engaged in more than one FlameWar over whether Balrogs have wings, based on an ambiguous passage in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' that could either indicate literal wings or SymbolicWings.

* Similarly, the makers of Jaffa Cakes went to court in the UK to prove that they are actually cakes, which aren't taxed in the UK, rather than biscuits which are (but only if they have chocolate on them: that means that they're considered luxury items—unlike cakes, apparently). No, it doesn't really make sense. The company managed to prove that Jaffa Cakes are indeed cakes by A: Showing that Jaffa Cakes, like other cakes, will go stale if left out (if they were biscuits they would go soft) and B: Making an extra large Jaffa Cake which was then served as a regular cake; this was easy enough to do, as Jaffa Cakes really are based on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genoise Genoise]] recipe (a kind of sponge with a biscuity surface if cooked just so; it's also the base for [[Creator/MarcelProust madeleines]] and ladyfingers). That hasn't stopped debates raging up and down the country; tea and biscuits (or cakes) really are SeriousBusiness in Britain. As silly it looks for an average person, for multinational companies product classifications may translate to millions in taxes and customs. (This also led to the [[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305938/McVities-launches-The-Big-One-Jaffa-Cake-decades-beating-taxman-landmark-VAT-battle.html "Big One,"]] a cake-sized Jaffa Cake you can buy.)

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "Why Must I Be A Crustacean In Love?", Zoidberg discusses "[[GladiatorGames the ceremony of Claw-Plach]], where my species [[DuelToTheDeath fight to the death]] over matters of honor. Also whether abbreviations count in Scrabble. ''They don't!''"

** ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANs27IVior0 Mister Incredible vs Darth Vader Debate]]'' is a [[HypotheticalFightDebate hypothetical fight debate]] about whether [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles Mr. Incredible]] would beat [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]].

** On another occasion, Ted and Barney have a passionate argument initially framed as simply [[Literature/{{Twilight}} Edward vs Jacob]]. It's immediately revealed not to be about shipping but what the first name of the actor who played the main character in ''Film/StandAndDeliver'' was (Edward James Olmos).

* In ''Series/{{Community}}'' Jeff and Britta spend an entire evening arguing with each other over which bar is better place for Troy to have his first drink when turns twenty-one, "Red Door" or "L Street". Troy looks up to both Jeff and Britta as two different ways to be cool and mature, but becomes infuriated when they all learn that "Red Door" and "L Street" are ''the same bar'', meaning that their argument (And thus the entire competing lifestyles represented by Jeff and Britta) is meaningless since they are just slapping different terms onto the same things.

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'' when Buggy reveals that he knows Shanks we get a flashback to his days on Gold Roger's ship alongside Shanks. The very first scene we see is Shanks and Buggy literally at each other's necks arguing over whether the North Pole or South Pole is colder all the while the other crew members cheerfully egg them on. The argument is broken up when Rayleigh cuffs both of them and exasperatedly states that [[LampshadeHanging nobody cares which pole is colder]], it's implied that Shanks and Buggy get up to this sort of thing ''a lot''.

** Wiki/TheOtherWiki [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Lamest_edit_wars has these in spades.]] For example: is that city in northern Poland called "Danzig" or "Gdańsk" in English? There's even been wars about ''punctuation''!

* Franchise/MarvelUniverse example from ''A+X'' #6: [[ComicBook/MsMarvel Captain Marvel]] and ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} get into a literal Caveman vs. Astronaut debate during [[HeroesGoneFishing a poker game]]. Carol, who starts the argument, even [[ShoutOut mentions]] that she first heard it on ''Series/{{Angel}}''. Made especially relevant since Carol and Logan are, more or less, an astronaut and a caveman respectively.

--> I don't care if the [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]] could defeat [[Franchise/{{Superman}} the Man of Steel]]\\

* Many issues of Creator/MarvelComics' ''Marvel Team-Up'' comics line cashed in on these kinds of arguments. Want to know if the [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]] or [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] is stronger? There's an issue where they fight each other.

* In the ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' series, the Inklings have entire large scale celebrations called Splatfests solely dedicated to taking simple debates like dogs vs. cats, rock vs. pop, lemon tea vs. milk tea, sandcastles vs. snowmen or [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Autobots vs. Decepticons]] and having people from both sides deciding who's better via nighttime ink battles, complete with an all-night party and religious undertones through the CargoCult fax machine used to announce them. ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' ups the ante by making these three-sided debates.

* In the ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' series, the Inklings have entire large scale celebrations called Splatfests solely dedicated to taking simple debates like dogs vs. cats, rock vs. pop, lemon tea vs. milk tea, sandcastles vs. snowmen or [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Autobots vs. Decepticons]] and having people from both sides deciding who's better via nighttime ink battles, complete with an all-night party and religious undertones through the CargoCult fax machine used to announce them.

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' series, the Inklings have entire large scale celebrations called Splatfests solely dedicated to taking simple debates like dogs vs. cats, rock vs. pop, lemon tea vs. milk tea, sandcastles vs. snowmen or [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Autobots vs. Decepticons]] and having people from both sides deciding who's better via nighttime ink battles, complete with an all-night party and religious undertones through the CargoCult fax machine used to announce them.

This is when a SeinfeldianConversation becomes SeriousBusiness. When it happens in RealLife -—[=YouTube=] comments in particular are full of these -- some people theorize that it's because the combatants are people with an extremely fragile sense of self worth, and they view their opinion as a source of validation. In other words, they think that if they're wrong (or if someone else disagrees with them) about whether Franchise/SpiderMan's costume is made of nylon or spandex, it lessens their inherent degree of value as a human being. Other people just enjoy having [[WebVideo/SuperCarlinBrothers serious discussions about trivial subjects]].

* ''LetsPlay/{{Stumpt}}'' has [[https://youtu.be/LnmWZjC9_Lg?t=16m8s the Sandwich War]]. Rik asks if a hot dog is a sandwich. Over the next ten minutes, Ash's definitions of "sandwich" and "bread" become increasingly arbitrary, Price is driven to screaming in {{Angrish}} about why is a bagel considered bread but pizza is not, ''even if you remove the toppings and sell it as flatbread,'' and Jas and Rik are just laughing and prodding both sides on.

** In "The Bakersfield Expedition," Penny, Amy, and Bernadette decide to read a single comic book to try and understand why their boyfriends ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and Raj]]) are so obsessed with them. They read an issue of ''Thor'', and at first deride the comic as stupid and the boys' arguing over minor details as a complete waste of time. As an example, Penny sarcastically refers to Thor's hammer as "so heavy that no one else can lift it"... which leads the girls to start debating whether the hammer is heavy or magical. By the end of the episode, they're tearing through every Thor comic that Leonard and Sheldon own and fiercely arguing over minutia in them.

-->'''Dan:''' What are we doing? Moments from death, the reaper's scythe swinging down on us...and we're listening to [[BaitAndSwitchComment how wrong Pat is]]!\\

* A skit in ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria'' features Rokurou and Eizen get in an arguement on whether the beetle that has been de-therionized and is now in Laphicet's care is a stag beetle or rhinoceros beetle. They both give their justifications and are very passionate while doing so, much to everyone's discontent.

'''Magilou''': Rhinoceros, stag or butterfly, it's all no mattter to me.\\

** The episode "The Battle of Bikini Bottom" begins with two war reenacters explaining to [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick the titular battle, which was apparently fought over ''washing one's hands.''[[note]]Keep in mind however that it was ''Patrick'' who said this.[[/note]] This starts the two friends discussing cleanliness ([=SpongeBob=] is pro-clean, Patrick is not), and soon engage in a battle of their own.

** ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANs27IVior0 Mister Incredible vs Darth Vader Debate]]'' is about whether [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles Mr. Incredible]] would beat [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]].

%%* ''Website/SpaceBattlesDotCom'' has an entire discussion forum dedicated to precisely this issue.

-->'''Steve:''' But if you put the hammer in an elevator...
-->'''Tony:''' It would still go up.
-->'''Steve:''' Elevator's not worthy.

-->'''Andrew:''' Timothy Dalton should win an Oscar and '''BEAT SEAN CONNERY OVER THE HEAD WITH IT!!!'''

--->'''George:''' Well, I would eat ''you!''
--->'''Jerry:''' That's very nice...I guess.
--->'''George:''' I still don't see why you wouldn't eat me, I'm your best friend!
--->'''Jerry:''' Look, if other people are having some, I'll try you!
--->'''George:''' Thank you!

-->'''Ryan:''' I mean, [a great white shark] is not a bear, but it's...it's a powerful animal.
-->'''Shane:''' It can certainly kill a bear, hands down, if you dropped a bear in the ocean—
-->'''Ryan:''' We've been over this before, the bear is the most deadly animal of all time.
-->'''Shane:''' No, it's not.
-->'''Ryan:''' Yes, it is.
-->'''Shane:''' No, it's not.
-->'''Ryan:''' Yes, it is.
-->'''Shane:''' No, it's not.
-->'''Ryan:''' If you put a bear on any playing field in the world: water—
-->'''Shane:''' Nope. Hippopotamus.
-->'''Ryan:''' No, fuck you dude, a bear's the most—
-->'''Shane:''' Hippopotamus would kill a bear in a heartbeat.
-->'''Ryan:''' You know what, we're getting the h-this is a different episode.
-->'''Shane:''' ''[impulsively]'' Fuck you.

-->'''Dan:''' What are we doing? Moments from death, the reaper's scythe swinging down on us...and we're listening to [[BaitAndSwitchComment how wrong Pat is]]!
-->'''Sarah:''' ''Thank'' you!
-->'''Pat:''' The average weight of an American moth is .05 grams, I'm sorry if I think a specimen that weighs ''twelve thousand pounds'' qualifies as a monster!
-->'''Dan:''' Maybe he has a pituitary deficiency! You ever think of that?

* The ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' episode "Burger vs. Burrito" had Cyborg and Beast Boy getting into an escalating war over which of their favorite foods is superior, culminating in a fight between Cyborg's giant burger robot and Beast Boy's burrito {{kaiju}}. After their combatants have destroyed each other, the two friends make up and then look like they're about to have another debate over whether pie or ice cream is the better dessert, only for them to agree that those two foods are better eaten together.
* The ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' episode "Replaced" states Mordecai and Rigby once having a 3-day long argument about the outcome of a fight between a "two-headed dinosaur and a robotic Bigfoot". When they attempt to have their potential replacements discuss the same argument to get them to stop working, they both agree the "robotic Bigfoot" is the obvious choice.

This is when a SeinfeldianConversation becomes SeriousBusiness. When it happens in RealLife -—[=YouTube=] comments in particular are full of these -- some people theorize that it's because the combatants are people with an extremely fragile sense of self worth, and they view their opinion as a source of validation. In other words, they think that if they're wrong (or if someone else disagrees with them) about whether Franchise/SpiderMan's costume is made of nylon or spandex, it lessens their inherent degree of value as a human being. Other people just enjoy having [[/WebVideo/SuperCarlinBrothers serious discussions about trivial subjects]].

This is when a SeinfeldianConversation becomes SeriousBusiness. When it happens in RealLife -—[=YouTube=] comments in particular are full of these -- some people theorize that it's because the combatants are people with an extremely fragile sense of self worth, and they view their opinion as a source of validation. In other words, they think that if they're wrong (or if someone else disagrees with them) about whether Franchise/SpiderMan's costume is made of nylon or spandex, it lessens their inherent degree of value as a human being.