SPEAKING IN IMAGES: THE ANSWER

A couple of weeks ago I was giving away copies of Michael Berry's new book Speaking in Images: Conversations with Contemporary Chinese Filmmakers. I asked a question and the winners were selected from the correct entries. The winners have been notified, and their books are in the mail as I type.

But the question that was asked was one that I'm sure has been weighing on your minds ever since. It was:

WHAT IS THE GREATEST DANGER FACING OUR PLANET?
a) Monkeys
b) Robots
c) Ninjas
d) Monkey-operated robot ninjas
e) Sharks

Of course, as you all know, the answer is d) monkey-operated robot ninjas. However, I was very impressed with some of the thoughtful answers.

Two of the winners just sent in a terse "robots" and because they seemed so sure of themselves I figured they might have some inside information and, since I wanted to be on their good side, I sent them books.

But a surprising number of people made the case for sharks, including the following:

"Sharks of course.  When global warming hits us full on, all the monkeys, robots and ninjas will be join us in The Great Floating Shark Buffet.  Except for the Ninja Water Spider Attack Team, naturally
they'll be fine."

I found that pretty convincing.

However, someone sent in this chilling prediction of a ninja apocalypse:

"The answer is (c) ninjas.  The monkeys and the robots will be too busy with each other, the monkeys won't operate robot ninjas because they hate technology, and sharks have always been overhyped as a threat."

It sounds as firm as anything Nostradamus ever wrote down, and so away went a book to them.

My favorite answer, though, was from the person who actually spent the time digging up a picture of a monkey operating what might just be a robot ninja. I was appropriately horrified and so here is that picture. Gaze ye upon the future and tremble, humanity.