{"id":25020,"date":"2023-12-31T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-31T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=25020"},"modified":"2024-01-01T01:41:27","modified_gmt":"2023-12-31T16:41:27","slug":"20231231-25020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/20231231-25020\/","title":{"rendered":"Automaton West\u2019s top 5 most bizarre moments of 2023\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To wrap up the year 2023 on a positive (?) note, we\u2019ve decided to look back on some of the strangest things we\u2019ve had the pleasure of reporting on this year. Although there were many unique events this year that made us think \u201cWhat am I even writing about,\u201d we tried selecting 5 of the most bizarre. We hope you enjoy this varied list and keep reading Automaton in 2024! \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hideaki Anno underpants lawsuit<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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To ease into things, let\u2019s start off with the Hideaki Anno underpants lawsuit <\/strong>that really marked the Autumn of 2023. Although our ill-intentioned use of the word \u201cunderpants\u201d here may be tempting a smile out of you \u2013 this was no laughing matter, as veteran director and creator of the Evangelion franchise Hideaki Anno found himself the victim of a personal rights violation. The offending side was a Chinese celebrity merch manufacturer on Amazon that, for some reason, thought plastering Anno\u2019s face all over the most random selection of products on earth and selling them was a good idea. We\u2019re talking skewed close-ups of the man’s face all over men\u2019s boxer briefs, blankets, tote bags and wallets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, it was only a matter of moments until online users woke up to the meme-potential of the products, and pictures started circulating on social media. \u201cWho\u2019s going to wear these underpants with a face on them,\u201d they jested. \u201cThat\u2019s so embarrassing for him,\u201d they lamented.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Needless to say, all of this was done without Anno\u2019s permission, and he did not take kindly to the act. In fact, he took to it so unkindly that he filed a lawsuit for the unauthorized use of his face. There haven\u2019t been any follow-up reports on the case, but you can read in detail about what happened in the full article<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The immortalization of a 470-million-year-old fish<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If this story about a person\u2019s likeness being publicly ridiculed didn\u2019t sit right with you, perhaps you will be more partial to this case of an old fish becoming famous for how stupid it looks<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It all started back in 2022, when a poorly executed reconstruction of an extinct, 470-million-year-old fish called Sacabambaspis become the laughing stock of the Finnish Museum of Natural History. Its bulging eyes, flared nostrils, uncanny triangular grin and overall unspeakable expression made it the butt of countless jokes, and pictures of its zoomed-in face were relentlessly display on social media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, things did not end so shamefully for Sacabambaspis, as it was rediscovered by the Japanese community in the Summer of 2023. This new wave of fame treated the poor outcast of evolution with a lot more kindness, as people found cuteness as well as amusement in its messed up appearance. Sacabambaspis became a sensation \u2013 appearing in fanart, nail art, DIY plushies, chat stickers and all manner of tributes. The Sacabambaspis craze spread so far and wide this time that even the Among Us official X\/Twitter account posted their own original Sacabambaspis meme<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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h e l l o ? https:\/\/t.co\/KnDMB6gTtf<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/jLMAgBOOcQ<\/a><\/p>— Among Us (@AmongUsGame) June 15, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>