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I'm Stephen Metcath, and this is the Slate Culture Gab Fest, Better Than an Emory Board to the Eyeballs Edition.

This is also the daily podcast from slate.com for Wednesday, December 16th, 2009.

On today's program, the new much-hyped

avatar from director James Cameron, women in film, or really their spectacular absence

from film, and video games. They're big commerce, of course, but are they fine art?

Joining me today are Slate's deputy editor, Julia Turner. Hello, Julia. Hi, Steve. And our film

critic, Dana Stevens, hello, Dana. Hi, Steve. And our film critic, Dana Stevens, hello, Dana.

Hi, Steve.

And we're joined for the first segment by Dan Engber, senior editor for Slate.com, an in-house

3-D-swami.

You do have business cards that say that, right?

Guru is what I was looking for.

I couldn't find it in there. 3 you swami? He's playing a flute right now and a snake is coming out of a basket. We were wondering if our pre-taping punchiness would make it onto the live mics, and apparently they have. But I want to go around the table very quickly. I did not see Avatar, but the three of you did. I want a thumbs up,

thumbs down, no bloviating at all. Yes or no. Should I go see it? And I get to hold you

responsible for the 1250 if it sucks. Dan. Yes. Julia. Yes. Dana? Yes. I don't believe any of you. Wait, I think it's more than 1250. What is it? If you see it in 3D. Isn't it 14 or 15? What if I... I'm only good for 1250. What if I'm going to go as high as 14 or 15? What if I see it in 3D, but I'm a one-dimensional person? Do I get a 10% 15% discount? Anyways, Har-har. Okay. Off the races, this is, this is, this is the 10-pole to end all Christmas season, tent polls, right? This is a huge movie. We know it's going to make a half a billion dollars. It's going to steamroll over all of us. Are we going to enjoy the experience? Yes or no? I think yes.

...