Friends [rant]

[Nasha]

Friends has some great lines but the dependency of the writers to fall back to the lowest common denominator for plot and more often for cheap laughs leaves me feeling despondent about its success amongst the american public.

There's a movie, Idiocracy, recently out on DVD, which is often rife with its own lowest-common-denominator-humor (it is, after all, the creation of the Beavis & Butthead people), but which also delivers a pretty amusing critique of U.S. culture's adulation of stupidity. It's at least good to know there are others out there who are also despondent about the tastes of the American public--enough so to make an entire movie about it.

 

[Recidiva]

There's a movie, Idiocracy, recently out on DVD, which is often rife with its own lowest-common-denominator-humor (it is, after all, the creation of the Beavis & Butthead people), but which also delivers a pretty amusing critique of U.S. culture's adulation of stupidity. It's at least good to know there are others out there who are also despondent about the tastes of the American public--enough so to make an entire movie about it.

It's funny, I wouldn't watch this movie because I think the premise is flawed. If you look for only stupid, you'll find it, but there's a ton of brilliant out there, just harder to find.

Same with "Supersize Me" - premise is flawed because you could just order a damned salad.

And I refuse to take the word of Mike Judge, who has done a ton to dumb down entertainment and make as much money as he could mocking the dumb and the gross. Please. When you create that much stupid, you're not an authority, it makes you a salesperson.

 

[jomar]

There's a movie, Idiocracy, recently out on DVD, which is often rife with its own lowest-common-denominator-humor (it is, after all, the creation of the Beavis & Butthead people), but which also delivers a pretty amusing critique of U.S. culture's adulation of stupidity. It's at least good to know there are others out there who are also despondent about the tastes of the American public--enough so to make an entire movie about it.

I enjoyed Idiocracy. The dumbing down of America. The "patched" buildings were great.

 

[Nasha]

i think i might be the only one on the boards that really likes survivor and american idol. what i enjoy about it is that even though my logical side knows there is rigging going on, i can see how people react to odd situations. its pretty cool and mind numbing too. i need mental vacations.
reality tv is anything but real.

There's a book, Everything Bad is Good for You, which offers a (questionably scientific) analysis of how contemporary entertainment such as television shows and video games are actually helping to improve the cognitive skills of those who watch/play them.

The author posits that reality television shows are so engaging because the viewer becomes mentally and emotionally engaged in problem solving (rather than passively absorbing a pre-ordained plot of a drama or comedy). In shows like Survivor or The Apprentice, the viewer is constantly using and honing her social skills as she assesses the situation and strategizes.

So I guess you'll have to find another way to take a mental vacation, since watching your shows is vigorous intellectual work.

 

[Recidiva]

There's a book, Everything Bad is Good for You, which offers a (questionably scientific) analysis of how contemporary entertainment such as television shows and video games are actually helping to improve the cognitive skills of those who watch/play them.

The author posits that reality television shows are so engaging because the viewer becomes mentally and emotionally engaged in problem solving (rather than passively absorbing a pre-ordained plot of a drama or comedy). In shows like Survivor or The Apprentice, the viewer is constantly using and honing her social skills as she assesses the situation and strategizes.

So I guess you'll have to find another way to take a mental vacation, since watching your shows is vigorous intellectual work.

Yes, I use the same argument when I say that teaching ID in schools is giving the smart kids in the class the chance to mock their teachers, and that's priceless.

Having lots of thoughts presented to you means you get a choice, not that you're obviously going to pick the worst or loudest.

 

[Nasha]

It's funny, I wouldn't watch this movie because I think the premise is flawed. If you look for only stupid, you'll find it, but there's a ton of brilliant out there, just harder to find.

And I refuse to take the word of Mike Judge, who has done a ton to dumb down entertainment and make as much money as he could mocking the dumb and the gross. Please. When you create that much stupid, you're not an authority, it makes you a salesperson.

I confess, I didn't opt to rent the movie based on its airtight syllogism.

I agree, there is brilliance to be found. No doubt I'll die before I succeed in reading every worthwhile work of literature that's out there, or hear every beautiful piece of music.

But I also think there's a confluence of forces at work in U.S. culture which tend to make it harder to create and access certain kinds of entertainment/art, and which reward mass-produced, vapid music, writing, television shows, etc.

Same with "Supersize Me" - premise is flawed because you could just order a damned salad.

I'm laughing, here, because there's a local indy restaurant that has a slogan that it serves "healthy" mexican food, using fresh ingredients, etc.. Someone wrote a negative review on Citysearch saying the food isn't healthy because the portions are huge. My partner and I go there with tupperware and take 3/4 of our food home with us, and get three or four more meals out of it. Has that guy never heard of not eating the whole thing in one sitting?

 

[Recidiva]

I confess, I didn't opt to rent the movie based on its airtight syllogism.

I agree, there is brilliance to be found. No doubt I'll die before I succeed in reading every worthwhile work of literature that's out there, or hear every beautiful piece of music.

But I also think there's a confluence of forces at work in U.S. culture which tend to make it harder to create and access certain kinds of entertainment/art, and which reward mass-produced, vapid music, writing, television shows, etc.

I'm laughing, here, because there's a local indy restaurant that has a slogan that it serves "healthy" mexican food, using fresh ingredients, etc.. Someone wrote a negative review on Citysearch saying the food isn't healthy because the portions are huge. My partner and I go there with tupperware and take 3/4 of our food home with us, and get three or four more meals out of it. Has that guy never heard of not eating the whole thing in one sitting?

Exactly!

I have to think that the guys that are ragging on everyone else for being stupid...are pretty stupid themselves, and never bother to look at the more inspiring, or really common sense solutions, to perceived problems.

Yes, there's stupidity, but c'mon, I really doubt every single genius that ever ragged on someone for being a moron didn't possess a huge flaw themselves, like a messianic complex, need to control, or just being an asshole.

Really, if you want to improve humanity, cure cancer or something. It's not helpful to tell everyone they're not as smart as you. You have to actually go be smart and produce something other than negative criticism.

 

[starrkers]

Desperate Housewives?
*silent scream*.........Aaarrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I HATE that programme. Unfortunately, another of the wife's favourites.

Hate that show with a passion.
But then, my favourites still include Twin Peaks and the early seasons of X-Files (why do great 'out there' shows always vanish up their own mythology eventually?)
Supernatural seems to be doing it faster than most.

 

[cloudy]

Hate that show with a passion.
But then, my favourites still include Twin Peaks and the early seasons of X-Files (why do great 'out there' shows always vanish up their own mythology eventually?)
Supernatural seems to be doing it faster than most.

I LOVED Twin Peaks.

damn good coffee.

 

[starrkers]

I LOVED Twin Peaks.

damn good coffee.

"New shoes".

One day I will hunt down the DVDs of that show and buy/steal/permanently borrow them

 

[cloudy]

"New shoes".

One day I will hunt down the DVDs of that show and buy/steal/permanently borrow them

the backwards midget was my favorite.

 

[starrkers]

the backwards midget was my favorite.

I was rather partial to the log lady.

 

[kairotic]

Anyone else been watching "The Riches"? Even if it weren't a great show, it's got Eddie Izzard, who's stamp is very clearly all over the place. There's a certain wicked, yet subtle and understated humor behind the whole thing: Idiocracy, if you will, only focused on the lives of the wealthy uber-class.

But I'll just chime in and agree that there ain't dick worth watching. I'll confess to watching Lost (got caught from the beginning), but everything else is a pretty consistent let-down. Even season two of Rome did little for me. I've pretty much abandoned everything but baseball, boxing, and cartoons.

 

[Recidiva]

Anyone else been watching "The Riches"? Even if it weren't a great show, it's got Eddie Izzard, who's stamp is very clearly all over the place. There's a certain wicked, yet subtle and understated humor behind the whole thing: Idiocracy, if you will, only focused on the lives of the wealthy uber-class.

But I'll just chime in and agree that there ain't dick worth watching. I'll confess to watching Lost (got caught from the beginning), but everything else is a pretty consistent let-down. Even season two of Rome did little for me. I've pretty much abandoned everything but baseball, boxing, and cartoons.

I tried watching "The Riches" but it's a little too dark for me. Much as I adore Eddie, I'd rather watch "Dress To Kill" again.

I just don't like the characters. They didn't bother to make me care.

 

[jomar]

Anyone else been watching "The Riches"? Even if it weren't a great show, it's got Eddie Izzard, who's stamp is very clearly all over the place. There's a certain wicked, yet subtle and understated humor behind the whole thing: Idiocracy, if you will, only focused on the lives of the wealthy uber-class.

But I'll just chime in and agree that there ain't dick worth watching. I'll confess to watching Lost (got caught from the beginning), but everything else is a pretty consistent let-down. Even season two of Rome did little for me. I've pretty much abandoned everything but baseball, boxing, and cartoons.

I've seen adds for The Riches, but haven't caught the show. I was hoping for more from Rome. Lost, and other shows, are pissing me off with doling out a few new shows, then a bunch of reruns, then the dreaded "recap" episode before new ones come out. And what happened to the theme song for crying out loud - is it that expensive to write a distinctive song.