Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[Blergh]

OK, here's an oldie but IMO baddie: Square Pegs.

Having been somewhat of an unconventional high schooler myself, I thought I'd like it but it had one fatal flaw: the unchecked hypocrisy of the protagonists. Not only did they believe they were entitled to have a packed social life but kept trying to be part of this uber clique whose members they completely despised. It would have been one thing had they started out wanting to genuinely  befriend these others and try to get to know them as individuals only to become disillusioned then gradually realize that they didn't need them (or their stamp of approval). However; it was a bit much for them  to  expect the uber clique to want them in it and not have the latter group sense their own hatred of them. Yet, the show expected the audience to constantly root them them and jeer at the uber clique (and none of their own smaller clique ever called each other on their hypocrisy).

Edited April 25, 2018 by Blergh
need for an uber

[GaT]

2 hours ago, Blergh said:

OK, here's an oldie but IMO baddie: Square Pegs.

Having been somewhat of an unconventional high schooler myself, I thought I'd like it but it had one fatal flaw: the unchecked hypocrisy of the protagonists. Not only did they believe they were entitled to have a packed social life but kept trying to be part of this uber clique whose members they completely despised. It would have been one thing had they started out wanting to genuinely  befriend these others and try to get to know them as individuals only to become disillusioned then gradually realize that they didn't need them (or their stamp of approval). However; it was a bit much for them  to  expect the uber clique to want them in it and not have the latter group sense their own hatred of them. Yet, the show expected the audience to constantly root them them and jeer at the uber clique (and none of their own smaller clique ever called each other on their hypocrisy).

In other words, they were female "incels"?

[Blergh]

19 hours ago, GaT said:

In other words, they were female "incels"?

I had to look up that term but. ..re their desire to dominate the high school social scene- yep! I have to wonder if Miss Sarah Jessica Parker (one of the protagonist female 'incels') ever thought that show helped her as a performer re her more iconic latter character.

[bmasters9]

Another opinion that I have that might be unpopular: I've been thinking very much lately that Drew Carey on TPIR has become sort of a Bob Barker 2.0 (or IOW, Bob Barker for today's generation and beyond). Why do I think this? Because, for one thing, Drew's commiseration of painful losses (like on Pathfinder, where the player loses on the last number by getting the last second-chance prize wrong) seems somewhat to be on par with the best of Bob's commiserations (like when a player named Jessica lost on Pathfinder, Drew said, "I am crushed...like ice!" [Drew said it that way because it was an ice crusher that Jessica lost the game on by incorrectly guessing $150; the price was really $250]). Bob, in similar circumstances, would say, "Pain...agony...suffering! What a miserable loss!" and then, "What disappointment!"

Drew also, at least IMO, is a Bob 2.0 with the celebration of big wins (like when he says "Wow-wee!" and "That was great, man!", among other things; Bob would say "Bea-u-ti-ful!" or "We are in the presence of a miracle!"), and also with how he explains the games (albeit I cannot elaborate on that one). 

Edited April 27, 2018 by bmasters9
Correct prices on that Carey Pathfinder playing

[magicdog]

Quote

I don't like TCW or Rebels. TCW had a couple of good arcs, but more miss than hit. Rebels was tolerable when I was drunk, but impossible to watch sober. Filoni will probably go on to create a third animated series. Fine, that's ignorable. I just don't want him to direct an SW movie. Not only do I not like his output so far, his whole career has been spent in animation. Nothing live-action at all. Let him do what he's all right at, don't force him outside that.

I'm glad it's not just me!  I tried to like TCW & Rebels but I just couldn't.  

[slf]

On 4/25/2018 at 1:30 PM, GaT said:

In other words, they were female "incels"?

"Incel" means "involuntarily celibate"; they're people (men more often than not) who feel they are owed sex, literally claim it is a human right, and that they are entitled to do anything to get it. They're usually white males and have a tendency to be violent (at least two instances of mass murder in the past six years were carried out by self-identified "incels"). It's not someone who feels entitled to popularity or social power.

Edited April 29, 2018 by slf

[Blergh]

1 hour ago, slf said:

"Incel" means "involuntarily celibate"; they're people (men more often than not) who feel they are owed sex, literally claim it is a human right, and that they are entitled to do anything to get it. They're usually white males and have a tendency to be violent (at least two instances of mass murder in the past six years were carried out by self-identified "incels." It's not someone who feels entitled to popularity or social power.

 Since it still appears to be an informal term, I think it's not impossible to expand it to mean those who feel they should be automatically entitled to things that, in actuality, are privileges rather than rights.

 In any case, the Square Pegs protagonists rendered themselves as unsympathetic via expecting those whom they despised to include them in their group. Granted, none of the characters were physically harmed by the former parties but that alone didn't make them likable.

[slf]

32 minutes ago, Blergh said:

 Since it still appears to be an informal term, I think it's not impossible to expand it to mean those who feel they should be automatically entitled to things that, in actuality, are privileges rather than rights.

Well, the term itself is specifically about sex and is used almost exclusively by misogynistic men; it's not about being a brat but rather believing that women do not have bodily autonomy.

[Blergh]

14 hours ago, slf said:

Well, the term itself is specifically about sex and is used almost exclusively by misogynistic men; it's not about being a brat but rather believing that women do not have bodily autonomy.

Words are rather fluid in definition  (especially nascent ones). Time will tell whether the majority of folks will let misogynistic men dictate define the usage of that term OR whether the terminology may be expanded to include bratty behavior of for folks of all shapes and backgrounds. In the meantime, we can each decide for ourselves how the term is to be used.

Consider how in a very short time frame in the 1970's  the  definition of gay evolved from the dominant meaning  of 'happy or cheerful' with only those on the fringes considering to mean 'homosexual' to the latter meaning being the mainstream definition with only the very elderly  and isolated still using it to term to define the term as the equivalent to 'happy or cheerful'.

As I said, time will tell.

 

Back to the subject at hand, I never understood the kudos Square Pegs got during its first run and virtually everyone singing its praises totally ignored the protagonists' entitlement and hypocrisy.

[TattleTeeny]

On 4/25/2018 at 12:30 PM, Blergh said:

OK, here's an oldie but IMO baddie: Square Pegs.

Having been somewhat of an unconventional high schooler myself, I thought I'd like it but it had one fatal flaw: the unchecked hypocrisy of the protagonists. Not only did they believe they were entitled to have a packed social life but kept trying to be part of this uber clique whose members they completely despised. It would have been one thing had they started out wanting to genuinely  befriend these others and try to get to know them as individuals only to become disillusioned then gradually realize that they didn't need them (or their stamp of approval). However; it was a bit much for them  to  expect the uber clique to want them in it and not have the latter group sense their own hatred of them. Yet, the show expected the audience to constantly root them them and jeer at the uber clique (and none of their own smaller clique ever called each other on their hypocrisy).

 

This reminds me of a based-on-a-true-story Lifetime movie called Death of a Cheerleader starring Tori Spelling and...Becka from Life Goes On. It seems like we're supposed to root for wallflower Becka, who basically stalks and ends up stabbing popular Tori to death because Tori didn't want to be Becka's friend. Sure, Tori was a shallow, mean bitch, but she's still allowed to decide who she wants to hang out with! God, Becka! 

Also, my unpopular opinion: this might be the best-worst Lifetime movie ever. Becka's class-trip nightgown (a wardrobe selection rivaled only by Hilary Swank's "rocker" outfit in Terror in the Family), Becka's weapon of opportunity--a kitchen knife left in the car by her sister, who has a habit of driving while cutting vegetables (as one does)...it's all good!

Edited May 1, 2018 by TattleTeeny

[Wiendish Fitch]

10 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

This reminds me of a based-on-a-true-story Lifetime movie called Death of a Cheerleader starring Tori Spelling and...Becka from Life Goes On. It seems like we're supposed to root for wallflower Becka, who basically almost stalks and ends up stabbing popular Tori to death because Tori didn't want to be Becka's friend. Sure, Tori was a shallow, mean bitch, but she's still allowed to decide who she wants to hang out with! God, Becka! 

Exactly! It doesn't help that I've disliked Kellie Martin as an actress since childhood.

[TattleTeeny]

If a guy in a movie--especially a Lifetime one--did the same thing Becka/Kellie/whatever her character's name was did, he would flat-out obviously be the villain--no "yeah, but he was treated badly" excuses or messages that ladies need to be nicer or they end up dead! 

[Blergh]

11 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

This reminds me of a based-on-a-true-story Lifetime movie called Death of a Cheerleader starring Tori Spelling and...Becka from Life Goes On. It seems like we're supposed to root for wallflower Becka, who basically stalks and ends up stabbing popular Tori to death because Tori didn't want to be Becka's friend. Sure, Tori was a shallow, mean bitch, but she's still allowed to decide who she wants to hang out with! God, Becka!

 

  Exactly! Not to mention,  I've had to deal with folks who think that for ,whatever reason/s, I'm obligated to be their friend despite the fact that they have personalities I can barely tolerate much less want to seek out. Oh, and contrary to the old adage, one CAN have enough friends- genuine ones that is! A few genuine friends are worth infinitely more than zillions of fakes, users and backbiters.

Oh, and yeah Miss Spelling's character may have been a shallow, mean. .. wench but it didn't merit the death penalty!

  BTW, neither Kellie Martin or Miss Spelling have had the hottest careers going for them despite the major kudos re their teen performances.

[Wiendish Fitch]

7 minutes ago, Blergh said:

 

  Exactly! Not to mention,  I've had to deal with folks who think that for ,whatever reason/s, I'm obligated to be their friend despite the fact that they have personalities I can barely tolerate much less want to seek out. Oh, and contrary to the old adage, one CAN have enough friends- genuine ones that is! A few genuine friends are worth infinitely more than zillions of fakes, users and backbiters.

Oh, and yeah Miss Spelling's character may have been a shallow, mean. .. wench but it didn't merit the death penalty!

  BTW, neither Kellie Martin or Miss Spelling have had the hottest careers going for them despite the major kudos re their teen performances.

I'm certainly no Tori Spelling fan, either, but at least she got to be in The House of Yes (and she was weirdly endearing as Violet on Saved by the Bell).

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times: no one has to like you. No. One. No one has to like you, admire you, find you attractive, think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread, want to date you or screw you sideways, NO ONE. If someone doesn't want to date you or be your friend... find someone else to date or be friends with! Going back to Buffy, while I feel bad that Invisible Girl Marcy was lonely and unpopular, it sure as hell doesn't justify her psycho attempted murder rampage!

[TattleTeeny]

I have a strange, inexplicable love of Tori, haha!

[Katy M]

54 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

This reminds me of a based-on-a-true-story Lifetime movie called Death of a Cheerleader starring Tori Spelling and...Becka from Life Goes On. It seems like we're supposed to root for wallflower Becka, who basically stalks and ends up stabbing popular Tori to death because Tori didn't want to be Becka's friend. Sure, Tori was a shallow, mean bitch, but she's still allowed to decide who she wants to hang out with! God, Becka! 

Also, my unpopular opinion: this might be the best-worst Lifetime movie ever. Becka's class-trip nightgown (a wardrobe selection rivaled only by Hilary Swank's "rocker" outfit in Terror in the Family), Becka's weapon of opportunity--a kitchen knife left in the car by her sister, who has a habit of driving while cutting vegetables (as one does)...it's all good!

Wasn't that based on a true story? 

I have to admit that I did feel a bit sorry for the Kellie Martin character having been an HS outcast myself.  But, I didn't kill anybody. Murder is never justified.

[bilgistic]

2 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Exactly! It doesn't help that I've disliked Kellie Martin as an actress since childhood.

I have always had a visceral dislike of her since Life Goes On. I don't know why.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, Katy M said:

Wasn't that based on a true story? 

It seems so:

3 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

This reminds me of a based-on-a-true-story Lifetime movie ...

 

I don't know if disliking Kellie Martin is unpopular, but save me a seat at the table regardless.  I disliked Life Goes On for a lot of reasons (including Corky, which made me feel like an asshole), and she was near the top of the list.  She went on to bug me in the few other things I saw her in.  I hated her on ER and was so glad when they wrote her off (although, holy crap, I must admit those two episodes were so well done I was as upset about Lucy as I was Carter).

[Wiendish Fitch]

10 minutes ago, Bastet said:

 

I don't know if disliking Kellie Martin is unpopular, but save me a seat at the table regardless.  I disliked Life Goes On for a lot of reasons (including Corky, which made me feel like an asshole)

Hey, it's not your fault they treated poor Chris Burke like a damned trained seal and that Corky felt less like a character than a poster child for twee and hollow political correctness gone horribly wrong. Seriously, couldn't they have made Corky a regular guy who just happened to have Down's Syndrome? Did he deserve that many Very Special Episodes? Did they have to make him rap that one time!?!

I'll admit, to this day, I still get annoyed when people (especially comedians) make fun of Corky or Chris Burke himself. Maybe this makes me a hand-wringing, PC hypocrite, but that strikes me as a dick move. 

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

3 hours ago, Katy M said:

Wasn't that based on a true story? 

It seems so:

4 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

This reminds me of a based-on-a-true-story Lifetime movie ...

OK, I spaced out for a minute.  Sue me.

[TattleTeeny]

Hahhahahaaa! I do the same thing all the time, @Katy M--and I read for a living!

Edited May 1, 2018 by TattleTeeny

[callie lee 29]

6 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

This reminds me of a based-on-a-true-story Lifetime movie called Death of a Cheerleader starring Tori Spelling and...Becka from Life Goes On. It seems like we're supposed to root for wallflower Becka, who basically stalks and ends up stabbing popular Tori to death because Tori didn't want to be Becka's friend. Sure, Tori was a shallow, mean bitch, but she's still allowed to decide who she wants to hang out with! God, Becka! 

Also, my unpopular opinion: this might be the best-worst Lifetime movie ever. Becka's class-trip nightgown (a wardrobe selection rivaled only by Hilary Swank's "rocker" outfit in Terror in the Family), Becka's weapon of opportunity--a kitchen knife left in the car by her sister, who has a habit of driving while cutting vegetables (as one does)...it's all good!

I just read the wiki description on this movie (and the damn near identical crime it's based on) and crap, that's ridiculous. I knew l never liked Kellie Martin!! (Jk, people)

[TattleTeeny]

Do yourself a favor and watch it--if for nothing but the idiot sister's mobile vegetable cutting! 

[ByTor]

On ‎4‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 12:30 PM, Blergh said:

OK, here's an oldie but IMO baddie: Square Pegs.

Having been somewhat of an unconventional high schooler myself, I thought I'd like it but it had one fatal flaw: the unchecked hypocrisy of the protagonists. Not only did they believe they were entitled to have a packed social life but kept trying to be part of this uber clique whose members they completely despised. It would have been one thing had they started out wanting to genuinely  befriend these others and try to get to know them as individuals only to become disillusioned then gradually realize that they didn't need them (or their stamp of approval). However; it was a bit much for them  to  expect the uber clique to want them in it and not have the latter group sense their own hatred of them. Yet, the show expected the audience to constantly root them them and jeer at the uber clique (and none of their own smaller clique ever called each other on their hypocrisy).

What always bugged me was:

a) They already had their own clique...so they were really crappy friends if that wasn't good enough for them!

b) John Densmore was in Johnny Slash's band!  The SJP clique would be the popular one because of this alone!

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

b) John Densmore was in Johnny Slash's band!  The SJP clique would be the popular one because of this alone!

Wait, what? Holy hell!

Edited May 4, 2018 by TattleTeeny

[ByTor]

4 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

Wait, what? Holy hell!

Yep!!!

[TattleTeeny]

Oh my god!

[ganesh]

I need to watch this show again. I was a little too young to get it the first time around.

[TattleTeeny]

I found the DVDs of it a while back for, like, $10 or something. Let me just say that, while the nostalgia was fun, it does not hold up, haha!

[Blergh]

3 hours ago, ganesh said:

I need to watch this show again. I was a little too young to get it the first time around.

 Well, I was old enough to 'get it' but the problem is that I also ' got 'enough negative stuff the audience was expected to overlook/gloss over,etc.  but I couldn't. You may see Square Pegs again and consider it awesome but keep in mind the risk of disappointment possibly happening before you invest in time and monies. 

[ganesh]

That's why I want to watch it. I'm not a nostalgic person, so I'm interested to look at the time period since I was actually there. 

[MaryPatShelby]

On 5/1/2018 at 2:51 PM, Bastet said:

.....(although, holy crap, I must admit those two episodes were so well done I was as upset about Lucy as I was Carter).

I get chills just reading the words "those two episodes".

[Katy M]

7 hours ago, Blergh said:

 Well, I was old enough to 'get it' but the problem is that I also ' got 'enough negative stuff the audience was expected to overlook/gloss over,etc.  but I couldn't. You may see Square Pegs again and consider it awesome but keep in mind the risk of disappointment possibly happening before you invest in time and monies. 

When I was a kid, my favorite movie was Escape to Witch Mountain.  I probably hadn't seen it since I was at least 10. I was in Blockbuster (so yeah this story is a few yeas old) and I saw it and decided to rent it for old times sake.  I really wished I hadn't because I thought it sucked.  Ruined my childhood memories of it.

[Blergh]

3 hours ago, Katy M said:

When I was a kid, my favorite movie was Escape to Witch Mountain.  I probably hadn't seen it since I was at least 10. I was in Blockbuster (so yeah this story is a few yeas old) and I saw it and decided to rent it for old times sake.  I really wished I hadn't because I thought it sucked.  Ruined my childhood memories of it.

Would you believe that when I saw that very movie (and somewhat liked it) when I was a kid, my mother (who took me to all movies at that age and stayed with me) said that there were movies that she'd liked when she was a kid that she didn't have any use for as an adult so she wouldn't be surprised if I felt the same about that very movie when I grew up- and that's exactly what happened!

   To keep this ontopic, I remember liking Emergency when I was a kid but as an adult, I couldn't believe how draggy it got especially with all the lame offtask fire station and hospital banter! I mean, it somewhat shined when it showed these pioneer paramedics and the doctors & nurses actually WORKING but it seemed they were at a total loss as to how to make them human beings when they weren't trying to improve/save distressed patients' lives!

[kassygreene]

46 minutes ago, Blergh said:

...

   To keep this ontopic, I remember liking Emergency when I was a kid but as an adult, I couldn't believe how draggy it got especially with all the lame offtask fire station and hospital banter! I mean, it somewhat shined when it showed these pioneer paramedics and the doctors & nurses actually WORKING but it seemed they were at a total loss as to how to make them human beings when they weren't trying to improve/save distressed patients' lives!

I so totally agree about Emergency.  It was way cool in the day, and taught the country about paramedics (a legacy of Vietnam), but when I had a chance for a series re-watch a few years ago, I had to bail.  The call-outs were still good (better than Chicago Fire, where only the call-outs are any damn good), but the filler was garbage (a better quality of garbage than Chicago Fire, but that is an incredibly low bar).  And for some reason that never made any sense to me they changed the theme music, by cutting out that brassy music track altogether and just having the voice-overs (more accurately described as voice-unders).

If someone would edit a mashup of just the call-outs, say season by season, I would watch the hell out of that.

Edited May 5, 2018 by kassygreene

[slf]

Game of Thrones' last really solid season was season two. Picard and Janeway were better captains than Kirk. Seven of Nine did add a lot of depth to ST: Voyager. Dance team shows are terrible.

[Danny Franks]

1 minute ago, slf said:

Seven of Nine did add a lot of depth to ST: Voyager.

That shouldn't be an unpopular opinion. No matter how some of the cast and fans might have felt about Seven of Nine, she was the focal point of most of what was good about Voyager. Seeing a Borg learn to be human again, seeing the woman underneath coming to terms with her memories, her experiences, the Stockholm Syndrome dependency that she had to break free from. That was all miles ahead of Chakotay's vaguely Native American mysticism or tepid 'romance' between Neelix and Kes.

[Raja]

On 5/5/2018 at 11:45 PM, kassygreene said:

I so totally agree about Emergency.  It was way cool in the day, and taught the country about paramedics (a legacy of Vietnam), but when I had a chance for a series re-watch a few years ago, I had to bail.  The call-outs were still good (better than Chicago Fire, where only the call-outs are any damn good), but the filler was garbage (a better quality of garbage than Chicago Fire, but that is an incredibly low bar).  And for some reason that never made any sense to me they changed the theme music, by cutting out that brassy music track altogether and just having the voice-overs (more accurately described as voice-unders).

If someone would edit a mashup of just the call-outs, say season by season, I would watch the hell out of that.

I think that came from the original syndication package when shows that were still in production were renamed for the reruns. Emergency became Emergency One. You might have a different fire engine, station mascot or Captain on the next episode that you would  see with no explanation.

Not just TV all the great movies of the 70's moved at a slower beat

[proserpina65]

On ‎05‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 1:17 PM, Danny Franks said:

That shouldn't be an unpopular opinion. No matter how some of the cast and fans might have felt about Seven of Nine, she was the focal point of most of what was good about Voyager. Seeing a Borg learn to be human again, seeing the woman underneath coming to terms with her memories, her experiences, the Stockholm Syndrome dependency that she had to break free from. That was all miles ahead of Chakotay's vaguely Native American mysticism or tepid 'romance' between Neelix and Kes.

Seven of Nine made me stop watching Voyager.  The character had the potential to add layers to the show, but the execution of it did not.

 

And after watching re-runs of Emergency on MeTV, I can definitively say that I still love it.

Edited May 7, 2018 by proserpina65

[roamyn]

Like a lot of 70s show Emergency! is a mixed bag.  The cases are still good, but some of the filler IS cheesy, like Johnny’s inability to even get a date, or Roy’s vacation woes.

[proserpina65]

22 hours ago, roamyn said:

Like a lot of 70s show Emergency! is a mixed bag.  The cases are still good, but some of the filler IS cheesy, like Johnny’s inability to even get a date, or Roy’s vacation woes.

Cheesy, but for me, still enjoyable.  And really, no more cheesy than a lot of shows now.  Although Johnny not getting first dates is hard to believe.

(I'll confess to shipping Kelly Brackett and Dixie McCall long before I even knew what shipping was.)

Edited May 8, 2018 by proserpina65

[Blergh]

OK, here's an UO: I loathe Long Island Medium and other shows that exploit shattered folks' needs to reconnect to deceased loved ones  via claimed mediums and never call out how their protagonists may be profiteering at the expense of others desperate to believe in the possibility.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Blergh
colon for L

[Enigma X]

Count me in as another who dislikes Long Island Medium, but about 90% of TLC is like watching a really bad virus spread.

[Pippin]

MaryPatShelby. The. Friendly Giant was a Canadian made show that ran in Canada for ages and most Canadians can recite the opening from heart.

[Jaded]

Everytime I see that Long Island Medium lady I want to brush her damn hair. 

[meep.meep]

Isn't it a wig?

[Wings]

6 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

Isn't it a wig?

Nope!

[WarnerCL45]

18 hours ago, Jaded said:

Everytime I see that Long Island Medium lady I want to brush her damn hair. 

And dig out the nail clippers!   That woman is so loathsome, there are no words.

[Blergh]

18 hours ago, WarnerCL45 said:

And dig out the nail clippers!   That woman is so loathsome, there are no words.

Let me put it this way re Mrs. Caputo's hair: while I don't condone any actual harm done, if she somehow were seen walking beneath a yard sprinkler during a live tv interview and having that totally undo all that spray and work she'd put into it, I wouldn't raise too strong objections.  Beyond those shallow points re hair and nails, I totally agree with you re personality and exploitation.

[Madding crowd]

And Caputo is an attractive woman who would be lovely with normal hair and nails. I saw her with my sister ( in a big venue) a few years ago. My sister ‘s daughter had recently died and Theresa cane up to her in the audience and said a few things that seemed to directly relate to my niece. Still don’t know how she came up with so many details .

Edited May 11, 2018 by Madding crowd