Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[AntiBeeSpray]

On 11/7/2017 at 1:01 AM, ratgirlagogo said:

Everyone's Golden Age of Cartoons is going to be the decade when they were a kid and first watched them.  For me the greatest cartoons of all time are the various Jay Ward productions - Rocky and Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, Fractured Fairy Tales, Mr Peabody and Sherman - all of which I saw in the 60's around the time they were first produced.  But the much older Warner Brothers, MGM and Walter Lantz cartoons I saw and loved at the same time all seemed equally contemporary to me at the time - as they would to any child.

Heck yea. Grew up with the re runs. Rocky and Bullwinkle rule ;). Along with Boris, Natasha and Fearless Leader.

 

On 11/5/2017 at 9:42 PM, kiddo82 said:

Garfield and Friends was my jam back in the day.  And it's still funny now even as an (admittedly not so mature) adult.

Word. Loved Lorenzo Music as Garfield and I enjoyed the cartoons as a whole.

Edited November 12, 2017 by AntiBeeSpray

[Jac]

On 07/11/2017 at 5:01 PM, ratgirlagogo said:

Everyone's Golden Age of Cartoons is going to be the decade when they were a kid and first watched them.  For me the greatest cartoons of all time are the various Jay Ward productions - Rocky and Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, Fractured Fairy Tales, Mr Peabody and Sherman - all of which I saw in the 60's around the time they were first produced.  But the much older Warner Brothers, MGM and Walter Lantz cartoons I saw and loved at the same time all seemed equally contemporary to me at the time - as they would to any child.

I agree with the general principle but I don’t think it is going to be the cartoons that were produced when you were a kid but what you were exposed to that will form your opinions. 

I am very much a child of the 80s but most 80s cartoons hold little nostalgia or interest for me but I was never really exposed to them. Ive never been a morning person and so I rarely watched morning cartoon shows. However, what I did watch religiously was ABC’s (The Australian one. Like PBS/BBC) afternoon block which had various Hanna Barbera shows (definitely The Flintstones and The Jetsons, there are others I’m not remembering), Rocky and Bullwinkle and other older stuff I’m forgetting. Later on (I have a sibling seven years younger than me) they started showing classic early 90s Nickelodeon stuff, Rugrats, Ren and Stimpy etc and that is what I am nostalgic for/adore. That and the volumes of Warner Bros classics we had on VHS.

[ratgirlagogo]

19 hours ago, Jac said:

I agree with the general principle but I don’t think it is going to be the cartoons that were produced when you were a kid but what you were exposed to that will form your opinions. 

That is what I meant although perhaps I didn't phrase it clearly?  I love the Jay Ward ones the most, but ALL the cartoons that showed on TV in the 60s (including as I said the Warner Brothers ones et. al.) are the ones that feel "classic" to me since those are the first ones I saw.

Edited November 13, 2017 by ratgirlagogo
spelling

[Wiendish Fitch]

I love the current lineup on SNL, I think it's the best it's been in years, and I don't care how unpopular that might be. That said, I hope the recent revelations of the foul behavior of men in Hollywood prompt the SNL writers to eliminate the roundtable sketches with Kate McKinnon's character Debrette Goldry. Even before all that, I loathed these these sketches, because the basic tenor is, "suck it up, ladies, things in Hollywood were much, much worse for women in the olden days, so quit your bitching already". 

[memememe76]

My favourite characters on Will & Grace, by a long shot, are Will and Grace.

The second seasons of both This is Us and Riverdale are as good as their first seasons. 

[allyw]

The tptb aren't forcing anyone to watch "insert show".  If you don't want to watch "insert show" change the channel or turn the tv off.  Nobody is stopping you.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I don't find John Barrowman the least bit attractive. It's the flat hair and purple lips...

[Enigma X]

5 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

I don't find John Barrowman the least bit attractive. It's the flat hair and purple lips...

You are not alone.

[Shannon L.]

Mainstreaming high fashion clothes to stores that most of us "normal" people shop at require a garment to be simplified for mass production and changed slightly for all body types and I, personally, like the way JC Penny remade Kentaro's red blouse.  In fact, when I first saw it, I thought that I really want to get to the store and try it on.  

Edited November 18, 2017 by Shannon L.

[2727]

I can't stand Stephen Colbert. Mugging, preening, egotistical jackass.

It's not his politics, which I happen to agree with, but his smarmy personality that sets my teeth on edge. I liked him okay as a Daily Show correspondent but giving him free rein on his own shows has amplified his worst traits.

Edited November 19, 2017 by 2727

[Caseysgirl]

Did anyone else find "The Night of 100 Stars" awkward and unfunny?  I finally turned it off after watching the horrible sketch with Chris Rock making fun of generous donors - REALLY?  Most of the sketches I saw were ill conceived and not entertaining.

[Hyacinth B]

Backtracking a bit to cartoons - I agree that the 40s thru 60s were the Golden Age. Looney Tunes and Rocky and Bullwinkle were my faves and are still funny today, the dialogue and puns still make me laugh. But the 90s had some gems too, like Duckman, The Critic, Cow and Chicken (The Red Guy is one of the best characters EVER!) and especially Animaniacs - great dialogue and animation, exceptional voice artists and without a doubt the BEST songs and song parodies ever written for a cartoon series. Warner Brothers hit one out of the park with that show.

[GHScorpiosRule]

On 11/19/2017 at 11:28 AM, Caseysgirl said:

Did anyone else find "The Night of 100 Stars" awkward and unfunny?  I finally turned it off after watching the horrible sketch with Chris Rock making fun of generous donors - REALLY?  Most of the sketches I saw were ill conceived and not entertaining.

It's actually The Night of Too Many Stars. And I was disappointed as well. I think the best for me was when Colbert appeared as the character "Colbert" in the beginning with the buzzer, and then John Oliver showed up. I was hoping Trevor Noah would show up, as there was a chance one could win a seat with him as well. He talked about it on his show, but on this show, no mention of it, like there was with Jon, Conan and Seth. Hasan Minhaj's bit was funny, though.

 

7 minutes ago, Hyacinth B said:

Backtracking a bit to cartoons - I agree that the 40s thru 60s were the Golden Age. Looney Tunes and Rocky and Bullwinkle were my faves and are still funny today, the dialogue and puns still make me laugh. But the 90s had some gems too, like Duckman, The Critic, Cow and Chicken (The Red Guy is one of the best characters EVER!) and especially Animaniacs - great dialogue and animation, exceptional voice artists and without a doubt the BEST songs and song parodies ever written for a cartoon series. Warner Brothers hit one out of the park with that show.

If you're going to talk '90s then, I have to mention B:TAS, S:TAS, Gargoyles, X-Men, the animated series, AND the Spiderman series in 1994.

Edited November 20, 2017 by GHScorpiosRule

[AntiBeeSpray]

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

It's actually The Night of Too Many Stars. And I was disappointed as well. I think the best for me was when Colbert appeared as the character "Colbert" in the beginning with the buzzer, and then John Oliver showed up. I was hoping Trevor Noah would show up, as there was a chance one could win a seat with him as well. He talked about it on his show, but on this show, no mention of it, like there was with Jon, Conan and Seth. Hasan Minhaj's bit was funny, though.

 

If you're going to talk '90s then, I have to mention B:TAS, S:TAS, Gargoyles, X-Men, the animated series, AND the Spiderman series in 1994.

Hell yes. I remember Gargoyles, Batman, X-Men and Spiderman from back then. They were my jam!

Any Animaniacs fans here? Loved that show too.

Edited November 20, 2017 by AntiBeeSpray

[ByTor]

I loved the old Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner shows as a kid (watched them in the early-mid 70s), but now they kind of depress me.  My cartoon of choice now is season 1-3 Spongebob!

[kiddo82]

6 hours ago, AntiBeeSpray said:

Any Animaniacs fans here? Loved that show too.

YES!  And Pinky and the Brain!  One is a genius.  The other's insane.

Edited November 21, 2017 by kiddo82

[Guest]

On ‎11‎/‎13‎/‎2017 at 10:19 PM, memememe76 said:

The second seasons of both This is Us and Riverdale are as good as their first seasons. 

I find my self watching Riverdale mostly for the mood/cinematography.  Its unique at least.  Lots of comic book primary color.  And every episode I'm on the edge of my seat, waiting for a West Side Story musical number.  This last episode I realized that whoever did Damon's hair on Vampire Diaries got hold of the red hair dye and dipped Archie in it.

On ‎11‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 1:31 PM, 2727 said:

I can't stand Stephen Colbert. Mugging, preening, egotistical jackass.

It's not his politics, which I happen to agree with, but his smarmy personality that sets my teeth on edge. I liked him okay as a Daily Show correspondent but giving him free rein on his own shows has amplified his worst traits.

What I liked about Colbert's old show was the interaction with Colbert Nation.  Although I never participated, it used to crack me up when he'd send Colbert Nation on missions to name stuff after him because it would usually result in success followed by the "name this" contest organizers not wanting to name the thing after him.  The space treadmill and Colbert Jr flying to Canada brought me joy.

As for his new show, I've generally found that every time I watch the interview segments are pretty weak.  I don't watch very often.

 

6 hours ago, AntiBeeSpray said:

Hell yes. I remember Gargoyles, Batman, X-Men and Spiderman from back then. They were my jam!

I watched Gargoyles, X-Men, and Sailor Moon, Jem for the romance.  It was my gateway into soap operas.

[AntiBeeSpray]

1 hour ago, kiddo82 said:

YES!  And Pinky and the Brain!  One is a genius.  The other's insane.

Sweet. Love those two as well! :p Narf. I miss that show being on the air.

[selkie]

1 hour ago, ParadoxLost said:

What I liked about Colbert's old show was the interaction with Colbert Nation.  Although I never participated, it used to crack me up when he'd send Colbert Nation on missions to name stuff after him because it would usually result in success followed by the "name this" contest organizers not wanting to name the thing after him.  The space treadmill and Colbert Jr flying to Canada brought me joy.

 

 

There was a certain whimsical tilting at windmills quality to Colbert Nation and the old show that works well on the slight obscurity of late night cable but doesn't make so much sense on a traditional network talk show.  I loved how their raised enough money to underwrite the 2009-2010 USA Speedskating Team's season after the teams' original sponsor pulled out. 

[kittykat]

10 hours ago, AntiBeeSpray said:

Hell yes. I remember Gargoyles, Batman, X-Men and Spiderman from back then. They were my jam!

Any Animaniacs fans here? Loved that show too.

90s kid here joining in on the love.  I was just sitting here wondering if cartoons nowadays are that bad or were 90s cartoons that good?  They were that good.  

[ShadowHunter]

I could not get into The Crown. I didn't think it was bad but it had no appeal to me.  After 4 episodes it was time to give up.

[HunterHunted]

On 11/20/2017 at 11:37 PM, kittykat said:

90s kid here joining in on the love.  I was just sitting here wondering if cartoons nowadays are that bad or were 90s cartoons that good?  They were that good.  

They were that good. I think the other thing that people miss is that some of the earliest versions of serialized storytelling on tv was in these cartoons. Additionally, the 90s cartoons created a ton of interesting characters and backstories that would later be integrated into comics continuity like Harley Quinn, Renee Montoya, Livewire, Mercy Graves, the Gray Ghost, and a revised origin story for Mr. Freeze. And I loved Gargoyles' take that everything in Shakespeare's plays was real and how that would play out. 

[Chaos Theory]

I am not sure if its unpopular or not but I liked season 2 of Stranger Things more then the first season which I thought was good but no where near as good as everyone thought it was.  It was a fun nostalgia trip and except for Winona Ryder's intense performance I thought season one was incredibly overrated.  Season 2 tells a better overall story.  

[Enigma X]

26 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

I am not sure if its unpopular or not but I liked season 2 of Stranger Things more then the first season which I thought was good but no where near as good as everyone thought it was.  It was a fun nostalgia trip and except for Winona Ryder's intense performance I thought season one was incredibly overrated.  Season 2 tells a better overall story.  

I liked both seasons, but season 2 is my favorite of the two as well.

[Guest]

On ‎11‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 0:37 AM, kittykat said:

90s kid here joining in on the love.  I was just sitting here wondering if cartoons nowadays are that bad or were 90s cartoons that good?  They were that good.  

I think part of it is not having Saturday morning cartoons anymore.  It made a difference when all the networks were filling a Saturday morning schedule with competing cartoons.

27 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

I am not sure if its unpopular or not but I liked season 2 of Stranger Things more then the first season which I thought was good but no where near as good as everyone thought it was.  It was a fun nostalgia trip and except for Winona Ryder's intense performance I thought season one was incredibly overrated.  Season 2 tells a better overall story.  

I couldn't even get through the first season.  I don't get why its so popular.

[Bastet]

41 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

It was a fun nostalgia trip and except for Winona Ryder's intense performance I thought season one was incredibly overrated.

That's how I felt about it.  In fact, after the first half of the season, I didn't even want to finish it because I thought the nostalgia factor was all it had going for it and other than that I fairly actively disliked it, but my friend - who was relying on me for Netflix access - wanted to finish it, so we did.  Thanks to the second half, I wound up coming around a bit, but I still think it was just okay, that there wasn't a whole lot to it beneath the nostalgia. 

[Jenniferbug]

15 minutes ago, ParadoxLost said:

I couldn't even get through the first season.  I don't get why its so popular.

I watched the first episode a couple of days after season one dropped on Netflix, and have never had any desire to watch more than that. It's weird to me that it's become such a hit. 

I must be odd because I also have no interest in Walking Dead, GoT, Breaking Bad, and yet there are popular mainstream shows I like (This is Us, for example). 

[ganesh]

I just don't care for A Christmas Carol. I'll sit through it if I have to. I get the story though. However, I don't get The Nutcracker *at all*. It's just completely boring to me. 

[Misslindsey]

Quote

I just don't care for A Christmas Carol. I'll sit through it if I have to. I get the story though. However, I don't get The Nutcracker *at all*. It's just completely boring to me. 

I am with you. I am one that does not care for any of the classic Christmas movies or specials (Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, any holiday Charlie Brown special, It's a Wonderful Life, The Grinch, A Christmas Carol, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, etc.) I know I am the worst.

[bilgistic]

The old stop-motion movies like Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman and the TV show Davey and Goliath Creep. Me. Out.

[Enigma X]

28 minutes ago, Misslindsey said:

I am with you. I am one that does not care for any of the classic Christmas movies or specials (Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, any holiday Charlie Brown special, It's a Wonderful Life, The Grinch, A Christmas Carol, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, etc.) I know I am the worst.

I feel the same.

[scarynikki12]

I like Charlie Brown and The Grinch but my favorite Christmas special is South Park's Woodland Critter Christmas. 

[GaT]

1 hour ago, ganesh said:

I just don't care for A Christmas Carol. I'll sit through it if I have to. 

How do you feel about "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol"

[Danny Franks]

My girlfriend and I are doing a big Friends rewatch, after she bought the box set. And it's made me realise anew just how much I can't abide Ross/Rachel. I instantly started to dread watching, as soon as they started ramping up. Such a toxic pairing, who always brought out the worst in each other. Ross was a lousy boyfriend, who always seemed disgruntled whenever Rachel did anything for herself, and Rachel just seemed shrill and constantly annoyed by him. The two of them were easily the least funny characters, through the first four seasons.

They were much better after they broke up, because then at least their constant belittling of each other made sense, and was actually very funny. But man, did those two really not respect each other. Why do so many TV shows portray such unhealthy relationship dynamics, and try to pass them off as romantic?

This is why Friends is one of the few shows where I think the later seasons are better than the early ones. And not only because the humour of the first few seasons just feels a bit dated. From season 5 onward, it had better character dynamics, didn't rely on a painful central romance, and I really enjoyed Joey and Rachel living together. They were very funny together, and their friendship was one of the highlights of the latter seasons. And yes, I loved the idea of a relationship between them, and will be forever irritated that the writers chickened out so blatantly, even more so that they lumped Rachel back with Ross, just to give 'shippers the ending they wanted.

I enjoy Chandler/Monica more now than I did when it first aired. Partly because it put and end to all of the 'romantic fail' storylines they each had in the first few seasons, and partly because it allowed both characters to grow so much (although Monica became something of a caricature). But it was nice that they were able to put them in a relationship and just let it grow, healthily and organically.

Edited November 26, 2017 by Danny Franks

[Haleth]

Holiday UO (which I probably posted last year too):  The classic Rudolf cartoon is the worst.  Santa says Christmas has to be cancelled because there will be no presents.  What a horrible message for children!  No, Santa, Christmas =/= presents.  You could learn a lesson from the Grinch.

[Shannon L.]

8 hours ago, bilgistic said:

The old stop-motion movies like Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman and the TV show Davey and Goliath Creep. Me. Out.

The worst is that one with the heat and cold misers.  ::shudder::

1 hour ago, Haleth said:

Holiday UO (which I probably posted last year too):  The classic Rudolf cartoon is the worst.  Santa says Christmas has to be cancelled because there will be no presents.  What a horrible message for children!  No, Santa, Christmas =/= presents.  You could learn a lesson from the Grinch.

Yet another reason to hate Rudolph.  It's been so long that I've seen the show, I'd forgotten that part.

Another UO:  I hate parades.  I hate them in person, I hate them on tv.  I do find the Rose parade floats quite impressive and beautiful, so I keep it on tv as background noise and glance up on occasion to see a float or two, but for the most part?  Boring.  I've even seen it live twice and I wasn't enjoying myself after a while.  Don't even get me started on Macy's with those ugly balloons. 

[Ohwell]

Y'all, we got some Grinches up in here! LOL

[ganesh]

9 hours ago, GaT said:

How do you feel about "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol"

He's ok. We had a field trip to see ACC as a play at the city rep, and it was fine for me. I just aren't going to seek it out each xmas. 

[BlackberryJam]

I hate It's a Wonderful Life.

[scriggle]

I don't like A Christmas Story.

[2727]

I took against Anthony Bourdain after reading Kitchen Confidential and him being on TV only made it worse. So smug.

[Chaos Theory]

45 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

I hate It's a Wonderful Life.

 

6 minutes ago, scriggle said:

I don't like A Christmas Story.

Grinches aren’t we all?  Not a big fan of either of these myself but I do love almost every version of A Christmas Carol.  There is just something about that story that appeals to me.  

Speaking of Grinches....I do like The Grinch Who Stole Christmas as well.

Edited November 26, 2017 by Chaos Theory

[Winter Rose]

Quote

I enjoy Chandler/Monica more now than I did when it first aired. Partly because it put and end to all of the 'romantic fail' storylines they each had in the first few seasons, and partly because it allowed both characters to grow so much (although Monica became something of a caricature). But it was nice that they were able to put them in a relationship and just let it grow, healthily and organically.

I've always been indifferent to Monica/Chandler. I didn't really like the character Monica became in the later seasons but I appreciated how they were able to be together as a couple and stay that way. They're one of the only couples I can think of (outside of couples who start off on a show already together) where they didn't need to break them up to keep them interesting. However, I thought them sneaking around dragged on for too long and I loathe TOW Everybody Finds Out. The whole "but they don't know that we know that they know that we know" on and on and on crap wasn't funny, it was annoying.

Quote

I don't like A Christmas Story.

I've never seen it but the 24 hour marathon that they do every year, and worse when multiple channels are doing it, have made me never want to see it.

[ganesh]

My uncle loves the movie because he grew up during that time. It definitely has funny moments (fragile-must be Italian!) They'll put it on in the background but don't make a point to sit and watch it every year. 

I just don't like schmaltz. And I cannot stand the Gift of the Magi. 

I do very much like the xmas episode of My So Called Life. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

13 hours ago, bilgistic said:

The old stop-motion movies like Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman and the TV show Davey and Goliath Creep. Me. Out.

That’s claymation! and the original Frosty the Snowman was regular toon animation. It was when he met Rudolph in that Christmas in July and retcon of his Rudolph could lose his bright shiny nose, that Frosty, his wife and kids(!!?(how is that possible?)) that he was drawn in claymation.

[Ohwell]

All I know is, those people in Whoville were very forgiving, much more than I would have been.  I mean, they did know that the Grinch stole all their shit, right?  Sure, he brought it all back when his heart grew three sizes, but I would not have let him sit at the head of the table like Father Christmas, carving the roast beast.  I understand forgiveness but his behind would have been seated somewhere else.

[Chaos Theory]

17 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

All I know is, those people in Whoville were very forgiving, much more than I would have been.  I mean, they did know that the Grinch stole all their shit, right?  Sure, he brought it all back when his heart grew three sizes, but I would not have let him sit at the head of the table like Father Christmas, carving the roast beast.  I understand forgiveness but his behind would have been seated somewhere else.

You can say the same thing about Bob Cratchet and Scrooge.  Although paying for his kids life saving surgery does beg for a good deal of forgiveness.    Then again that is the point of a majority of Christmas stories.  Forgiveness and second chances.    Yes it is incredibly schmaltzy and usually I hate schmaltz but there is just something about Christmas movie schmaltz...... 

On a different note:

Am I the only person of the right age who hasn't watched Friends?  Then again I can probably count on one hand (well two hand really) the number of comedies I have truly enjoyed.   Friends just seemed so stupid to me back then.  So did Seinfeld.  The only reason I even bothered with HIMYM was because of Alyson Hannigan and my Buffy Love.  

[Ohwell]

6 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

You can say the same thing about Bob Cratchet and Scrooge.  Although paying for his kids life saving surgery does beg for a good deal of forgiveness.    Then again that is the point of a majority of Christmas stories.  Forgiveness and second chances.    Yes it is incredibly schmaltzy and usually I hate schmaltz but there is just something about Christmas movie schmaltz...... 

Yes, I get what you're saying about forgiveness, but Grinch would have still been sitting somewhere else if left up to me.  That's all I'm sayin'.  Now if he continues to do good deeds for the people of Whoville, then perhaps next Christmas he can sit at the head of the table.  Also, he needs to be kinder to the poor dog. 

[ganesh]

15 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

Forgiveness and second chances.

Key word on second. You know this wasn't the first time Scrooge was horrible to his work staff. The real reason Scrooge turned over a new leaf is because he saw that no one talked anything nice about him when he died. So it was still all about him anyway. 

I don't like that it's incumbent on the wronged party to forgive consistently abusive behavior. It's not like Cratchet was complaining about not having a turkey. He just wanted the day off like everyone else. 

Knowing what little I know about Dickens and his subversive humor, I wonder if that was his original intent. You look at something like Bleak House, where they won the court case and the right to the inheritance, but it totally got spent in legal fees during the court case itself. 

You know Scrooge would have left the car radio on if he had a car. 

[kiddo82]

I saw the musical version of A Christmas Carol (Scrooge!) for the first time last year.  I related to Scrooge's song "I hate people" a little too much.