Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[JustHereForFood]

2 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

Ugly in what ways?

The style of the animation. I grew up on animated series like Marvel superheroes, Thundercats, etc. They all looked good. Even series like Life with Louie or Arnold were decent IMO. Sure, there were some less pleasant for the eye even back then, but I think there is a lot more of those now.

[Mabinogia]

26 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

Sure, there were some less pleasant for the eye even back then, but I think there is a lot more of those now.

For me it started with South Park. That is when it seemed to be less about making it look like it took time and effort and became more about making it look like it was thrown together on a lark. I don't think it's necessarily because these animators can't do good work, I think they choose this more slapped together aesthetic.  

It's a valid choice, it's just not something that in any way appeals to me, and quite the contrary, it rather puts me off a show. Television is a visual medium and if it isn't visually appealing to me I'm not going to bother. I'm sure I'm not seeing some great storytelling, but there is very little that is truly original in the world so whatever story they are telling will be told in some other form at some point. 

[Danny Franks]

On 6/19/2022 at 12:36 PM, Haleth said:

Yeah, TWW didn't hold up well, but I'd still consider it one of the best shows ever on tv.  It was groundbreaking; the writing was outstanding and the acting was superb, even if these days it's not so easy to watch.  I loved The Newsroom too but agree there were problems.

I think Sorkin's writing style definitely tends to the paternalistic. Not to the degree some people claim, and certainly not to the degree the old TWoP folks decided it did, after he got into a big argument on the forums with them. He just writes from a very 'good men are the best thing ever' point of view and, while he clearly admires intelligent women, he often writes them as objects of fascination for men and has way too many scenes where the intelligent men admire how intelligent these women are and think about how happy that makes them.

But when he writes, one character always needs to hold the idiot ball, so another character can explain things. The idiot ball holder was often a woman, but not always. Sometimes it was Donna asking Josh endless questions so he could pontificate, and sometimes it was Will McAvoy being stubborn and difficult so that Mac could explain how things work.

The main problem I have with The West Wing now is that it's hopelessly optimistic, to an absurd degree. We've seen far too much of how stupid politics actually is to believe in a bunch of noble, honest, do-gooders ever being able to win and keep power and actually use it to make peoples' lives better.

Edited June 22, 2022 by Danny Franks

[Hiyo]

Quote

He just writes from a very 'good men are the best thing ever' point of view and, while he clearly admires intelligent women, he often writes them as objects of fascination for men and has way too many scenes where the intelligent men admire how intelligent these women are and think about how happy that makes them.

Especially if they are hawt women with the smartz. Because nothing is more fascinating than a very attractive woman who is also intelligent.

[Danny Franks]

22 minutes ago, Hiyo said:

Especially if they are hawt women with the smartz. Because nothing is more fascinating than a very attractive woman who is also intelligent.

Eh, of all the things you can accuse Sorkin of, I don't think he's a writer who demands the women in his shows be super hot. Anna Deavere Smith played one of the smartest characters in The West Wing, as did Stockard Channing. Emily Mortimer and Alison Janney are both extremely attractive women, but not really Hollywood's idea of "hawt."

The only ones I can think of who fit that descriptor would be Olivia Munn and Emily Procter, but the hotness was the point - they were dismissed by people around them because they were attractive, and usually proved themselves to be the smartest people in the room.

Compare the casting of a Sorkin show to the average CBS or Fox procedural and I think there's likely to be a stark difference.

But, speaking as a man, I do find intelligent women to be pretty attractive, yes.

[Hiyo]

But none of them were as fascinating as Munn and Procter's characters were perceived to be. "Women can be hot and smart? Da fuq you say?"

Plus, you're supposed to expect more from a Sorkin show than your average network procedural.

[Cinnabon]

2 hours ago, Hiyo said:

But none of them were as fascinating as Munn and Procter's characters were perceived to be. "Women can be hot and smart? Da fuq you say?"

Plus, you're supposed to expect more from a Sorkin show than your average network procedural.

Munn’s character was far less interesting than some other women’s on The Newsroom, imo.

[Zella]

14 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

I think Sorkin's writing style definitely tends to the paternalistic. Not to the degree some people claim, and certainly not to the degree the old TWoP folks decided it did, after he got into a big argument on the forums with them. He just writes from a very 'good men are the best thing ever' point of view and, while he clearly admires intelligent women, he often writes them as objects of fascination for men and has way too many scenes where the intelligent men admire how intelligent these women are and think about how happy that makes them.

But when he writes, one character always needs to hold the idiot ball, so another character can explain things. The idiot ball holder was often a woman, but not always. Sometimes it was Donna asking Josh endless questions so he could pontificate, and sometimes it was Will McAvoy being stubborn and difficult so that Mac could explain how things work.

The main problem I have with The West Wing now is that it's hopelessly optimistic, to an absurd degree. We've seen far too much of how stupid politics actually is to believe in a bunch of noble, honest, do-gooders ever being able to win and keep power and actually use it to make peoples' lives better.

The storyline that bothered me the most when I rewatched didn't even involve a woman. It was Josh single-handedly deciding that he knew more than Charlie about what Charlie needed for a job, despite Charlie's very valid concerns about time demands and raising a younger sibling, and he just fucking walks all over him and gives him an even more time-consuming, high=pressure job that he didn't want, so Josh can feel better about himself. It was so condescending. I think it was trying to be enlightened and depicting Josh as the hero of the story, but it basically was this middle-aged white man knows more than this Black teenager about what is good for him. 

Recognizing that Charlie was brighter than the job he applied for was a good thing. But I think that's a situation where you LISTEN when the kid you're impressed with expresses these dilemmas and actually work with him on finding an opportunity that is befitting his talents while also recognizing his very legitimate concerns about what he is currently able to do.

I have a boss who is very good at recognizing people's talents and gifts and artfully mentoring them and encouraging them, but she also meets you where you are. Josh was not meeting Charlie where he was because really he didn't give a flying fuck about Charlie. 

Edited June 23, 2022 by Zella

[Haleth]

9 hours ago, Zella said:

I think it was trying to be enlightened and depicting Josh as the hero of the story, but it basically was this middle-aged white man knows more than this Black teenager about what is good for him. 

Josh was a pretty arrogant, know-it-all jerk right from the start.  I'm not sure Sorkin intended him to be a hero though since he often ended up in the more comical storylines.  Good guy, yes.  I wouldn't be surprised if Sorkin most identified with Josh.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I don’t know how unpopular this is. I’ve never watched Chicago P.D. but I’m home sick and happened to watch half of one episode and the last 15 minutes of another.

Is this supposed to be a cop procedural or a prime time soap?! And Dick Wolf created this? How Jason Beghe’s character’s ASS wasn’t fired for torturing with a knife (slicing it down the face to sort of cut off the ears) has me sitting in shock. Unless his “team” including his ass (I’ve never liked him and can’t believe he’s a “good” guy) are some fictional black ops on a state level?

It’s so dreary.

Edited June 23, 2022 by GHScorpiosRule

[Ohiopirate02]

5 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I don’t know how unpopular this is. I’ve never watched Chicago P.D. but I’m home sick and happened to watch half of one episode and the last 15 minutes of another.

Is this supposed to be a cop procedural or a prime time soap?! And Dick Wolf created this? How Jason Beghe’s character’s ASS wasn’t fired for torturing with a knife (slicing it down the face to sort of cut off the ears) has me sitting in shock. Unless his “team” including his ass (I’ve never liked him and can’t believe he’s a “good” guy) are some fictional black ops on a state level?

It’s so dreary.

The character is supposed to be the morally gray cop who's willing to bend the rules to put bad guys away.   MMV of course. 

[Crs97]

28 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

The character is supposed to be the morally gray cop who's willing to bend the rules to put bad guys away.   MMV of course. 

He was introduced to us on Chicago Fire when he put a hit on a fire fighter who refused to file a false report when cop’s drunk son had a car accident that paralyzed a young kid.  Jason sold it and I can understand why they wanted to keep him around, but the fact that he is playing the same character is so outrageous to me that I just can’t watch a moment of PD.

[Hiyo]

Quote

He was introduced to us on Chicago Fire when he put a hit on a fire fighter who refused to file a false report when cop’s drunk son had a car accident that paralyzed a young kid

And this is someone we are supposed to root for?

[Crashcourse]

I stopped watching Chicago PD after just a couple episodes because I just. could. not. stand that crooked cop.  I also couldn't stand his hoarse voice. 

[Raja]

On 6/23/2022 at 2:59 PM, Hiyo said:

And this is someone we are supposed to root for?

I couldn't understand it either I watched a few seasons waiting for them to really go after him like they did with Sergeant Vic Mackey on The Shield from the very beginning of that show.  But then the short lived Chicago Justice never touched on ultimate justice issue in Chicago and PD started crossing over with L&O SVU and FBI.

Edited June 26, 2022 by Raja

[Enigma X]

I know that I may be thinking about this too hard but anthropomorphisized (sp) animals having romantic relationships with humans removes any likability I may have for them and takes me out of the story.

Edited June 26, 2022 by Enigma X

[Haleth]

23 hours ago, Enigma X said:

I know that I may be thinking about this too hard but anthropomorphisized (sp) animals having romantic relationships with humans removes any likability I may have for them and takes me out of the story.

Ew.

[cleo]

So no Bojack Horseman I guess heh. But are there any examples other than that? Of people and anthropomorphized animals having relationships in shows.

I remember when I started Bojack I thought it was really weird, but honestly a great show.

Edited June 27, 2022 by cleo

[Gharlane]

On 6/18/2022 at 12:21 PM, AgathaC said:

Yes! We have a close friend who remains in love with the show and Sorkin. She’s now trying to convince my husband we should watch The Newsroom. I’m giving that a hard no. (I actually saw parts of the first season and that was enough. But I also used to work in news so my “that wouldn’t happen” threshold is even lower than for TWW.)

Was it The Newsroom that people quoted whenever they wanted to sound profound, not realizing that the quote underwent several rewrites to get it right, not it was something spontaneously said? 🙄 Sorry, I no longer remember what was said and I don't care enough to look it up.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Gharlane

[Enigma X]

2 hours ago, cleo said:

So no Bojack Horseman I guess heh. But are there any examples other than that? Of people and anthropomorphized animals having relationships in shows.

I remember when I started Bojack I thought it was really weird, but honestly a great show.

Well, I am not  Bojack Horsemen fan period. Could not get into it.

[paulvdb]

10 hours ago, cleo said:

So no Bojack Horseman I guess heh. But are there any examples other than that? Of people and anthropomorphized animals having relationships in shows.

I remember when I started Bojack I thought it was really weird, but honestly a great show.

Off the top of my head the only one I can think of is a movie: Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 6/23/2022 at 6:57 PM, Crashcourse said:

I stopped watching Chicago PD after just a couple episodes because I just. could. not. stand that crooked cop.  I also couldn't stand his hoarse voice. 

I watched Chicago PD for awhile, I think I stopped watching a few seasons ago. I didn't mind the idea of a show focused on a dirty cop. What ended up bugging me though was that Voight was a super corrupt cop, yet any time he encountered any other corrupt cops or city officials he took a super high and mighty attitude. Like his corruption was ok, but anything any other dirty cops did was bad and they had to be taken down.

The fact that his dirty cops tactics almost always worked for him really started to bug me too.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Kel Varnsen

[Anduin]

There are some words that have been overused by pop culture, and have lost their meaning. Epic. Iconic. Legendary. It feels like everyone is using them in an attempt to hype their thing up, rendering them background white noise.

Dear marketers, PR people, and others in related industries. Please give it a break. Let the words regain their meaning. Be creative. Find another way to get attention for your thing. I believe in you.

[Cinnabon]

7 minutes ago, Anduin said:

There are some words that have been overused by pop culture, and have lost their meaning. Epic. Iconic. Legendary. It feels like everyone is using them in an attempt to hype their thing up, rendering them background white noise.

Dear marketers, PR people, and others in related industries. Please give it a break. Let the words regain their meaning. Be creative. Find another way to get attention for your thing. I believe in you.

When I was in the 7th grade in 1983, one of my teachers told us not to overuse the word “awesome,” and to save it for things that truly met the definition. Fast forward decades and it’s only gotten worse! 🤦‍♀️

[Anduin]

1 minute ago, Cinnabon said:

When I was in the 7th grade in 1983, one of my teachers told us not to overuse the word “awesome,” and to save it for things that truly met the definition. Fast forward decades and it’s only gotten worse! 🤦‍♀️

Absolutely! It really is frustrating.

[Zella]

1 hour ago, Anduin said:

There are some words that have been overused by pop culture, and have lost their meaning. Epic. Iconic. Legendary. It feels like everyone is using them in an attempt to hype their thing up, rendering them background white noise.

Dear marketers, PR people, and others in related industries. Please give it a break. Let the words regain their meaning. Be creative. Find another way to get attention for your thing. I believe in you.

I really hate when people use slay as some sort of synonym for winning. I remember a friend told me Beyonce had slayed something, and no, unless she is literally slaying some dragon with a sword, she didn't slay anything. 

[Cinnabon]

2 hours ago, Zella said:

I really hate when people use slay as some sort of synonym for winning. I remember a friend told me Beyonce had slayed something, and no, unless she is literally slaying some dragon with a sword, she didn't slay anything. 

On that note, I hate that video game jargon has made its way into everyday speech. For example - “take the L.” First of all, life is not a video game, and why must everything be competitive and have winners and losers? A conversation is an exchange of ideas, there is no “winner” unless you’re formally competing in a debate.  

Edited July 4, 2022 by Cinnabon

[SVNBob]

1 hour ago, Cinnabon said:

I hate that video game jargon has made its way into everyday speech. For example - “take the L.”

I think that originally comes from the world of sports and not video games.  Back when stats were published in newsprint and there was the Win/Loss column, often shortened to W/L.

It may have gotten more popular with the rise of competitive video gaming, but it's probably older than it appears.

[Blergh]

3 hours ago, Anduin said:

Absolutely! It really is frustrating.

IMO, the overuse of 'awesome' pales to newer slang usage of 'sick' as a substitute for 'awesome,terrific, brilliant, fabulous,etc.'. .or for anything besides the state of being physically/mentally ill OR wantonly evil. Seriously, I'd rather hear a thousand 'awesomes' in a row than even one newer example of the slang usage of 'sick'.

[Cinnabon]

8 minutes ago, SVNBob said:

I think that originally comes from the world of sports and not video games.  Back when stats were published in newsprint and there was the Win/Loss column, often shortened to W/L.

It may have gotten more popular with the rise of competitive video gaming, but it's probably older than it appears.

People weren’t using it in completely unrelated conversations , though. At least not that I noticed. Now every exchange has to be a contest for too many. 

[Crs97]

4 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

Now every exchange has to be a contest for too many. 

Yes, and the hyperbole for clickbait doesn’t help:  “Click here to see Mr. X destroy Mr. Y!”  Or “Ms. Z was humiliated by this exchange with Ms. A!”  It’s exhausting.

[Mabinogia]

12 hours ago, Anduin said:

There are some words that have been overused by pop culture, and have lost their meaning. Epic. Iconic. Legendary. It feels like everyone is using them in an attempt to hype their thing up, rendering them background white noise.

Whenever anyone say something is awesome I think of Eddie Izzards standup. 

[Hiyo]

That was awesome.

Quote

I really hate when people use slay as some sort of synonym for winning.

I always felt people were using it as another synonym for "killing it", in the figurative sense.

[Zella]

49 minutes ago, Hiyo said:

That was awesome.

I always felt people were using it as another synonym for "killing it", in the figurative sense.

Probably. For whatever reason, killing it doesn't set me off in the same way! 

[DearEvette]

13 hours ago, Zella said:

I really hate when people use slay as some sort of synonym for winning. I remember a friend told me Beyonce had slayed something, and no, unless she is literally slaying some dragon with a sword, she didn't slay anything. 

Lots of words have multiple meanings though. Sometimes a less popular, archaic or figurative meaning of a word (or what I like to call, the definition they use on the GRE) rotates into more popular use.

Slay, for instance, has about 5 different meanings and one of them oddly has to do with weaving,  but yet another is to 'overwhelm with delight.'   'You slay me' as meaning 'something you did very much impressed me' has been in use since at least the 20s. 

Yeah, the overuse or hyperbolic use is annoying, but the way it is being used in this sense is not incorrect.

[Bastet]

12 hours ago, Blergh said:

Seriously, I'd rather hear a thousand 'awesomes' in a row than even one newer example of the slang usage of 'sick'.

I knew someone in the late '70s through early '80s who always used sick that way, so when I started hearing it more broadly in the '90s, I always thought of him.  I haven't noticed it lately, but since I don't use social media I'm not as exposed to what's trending in slang.

[Zella]

2 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Lots of words have multiple meanings though. Sometimes a less popular, archaic or figurative meaning of a word (or what I like to call, the definition they use on the GRE) rotates into more popular use.

Slay, for instance, has about 5 different meanings and one of them oddly has to do with weaving,  but yet another is to 'overwhelm with delight.'   'You slay me' as meaning 'something you did very much impressed me' has been in use since at least the 20s. 

Yeah, the overuse or hyperbolic use is annoying, but the way it is being used in this sense is not incorrect.

I'm not really approaching it from what is correct. We were talking about things that were annoying.  It annoys me. I feel like being annoyed by it is every bit as valid as someone loving it and using it constantly.

[Blergh]

Anyone  else wish that TV characters (and/or Real Life folks under 90) would revive the term 'swanky'?

[DearEvette]

2 hours ago, Zella said:

I'm not really approaching it from what is correct. We were talking about things that were annoying.  It annoys me. I feel like being annoyed by it is every bit as valid as someone loving it and using it constantly.

Understood.  I just took this part:

Quote

unless she is literally slaying some dragon with a sword, she didn't slay anything. 

as the main issue, not the annoyance aspect.

[Zella]

9 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

Understood.  I just took this part:

as the main issue, not the annoyance aspect.

That's fair enough! I guess for me it just makes it sound too epic. Now that I think about it, I think what is really the issue for me is I never think whatever is being described is as bad-ass as the person who is describing it thinks it is. 

Edited July 5, 2022 by Zella

[Mabinogia]

1 hour ago, Zella said:

Now that I think about it, I think what is really the issue for me is I never think whatever is being described is as bad-ass as the person who is describing it thinks it is. 

That's when it annoys me. and I agree. Most of the time it is used in a situation where I feel like the person didn't really "slay" anything but either things they did or is trying to convince people they are more badass than they are.

Since we're talking terms/sayings that annoy. "broke the internet" actively pisses me off. I know it's stupid, but it does. Like, "this cat video broke the internet". No, no it did not. Sure a bunch of people probably watched it, but not not every person on Earth, probably not even the majority of people on Earth so get over yourself! GRRRRRR so much rage. lol

[Anduin]

5 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

Since we're talking terms/sayings that annoy. "broke the internet" actively pisses me off. I know it's stupid, but it does. Like, "this cat video broke the internet". No, no it did not. Sure a bunch of people probably watched it, but not not every person on Earth, probably not even the majority of people on Earth so get over yourself! GRRRRRR so much rage. lol

Sometime in late 2014, Kim Kardashian got naked for some photos. Several days later, the first teaser for the new Star Wars movies was released. While the internet didn't break, there were certainly more tremors caused by the second one than the first. At least in my internet communities.

[DrSpaceman73]

20 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

That's when it annoys me. and I agree. Most of the time it is used in a situation where I feel like the person didn't really "slay" anything but either things they did or is trying to convince people they are more badass than they are.

Since we're talking terms/sayings that annoy. "broke the internet" actively pisses me off. I know it's stupid, but it does. Like, "this cat video broke the internet". No, no it did not. Sure a bunch of people probably watched it, but not not every person on Earth, probably not even the majority of people on Earth so get over yourself! GRRRRRR so much rage. lol

Ditto the similar phrase "won the internet".  I know it's supposed to be tongue in cheek and not literal, like a cutesy way of saying how great it is, but it annoys me. 

Also people stop saying low key.  It's meaningless.  It's like 'borderline' and 'very' and other nonsense and useless adverbs.  They aren't needed.  

[Domestic Assassin]

One that always annoys me is someone "broke their silence." Bite me. Someone released a statement. Someone commented on something. 

[Cinnabon]

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

That's when it annoys me. and I agree. Most of the time it is used in a situation where I feel like the person didn't really "slay" anything but either things they did or is trying to convince people they are more badass than they are.

Since we're talking terms/sayings that annoy. "broke the internet" actively pisses me off. I know it's stupid, but it does. Like, "this cat video broke the internet". No, no it did not. Sure a bunch of people probably watched it, but not not every person on Earth, probably not even the majority of people on Earth so get over yourself! GRRRRRR so much rage. lol

Same. I’m even such a curmudgeon that I cringe hearing “legit.” 

[Gharlane]

Don't get me started on the use of "melty" and "veggies" on TV commercials. 

[bluegirl147]

For me it's totes.  Adorbs.  Took me a while to figure out what GOAT was.  But the word I hate the most is brand.  As in I'm working on my brand.  Or it's all about my brand.  It's like nails on the chalkboard for me.  A guy cutting my hair once said he was all about his brand.  He was a cosmetology student at the time.  How much of a brand could he have had?

[Cinnabon]

1 hour ago, bluegirl147 said:

For me it's totes.  Adorbs.  Took me a while to figure out what GOAT was.  But the word I hate the most is brand.  As in I'm working on my brand.  Or it's all about my brand.  It's like nails on the chalkboard for me.  A guy cutting my hair once said he was all about his brand.  He was a cosmetology student at the time.  How much of a brand could he have had?

Agree on all of the above. But “prolly” makes me want to bang my head against the wall. I can tolerate it in tweens/teens but beyond that it’s unbearable.

[Mabinogia]

6 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

For me it's totes. 

I had a friend who used to say totes mcgoats all the time. It drove me up a wall. Another was "Shut the front door!". I remember Beckett on Castle saying it several times and I was all "You are a homicide detective, if you can't say "Shut the fuck up' then, well, just shut the fuck up. Shut the front door just made her sound like a sheltered tween. Any of those things, like totes, and adorbs as you mentioned, that make the sayer sound like a precious little toddler are nails on a chalkboard to me. 

6 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

As in I'm working on my brand.

That's the social media/influencer lifestyle taking over. Everybody has to have a "brand". My brand...well, I used to prefer Ben and Jerry's but I'm trying to watch my sugar (diabetes runs rampant on both sides of my family) so I lean more towards Friendly's. I can't give up ice cream completely but it is slightly less sugary. Of course my online presence amounts to a facebook page I use to stalk corgis and this site that I use to complain about tv tropes and share unpopular opinions so I guess I really don't need a "brand".

[JustHereForFood]

22 hours ago, Domestic Assassin said:

One that always annoys me is someone "broke their silence." Bite me. Someone released a statement. Someone commented on something. 

Yes, the clickbaity way of that phrase is annoying me too.

Also, person XY slams person/company Z, when the only thing they do is point out some facts or state their opinion.