Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[ganesh]

The speaker at the symposium I'm at is just said pee.

[ByTor]

The double standard when it comes to domestic abuse on TV drives me nuts. Hence why I cannot stand Everybody Loves Raymond. 

I despise the Bad Moon Rising episode, the one where Debra has PMS.  The part where she's so enraged with her PMS that she shoves Raymond into book shelves puts ME in a rage.  THAT'S supposed to be funny?  Being that I've seen that episode as a top ELR favorite in surveys, I guess many people think it is (which is why I'm assuming mine is the unpopular opinion), but I'd like to know how funny it would be if Ray were the one to shove Debra into the book shelves.  Oh, silly me, Ray can't get PMS, and it's the PMS that is soooo laugh out loud funny.

[applecrisp]

I really like the new Poldark.  I watched some clips of the seventies version and thought it did not stand up well.  I understand those who watched it at the time may find it good.  i actually thought there was over-acting.  I really like this Demelza.  I have a slight crush on Ross.  That has not happened since the early days of Mad Men.

 

I am enjoying it and am sad only eight episodes, at least give it as many as Downton.

[ribboninthesky1]

My issue with Joan hitting Greg had nothing to do with who deserved what but that domestic violence was presented in a way that we were supposed to think it was funny.

 

The double standard when it comes to domestic abuse on TV drives me nuts. Hence why I cannot stand Everybody Loves Raymond.

 

Never watched Mad Men or Everybody Loves Raymond, but I agree with the overall sentiment that women engaging in unprovoked violence against men is too commonly played for laughs, or otherwise justified, if not outright ignored.     

Edited July 30, 2015 by ribboninthesky1

[Chaos Theory]

This is probably a strange question, but do women in real life use the word "pee" more

often now? I see it coming up a lot on tv shows and always think that sounds like

something a guy would say but not a woman. Bathroom or restroom yes. Is it very

common?

It all depends.

One group of friends say it all the time and worse, girls included. There are exceptions of course. My brother doesn't say it in front of my mother. I am extra careful how I speak in new places and situations but with one group of friends, we are close and not easily offended.

Another group of friends.,..I cussed ounces and I might as well have committed a felony. These friends are generally good people which is why I haven't dumped them but they are also pretenious assholes. If I said "pee" in front of them it would be an unforgivable offense.

[Daisy]

It all depends......

 

lol I see what you did there ;)

I say pee (in front of super older people it's i need the loo)

 

[Rick Kitchen]

Years and years ago (I mean, almost 40 years ago), I was on vacation in Spain.  I was staying at a very fancy restaurant in Seville, and had gone downstairs for breakfast.  This was a white tablecloth place.  There was a large group of Americans sitting together at one table, and they got up to leave.  All of them went off in one direction, except for one lady who headed off in a different direction.  Somebody from the group of people shouted (across the whole dining room), "Hey, this is the exit!" And the lone woman shouted, equally loudly, "I'll meet up with you, I'm going back to the room to pee."

 

I wanted to crawl under a table and pretend I was Canadian.

[ganesh]

One of the speakers at the symposium also said anal.

[proserpina65]

One of the speakers at the symposium also said anal.

Sounds like a fun symposium.  :-)

[ganesh]

I proposed to her immediately upon completion of her talk.

[ByTor]

I'm finally through with The Sopranos.  I previously posted the opinion that I didn't think it was so great and couldn't get into it, but I gave it another shot and really liked it.  I still don't think it's as great as many think, but I did enjoy it very much.  I've been reading opinions of the show & I think my unpopular opinion is that I HATED Christopher.  I actually saw where someone said you couldn't help but root for him an Adriana.  Are you kidding me???  Root for a couple where the man beats the piss out of the woman every chance he got???  Yuck.  I am capable of hating, yet at the same time appreciating a horrible character...Clay from Sons of Anarchy comes to mind, he was a disgusting human being, but I was interested in him and liked to see his story unfolding.  I expected to feel the same about Christopher, but I was actually relieved at the break I got when he went off to rehab.  And no, the break from him didn't make him any more tolerable.

[cleo]

I'm assuming this is unpopular- I'm watching Season 1 of House of Cards and have just finished episode 11. I find the show boring and bland and repetitive. It's a surprise because I thought it was quite popular with a lot of critical acclaim, but it's just missing some depth for me. I agree a lot with the Av Reviews, which essentially say the show has promise but a lot is lacking particularly with the character depth.

 

Claire and Stemper are the most interesting to me- who is this guy Stemper and why is he so loyal to Frank? He's a complete mystery. Claire is drawn a bit better but not enough to carry the whole show.

 

They lost me with the move to get the vp to run for governor. I`m not an American, but it seems ridiculously implausible that a VP, even an impotent one, would do that.

 

Spacey talking to the camera is irritating.

 

It would have been gutsier and had a bigger impact if Russo had committed suicide.

 

I`m also watching The Americans and Bates Motel Season 1 and so far I think both those shows are far better.

[spaceytraci1208]

I am capable of hating, yet at the same time appreciating a horrible character...Clay from Sons of Anarchy comes to mind, he was a disgusting human being, but I was interested in him and liked to see his story unfolding.

Absolutely! Clay was a rotten bastard and they definitely needed to get him the fuck outta here, but the show wasn't the same with him gone.

[Anna Yolei]

They lost me with the move to get the vp to run for governor. I`m not an American, but it seems ridiculously implausible that a VP, even an impotent one, would do that.

Yep. I've had plenty of history/government teachers say that the VP is usually the end of one's political career...There's nowhere to go but the Presidency and if he loses that...well, he won't run for the senate,for sure.

[ganesh]

There's nowhere to go but the Presidency and if he loses that...well, he won't run for the senate,for sure.

 

 

That didn't used to be the case. Andrew Johnson was almost impeached by the Senate (*1* vote) and then served in the House for a few terms. 

 

I expected to feel the same about Christopher, but I was actually relieved at the break I got when he went off to rehab.

 

I think you mean *Christufuh.* I didn't know anyone "rooted" for him. He was a terrible criminal. If he wasn't related to Tony he would have been offed way earlier. 

[Rick Kitchen]

John Quincy Adams went from President to the House.

Taft went from President to the Supreme Court.

Nixon ran for Governor of California after being VP.

The first Adlai Stevenson ran for Governor of Illinois after being VP.

Hubert H. Humphrey was elected to the Senate twice after being VP.

[Chaos Theory]

That didn't used to be the case. Andrew Johnson was almost impeached by the Senate (*1* vote) and then served in the House for a few terms.

That was before what you posted on Twitter could destroy your life and political aspirations.

[Julia]

Out of the 14 VPs who became President, nine made it because something happened to the boss, which leaves three people in two hundred years who made it without having first knocked out the Declaration of Independence. More than twenty were governors (granted, the lists overlap some). I think it would probably have been a smart move for everyone concerned if they'd pulled it off.

[applecrisp]

My UO is the comeback of Wet Hot American Summer the usual actor's who seem to have more fun making it than the actual show.  Jon Hamm on the "I'm funny" tour.  I do like him but he's trying too hard. It is just not funny.  I think they are all phoning it in.

 

It is getting mostly good reviews. I am at a loss.  I like silly and have found many of the actors in some funny movies/TV.  It seems when there is some new comedy I can predict who will be in it.  Tired of the same characters.

 

By the way I wanted to like this. There is so little comedy on right now.

[ganesh]

I'm watching right now, and I'm *dying*. I think the point was "we're just screwing around." Plus, these guys and ladies, the point of some of the comedy is that it's not funny. The characters are the joke because they're taking a ton of cliches and playing it straight. 

[Ohwell]

I'm watching Walking Dead reruns right now and my UO is that I never liked Hershel.  I've never read the comics but it was my understanding that he was supposed to be likeable.  He came off as self-righteous to me, and since he was so religious, I didn't understand why at first he was reluctant to let Rick & Co. stay on the farm.  I got to the point where I could halfway stand him after his leg got cut off, mainly because I think it humbled him.

[ganesh]

I always thought he came off as condescending.

[Danny Franks]

I've finally started watching The Wire, after years of all and sundry telling me how amazing it is. Four episodes in? It's not. There's nothing here I've not seen before in any one of the countless 90s 'African American/drugs/cops' movies. Perhaps it'll get better, because other people have said that it does, after a couple of episodes. But I don't really see how, because the show feels pretty much set up already.

 

Perhaps I waited too long, and something that was great is now humdrum, thanks to all of the 'everyone's an asshole' television that's been made over the last few years.

[Ohwell]

I've finally started watching The Wire, after years of all and sundry telling me how amazing it is. Four episodes in? It's not. There's nothing here I've not seen before in any one of the countless 90s 'African American/drugs/cops' movies. Perhaps it'll get better, because other people have said that it does, after a couple of episodes. But I don't really see how, because the show feels pretty much set up already.

 

Perhaps I waited too long, and something that was great is now humdrum, thanks to all of the 'everyone's an asshole' television that's been made over the last few years.

I tried watching the first season and then I gave up.  I didn't see anything special or groundbreaking about it.  Just another dreary story about a gritty, crime-ridden, drug-ridden inner city.  The Blaxploitation movies of the 70s did it better.  Plus, while I've been to Baltimore many times and know there are some nice neighborhoods, I got tired of looking at those ugly, brick, lookalike, innercity townhouses.

 

I always thought he came off as condescending.

Yeah, that, too.

Edited August 2, 2015 by Ohwell

[ABay]

I've been watching The Astronauts Wives Club because, although I'm not interested in the space program, I am interested in portrayals of the 60s, especially from a female point of view. And it's summer.

 

However, maybe because I'm not interested in the space program, never watched The Right Stuff, etc. I cannot tell the astronauts apart. I can tell the women apart but could not tell you which of the astronauts they're married to. Too many of the men look too much alike and I don't have the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo rosters memorized.

[Julia]

I have read the book, and seen the movie, and the only one I consistently recognize is Mrs Glenn, because of the speech problem

If you ever do see the movie, though, the actress who plays her is Emily and Zooey Deschanel's mom.

[merylinkid]

It's okay you can't keep the husbands apart.   The show is about the wives, so the husband's are not as developed (hint, Alan is the asshole who treats his wife like crap and she begs for more).   Plus they all have the military crew cut which makes it hard for them to stand out as individuals.

[proserpina65]

It's okay you can't keep the husbands apart.   The show is about the wives, so the husband's are not as developed (hint, Alan is the asshole who treats his wife like crap and she begs for more).   Plus they all have the military crew cut which makes it hard for them to stand out as individuals.

Deke Slayton is the one who looks like Peyton Manning, if that helps any.  His wife is the slightly brassy one who was divorced before she married him.

[ABay]

Yes, there's the tall one (Deke?) married to Marge, the short one (Gordo?) married to the awesome Trudy, and a bunch of interchangeable dark-haired medium guys. More of them since the original group has expanded.

 

There was also one of the newer wives last week who was played by a really familiar-looking actress but I didn't catch the character's name so I can't look it up. It's driving me crazy.

[festivus]

I've finally started watching The Wire, after years of all and sundry telling me how amazing it is. Four episodes in? It's not.

 

I made it through six and I agree with you. All of those number one spots it gets on best of tv lists should belong to China Beach.

[islandgal140]

I don't like the Astronauts Wives Club or whatever it's called because I don't need to see shows about white folks in the 1960's because you know back then, black people didn't exist, except if they were maids.  Fuck that shit.  Not all black women were maids in the 1960's, shit my mom was a stay at home mother, as was her grandmother and great grandmother, but they'll never write shows about that.  No, they want to show black women as domestics, with a child, but NO husband, and oh yes, we must be overweight.  They can miss me with those shows.  

 

The highlighted part sang to me. I say this because I recently just binge watched Netflix's The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Now I should have probably known better because it is a Tina Fey joint. I did like the series and found it funny overall however, not a single black woman of significance until the final episode and guess what - she was big, black and loud!!Hate to spoil it for anyone but she appeared to be the estranged wife of the gay black co-star. The only other black female I can remember having a line on this show was some type of school receptionist and she was also you guessed it - large, black and loud. I've noticed this with Tina Fey back on 30 Rock too. I look over at her BFF Amy Poehler and I see Retta, whom I love, but again ..... and her character never really got a story. I'm not saying either of these women are obliged to write for black women but when they do, they seem to cast a certain type.

 

In other news:

 

As I hetero woman, sometimes I feel there is something wrong with my lady gear because I have never seen the hotness or the attractiveness of Jon Hamm or Don Draper. 

 

Dear Gawd do I hate the two lead characters from the Showtime show The Affair. I am only watching Season 2 because I am hoping that bad things happen to them.

 

I hated the British TV show Broadchurch with a passion so there was no way I was gonna watch the American version. I watched until the bitter end though because I had reached my own personal tipping point - that point in time where I had invested too much time in it not to see it through. 

 

I can't muster any interest in Downton Abbey and I don't know why people go on and on about how pretty the actress playing Mary is. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but for me she is the very definition of basic plain Jane. YMMV.

 

I don't like Coach on New Girl. He just isn't funny to me. I also hate Cece and Schmidt together. Like them separately but hate them together. The show needs more Winston.

 

Speaking of New Girl, I can not believe Jake M. Johnson is becoming a thing in movies. What is this world I live in. I like him well enough on New Girl but kinda hate him in everything else, especially in movies where he is essentially playing the same character over and over. 

 

I feel the opposite about Charlie Day (Charlie Kelly on It's always sunny in Philadelphia) where he is essentially playing the same character over and over. I am just so happy for his success on both the big and little screen. Don't know why. Maybe because I find him so adorbs?

 

Walking Dead

- I never for a moment thought that Sophia would be in that barn so for me that was one of the most shocking moments of the series. Didn't think the show would go there with a child. 

- I liked Dale and thought he was needed as the voice of reason

- I never hated Andrea, just the writers for fucking up her character

- I thought the cannibal story ended too soon

- I loved the character of Shane and found him to be a fascinating character study

[islandgal140]

I'm going to caveat this to say that I don't have Starz so I'm only as far as free weekends allow 

 

I don't know how this ranks as an unpopular opinion but I just have to say that this is my favorite sentence in this whole thread!!!

[proserpina65]

As I hetero woman, sometimes I feel there is something wrong with my lady gear because I have never seen the hotness or the attractiveness of Jon Hamm or Don Draper.

 

I can kind of see why other women find him attractive, but he does nothing for me.  Now those interchangeable short-ish dark-haired husbands on Astronaut Wives' Club, that's a whole 'nother story.  (Just discovered that the actor playing Gordo Cooper was Sam on Reaper - mind, blown.)

[Chaos Theory]

I think The Wire is one of those shows that you remember better then it actually is. I would probably put BTVS on that list as well. And this is coming from someone who love BTVS. I am trying to think of current shows that would end up on the list. Shows that we think are the greatest now but in ten years when even the most strident hold out relents and watches will still hold up to the hype...and those that won't.

[ABay]

I think what makes great shows unimpressive years later is that they were groundbreaking in their time and changed the landscape, and that's what made them exciting. And then everyone else adapted. So years later, the great shows look dated because what was revolutionary at the time has become normal.

Edited August 3, 2015 by ABay

[truthaboutluv]

Dear Gawd do I hate the two lead characters from the Showtime show The Affair. I am only watching Season 2 because I am hoping that bad things happen to them.

 

 

Oh you are speaking my language. But funny thing, reading around online, I actually think the unpopular opinion is to like them. 

Edited August 7, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[BizBuzz]

My UO is that I actually like Moira Kelly ... in anything she has done.  Even The West Wing.

 

::giggle::

[Chaos Theory]

I think what makes great shows unimpressive years later is that they were groundbreaking in their time and changed the landscape, and that's what made them exciting. And then everyone else adapted. So years later, the great shows look dated because what was revolutionary at the time has become normal.

 

And that is one of the most impressive things about Buffy. as someone in their early 20s when Buffy started I found it utterly impressive that it had a lesbian relationship in the forefront that wasn't relegated to sweeps week. ( I have brought it up countless times and the relationship has been discussed and debated but to someone just coming into their homosexuality seeing it portrayed in a very human way was amazing to watch and to this day I find it very offensive when people belittle it even in the most innocent ways.)   However twenty years and a Glee later the show seems extremely dated to  someone in their twenties gay or straight.  

[mansonlamps]

I must be reading the wrong message boards because I've never really seen a whole lot of adulation for Mary's looks on Downton Abbey. I'm totally on board with thinking she's a plain Jane, though.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I can't muster any interest in Downton Abbey and I don't know why people go on and on about how pretty the actress playing Mary is. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but for me she is the very definition of basic plain Jane. YMMV.

 

 

 

I must be reading the wrong message boards because I've never really seen a whole lot of adulation for Mary's looks on Downton Abbey. I'm totally on board with thinking she's a plain Jane, though.

 

Thank you. One of my least favorite aspects of Downton Abbey was always being bombarded with male characters drooling over Mary. 

 

Similarly, I'm sick of how Edith is treated as some knuckle-dragging bridge troll, just so Mary can be hailed by one and all as the next Helen of Troy. In fact, I hate it when characters are written as losers just so other characters can be winners. That's lazy writing, IMO.

Edited August 3, 2015 by Wiendish Fitch

[andromeda331]

I have probably the unpopular opinion that I hate both Edith and Mary. I think their both horrible.

[Julia]

I can't muster any interest in Downton Abbey and I don't know why people go on and on about how pretty the actress playing Mary is. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but for me she is the very definition of basic plain Jane. YMMV.

 

I think she's kind of forgettable in Downton Abbey, but she was Death's granddaughter Susan in Hogfather, and she was epic.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Julia

[merylinkid]

Whoa -- Lady Mary was SUSAN????    The lady with the poker?    The one with the white streak in her hair?   The absolute no-nonsense, I don't care if I am the daughter of the adopted daughter of an anthropomorphic incarnation?    Epic does not being to cover it.    Takes a very talented actress to carry that role off without coming off as cheesy or OTT.

[Hava]

- I liked Dale and thought he was needed as the voice of reason

- I never hated Andrea, just the writers for fucking up her character

 

 

I agree with both of these. Dale was one of my favorite characters and I was devastated when he died. I never found him annoying. I cared more about him than I did about Hershel. 

 

I really liked Andrea too. The writers made her too stupid to live during the Governor storyline, but I was really rooting for her to reunite with the group. 

[ganesh]

Andrea would have easily been redeemed if she just killed the governor in his sleep. 

[Constantinople]

Dear Gawd do I hate the two lead characters from the Showtime show The Affair. I am only watching Season 2 because I am hoping that bad things happen to them.

I think that's actually a rather popular opinion.

I think for a lot of viewers the question isn't whether they're awful, but which one is worse. That's a hard question to answer since the answer seems to change from episode to episode, and sometimes within an episode.

[DeLurker]

I find Amy Schumer uninteresting and unfunny.  I have no idea why she has her own show, is cast in movies or one of Jon Stewart's final guests.

[TattleTeeny]

My UO is that I hate the "Adjective Extraneous Exclamation Point Noun and/or Character" (Adjective!Noun) thing. Another one is that Jack Tripper is a real asshole.

[mansonlamps]

My UO is that I hate the "Adjective Extraneous Exclamation Point Noun and/or Character" (Adjective!Noun) thing. Another one is that Jack Tripper is a real asshole.

 

Can you give an example of what you mean by the first one because I think I agree, but am not sure I'm following it correctly.

And do you mean Jack Tripper on Three's Company?  He is kind of an asshole, isn't he?

[DittyDotDot]

Can you give an example of what you mean by the first one because I think I agree, but am not sure I'm following it correctly.

 

I believe Tattle Teeny is refering to the phenomenon of: [adjective]![character name]. For instance: Demon!Dean.

 

I hate this too. But then again, I'm old and do so love to raise my fist to those kids on my lawn at least once a day. ;)