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Yes, Dear when they did a show where the dog died then they joked about it getting runned over at the end. Then they did an episode about a baby getting hit on the head by all the family members and then having trouble reading years later. Now how is that funny? The I saw an ad for Free Ride where a cat gets runned over. So not amusing... South Park can kind of get away with stuff like that, but not any other show that isn't a cartoon.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:Yes, Dear when they did a show where the dog died then they joked about it getting runned over at the end. Then they did an episode about a baby getting hit on the head by all the family members and then having trouble reading years later. Now how is that funny?
Well, nothing's funny if you present it like that...
quote:South Park can kind of get away with stuff like that, but not any other show that isn't a cartoon.
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I don't know why. They just can. Perhaps because it's a cartoon and isn't real. Or maybe because it's South Park and they have some sort of weird licence to make me laugh then make me shake my head in shame at laughing, then make me laugh again.
Although I did feel bad for that poor whale.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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If the stuff in South Park is funny to you, then I don't see why you have any problems with people laughing at a baby being dropped on its head or a cat getting run over by a car.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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No, I can agree with Syn. She has a point. South Park basicly has an unspoken contract. They just can do those things. It's South Park. They just cam.
Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
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Actually, I thought the baby-dropping episode of Yes, Dear was funny.
The dog one I haven't seen, but there was a whole thing on That 70's Show where Eric ran over Donna's cat... Actually, that one wasn't as funny, but that's just because the writing on those episodes wasn't great. Okay, and it's That 70's Show. They can't pull off dead animal humor.
Wasn't there something on Friends about a pet dying?
On the other hand, I quite often find South Park singularly unfunny.
I think it's a matter of individual taste, and much as you don't like it, someone else may find it funny.
Heck, I don't know why Married With Children ever made it a whole season. I never found it interesting at all, much less actually funny. But obviously, someone did. So I don't watch it. No accounting for tastes, but no harm done.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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But, it's not a real baby... Not like on that episode of Yes Dear.
But perhaps it's more the brain damage thing... It struck a chord... *has no idea how this girl that got brain damaged in an accident ages ago is doing*
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Because one is a cartoon and it's harder to form emotional attachments to cartoons (Except in the case of some animes and the Kenny Dies episode was really sad.) and there really is nothing funny about brain damage to me... Also I thought the episode was rather.....
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Television is inherently not real. Work from that premise and stop getting offended at Hollywood itself and instead look at the greatest common denominator who finds it funny. It's easy to make fun of an institution instead of those who are doing the laughing.
Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
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quote:Because one is a cartoon and it's harder to form emotional attachments to cartoons (Except in the case of some animes and the Kenny Dies episode was really sad.) and there really is nothing funny about brain damage to me... Also I thought the episode was rather.....
Sounds like a personal problem to me.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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The thing that I find terribly amusing about this is you got so offended by the episode that you apparently sat and watched the whole thing or at least a very substantial part of it.
I imagine that the people who make television shows occasionally have the "When will people who complain about television shows learn..." conversation and when they do, Syn, they're talking about people like you. They don't care if you have problems with their shows as long as people watch them. And, apparently, you're watching them.
The best advice I can give you is to unplug your TV because you're watching too much of it. Watching a show you don't like is, by defintion, watching too much tv.
Posts: 10177 | Registered: Apr 2001
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quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: Heck, I don't know why Married With Children ever made it a whole season. I never found it interesting at all, much less actually funny. But obviously, someone did. So I don't watch it. No accounting for tastes, but no harm done.
I wouldn't speak on that too quickly. Its quite possible that that show did in fact cause brain damage. I mean if a show that cynically bad didn't cause it, then maybe nothing can.
Posts: 9912 | Registered: Nov 2005
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I'm really stupid though. i do this all the time. Last week I found myself watching Jerry Spinger and Maury Povich wondering why such shows even exist. Mostly I am astonded by the sheer badness and should watch Dir en grey videos instead that don't have those NASTY DISGUSTING CREATURES in them.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Syn, And I say this with nothing but good will in my heart, maybe you should spend more mental effort on figuring out why you watch shows you hate and how you're going to go about stopping then on getting upset about said shows. It is completely and entirely within your power to do this, but you're going to have to make a conscious effort to do so.
Honestly, I think you might do well to kill you tv if you use the new free time for productive purposes. If I recall correctly, you want to be a writer. Why not do that instead?
edit: Because I'm apparently far over on the obnoxious truth vs. nice scale tonight, I'd sggest checking this out and expanding from there.
Also, here's a study I assisted in that might be useful. My name's even in there somewhere.
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MrSquicky, that was a very interesting study. However I think are more motivations behind watching television than just focusing one's attention away his/her inadequacies. Sometimes people are just so exhausted when they get home from work that they need some recovery time that has nothing to do with negative self-views. I'd beware of assigning motives to people that you barely know.
Posts: 1947 | Registered: Aug 2002
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Then again, it could be a sign of a mental disorder because obviously these stupid shows make me a bit miserable... But they are also interesting in terms of American culture as well... Its attitudes and perceptions and the constant STEREOTYPING. Like in Yes, Dear. Why does the yuppie couple have to be so... stiff. The male is very weak and nearly effiminate and the female, prissy while the working class couple is just so... grrr, the male's stupid and lunky and likes eating and beer and the female... I just don't know why shows DO that so much. It's just so boring and irratating.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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You have your computer, video games, and rabbit for entertainment. TV does nothing but make you angry and miserable. Sell it, spend the $50 on something you DO enjoy, and use your newfound free time to WRITE.
Seriously. I've watched you complain about bad TV shows for three years now. It's time to do something about it!
Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Well, how about this: I actually do not laugh at any baby jokes, cartoon or not. In fact, I don't like it when anything that is dear to the characters gets hurt or destroyed. I hate it when Mr. Bean's mini gets crushed by the steamroller- that's a tragedy for me.
So I really am that sappy.
I do like television though. I just don't watch that much "comedy".
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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South Park gets away with stuff with me... stuff that would otherwise greatly offend me... because I laugh when they do stuff that would offend other people. Therefore I have to just sit there and take it when their canons turn on something I think is important.
MOST of the time I'm laughing with them at someone else. (paris hilton, j-lo, scientologists, barbara streisand)
Plus the fact that they're conservative(*), yet non-homophobic makes me WANT to forgive them.
Pix
(*) They say they dislike conservatives, but most of their politics seem pretty conservative to me.
Posts: 7085 | Registered: Apr 2001
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quote:Then again, it could be a sign of a mental disorder because obviously these stupid shows make me a bit miserable.
But it's not. I looks to me like you're using the idea of a mental disorder here to absolve yourself of responsibility and also the possibility of change here. There is nothing preventing you from changing this behavior. All that stands between you and a different way of doing things is some effort and perhaps different strategies.
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Amanacer, Of couse there are more motivations than that. No one suggested different. I'd be wary of the "relaxation" angle, though. A lot of the literature I've read suggests that people who perform some stimulating activity (physically as in exercise or an enjoyable mental exercise) report being more relaxed and more energetic than those who watch tv.
As to not assigning motives to people I barely know. Your solution is what exactly? That I not offer advice to someone who watches television shows they hate? Should I just assume that this is a perfectly fine state of affairs and not try to help them overcome it?
Posts: 10177 | Registered: Apr 2001
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I thought the scenes in Something About Mary... where the dog is treated to all sorts of ill fates are the funniest of the movie. It would be tragic if it actually happened, but it's hysterical in the movie because it is so absolutely unreal. You never believe for a minute that a real dog is actually being injured.
For that matter, Scrat from Ice Age is forever subject to the worst of fate. And he's the best part of the movie.
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001
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I need to do enjoyable things like lay around and listen to music instead while thinking of my story. I am just astonished by the sheer... dumbness and stupidity... Now I'll go to the store and library instead of watching this dumb show and wondering who it has to be so dumb.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:I need to do enjoyable things like lay around and listen to music instead while thinking of my story. I am just astonished by the sheer... dumbness and stupidity... Now I'll go to the store and library instead of watching this dumb show and wondering who it has to be so dumb.
I promise you, whatever you really do enjoy, there will be some people that will be astonished by its sheer dumbness and stupidity.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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quote:Of couse there are more motivations than that. No one suggested different. I'd be wary of the "relaxation" angle, though. A lot of the literature I've read suggests that people who perform some stimulating activity (physically as in exercise or an enjoyable mental exercise) report being more relaxed and more energetic than those who watch tv.
My comment about relaxation came from personal experience. When I worked in retail and got off of an 8 hour shift where I was constantly on my feet, I didn't have the energy to do anything other than watch television for a half hour to an hour when I got home.
quote:As to not assigning motives to people I barely know. Your solution is what exactly? That I not offer advice to someone who watches television shows they hate? Should I just assume that this is a perfectly fine state of affairs and not try to help them overcome it?
I thought your first two paragraphs were a great response. The implication that the study applied to Syn seemed more invasive. But now I'm thinking that I just shouldn't post at 2am. My posts seem to be more contentious than I like.
Posts: 1947 | Registered: Aug 2002
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But listening to music and reading, doesn't get any better. Also playing video games and flipping off the screen. And learning guitar chords so I can write a song. And wishing I had a two story music box like the one in Innocence because it was so COOL.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:My kids get really emotional when Mr. Bean's mini dies.
See? See? In general I cannot watch Mr. Bean- it's just too embarrassing and painful.
I totally miss the point, don't I?
And Syn, I agree with Zeugma. If I think a show is dumb, or too violent or otherwise unwatchable, I don't watch it- there are plenty of shows that I actually enjoy. You should stop watching shows like those you find dumb and perhaps start watching shows that inspire you. There are shows out there that are good.
Also, much of comedy is deliberately supposed to be stupid. That's the point. It's supposed to exaggerate the world and draw attention to the ridiculousness of extremes and so hence the stereotyping in the show Yes, Dear. It's the POINT .
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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So don't watch it or comedy in general. This is not a new concept; people have been making fun of stereotypes for time immemorial (I love that phrase) , and if that's not the way you like your tv, watch drama or 'dramedy' shows instead.
If you're not laughing at the comedy, it's not because there's something wrong with you, or that the show is necessarily bad or immoral, it's just that it's not your type of show. By watching it more and more, you're only confusing yourself into thinking that it's somehow your fault, and that this show is somehow indicative of everything on television right now.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Shows like that bug me, especially with the women because they make me feel a bit abnormal or something. Especially when you got all these chicks nagging over something incredibly stupid which I wouldn't do because that is just so boring. They should talk about cool things. Like really large music boxes used as melodic instruments and electric guitars and Dir en grey... But then everyone that isn't interest in those would be very bored.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Syn, your interests aren't mainstream, so don't go looking to find yourself in shows with stereotyped women because, even though you may be aware of how different the characters are from you, you are still going to feel like you don't measure up to some imagined writer's idea of the world. Even at the best of times, television rarely mimics anything remotely like real life because it has to fit a certain pattern (a small number of characters in a sustainable situation). Certain shows are going to be less like you than others. Personally, I'm a geek, so I watch Science Fiction or other such shows because I'm not 'in' Desperate Housewives or the O.C.
But even further, if you don't even find yourself in Science Fiction shows or, say, crime shows, both of which tend to cater more to the more peculiar person, just do as Zeugma says and put away the television and read. You seem to be trying to fit yourself in the television and some people don't fit inside small boxes so well.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Oddly enough I like Desparate Housewives though I don't really identify with any of the characters. It's just that the dialogue in that show is sometimes so good and the characters are so interesting. Like that Bree character. People like her urk me, but her character is so interesting and complex I can't help but like her. And I like the Sopranos for a simular reason. Good dialogue, interesting characters that have a lot of contrasts. That's what I'd like to see a lot more of. Bernie Mac is good... And Everybody Hates Chris, but thse are not really typical sitcoms. And mostly I hate family sitcoms or sitcoms about single mostly white people who sit around and drink beer and talk about their rather dull sex lives...
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Well there you go! You like well-written shows. Desperate Housewives is not up my street, as I said, but I can appreciate that it's well-written. Your 'problem' is that you seem to be watching shows that aren't of very good quality. All those 'family sitcoms' are written by teams of writers with little or no scope for imagination.
You wouldn't read badly written books, so it is the same with television; many are badly written and only there two fill the billion and one channels available.
I get the feeling you're home during the day and this is daytime tv. I suggest that yes, you drop the television during the day and focus on your writing, or going for a walk or baking or whatever else that isn't the television.
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Rivka. I was also wondering what Squicky's real name was while reading that.
