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RE: Shows that were supposed to be funny but we're just stupid
February 4, 2014 at 1:38 pm
(February 3, 2014 at 9:54 pm)futilethewinds Wrote: Really, no one thought Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on SNL was hilarious?
She wasn't too bad with it, but I kinda think that's part of the problem. Before, SNL skits were generally funny while not-so-funny ones were the exception. Now they give us mostly not-so-funny skits with a few exceptions thrown in there now and then. And it seems to be getting worse, too.
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RE: Shows that were supposed to be funny but we're just stupid
February 5, 2014 at 2:44 pm
Hate:
Almost all American sitcoms - everyone looks like a model, even the geeky characters just look like models with glasses on and a bad haircut. Everyone seems to live in ridiculously large expensive flats, despite being young. I find most of the jokes are so obvious, and just in case you didn't get it you get this loud laughter track to tell you when to laugh (this happens on rubbish mainstream UK comedies too).
Love: The Office(UK) ,The Day Today, Brasseye, Alan Partridge, Garth Marenghi, Green Wing, Peep Show plus a few more.
From the US I like South Park, though think it has gone off the boil. It can be pretty clever and satirical. I also really enjoyed the first series of Flight of the Concords. Don't really like Family Guy or the Simpsons.
Perhaps its down to a cultural difference, Americans do seem to have a very different sense of humour. In summary I think the UK does comedy so much better, but the good American dramas like Breaking Bad/Sopranos etc are brilliant and far superior to what we produce in the UK.
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RE: Shows that were supposed to be funny but we're just stupid
February 5, 2014 at 3:38 pm
(February 3, 2014 at 9:54 pm)futilethewinds Wrote: Really, no one thought Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on SNL was hilarious?
Tina Fey as Palin and a few skits with Justin Timberlake are all I've seen of SNL since the late '90s, and even then I mostly caught earlier reruns in the days of Dana Carvey, Mike Meyers, David Spade, Chris Farley, etc.
(February 5, 2014 at 2:44 pm)FreeTony Wrote: Hate:
Almost all American sitcoms - everyone looks like a model, even the geeky characters just look like models with glasses on and a bad haircut.
This is a huge pet peeve for me and TV shows/movies: an obviously cute/pretty guy/girl is uglied up just enough to not outshine the main hot guy/girl while still remaining pretty good looking themselves.
That's why I love Amy Ferra Fowler; definitely not a conventional beauty but an amazing character to have on TV for all the "normal" looking kids to relate to.
Quote:Everyone seems to live in ridiculously large expensive flats, despite being young.
What's up with that?!? I find this especially irritating with shows based in New York - I found the conceit of the sublet in Friends to be a decent rationalization for the girls' apartment, but I recently caught an episode of Glee with Rachel and Kurt living in NY and they had a gigantic loft apartment - and you're supposed to believe they can afford that as students... BS.
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RE: Shows that were supposed to be funny but we're just stupid
February 5, 2014 at 5:35 pm
Women and a beauty clinic as portrayed in England, no idea if this is funny to a typical American audience (I loved Night Night):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc2JFoEgwYU
Or a dating agency from the brilliant League of Gentlemen (though sadly some versions included a laughter track):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IQJNwvtkmg
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RE: Shows that were supposed to be funny but we're just stupid
February 5, 2014 at 6:37 pm
I didn't like the Big Bang Theory at first. After a couple of half-assed watchings... I get it now. Can't explain it, but I get it.
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RE: Shows that were supposed to be funny but we're just stupid
February 5, 2014 at 6:57 pm
You'd be hard pushed to find anything shitter than this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8ABIb0dT_U
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RE: Shows that were supposed to be funny but we're just stupid
February 5, 2014 at 7:18 pm
(February 5, 2014 at 6:57 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: You'd be hard pushed to find anything shitter than this.
I've never been a massive Vic and Bob fan, but saw the last 5 mins of one of these last night. Wasn't impressed.
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RE: Shows that were supposed to be funny but we're just stupid
February 6, 2014 at 6:37 am
(This post was last modified: February 6, 2014 at 6:40 am by Tiberius.)
Family Guy and South Park are hilarious.
I love it when people complain about either of those shows. Family Guy is supposed to be surreal, that's what makes it stand out from shows like The Simpsons. South Park started off as just a show where little kids swore all the time, and if you haven't watched it since then, you'd probably be surprised at how much it has changed, to the point where now they make entire episodes just 4 days before they are aired so they can comment on (very) recent events and make fun of them.
(February 3, 2014 at 9:10 am)ElleBelle Wrote: I never really thought Futurama was that funny. Futurama had more humor related to obscure physics jokes and computer references, so if you aren't well versed in those fields you might miss some of it.
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RE: Shows that were supposed to be funny but we're just stupid
February 6, 2014 at 11:59 am
I totally agree about Family Guy. For the longest time I thought it was a cheap Simpsons knock-off and I actually preferred American Dad. Then something clicked and I finally 'got it'; now the two have switched in my estimation and FG is the superior (although I still love Seth McFarlane's impression of Paul Lynde, to the point where I really thought it was him). I do still think that The Cleveland Show is a spinoff too far though. Maybe I'll give South Park another go; I have to admit some of the clips I've seen people sharing on Facebook or whatever have been rather funny.
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