NOT FUNNY.

:-)

(I know not all of these shows are unfunny, I don't get depressed by Tom Bergeron.)

Are you talking about the Animal Planet host that does kind of a combination of news report/funniest home videos thing? Because he is not funny. Just aimed at small children and shut-in's.

"I guess not every dog has its day. Especially when it's raining cats and dogs, and you've just stepped into a poodle..." etc

s1ocki, what do you define as grown-up cartoons? you mean like king of the hill? or like fritz the cat?

im SO over nick swardson

Chelsea Handler

xpost - planet's funniest animals is fricking HILARIOUS with the sound off. but when it's on - SO NOT FUNNY

http://i.tbs.com/v5cache/TBS/Images/Dynamic/i40/franktv_bush_prem_640x480_101020070345.jpg

http://llnw.image.cbslocal.com/10/2008/08/28/320x240/comicsunleashed400x300.jpg

Arrested Development

NOT FUNNY.

I received the complete box set for Christmas and it is fair to say I was pretty fucking pleased. I had never seen more than a few seconds of it (for various reasons) but here I had several days of solitary at-home on-call duty awaiting in that grim interregnum between Christmas and New Year and what better way, you might think, than to while it all away with every episode of the "smartest show on TV" or whatever the fuck people say about it. People have said quite a lot about it, along these lines. I lasted three episodes and finally turned off the TV, slack-jawed, just unable to understand how this show corresponded with the descriptions I'd heard. Every character, every flashback, every joke, is so painfully obvious and overplayed, it's like a British pantomime. Which I love, but only once a year. Yes Bateman is great but he is NOT FUNNY particularly. What in the fuck???????

shut the fuck up.

sorry, i was just trying to be NOT FUNNY

you should give it a few more episodes

transatlantic high-5 to Tracer

So I can continue to watch David Cross be "wacky"?? So I can continue not laughing whenever someone hilariously says "homosexual"???? I'd rather get my printer's color management working properly TBH.

yeah, banana stand jokes, Segway jokes, magic jokes, jokes about the SEC, jokes about model homes, jokes about people who wear jeans cutoffs 24/7=so obvious and overplayed

TBH

"You may agree or disagree as u please, fux0rz"

It doesn't matter what the material is if everyone (besides Bateman and his son) is so determined to play a stylized Type instead of a human being, if everyone (besides Bateman and his son) gives off the unmistakable impression of being above the character they're playing. Like between takes I can just see them chortling amongst themselves, "God, my character is so fucking dumb, isn't that hilarious??"

Maybe this is how certain movies and shows and directors get a reputation for being "smart", like the Coen Brothers - they feature many deliberately dumb characters about whom they go great lengths to assure you they are personally far superior to.

you sound kind of superior yourself tbh.

yeah, just about all comedies have people acting foolishly. (I have only seen a handful of AD episodes btw.)

i was never a huge fan or anything but what exactly is wrong with laughing at wacky characters? especially if the writing is sharp, which i thought it was. seems like you're expecting chekhov out of a satire! x-post

I would've been disappointed if I'd been expecting Taxi out of it.

yeah taxi was a laugh riot. Woah that latka sure is foreign.

i can't believe there's a comedy out there that expects you to laugh at the characters! what will they think of next!

i think that was the point x-post

I think TH is talking about how laced w/ contempt the laughter (or the show) is.

Man, I hate when humor is mean and laced with contempt.

i laugh at the show because it's funny--not because i think the characters are inferior or below me.

I thought Taxi was funny.

It doesn't matter what the material is if everyone (besides Bateman and his son) is so determined to play a stylized Type instead of a human being

this is such a weird criticism of a comedy

It's almost like these people are acting!

Tracer, did you ask for the box or was it a Christmas surprise?

My brother watched the first ten episodes at his friend's insistence & just could not get into it. That was far enough in to start the whole "hermano" story arc, and to have seen Gob perform on stage, both of which were big sells for me getting into the show. So I had to face the idea that some people just can't enjoy Arrested Development. That's fine. I mean I have gotten enough shit in my life about not liking Led Zeppelin to know getting that sort of opinion waved in your face all the time is annoying as hell. What I am saying is, Tracer, it's ok not to like Arrested Development.

Good job, guys. You have invalidated all of his criticisms, and now he will surely enjoy the show.

Yeah, comedy is one of those things you can talk people into liking -- people either find something funny or they don't. xp

can = can't, argh

Yes. I mean, look, some of you laugh at it. That is great! I really don't mind! I just completely cannot comprehend it!! Ultimately one cannot perhaps explain these things!

maybe i should list all of my criticisms of granny dainger so you guys can invalidate them and then i will surely enjoy his posts.

you clearly "get it", it just looks like youre too busy thinking to enjoy it

xp

zs/que otm

yes he's thinking "why don't I find this funny?"

OK OK here's my attempt to explain. I know it won't "work" as an explanation but I'm trying anyway. Why, who knows. And yes, I actually think I do get it. I am not asking for help here.

- Wacky "types" instead of characters
- People acting totally fucking dumb all the time, almost as if they are mentally disabled.
- Actual humor at the expense of mentally disabled people (i.e. Buster)
- David fucking Cross. Oh yeah and his character has a really funny name, hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
- Abstract earnestness about the value of "family"
- Every reaction shot narrated by Ron fucking Howard leaking out everywhere

I mean! Ron Howard!!!!!

Buster is not mentally disabled

I could totally see how someone could not enjoy Arrested Development. But a lot of that sounds like it could apply to plenty of shows. Say, Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Other shows Tracer likely won't enjoy:

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
30 Rock

Oh yeah and his character has a really funny name, hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

One of the things I love about AD is that so much humor comes from language: puns, double entendres, silly wordplay, etc.

a lot of it sounds like every comedy ever--Dickens had characters with funny names, we still read Dickens.

i think this is the only thing i've liked david cross in

xpost to self
Specifically the first three criticisms (wacky "types", everyone's an idiot, making jokes out of politically incorrect situations)

- Actual humor at the expense of mentally disabled people (i.e. Buster)

what words do u stress in this sentence when u say it out loud