race always matters to someone. if you were brought up to treat everyone the same that's great, but it's also a convenient excuse for ignoring the huge problem w racism in america -- i was always taught that skin color doesn't matter too, but i'm still acutely aware that people of color often endure struggles of which i am completely ignorant.
― ian, Tuesday, 26 July 2016 22:22 (seven years ago) link
the monopoly guy has a voice???
True
― Quarter measures (sunny successor), Tuesday, 26 July 2016 22:36 (seven years ago) link
I agree that this show isn't terribly successful at what it's trying to do, but this line from the second of ian's links is strange to me:
"After the previous principal (Bill Murray, in a cameo) leaves his post because his wife is dying (and there's a joke about that -– how hilarious!)"
Whether you thought the joke in Vice Principals was successful or not (this one landed for me), it seems like one should at least be open to the idea that this could be hilarious before watching a comedy.
― veggie sticks potato snacks (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 00:05 (seven years ago) link
But in Eastbound, you could root for former professional baseball player and unrepentant redneck Kenny Powers to get his mojo backwhat is this moronic position - for 99% of Eastbound Kenny was a fucking horrible sociopath― Οὖτις, Tuesday, July 26, 2016 4:58 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
what is this moronic position - for 99% of Eastbound Kenny was a fucking horrible sociopath
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, July 26, 2016 4:58 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
this is true! but i still think we are rooting for him! that's kind of how allegiance in fiction works...
― wizzz! (amateurist), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 00:09 (seven years ago) link
i mean, you're kind of rooting for him b/c he's just entertaining. and b/c you're privy to his inner life in a way that's not as true of other characters.
i fully accept that eastbound & down is "anti-social" in the midcentury sense
― wizzz! (amateurist), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 00:10 (seven years ago) link
xp kinda like Michael in the US Office, which I'd guess may be a good reference for understanding why someone would find this show unenjoyable
― veggie sticks potato snacks (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 00:11 (seven years ago) link
i like the first few seasons of the office, but eastbound and down seemed determined not to get stuck in the same kind of rut as that show, by switching it up each season
― wizzz! (amateurist), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 00:25 (seven years ago) link
also by, you know, getting cancelled
Eastbound and down was cancelled?
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 00:28 (seven years ago) link
well, it's over in any case
― wizzz! (amateurist), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 00:32 (seven years ago) link
not only not cancelled, they came back for an extra season a couple of years after stopping it on purpose
― Shakey δσς (sic), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 02:02 (seven years ago) link
2nd ep was way better than 1st
the trashing the principals house scene was great bc of how long and deranged it was
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 02:04 (seven years ago) link
its def supposed to be uncomfortable to watch, im not abt to read recaps abt it but prob if one has a large problem w it, dont watch a danny mcbride/jody hill show prob
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 02:16 (seven years ago) link
Hill's stuff is the definitive document of macho white American insecurity, even moreso than the peak Ferrell vehicles, precisely because it flirts with outright ugliness. it only falters when it likes its characters too much (which is why, though it would be better with McBride as star, Observe and Report is imo his best thing)
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 02:28 (seven years ago) link
meant to say *current* macho white insecurity, and shit's hardly limited to the States really
*watches taxi driver*
ugh, the way this guy hates women and gay people is not good to me, its sad. i don't think its a good movie period. if viewers think "omg this guy is a moron" that's a valid viewpoint but so is "haha those people he shot got what was coming to them."
i'd rather watch a movie about a politician inspiring a town to come together and fighting for better outpatient treatment for people with mental illness.
― woke-ing class zero (s.clover), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 02:41 (seven years ago) link
i think taxi driver is similar to e&D in that the proximity we have to the protagonist, our access to them, makes us somewhat sympathetic to them even though we can also apprehend them as awful. added to that is the visceral thrill of misbehavior.
but i also think that E&B (and mcbride) does work a little harder to make the protagonist perversely likable, even if it continually undercuts that (in fact that's kind of the basic pattern of the show)
― wizzz! (amateurist), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 02:49 (seven years ago) link
imo Taxi Driver revels in its violence and transgression more than O&R does, the latter literally features its protag failing a psych evaluation
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 02:52 (seven years ago) link
yeah the comparison only goes so far. one is a comedy, the other is deadly serious.
― wizzz! (amateurist), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 02:57 (seven years ago) link
I feel guilty now for just thinking the house-smashing scene was ridic and hilarious.
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 03:20 (seven years ago) link
can this thread be a safe space for us to Lol at problematic show we like in peace? is that so much to ask?
― flopson, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 14:10 (seven years ago) link
so far 2 ways this differs from eastbound
-way darker. Kenny powers was an egomaniac but ultimately a good guy. Goggins is just pure vengeful evil from the get-go.. and he's dragging mcbride down with him-less Actual Jokes, particularly the imagist innovations-in-vulgarity which were sprinkled across eastbound every minute (was recently fondly remembering 'he looks like a bag of mashed up assholes' from the first ep)
best moment in e2 was when they were making faces at each other while the principal was leading a prayer
― flopson, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 14:17 (seven years ago) link
otm on both pts
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 15:37 (seven years ago) link
can this thread be a safe space for us to Lol at problematic show we like in peace? is that so much to ask?― flopson, Wednesday, July 27, 2016 7:10 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― flopson, Wednesday, July 27, 2016 7:10 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
sounds like a pretty boring thread tbh
― veggie sticks potato snacks (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 15:59 (seven years ago) link
so... don't post in it
― flopson, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 16:01 (seven years ago) link
*watches taxi driver*ugh, the way this guy hates women and gay people is not good to me, its sad. i don't think its a good movie period. if viewers think "omg this guy is a moron" that's a valid viewpoint but so is "haha those people he shot got what was coming to them."i'd rather watch a movie about a politician inspiring a town to come together and fighting for better outpatient treatment for people with mental illness.― woke-ing class zero (s.clover), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 02:41 (14 hours ago) Permalink
― woke-ing class zero (s.clover), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 02:41 (14 hours ago) Permalink
Hey Sterling go fuck yourself.
― ian, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 16:58 (seven years ago) link
hey just wanna make sure this is a discussion happening in 2016th year of our lord
theres a show where two white dudes get passed over for a promotion by a black woman and then they destroy her things then burn her house down. is that right?
― 6 god none the richer (m bison), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:07 (seven years ago) link
yes... now pls leave us alone
― flopson, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:09 (seven years ago) link
xp. also a lot of the "funny" lines are McBride calling people gay.
― ælərdaɪs (jim in vancouver), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:09 (seven years ago) link
omg.. i fn hate you ppl
― flopson, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:11 (seven years ago) link
cool bro
― ian, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:11 (seven years ago) link
xxxposts Counterpoint: beautiful post, s. clover.
― Night Jorts (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:16 (seven years ago) link
Some of you guys are really bad at understanding comedy but I'm sure there is gentle comedy out there for you if you look hard enough.
― Night Jorts (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:17 (seven years ago) link
countercounterpoint: most comedy is terrible and regressive, sorry i cant find it in my heart to yuck it up at racial terrorism
― 6 god none the richer (m bison), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:18 (seven years ago) link
Here's a hint: successful black woman principal isn't the butt of the joke here. Also, McBride & Goggins are the protagonists but they are not meant to be sympathetic protagonists. Discuss.
― Night Jorts (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:19 (seven years ago) link
clearly not capable of discussion
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:20 (seven years ago) link
the reactions to finding this a bit iffy/not that funny sure are "interesting"
― ælərdaɪs (jim in vancouver), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:22 (seven years ago) link
Like yes this is some trying-to-be 'edgy' evil white guy shit that tries to have it both ways (too-)subtly satirizing dumb racists but also reveling in immature laughter at offensive jokes, yes it's about Bad people who nonetheless have small pathetic chaotic triumphs of petty acts of evil set to pumped up music, yes probably some trump assholes or internet trolls *relate* to McBride's character in a creepy way... YOU GOT ME. now leave us alone!
https://whitegirlsbelike.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/kenny-powers-moped-gif.gif
― flopson, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:24 (seven years ago) link
I'm somewhat sympathetic with the viewpoint that a portrayal of reactionary white dudes who behave like eight-year-olds when they don't get what they want is sorta NAGL in the Age of Trump, but I think for me that's because they just happen to be more inescapable these days. Sociopathic dickholes (when presented as such rather than as heroes to be cheered on) are perennial comedy fodder for me.
― Night Jorts (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:26 (seven years ago) link
^^^
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:28 (seven years ago) link
― Night Jorts (Old Lunch), Wednesday, July 27, 2016 12:17 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
im sure u thought this was some emasculating burn here, but I LIKE GENTLE HUMOR and im not sure why that should be an insult or a refutation to me thinking this is fucked up.
is it possible that you dont think this is a fucked up ground for laughs bc you cant see yourself being the object of mcbride/hill's "ironic" bigotry?
― 6 god none the richer (m bison), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:28 (seven years ago) link
― ælərdaɪs (jim in vancouver), Wednesday, July 27, 2016 1:22 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
i agree that it's not as funny as Eastbound (kind of a black comedy western) and said as much above, my reaction is to ppl who *Dont Even Like Comedy* (wtf??? you don't like laughter??) trying to Stinkpiece it up in our thread
― flopson, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:28 (seven years ago) link
xxxp the fragility of your enjoyment of this show (I also enjoy this show) to that line of discussion and the resulting defensiveness could actually work as part of this show
― veggie sticks potato snacks (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:29 (seven years ago) link
wrong # of xps, but it probably belongs in 'posts I had second thoughts about' anyway
― veggie sticks potato snacks (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:30 (seven years ago) link
Some of you guys are really bad at understanding comedy but I'm sure there is gentle comedy out there for you if you look hard enough.― Night Jorts (Old Lunch), Wednesday, July 27, 2016 12:17 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalinkim sure u thought this was some emasculating burn here, but I LIKE GENTLE HUMOR and im not sure why that should be an insult or a refutation to me thinking this is fucked up.is it possible that you dont think this is a fucked up ground for laughs bc you cant see yourself being the object of mcbride/hill's "ironic" bigotry?― 6 god none the richer (m bison), Wednesday, July 27, 2016 10:28 AM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― 6 god none the richer (m bison), Wednesday, July 27, 2016 10:28 AM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I think The Office proves that many people can be the object of an idiots terribleness and still enjoy laughing at a caricature of that idiot on TV
― veggie sticks potato snacks (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:33 (seven years ago) link
itt bunch of dudes being petty and shitty to each other and it's not as funny as i hoped it would be
imo perfect analogy for vice principals keep going
xxxp goddamnit beat me to it
― a simba man (Will M.), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:34 (seven years ago) link
― 6 god none the richer (m bison), Wednesday, July 27, 2016 12:28 PM (29 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I do have a history of engaging in emasculating burns, it's true, you caught me.
I like gentle humor, too. Agreement! I also like humor that is not so gentle, but I do not like humor that "punches down". This does not read to me like humor that is "punching down". Neither does it read to me like "ironic bigotry".
― Night Jorts (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:35 (seven years ago) link
― veggie sticks potato snacks (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, July 27, 2016 1:29 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
thank you... now STFU ;-)
― flopson, Wednesday, 27 July 2016 17:35 (seven years ago) link
agreed
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 1 October 2019 21:18 (four years ago) link
"but Mr. Baby Billy..."