Mr. Show with Bob and David: Genius or Overrated?

(Lemonade, there's this thing called 'radical subjectivity' which I encourage you to search the archives for, though more on ILM.)

Lemonade, you may draw what you like from that as you will. I am not asking you to change your way of thinking, believe it or not, but I would like to ask you to consider how mine works.

Anyway, I found this: Does subjectivity really have a place in a serious argument concerning music? and... long drawn out philosophy made simple: I think everyone has an opinion but outside of those opinions all we have are certain words to describe reality objectively. Perhaps "inspired" is too esoteric a word choice to argue a point. I think the show is definitely loopy and has a unique draw that may not appeal to everyone. How's that? Boring? :D

Lemonade, are you seriously arguing (as you appear to be) that the writer weren't trying to be "loopy and inventive"? I think that's where you and Ned have common ground, you both think that that's what they were shooting for, but you disagree as to whether they hit it.

As for saying "many people consider this subjective opinion to be true", that is, if you'll pardon my French, a prick's game.

Writer #1: "Now that is fuckin' funny! Ha, ha, ha!"

All writers: (riotous laughter)

Writer #2: "Ooooh, man. Ohhhh, shit."

Writer #3: "That situation is kind of like this other situation..."

(and there's your rolling segue)

Writer #4: "It's totally the opposite of this other situation..."

(and there's your rolling segue)

No, I don't think it they were TRYING to be loopy and inspired, I think they just WERE. They came at comedy from every angle and tried to cram as many jokes as they could into a single episode.

xpost

"if you don't like it, go take a dump in your hat."
Don't you mean on the American flag?

I can sort of see how if you don't get that vibe, it could be a really good show, but it's a bit like "if an elephant was small, white and round, it'd be an aspirin".

Oh really. Sure he wasn't just trying to be funny?

"Take it from me, I love you!"

scott so fucking OTM today. lemonade salesman, too.

btw, when was the last time you were funny? i'm thinking it was well before you threatened to get in a fistfight with roger adultery.

The show is certainly inconsistant, but they had some really incredible material. Both Mr. Show and the Upright Citizens Brigade tv show had some interesting ideas about working improv and live sketch formats into a television show, but I think both ultimately make the case for the supremecy of the live experience. (although Arrested Development plays with some of the same tools in a manner much more effective for television)

Hm...all right, let me serve up an example -- one sketch I found egregriously painful was the one in the restaurant where the staff is all falling over themselves to take care of the dude when he poops. So, was that a 'fake' sketch (and was I apparently unaware not to notice?)? (I'm not objecting to that approach -- see also SCTV, MST3K, etc. -- but I don't think it worked well here.)

like ILX is a good arbiter of what's funny. get off yo own nuts!!