Non-British TV: it'll never be "Great" but we ♥ it anyway.

[hilizzy265]

princess lolifoxxx

hilizzy265

princess lolifoxxx

xXx White Lily xXx

Frasier heart
and That 70s Show heart heart

I never got Frasier. It just was too American for me to understand half the jokes. Plus it was a spinoff of another show I hated (can't remmeber right now).

Cheers?


I like the Colbert Report. Chuck was ok, and Pushing Daisies was ok in the begining(looks so misspelled- I shouldn't be up so late).
I liked 3rd rock from the sun when it was on.
I can't think of anything sad
24 was ok the first few seasons.

3rd Rock was good, but I find American humour is generally a little too braindead. Correct me if I'm wrong, of course, but the sitcoms that America produces seem to go for the easy joke, the uncontended humour. British humour seems to jar with the mainstream, even as it fits into it.

Well, there are a few things about that.
The most important is that smart people don't tend to watch tv as much, so it caters to the stupids.
American humor might be subtle- but when it is, it's attacking other Americans. If you don't have a similar group over there, the humor would be lost. In the Colbert report, Colbert fakes that he is this conservative, selfish, right wing Christian. If you don't have people like that so much over there, it wouldn''t be funny. The thing is how well he does it. If that wasn't too roundabout to be of use :/
I doubt you guys get ALL American television, so some of the better ones probably get missed. Network producers push the insipid crap because there are masses of idiots everywhere, and it's easier to sell shows to them.
Movies are better anyway.
On the other hand, watching people run doesn't seem at all funny to Americans. Some people thing Brits are kinda braindead on the humor-thing for that. (If anyone doens't know what I mean, I recall seeing people runnning-especially from cops- on various British things.). Though that was when I was a kid, so I have no clue if it's on that many things.
I never can end a thought...  

[hilizzy265]

And to continue my rant of boredom, most people don't sit down and watch tv.
That's how the stats say the average American watches 6 hours of tv and garbage like that
Alot of people keep it on in the background from when they come home until they go to bed, however, they might not absorb more than 30 minutes worth.
smile we aren't all lazy pigs  

[Prince Starchild]

Fair point about us only seeing the popular bits, but I do get when Americans make fun of themselves. It just seems less... incisive than British or European humour. Maybe I'm biased.

Which reminds me, what the ******** is the furor around Bill Hicks? He was not a great liberal or anarchic mind, he came across as a bumpkin, making jokes about how his wife was s**t at hunting. If you're going to think yourself as standing against an 'evil capitalist society' or whatever, please do not make sexist jokes, thank you.  

[hilizzy265]

princess lolifoxxx

Fair point about us only seeing the popular bits, but I do get when Americans make fun of themselves. It just seems less... incisive than British or European humour. Maybe I'm biased.

you have to be careful here. If you say something thats not 'politically correct', you might get sued and lose your career.

princess lolifoxxx

Which reminds me, what the ******** is the furor around Bill Hicks? He was not a great liberal or anarchic mind, he came across as a bumpkin, making jokes about how his wife was s**t at hunting. If you're going to think yourself as standing against an 'evil capitalist society' or whatever, please do not make sexist jokes, thank you.

I've only vaguely heard of him. Never actually SEEN him. I'll have to go on you tube later. I went onto some website with a bunch of his quotes. A few were funny, most would be funny to a select group of southerners...  

[Foetus In Fetu]

Yeah, I got bored of humour as a tool of oppression a while back.  

[hilizzy265]

Foetus In Fetu

Yeah, I got bored of humour as a tool of oppression a while back.

I'm assuming that was in response to the bit about political correctness. Perhaps I should clarify...
I'm not a rascist or something like that, I'm not saying "Skippy the happy negro" should be the new prime time show. I was simply saying it's gotten out of hand.
On Sesame Street (do you guys get that there?)(If not- it's a show for toddlers that was very popular a while back). The Cookie Monster has to be the Veggie Monster now because people are getting overweight. Bert and Ernie can't sleep together or hug (they used to be in the same bed, not doing the deed or anything close). And Oscar the Grouch can't live in a garbage can because it's demeaning to the homeless since it implies they are all unfriendly.
You can't call the Down's Syndrome type people retarded, since that word was used in a derogatory way. It was mentally handicapped, but they changed that because it's not a handicap- instead they are mentally challenged. Then that phrase went out for something else... I forget what.
Heck, today in my public speaking class the professor was talking about car salesmen. In alot of the commercials they used to advertise that they'd 'pay off you trade- no matter what you owe'. People would go there thinking that they would just get rid of their old car and buy a new one. Of course, the debt from the old was just put onto the new loan. The teacher said 'obviously, it was kinda of stupid of those people to think they'd just walk away from the old car'. And one kid said 'well you shouldn't say they're stupid'.
I was refering to things like that in why Americans can't REALLY make fun of others. Not as any pro-oppression statement.

: ) sorry post is so long  

[Prince Starchild]

hilizzy265

princess lolifoxxx

Fair point about us only seeing the popular bits, but I do get when Americans make fun of themselves. It just seems less... incisive than British or European humour. Maybe I'm biased.

you have to be careful here. If you say something thats not 'politically correct', you might get sued and lose your career.

princess lolifoxxx

Which reminds me, what the ******** is the furor around Bill Hicks? He was not a great liberal or anarchic mind, he came across as a bumpkin, making jokes about how his wife was s**t at hunting. If you're going to think yourself as standing against an 'evil capitalist society' or whatever, please do not make sexist jokes, thank you.

I've only vaguely heard of him. Never actually SEEN him. I'll have to go on you tube later. I went onto some website with a bunch of his quotes. A few were funny, most would be funny to a select group of southerners...

This was submitted in the British House of Commons after Hicks' death:

Early Day Motion 678, 2003-4

That this House notes with sadness the 10th anniversary of the death of Bill Hicks, on 26th February 1994, at the age of 32; recalls his assertion that his words would be a bullet in the heart of consumerism, capitalism and the American Dream; and mourns the passing of one of the few people who may be mentioned as being worth of inclusion with Lenny Bruce in any list of unflinching and painfully honest political philosophers.

As well as this, many bands, films and comics reference him, as 'the late, great Bill Hicks.' Yet, his work is not strongly liberal, or even that on the mark about consumerism. Calling the government 'suckers of Satan's c**k' is not being a 'bullet in the heart of consumerism, capitalism and the American Dream'. It's being immature and not having an intelligent or witty way to parody the insanity of culture and society. It's the anti-feminist humour that annoyed me, along with the heavy promotion of drugs.

Also, it's up to people to challenge PC for what it is- constricting and ultimately a problem, not a solution. Everyone gets annoyed when they can't say 'black coffee', and even normal, nice and not racist people get riled up about it, and end up making comments they regret later.  

[hilizzy265]

princess lolifoxxx

hilizzy265

princess lolifoxxx

Fair point about us only seeing the popular bits, but I do get when Americans make fun of themselves. It just seems less... incisive than British or European humour. Maybe I'm biased.

you have to be careful here. If you say something thats not 'politically correct', you might get sued and lose your career.

princess lolifoxxx

Which reminds me, what the ******** is the furor around Bill Hicks? He was not a great liberal or anarchic mind, he came across as a bumpkin, making jokes about how his wife was s**t at hunting. If you're going to think yourself as standing against an 'evil capitalist society' or whatever, please do not make sexist jokes, thank you.

I've only vaguely heard of him. Never actually SEEN him. I'll have to go on you tube later. I went onto some website with a bunch of his quotes. A few were funny, most would be funny to a select group of southerners...

This was submitted in the British House of Commons after Hicks' death:

Early Day Motion 678, 2003-4

That this House notes with sadness the 10th anniversary of the death of Bill Hicks, on 26th February 1994, at the age of 32; recalls his assertion that his words would be a bullet in the heart of consumerism, capitalism and the American Dream; and mourns the passing of one of the few people who may be mentioned as being worth of inclusion with Lenny Bruce in any list of unflinching and painfully honest political philosophers.

As well as this, many bands, films and comics reference him, as 'the late, great Bill Hicks.' Yet, his work is not strongly liberal, or even that on the mark about consumerism. Calling the government 'suckers of Satan's c**k' is not being a 'bullet in the heart of consumerism, capitalism and the American Dream'. It's being immature and not having an intelligent or witty way to parody the insanity of culture and society. It's the anti-feminist humour that annoyed me, along with the heavy promotion of drugs.

Also, it's up to people to challenge PC for what it is- constricting and ultimately a problem, not a solution. Everyone gets annoyed when they can't say 'black coffee', and even normal, nice and not racist people get riled up about it, and end up making comments they regret later.

I think the 'furor' must be in the UK. I haven't heard of him (I was thinking of Taylor Hicks), and neither has my mom or my friend. :/
"Women priests. Great, great. Now there's priests of both sexes I don't listen to. "
that's the only quote i've been able to find that even talks about women.  

[Foetus In Fetu]

hilizzy265

Foetus In Fetu

Yeah, I got bored of humour as a tool of oppression a while back.

I'm assuming that was in response to the bit about political correctness.

It wasn't actually. I haven't read or heard any of Bill Hicks's material, but what I gathered from the comment about appealing to a select group of Southerners was that he's the type of comedian who makes or that he has made jokes based on or which compound stereotypes about socially oppressed groups, e.g. ethnic minorities, LGBT people, women, etc.

I got bored of it, (1) because humour is a very efficient way of "beating people when they're down" or silencing legitimate concerns which socially oppressed groups may have [and this function of comedy is often underestimated], and (2) because it's all so samey and status quo.

hilizzy265

You can't call the Down's Syndrome type people retarded, since that word was used in a derogatory way.

Why would you want to call people with Down's Syndrome "retarded"?

hilizzy265

It was mentally handicapped, but they changed that because it's not a handicap- instead they are mentally challenged. Then that phrase went out for something else... I forget what.

The thing is, the euphemism treadmill is just going to keep going round and round until we re-evaluate our values as a society. The problem is not that the terms keep changing: the problem is that -- as a direct result of the prejudice in our society -- they keep gaining negative connotations.

hilizzy265

I was refering to things like that in why Americans can't REALLY make fun of others. Not as any pro-oppression statement.

I didn't take it as one. ;D  

[hilizzy265]

Foetus In Fetu

It wasn't actually. I haven't read or heard any of Bill Hicks's material, but what I gathered from the comment about appealing to a select group of Southerners was that he's the type of comedian who makes or that he has made jokes based on or which compound stereotypes about socially oppressed groups, e.g. ethnic minorities, LGBT people, women, etc.

When I heard princess say the thing about the wife hunting, I assumed he'd be the jeff foxworthy- larry the cable guy kinda comedian. The rednecks who like fart and beer jokes. If I meant oppressors, I wouldn't have said Southerners (those a-holes are everywhere)
here are some of his quotes that I think should sum up who would like him:

“A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks. You think when Jesus comes back he ever wants to see a f-ing cross? It's like going up to Jackie Onassis wearing a rifle pendant.”

“They lie about marijuana. Tell you pot-smoking makes you unmotivated. Lie! When you're high, you can do everything you normally do, just as well. You just realize that it's not worth the f-ing effort. There is a difference.”

“The worst kind of non-smokers are the ones that come up to you and cough. That's pretty f-ing cruel isn't it? Do you go up to cripples and dance too?”

“Christianity has a built-in defense system: anything that questions a belief, no matter how logical the argument is, is the work of Satan by the very fact that it makes you question a belief. It's a very interesting defense mechanism and the only way to get by it -- and believe me, I was raised Southern Baptist -- is to take massive amounts of mushrooms, sit in a field, and just go, "Show me."”

I'll tell you, too, that's starting to depress me about UFO's, about the fact that they cross galaxies, or wherever they come from to visit us, and always end up in places like Fife, Alabama. Maybe these are not super-intelligent beings, man.

"They said the Iraqis had the fourth largest army in the world. Well, the Hare Krishnas are the fifth largest and they've already got our airports."

Foetus In Fetu

humour is a very efficient way of "beating people when they're down" or silencing legitimate concerns which socially oppressed groups may have [and this function of comedy is often underestimated]

I agree with you there

Foetus In Fetu

hilizzy265

You can't call the Down's Syndrome type people retarded, since that word was used in a derogatory way.

Why would you want to call people with Down's Syndrome "retarded"?

My parents were born in 1964 and the entire time they were growing up that was the proper term. retard is french for slow or something to that effect. Simply refered to the fact t hat they were a bit slower than others. My point was actually that it was changed simply because it was used in a negative way.

Foetus In Fetu

hilizzy265

It was mentally handicapped, but they changed that because it's not a handicap- instead they are mentally challenged. Then that phrase went out for something else... I forget what.

The thing is, the euphemism treadmill is just going to keep going round and round until we re-evaluate our values as a society. The problem is not that the terms keep changing: the problem is that -- as a direct result of the prejudice in our society -- they keep gaining negative connotations.

I agree, but re-naming them makes it worse. It makes the group sound stupid to alot of people, especially less understanding(not rascist, just simple) people.

Foetus In Fetu

hilizzy265

I was refering to things like that in why Americans can't REALLY make fun of others. Not as any pro-oppression statement.

I didn't take it as one. ;D

ok good biggrin  

[Hrotsvita]

Sidenote: Last year Sky had a commercial that was soley clips of the doctor and his various assistants running. I thought it was funny because it seems like his solution to anything is "into the Tardis". *cough*

I like Colbert better than Stewart because Stewart cracks up too much, Colbert's able to keep up the charade.

I split my time between the States and the UK, so I think I get a decent idea of what's on in both places. Although Sky shows way too much Frasier. Way too much. And both places overwexpose Everybody Loves Raymond!  

[Prince Starchild]

Hrotsvita

Sidenote: Last year Sky had a commercial that was soley clips of the doctor and his various assistants running. I thought it was funny because it seems like his solution to anything is "into the Tardis". *cough*

I like Colbert better than Stewart because Stewart cracks up too much, Colbert's able to keep up the charade.

I split my time between the States and the UK, so I think I get a decent idea of what's on in both places. Although Sky shows way too much Frasier. Way too much. And both places overwexpose Everybody Loves Raymond!

By overexpose... do mean expose, like, at all?  

[Hrotsvita]

The last I was in the UK (over Christmas Holiday) he was on at least once a day everyday, occasionally twice. It's really ironic because I know a lot of Americans that are dying to see the shows they air on UKTV Gold, but those(maybe with the exception of Vicar of Dibley?) never seem consistently aired.  

[hilizzy265]

Hrotsvita

The last I was in the UK (over Christmas Holiday) he was on at least once a day everyday, occasionally twice. It's really ironic because I know a lot of Americans that are dying to see the shows they air on UKTV Gold, but those(maybe with the exception of Vicar of Dibley?) never seem consistently aired.

I wish we got British TV. One PBS channel used to show Dr. Who and Monty Python, but I never see them anymore. :/ You have to buy Satellite to get foreign programming.

princess lolifoxxx

Hrotsvita

And both places over expose Everybody Loves Raymond!

By overexpose... do mean expose, like, at all?

A commercial of Raymond is overexposure.

Hrotsvita

I like Colbert better than Stewart because Stewart cracks up too much, Colbert's able to keep up the charade.

Plus Stewart isn’t cracking as many jokes at both sides. It’s much more ‘look at Bush be stupid’.
Did you watch Indecision 2004? I love how much Colbert makes Stewart laugh. Plus Colbert’s done so much more… Wrist-Strong, has his own word in Webster, fake ran for President, has his picture in the Hall of Portraits, has an Eagle named after him biggrin  

[Foetus In Fetu]

hilizzy265

princess lolifoxxx

Hrotsvita

And both places over expose Everybody Loves Raymond!

By overexpose... do mean expose, like, at all?

A commercial of Raymond is overexposure.

Yeah.

I like Everybody Hates Chris, though.