Thursday, September 14, 2006

Hating Jimmy Carr

We have an rule with no exceptions in our house: any TV program fronted by (or prominently featuring) Jimmy Carr is switched over immediately. Try it, you'll like it..

Having said that, the only thing that's on that I currently like is series 6 of The Sopranos: once this final series is over (next year) I've only got ER left and that's been going downhill a bit maybe, or plateaued perhaps to be polite. Everything else is dead or gone - I won't watch The Simpsons on TV unless I am absolutely guaranteed nothing past series 8 will sully my eyes. I won't watch new ones anymore at all. I wish they had sacked them all when they threatened to strike for more pay (Fox advertised for soundalikes) and not made the later series. It's the worst example of cultural dilution in my lifetime: they took what was human and decent and honest and made it into a self=parodic freakshow. Homer isn't a father now, he's a monster: my own 'Jump The Shark' moment was when he was lying on the kitchen floor smashing beer bottles in an ep called something like '3 gays and a condo': that just wasn't the man i'd seen before who always tried to do the best for his family albeit in his own hopeless way. And I felt this before I had children in case you think that's a factor.

Anyway, Homer never goes to work (they make meta-jokes about it) and Bart and Lisa never go to school (not properly). They haven't written a properly-structured episode for five years or more, just "The Simpsons are Going To Japan/Brazil/Mars/England" or whatever crazy escapade they have this week. Marge doesn't care for Maggie, who never falls over any more, have you noticed?

It's sometimes possible to tell from the opening credits if it's a new ep never seen before (avoid at all costs) or one made years ago which you've seen a thousand times (you will still get something new from it if you watch it closely, and still enjoy it if you don't)

Incidentally, 'Happy Days' was considered part of the counter-culture when it was first shown: 'The Fonz' wore a leather jacket and rode a motorbike, perhaps the definitive images of rebellion to adults when I was an adolescent. Now it looks like the softest of cashmere conformity.

Oh, and I'm going to buy Resident Evil 4 from eBay so I might not be back for a while... never played RE before, sounds like fun. (Edit: too difficult!)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Resident evil: It's FANTASTIC. Best game available on the GC, IMHO. You want my copy?

Simpsons: They made more after series 4? I've only ever seen the first 4 series on Beeb2 (about 10x per episode - and you're right, they do get better every time). Does it really get that bad in later seriiii?

TV: ER hasn't jumped the shark, but it's practicing back-flips... 24 did a triple pike over the shark, but currently loving Prison Break for the sublime ridiculousness if you haven't tried it!

A

stuartd said...

Re: thanks, but i've bought RE4 (and THUG2) from some brats on ebay.

Simpsons: I envy you.

TV: That Mitchell And Webb show actually made me laugh (which is rare) - on after Extras on a thursday.

leesa said...

What you really want to play is Lego Star Wars - especially the new one. It's fab and it's taking up all my life.

I have to agree, the new Sopranos rocks - currently debating importing the box set because a week between episodes is too long. And Mitchell and Webb is promising - I also laughed, but then I'd already laughed at Extras so maybe my humour benchmark was low!

stuartd said...

Lego Star Wars is possibly the most enticingly ridiculous thing I have ever seen.. I will watch out for it on eBay.

I bought THUG2 as well, though, and the urge to instantly complete it will be strong in this one..