tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post5945360501995622007..comments2024-03-28T10:18:00.370-05:00Comments on Gentlemen of Leisure: Last Week in TV #15Austin Gortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-8838256754691389582012-01-30T18:43:57.632-06:002012-01-30T18:43:57.632-06:00@Blam: He's not bad, exactly, it's just th...@Blam: <i>He's not bad, exactly, it's just that the others are at least slightly larger than life — always "on" to at least some degree — so he comes across as a real person who's been dropped into a sitcom, which unintentionally translates into borderline catatonia. </i><br /><br />There definitely is a certain balance to sitcom acting, and not everyone can do it, even accomplished performers in other venues.Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-74271776729639430352012-01-29T19:58:03.276-06:002012-01-29T19:58:03.276-06:00Teebore: Thanks for putting into words what's ...<br>Teebore: <i>Thanks for putting into words what's been bugging me about Kal's performance.</i><br /><br />You're welcome. 8^) He's not bad, exactly, it's just that the others are at least slightly larger than life — always "on" to at least some degree — so he comes across as a real person who's been dropped into a sitcom, which unintentionally translates into borderline catatonia. <br /><br />I didn't know him from Adam when I saw <i>Superman Returns</i>. During the movie it struck me, especially as he was one of the few cast members of color, that he had no dialogue. Later I added up the name to the face, but at the time I just figured that whoever the Kal Penn in the opening credits was it was one of the supporting players whose parents (like Jon Bogdanove and Nic Cage) were Superman fans who'd named him after the character. <br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-6307360097816600712012-01-25T12:34:56.391-06:002012-01-25T12:34:56.391-06:00And I confess that reading coverage of this panel ...<i>And I confess that reading coverage of this panel makes me want to stop watching the show and write to tell CBS why.</i><br /><br />Ditto. I'm not quite there yet, just because I have some morbid curiosity in seeing just how long they can continue to go on as is, with no attempt at improvement, and because I don't have a Nielsen box so it's not like my viewing can be misconstrued as tacit support. That said, the moment the show requires any effort to watch, due to conflicting schedules or falling behind or whatever, I'll have no hesitation dropping it.<br /><br /><i>Jack: "Variety called it 'boffo' and they don't throw that word around lightly."<br /></i><br /><br />Loved that line. <br /><br /><i>I just don't know where else it has to go, and Community has sort-of taken its place as a genius sitcom that may not be progressing much but that's brilliantly exploring every which way its "sit" can be explored for "com".</i><br /><br />Well said. Agreement all around. <br /><br /><i>Whenever Andy tries to talk beyond his level of serene man-child obliviousness it's gold. </i><br /><br />Indeed. I love the line you quoted, and one of my all time favorite P&R bits is from the Flu episode last season when Andy tells Leslie he typed her symptoms into the computer and it said she has "network connectivity problems". <br /><br /><i>The best hosts are always those who commit, sometimes surprisingly, to the material. Melissa McCarthy, like you said, is one, but they're often non-actors </i><br /><br />True. I'm always surprised by the actors, especially the comedians, who seem to struggle on the show. I get that acting off a memorized script for a camera is a lot different than acting quickly rehearsed material off cue cards in front of a live audience, but it shouldn't be *that* much of a stretch, especially for some of the good actors who seem to get stymied by <i>SNL</i>.<br /><br /><i>If you didn't see the "White People Problems" sketch, you should; it might've been my highlight of the night.</i><br /><br />I was able to see that one, and it was indeed very, very funny. Particularly the way they managed to keep it from getting repetitive and close out strong.Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-7665494960078993932012-01-25T12:34:51.813-06:002012-01-25T12:34:51.813-06:00@Blam: No doubt it's my subconscious geek desi...@Blam: <i>No doubt it's my subconscious geek desire to one day go through the entire series from the start, although I hear that that's kind-of a bad idea things since don't hit their stride 'til several seasons in.</i><br /><br />The first season is a little bumpy and raw (especially the animation) but it's not <i>awful</i> and certainly watchable, especially if you're not intimately familiar with the show in later seasons as a point of comparison. It's also short (13 episodes), and there definitely are some good episodes there. <br /><br />There's a clear improvement in animation between seasons 1 and 2 (even if the animation continues to improve past season 2), and while most fans generally cite season 4 as the beginning of the "golden age", there are some who stretch that back to season 2. At the very least, there are several very good to excellent episodes in seasons 2 and 3, and both are, on the whole, quite good, if not what is often considered "classic <i>Simpsons</i>". <br /><br />Which is my long winded way of saying that if you ever did, geek-inspired, want to start the series from the beginning, it shouldn't be much of a slog to get to the really great, classic stuff (at the same time, especially given the breadth of the show, I wouldn't begrudge you or anyone just diving in around season 4 and sampling the best stuff). <br /><br /><i>I find Kal Penn's line readings so leaden that I kind-of dread his scenes. I'm not sure if that's him in general (never seen the Harold and Kumar movies or much of anything else he's been in) </i><br /><br />Thanks for putting into words what's been bugging me about Kal's performance. I haven't seen him in much either (one of the Harold and Kumar movies, and I honestly don't remember much about his performance, and <i>Superman Returns</i>, but he was barely in that).Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-60711626152480102832012-01-19T19:30:50.820-06:002012-01-19T19:30:50.820-06:00And now, after dinner and a failed attempt to see ...<br>And now, after dinner and a failed attempt to see <i>The Artist</i>, our stunning conclusion...<br /><br /><b><i>Parks and Recreation:</i> The Comeback Kid</b><br /><br />I love the name of Ben's cookbook, <i>Did Someone Say Calzone?</i> Again, like with <i>30 Rock</i> and to a lesser extent <i>Glee</i> (which gave us a glimpse at some they'd-never-be-in-a-high-school but very funny brochures this week), the bits are just an extra little treat — and for the most part all the shows that indulge in this each do it at a level appropriate to the weirdness/reality of their respective vibes.<br /><br />Andy: "We had to <i>Jetsons</i> most of the poster, too, but I kinda <i>like</i> it 'cuz windows... are.... the eyes to the house. <br /><br />Whenever Andy tries to talk beyond his level of serene man-child obliviousness it's gold. <br /><br /><b><i>Saturday Night Live</i>: Charles Barkley & Kelly Clarkson</b><br /><br /><i>his complete devotion to everything the writers gave him helped smooth over any rough edges</i><br /><br />The best hosts are always those who commit, sometimes surprisingly, to the material. Melissa McCarthy, like you said, is one, but they're often non-actors — Taylor Swift and Brian Williams are a couple from recent memory.<br /><br /><i>they brought back Lord Wyndemere ... and managed to keep the same funny bits from the first sketch without just repeating it verbatim</i><br /><br />For me what makes the sketch as funny as it is (which isn't very) is how Jason Sudeikis's down-to-earth father is so genuinely taken by him.<br /><br />If you didn't see the "White People Problems" sketch, you should; it might've been my highlight of the night.<br /><br />Barkley: "That problem is so white it should go snowboarding."<br /><br />VW: <i>monste</i> — Last almost-words of someone stepped on by Godzilla.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-17206542171892279922012-01-19T17:36:44.991-06:002012-01-19T17:36:44.991-06:0030 Rock: Dance Like Nobody's Watching
My favo...<br><b><i>30 Rock</i>: Dance Like Nobody's Watching</b><br /><br />My favorite thing about this show is the <i>non sequitur</i>s like the card that reads "Death to U.S. Imperialist Wolves and Happy Hanukkah". It may not be slap-your-knee funny when brought to the fore, but as a little background bonus it just makes you appreciate the absurdity of the show even more.<br /><br />I love that (a) Kenneth dresses for the Rapture in (b) ridiculous clothing, because (c) from what I've read you get floated up nekkid — although when it comes to Kenneth's brand of Christianity all bets are off.<br /><br />Jack: "<i>Variety</i> called it 'boffo' and they don't throw that word around lightly."<br /><br />The closing down-tempo version of "Camptown Races" was a hilariously dramatic reinterpretation <i>and</i> pretty darned good.<br /><br /><i>It's not </i>Community<i>, but I'm glad 30 Rock is back.</i><br /><br />Same here... It's actually one of those shows that's kind-of run its course for me and that I wouldn't mourn if it was gone, yet I don't want to miss an episode as long as it's still airing. I just don't know where else it has to go, and <i>Community</i> has sort-of taken its place as a genius sitcom that may not be progressing much but that's brilliantly exploring every which way its "sit" can be explored for "com".<br /><br />VW: <i>bucritas</i> — Mexican food made from pirate meat.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-47029414877667255162012-01-19T17:24:47.730-06:002012-01-19T17:24:47.730-06:002 Broke Girls
I have a feeling that when Sepinwa...<br><i>2 Broke Girls </i><br /><br />I have a feeling that when Sepinwall's piece says "King noted that the last three episodes they've filmed haven't featured any jokes about Han's ethnicity" he's not including the character's accent or understanding that Han's very portrayal is all about his weird, supposedly laughable otherness. Right now I can imagine — barely — Han becoming a more well-rounded character; I can't imagine ever warming to Oleg, no matter what is done (in what it's now too late to be anything other than a cheap attempt) to make him sympathetic.<br /><br />And I confess that reading coverage of this panel makes me want to stop watching the show and write to tell CBS why. In fact I have (appropriately) two reasons not to watch it now, the other one being that CBS has withdrawn availability of complete episodes online from everywhere — so if I can't get it through On Demand, they may have lost me at least until summer repeats. I'm now two episodes behind and I gots me <i>tons</i> of other stuff to watch that's, frankly, much better.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-7970626929628158212012-01-19T17:19:17.672-06:002012-01-19T17:19:17.672-06:00Man, I thought for sure I'd posted comments he...<br>Man, I thought for sure I'd posted comments here already. <br /><br /><b><i>The Simpsons</i></b><br /><br />"You are an embarrassment to the aristocratic slaveholders who forged this mighty nation."<br /><br />Ha! I did watch the Neil Gaiman episode on various <i>Simpsons</i>-fan friends' recommendations (yours among them), but haven't watched the show since then. No doubt it's my subconscious geek desire to one day go through the entire series from the start, although I hear that that's kind-of a bad idea things since don't hit their stride 'til several seasons in.<br /><br /><b><i>How I Met Your Mother</i>: Tailgate</b><br /><br /><i>It was also nice to see Kevin involved in a story sans Robin</i><br /><br />While I agree in theory, I find Kal Penn's line readings so leaden that I kind-of dread his scenes. I'm not sure if that's him in general (never seen the <i>Harold and Kumar</i> movies or much of anything else he's been in) or a character choice here of his and/or the director's, but his delivery just sits there — not so much flopping around like a dead fish; more like an jewel-encrusted fish medallion of alien origin that sucks all energy from it surroundings... or, y'know, something.<br /><br /><i>Giving Robin a storyline independent of any "will they/won't they" tension is certainly a good idea, and hopefully her return to being an on air personality gives her character something else to do in the episodes ahead.</i><br /><br />I know that this is a show about relationships — friendship <i>and</i> romance — but the point of Robin's storylines revolving perhaps too often around her potential boyfriends is well observed. And it was nice to see her heading into the realm of more meaningful journalism <i>except</i> for the fact that it took away the opportunity to have everyone's disparate storylines cross over in part through her being on TV while other characters are elsewhere. So I think it'll be fun to have that back.<br /><br /><i>I'm not quite sure Marshall had enough time to get from New York to Minnesota in between his stories, but that's TV I suppose.</i><br /><br />Yeah, I got struck by that a couple of times when I realized the timeframe of Marshall's flashbacks was catching up to his present pretty rapidly, but I guess he red-eyed it while Lily's dad was driving to her house — which I just realized he might not've actually known about given their infrequent communication; funny as it would've been to have him show up for the heartwarming reunion at her apartment, however, we then wouldn't have had the heartwarming reunion.<br /><br />VW: <i>shedity</i> — The rate at which your pet gives off hair.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-90584256657350437352012-01-16T10:28:58.584-06:002012-01-16T10:28:58.584-06:00@Anne: I like Grayson because she's from WI an...@Anne: <i>I like Grayson because she's from WI and therefore practically MN.</i><br /><br />Whoa, whoa whoa: let's not go crazy. MN is far, far superior to WI. <br /><br /><i>Are you guys watching Face Off? because you really, really should</i><br /><br />We're not. I hear it's good, but only so much time in the day, etc. etc.Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-76941928404863207472012-01-15T15:29:56.690-06:002012-01-15T15:29:56.690-06:00Top Chef- i think Sara was FORCING it to be 'n...Top Chef- i think Sara was FORCING it to be 'no big deal'. i mean, if it truly wasn't a big deal she wouldn't've had to vehemently tell the tv audience that she didn't feel guilty AT ALL for leaving the 2nd time.<br />I like Grayson because she's from WI and therefore practically MN.<br />I also like Paul for the exact reasons you listed. And i want to like Ed so i let his jerkiness kind of slide by<br /><br />Are you guys watching Face Off? because you really, really shouldAnne Ahiershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04695186823472404436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-83133767211143180652012-01-13T11:20:27.050-06:002012-01-13T11:20:27.050-06:00@Sarah: I was irritated that no one mentioned in F...@Sarah: <i>I was irritated that no one mentioned in FG that Meg is a sex offender, something they have brough up outside that original episode. </i><br /><br />Ah, yeah, I'd totally forgotten about that. <br /><br /><i>Yeah she got sick and it wasn't her fault and it was out of her control, but she still should've felt bad about not being there to help support her team.</i><br /><br />I definitely think she could have been less cavalier about the whole thing. She kinda acted like the whole thing was no big deal, and while she had no control over it, it kinda was.Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-15539804421694336862012-01-13T10:12:13.757-06:002012-01-13T10:12:13.757-06:00In general, i think i've just reached a point ...In general, i think i've just reached a point where i enjoy AD more than FG. <br />I was irritated that no one mentioned in FG that Meg is a sex offender, something they have brough up outside that original episode. It seems like it would've been an awesome way to bring in some laughs in an episode that was mostly "eh"<br /><br />Top Chef - we were irritated when Sara came back to the challenge, stayed long enough to serve her food to the judges and then left. And then said "I don't even feel guilty" Because she should've. Yeah she got sick and it wasn't her fault and it was out of her control, but she still should've felt bad about not being there to help support her team.<br /><br />In general, i don't really like anyone this season. The boys in general i don't hate (where some of the women i do) but it's not like i'm rooting for anyone. I wish Bev would just stand up for herself.<br />And grayson is also growing on me, mostly because she's occasionally funny and never a bitch, so therefore she's quickly becoming cooler than everyone else on the show.Sarah Ahiershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02795455714801965956noreply@blogger.com