I am a big fan of comedy. I think it is the best way to be original while still providing a great form of entertainment. I think South Park and Seinfeld are genius and I think Dane Cook and Family Guy are ridiculous. The first two are original, creative, and have been able to be fresh for years. The latter two are repetitive, loud, and quite absurd. Being funny is easy when their is no set topic. What sets South Park and Seinfeld apart from all other shows, with the exception of The Simpsons, is that their jokes are built into the plot of the show, and they stick to the main idea while still bringing a genius form of comedy to their viewers.
It is actually quite easy for me to point out what I like. I have been alive for almost 21 years so I have been able to put a grasp on what I like and what grinds my gears. As for what I don't like, well that takes a little more investigation into what I don't prefer to watch, read, or listen to. One concept that really bothers me is whining. I hate hate hate Radiohead, and any of those boy bands that sound like someone is stepping on the lead singers "family jewels". Their high pitch voice, whining about how they weren't the cool kid in high school, or how they can't play sports, or never got girls. I just don't care. I have heard it before and quite frankly, my life has enough of its own problems that I don't need to care about some band who is making millions of dollars but still has some problems. I may get destroyed by whoever responds to this post but I think The Matrix is stupid. Three movies, three depictions of the exact same thing; a washed up actor time traveling. The first one was good, original, creative, unintentionally funny. But the second and third. I mean even the titles are bad. Almost as bad as the creators of The Fast and The Furious Trilogy. I mean really, here are the three titles of that group; The Fast And The Furious, The Fast And The Furious Tokyo Drift, and Fast And Furious. They are better off naming it, "Here are Two Actors Who Can't Get Other Jobs." At least that would be creative and honest. But I digress.
The truth of the matter is that I could ramble off a million different examples of what I like and what I don't like. The one consistent concept throughout everything is that what really engages me is originality. It is almost that it doesn't engage me, it impresses me. I guess they are one in the same. To engage me is to impress me. Show me something new. Show me why you are creative, different, and deserve the spotlight. The amount of writers that create terrible books, TV shows, and movies bothers me because I would say about half of them are full of crap. You can't honestly tell me the writer of Gigli is a genius. And if you believe he is, well then promise we will never talk again.
One of my best family friends, Alan Zweibel (he is googleable), is a great writer. He was an original writer for SNL, wrote for Curb Your Enthusiasm, and has a variety of books out. But about seven years ago, I remember a period when he couldn't get anything published or even made into a pilot on TV. The problem was that the Reality TV Show genre was in the midst of a boom and anyone who was the least bit creative couldn't get anything put into production. Reality TV, arguably the least creative genre their is. I mean really, how hard is it to come up with an idea of having "celebrities" dance on TV. Not to mention that the most successful reality TV shows in America were rip-offs of shows in other countries. Maybe I am biased because this is one of my great family friends, but either way, when I remember the times that he struggled to produce anything, I remember thinking about why it was like that. Now that I am older, and realize what I like, what really engages me, I realize that it is all about being original. It is all about being creative.
Hey all,
ReplyDeleteDrew I cannot help but read your post and find myself nodding in agreement. Originality and creativity is really important however I think you should take it one step further authenticity. I like to see new innovative things that people have never seen before. I want to hear new thoughts and ideas in ways that I never thought possible.
While I agree with you the last two matrix movies sucked. Like yea, it was horrible a bad actor staring in a movie that has absolutely no plot line. However, the first movie was good!! Yes, it is outdated and its special effects seem laughable by today’s standards however, at the time the special effects were taken to a new level. Never before had audiences seen such a crazy, reality defying stunts on a movie screen. As a result, the movie gained immense popularity and grossed over a hundred million dollars. The added values, special effects, clearly lead to increased profits and income for the producers.
This in a nutshell is what engages me and other people who have grown up in a capitalist society. What new value can be attached that will make me want to expense or become in engaged in what it is that’s being displayed. As you pointed out earlier, South Park is amazing. They took a basic idea, cartoons on cable, and fused the writer’s sardonic humor to create thirteen years of bliss. While I grew up laughing at the profanity, as I have gotten older and more mature the satire is what sets this show apart. Matt Parker and Trey Stone have been able to create such a successful show because they have a mystical ability to take current events and put a funny spin on them. They connect these events deep into our psyche and point out the stupid parts about our culture.
Ask any south park fan their favorite episode and you will get a myriad of responses. For me, my favorite is the golden PSP. The episode aired a few years ago when Terry Schaivo dominated cable news and play station portable was expected to replace gameboy. In the episode, the forces of hell are banding together to attack the kingdom of heaven and the only person who can save heaven from sure destruction is Kyle, one of the main characters, who is currently on life support. Kyle, like Terry Schiavo, is expecting to have his life terminated but is blocked by the Republican Party.
This provides a clear satire on the way the G.O.P operated prior to the 2008 elections. Overstepping their bounds when it came to social issues. Trey Parker and Matt Stone took advantage of this by showing the G.O.P as servants of the devil; Satan tries to keep Kyle alive so he cannot save heaven. Much like what occurred in real life, the heart wrenching decision of weather to terminate a loved ones life, quickly turned into an overnight media craze. The media attention was not only insensitive but it unfairly took advance of an unfortunate family situation.
In the end, the members of South Park realize that it is immoral to use a person’s tragedy to further ones political aims. Matt Parker capitalized on the paradox that was the Republican Party. As a result, the funniest 30 minutes of my life ensued and millions of viewers walked away happy and they unknowingly learned a valuable lesson. That is essentially what I look for when someone seeks to engage the Polis.