Author Topic: A random thread for small entertainment things not warranting their own thread.. (Read 287080 times)

citoyen · « **Reply #300 on:** 26 February, 2015, 07:46:10 am »

Miranda is just a mainstream sitcom doing what a mainstream sitcom does. I have no opinion of it either way and admit I'm baffled that others appear to feel so strongly about it. I suspect the fact that the lead is a not-conventionally-attractive woman has something to do with it.

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #301 on:** 26 February, 2015, 07:52:52 am »

I liked her in Call the Midwife and she seems funny when she's being herself on things, but the sitcom was dire. Not as dire as Mrs Brown's Boys, but nearly.

LEE · « **Reply #302 on:** 26 February, 2015, 08:54:02 am »

Quote from: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 26 February, 2015, 07:52:52 am

I liked her in Call the Midwife and she seems funny when she's being herself on things, but the sitcom was dire. Not as dire as Mrs Brown's Boys, but nearly.

Mrs Brown's Boys, to me, is like UKIP and the extreme Islamist group, Boko Haram.
It makes me think there's no hope for human civilisation when such large sections of the population don't dismiss it as mindless stupidity.

The only surprise about Mrs Brown's Boys (a show I sat open mouthed watching) was that there wasn't an Afro-Caribbean family living next door. Imagine the hilarity.

"When the Whistle Blows" was a spoof comedy in "Extras" by Ricky Gervais. It was suppose to show what happens when a comedy-writer's dreams of writing an intelligent comedy are dashed against the rocks of a BBC "we know what the public really want" committee. It's clear to me now that it would get 10 million viewers if released by the Beeb.

However it's clear that I must be in the wrong because it gets a bigger audience than anything done by Charlie Brooker or Stuart Lee. Therefore Charlie Brooker and Stuart Lee, statistically, are less funny than Brendan O'Tranny-Gag.

"You're a fine woman Mrs Brown"
:Mrs brown looks to camera and winks
"Dat's what you tink Mr O'Reilly"
:Audience go wild with laughter (Because it's really a man in drag, do you get it? Do you? It's not a woman, it's a man....in drag. It's a gag that never stops giving).

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #303 on:** 26 February, 2015, 10:29:37 am »

Mercifully I've never seen an entire episode of "Mrs Brown's Boys" but from what I have seen it appears to be "Bread" with an Irish accent. "Bloke in a dress" works if you're called Eddie Izzard but not if you're just digging up the mouldering corpse of Dick Emery.

Ricky Gervais isn't funny either, IMHO, but that's for entirely different reasons.

jsabine · « **Reply #304 on:** 26 February, 2015, 10:45:30 am »

Look beyond the crudeness and the willy gags and the slapstick and the man inna dress, and there's actually a fair degree of sophistication to MBB, with a lot of commentary on Irish norms tucked in amongst the parodying of Oirish stereotypes. The fact I recognise half his characters among my (extended) in-laws doesn't harm things either ...

Biggsy · « **Reply #305 on:** 26 February, 2015, 02:25:52 pm »

A few million people find the Miranda show funny. I'm one of them. Same with Mrs Brown's Boys, except I'm not one of them.

Tim Hall · « **Reply #306 on:** 26 February, 2015, 02:59:26 pm »

Years ago I had this idea that when I had five minutes, I'd invent a clever remote control that would have extra functions. You'd be able to point it at a character on the screen, right click (or whatever) and ask who the actor was and confirm that they weren't, ooh, thingy, the one who drove the gettaway car in that police thing the other day but had been in that film you watched three years ago. It was a really neat idea and would make me a fortune.

Last night I was watching Spirals on my computer, using Kodi (used to be XBMC) media centre thing. I was controlling it with Yatze, an app on my mobile, which does all the usual stop, pause, ffwd etc, choose what to watch and so on. And then when I was actually watching an episode I found I could flick to a page which listed the characters, with thumbnail pics of them. Click on the thumbnail and it jumped to IMDB, so I could see what else they'd been in.

Almost like my invention.

Kim · « **Reply #307 on:** 26 February, 2015, 03:15:38 pm »

Quote from: Tim Hall on 26 February, 2015, 02:59:26 pm

Years ago I had this idea that when I had five minutes, I'd invent a clever remote control that would have extra functions. You'd be able to point it at a character on the screen, right click (or whatever) and ask who the actor was and confirm that they weren't, ooh, thingy, the one who drove the gettaway car in that police thing the other day but had been in that film you watched three years ago. It was a really neat idea and would make me a fortune.

On a related note: Subtitles to allow prosopagnosics to follow films about White Men In Suits, and to flag up radical changes in appearance not accompanied by a beard-shaving/hair-dying/etc montage.

ian · « **Reply #308 on:** 26 February, 2015, 03:31:02 pm »

I mostly don't watch TV (this isn't a claim that I'm a member of the self-declared intelligentsia and only listen to R4 which I find is dumbing down terribly, just that I don't get time and just watch crap off the internets or boxsets). I did watch an episode on Miranda on a plane once and it was a laughter desert. I remember once one of American colleagues watched an episode of The Bill and afterwards asked "was that supposed to be a comedy?" That was my takeaway from Miranda. There seems to be an argument that if you don't like it's because she's 'not conventionally attractive'. Trust me, it isn't. But to be honest, I just don't get the old-stylee British sitcoms, on which this seems modelled. This may be the fault in my brain.

As I believe we once discussed on this august forum, I watched a brief snatch of MBB. I can sum up my thoughts as WTF? WTF? WTF? WTF?

I can't watch Ricky Gervais in anything he just has a way about him that makes me want to throw a lawnmower at him. I take a lawnmower everywhere just on the off-chance I encounter him. I like the US version of The Office for this reason.

VEEP is making me laugh at the moment.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #309 on:** 26 February, 2015, 03:42:22 pm »

Wasn't "Veep" (very) loosely based on "The Thick Of It"? Somehow I can't imagine the median USAnian audience going for a programme using language like "six-toed pony-fuckers", "marzipan dildo" or ""I will tear your fucking skin off, I will wear it to your mother's birthday party, and rub your nuts up and down her leg whilst whistling Bohemian fucking Rhapsody".

Kim · « **Reply #310 on:** 26 February, 2015, 03:54:22 pm »

Miranda isn't my flavour of comedy, but I reckon Miranda Hart is a good egg.

ian · « **Reply #311 on:** 26 February, 2015, 04:36:14 pm »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 26 February, 2015, 03:42:22 pm

Wasn't "Veep" (very) loosely based on "The Thick Of It"? Somehow I can't imagine the median USAnian audience going for a programme using language like "six-toed pony-fuckers", "marzipan dildo" or ""I will tear your fucking skin off, I will wear it to your mother's birthday party, and rub your nuts up and down her leg whilst whistling Bohemian fucking Rhapsody".

It is, though the dildo is now, with even less practicality, a fucking croissant.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #312 on:** 26 February, 2015, 05:14:32 pm »

Godspeed You! Black Emperor announce new album. Release due at the end of March. Kudos to my furry chum Luis for the tip-off.

citoyen · « **Reply #313 on:** 26 February, 2015, 05:37:04 pm »

Quote from: ian on 26 February, 2015, 03:31:02 pm

There seems to be an argument that if you don't like it's because she's 'not conventionally attractive'. Trust me, it isn't.

You misunderstand - the argument is not that you don't like it for that reason but that this is the reason why it comes in for such vitriolic scorn when in fact it is no better or worse than countless other mediocre mainstream sitcoms that don't get the same treatment (eg Not Going Out). It's an #everydaysexism thing.

Mr L - Veep is written by exactly the same team as TTOI - Armando Ianucci, Chris Addison et al. It's genius. Very funny.

ian · « **Reply #314 on:** 26 February, 2015, 06:14:45 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 26 February, 2015, 05:37:04 pm

Quote from: ian on 26 February, 2015, 03:31:02 pm
There seems to be an argument that if you don't like it's because she's 'not conventionally attractive'. Trust me, it isn't.

You misunderstand - the argument is not that you don't like it for that reason but that this is the reason why it comes in for such vitriolic scorn when in fact it is no better or worse than countless other mediocre mainstream sitcoms that don't get the same treatment (eg Not Going Out). It's an #everydaysexism thing.

Mr L - Veep is written by exactly the same team as TTOI - Armando Ianucci, Chris Addison et al. It's genius. Very funny.

I wasn't aware that it came in for any particularly vitriolic scorn, but then I've not really paid attention, I've seen one episode on a plane. I was mostly confused by the lack of anything identifiable as a joke. It was mostly look-at-me-aren't-I-quirky. LAUGHTER. Humour is subjective, so I'm saving the lawnmower for Ricky. Miranda fans are safe from horticultural homicide. I think it's aimed at people who are trapped in the 1970s, the decade of beige, groping, and quite awful TV that everyone watched because, well, it was TV.

Veep is indeed written by the same team and just as rude (it's on HBO, so swearing is fine), but it has the added twist that US politics is especially odd to start out with, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays a pitch-perfect Selena. To think I'm even mentioning this in the same thread as Miranda and MBB troubles me.

Torslanda · « **Reply #315 on:** 26 February, 2015, 11:40:21 pm »

What little I've seen of Miranda (i.e. next to nowt) it perpetuates the 'jokes' that were prevalent in programmes like the Charlie Cairolli (sp) Show when I was eight. And I thought that was shit, too . . .

Ruthie · « **Reply #316 on:** 27 February, 2015, 09:29:09 am »

Love

Love bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack'd anything.

'A guest,' I answer'd, 'worthy to be here:'
Love said, 'You shall be he.'
'I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
I cannot look on Thee.'
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
'Who made the eyes but I?'

'Truth, Lord; but I have marr'd them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.'
'And know you not,' says Love, 'Who bore the blame?'
'My dear, then I will serve.'
'You must sit down,' says Love, 'and taste my meat.'
So I did sit and eat.

George Herbert's festival day today! Happy Herbert Day, chaps, and a glorious day it is.

Miranda laughs at herself, and that's why I like it. She's taking the mickey out of herself, all the time, for being a bit clumsy, and a bit fat, and a bit gauche, and because she does daft things all the time that make her look like a div. It's a celebration of Miranda in all her weirdness and lack of elegance. That's why I like it.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #317 on:** 27 February, 2015, 10:30:49 am »

Went to a LGBT poetry evening last night. Was supposed to be meeting a friend who had bought tickets; they didn't turn up. Amusingly the door staff assumed that the friend I was looking for was male. I guess that would seem have been a logical conclusion, but still, assumptions and all that. Bit like assuming that a woman must have a (male) husband . . .

What a variety of performances, from a bit of theatre, poetry even singing. Tear jerking, funny stuff from a young woman about none-acceptance from her father. Anguished stuff from an elderly couple who do training in retirement homes (they are universally met with "Well we don't have any of 'those' in here").

LEE · « **Reply #318 on:** 27 February, 2015, 12:09:27 pm »

Quote from: torslanda on 26 February, 2015, 11:40:21 pm

What little I've seen of Miranda (i.e. next to nowt) it perpetuates the 'jokes' that were prevalent in programmes like the Charlie Cairolli (sp) Show when I was eight. And I thought that was shit, too . . .

Ha...I was going to reference Rent-a-Ghost but I understand your analogy. (Right Children? Right Charlie!...crikey I'm old.)

Humour, like music, is so subjective that the only response to "Do you find xxxx funny?" is in the positive. There's no point replying if you don't really..

Billy Connelly once said "there's no bad music, just music you don't "get"". He has a point (although he's clearly never heard "Lucky Stars" by Dean Friedman).

I don't "get" Miranda (although I do find her funny when she's not in character), I don't "get" MBB. I mean I understand where the jokes are, and I understand why they are jokes, but they just seem empty, without any irony or pathos. No doubt some adults found Rent-a-Ghost funny.

"Not Going Out" is a series of Lee mack stand-up jokes shoe-horned into a sit-com setting. Out of character Lee Mack is about as quick-witted as it's possible to be. He, and Frank Skinner, seem to have comedy Tourettes, in that there's no delay between someone saying something and them issuing a witty response. I admire that greatly. I'm the wittiest person on the planet if you give me about 4 days to think of an instant comeback.

I sort of enjoy watching it to see if I can say the (telegraphed) punchline before he does.
Ficticious example:

Someone brings a model of an Elephant into the room.
I would quickly shout - "Lee Mack is about to say..."is anyone going to mention the Elephant in the room?"". I would have a drink of wine to celebrate my tiny victory.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #319 on:** 27 February, 2015, 12:15:42 pm »

Quote from: Ruthie on 27 February, 2015, 09:29:09 am

Miranda laughs at herself, and that's why I like it. She's taking the mickey out of herself, all the time, for being a bit clumsy, and a bit fat, and a bit gauche, and because she does daft things all the time that make her look like a div. It's a celebration of Miranda in all her weirdness and lack of elegance. That's why I like it.

Wasn't the clumsy div routine done utterly to DETH by Michael Crawford?

Ruthie · « **Reply #320 on:** 27 February, 2015, 12:18:39 pm »

That was more your traditional slapstick, and Frank Spencer was a caricature.

Miranda is, actually, the film of my autobiography, and entirely factually correct.

citoyen · « **Reply #321 on:** 27 February, 2015, 01:33:13 pm »

I suspect as per jsabine's earlier comment re Mrs Brown, finding Miranda funny largely depends on whether or not you can relate to the character and situation.

Anyway, I regularly find myself laughing at Count Arthur Strong, so I'm no judge of what is and isn't good comedy.

Andrij · « **Reply #322 on:** 27 February, 2015, 01:52:07 pm »

MBB: Never seen it, and based on comments above I shan't be going out of my way to do so.
Miranda: Heard some of her radio programme, which I found a bit meh. I had no idea what she looked like until after I had decided she was a bit meh, and it makes no difference to me. I have no desire to see her televisual programme.
CAS: Enjoyed the first season. Since then I've gone right off, as in I'll find something else to listen to.

ian · « **Reply #323 on:** 27 February, 2015, 04:13:10 pm »

Hold on, I like Not Going Out.

I think I like well written comedy. I guess I just don't get the 'oh I dropped an egg - again!' **LAUGHTER** comedy. It probably includes underpant references and someone saying 'oh my eyes!'

I think MBB escapes comedic classification.

Dibdib · « **Reply #324 on:** 27 February, 2015, 06:51:19 pm »

At least Not Going Out is new gags each time, even if they're not all the best.

I think the biggest reason I can't stand MBB (I've suffered through a couple) is the same problem I had with Little Britain - if a joke isn't funny the first time, repetition isn't usually what it was missing.