Movies and TV Mad Men - Page 57

**Reaper16** · 07-26-2010, 12:51 AM

Season 4 premiered tonight. I would have bumped the season three thread but I titled it "season 3," which no longer seems appropriate.

Who saw it? It was a stupendous hour of television. All sorts of shit has happened in the eleven months that have passed (in-story) between the formation of Sterling Cooper Draper Price and the beginning of season 4. The premeir was stepped in the juices of the sexual revolution. It also had a lot to say about the increasing role of the media in the success or failure of things. It was great to see Don fail a little bit, and it was exciting to consider the future implications at the end of Don crafting a public/media persona that is completely unlike his actual personality.

**DaneMcCloud** · 05-06-2015, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Brooklyn

Agreed about HIMYM. There were certainly things they could have done differently. And should have done. New Girl is wonderful. But the difference there is that I don't know that there's a long-game there. It can keep treading water because there isn't an answer waiting at the end. Like Friends which you mentioned earlier. Same thing. In fact, maybe a little too similar.

It's what Friends would be had it been created in 2011.

Multi-racial, urban, quirky and somewhat predictable.

That's an instant recipe for success and why it's received the ratings and accolades over the years.

Red Brooklyn · 05-06-2015, 04:08 PM

This has been WAY more fun than talking about the ****ing Patriots.

**Baby Lee** · 05-06-2015, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

It's what Friends would be had it been created in 2011.

Multi-racial, urban, quirky and somewhat predictable.

That's an instant recipe for success and why it's received the ratings and accolades over the years.

Ensemble sitcoms are much more a writer's vehicle nowadays. Sure it's about pretty, diverse, 20-somethings, but the structure is a coatrack for quips much more than in the days of Friends, which was more about situations, performances and catchphrases. I enjoy watching it, but there are so many instances of the episode revolving around a couple key opportunities for wordplay. This phenomenon got it's big break with all the things 'Sex Panther' smelled like in Anchorman, and just this last weekend, Last Week Tonight had a skit riffing on all the crap Bud Lite tastes like.

@2:50

Red Brooklyn · 05-06-2015, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Ensemble sitcoms are much more a writer's vehicle nowadays. Sure it's about pretty, diverse, 20-somethings, but the structure is a coatrack for quips much more than in the days of Friends, which was more about situations, performances and catchphrases. I enjoy watching it, but there are so many instances of the episode revolving around a couple key opportunities for wordplay. This phenomenon got it's big break with all the things 'Sex Panther' smelled like in Anchorman, and just this last weekend, Last Week Tonight had a skit riffing on all the crap Bud Lite tastes like.

However -- and believe me I've logged more Friends and HIMYM hours in this life than I care to admit, like basically two to four hours a night for the better part of a decade -- Friends still holds up a bit better than HIMYM in terms of sexism, portrayal of women, etc. You would think HIMYM, being the younger brother learning from bigger siblings mistakes, would have improved in those terms.

**Baby Lee** · 05-06-2015, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Brooklyn

However -- and believe me I've logged more Friends and HIMYM hours in this life than I care to admit, like basically two to four hours a night for the better part of a decade -- Friends still holds up a bit better than HIMYM in terms of sexism, portrayal of women, etc. You would think HIMYM, being the younger brother learning from bigger siblings mistakes, would have improved in those terms.

I was more talking about New Girl, Mindy Project, Happy Endings, Weird Loners, etc., than HIMYM.

Red Brooklyn · 05-06-2015, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

I was more talking about New Girl, Mindy Project, Happy Endings, Weird Loners, etc., than HIMYM.

**Baby Lee** · 05-06-2015, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Brooklyn

In my haste to make my clarification, I missed the tail end of your post.

Wonder what you think about the present day critiques of homophobia in Friends. First the whole 'is Chandler gay' thing, then the stuff with his dad the trans lounge singer.

I've noticed a lot of millennials getting snarky, but then that's the age we're in.

**DaneMcCloud** · 05-06-2015, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

I've noticed a lot of millennials getting snarky, but then that's the age we're in.

I've noticed that "Millennials" haven't realized that society existed long before they were born into this world, and has evolved, thus I couldn't care less about their complaints.

Discuss Thrower · 05-06-2015, 04:47 PM

Never really cared for Friends. Part of that was because I was like 8 when it began and never got into it.

Seinfeld had some great moments, but even though I laughed there was always something that bothered me about the fact that I was laughing.

Frasier, on the other hand, that was a great NBC sitcom.

**Baby Lee** · 05-06-2015, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Never really cared for Friends. Part of that was because I was like 8 when it began and never got into it.

Frasier, on the other hand, that was a great NBC sitcom.

Frasier is a very well written sitcom I totally took for granted. I know there are classic bits from it, but I'd be hard pressed to recall them [I know, I know, I know].

What is great, though, is to go on youtube and find out who all the celebs were who called into his show.

See how many you can guess without peeking

Of course, you know that Lisa Kudrow was the original Roz, right up to the first day of taping.

Red Brooklyn · 05-06-2015, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

In my haste to make my clarification, I missed the tail end of your post.

Wonder what you think about the present day critiques of homophobia in Friends. First the whole 'is Chandler gay' thing, then the stuff with his dad the trans lounge singer.

I've noticed a lot of millennials getting snarky, but then that's the age we're in.

Friends isn't flawless, for sure. But it feels far more progressive for its time than HIMYM does for its time in that regard.

Today, I'd prefer that an actual trans actor play Chandler's father. But the inclusion of a trans character at all was fairly forward thinking. Also, Friends is so damned white-washed. Living in the Village in the 90s/00s you'd think they'd encounter some greater ethnicity. Again, not flawless.

Red Brooklyn · 05-06-2015, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I've noticed that "Millennials" haven't realized that society existed long before they were born into this world, and has evolved, thus I couldn't care less about their complaints.

Slow clap

Discuss Thrower · 05-06-2015, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Frasier is a very well written sitcom I totally took for granted. I know there are classic bits from it, but I'd be hard pressed to recall them [I know, I know, I know].

I just think that was a quirk of the show in that it relied heavily on the same tropes of Frasier and Niles being up-their-own-ass intellectuals whose nature conflicted with Martin / Daphne / Ros' grounded and sensible personalities such that every episode had a same-y feel to it but it didn't detract from the quality.

**Baby Lee** · 05-06-2015, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Brooklyn

Friends is so damned white-washed. Living in the Village in the 90s/00s you'd think they'd encounter some greater ethnicity. Again, not flawless.

Aisha wasn't enough?

Red Brooklyn · 05-06-2015, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Aisha wasn't enough?

Heh! And Kristen Lang.

07-26-2010, 12:51 AM
Reaper16 Eat/Sleep/Procrastinate/Repeat Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dystopia Casino cash: $10017397	Mad Men Season 4 premiered tonight. I would have bumped the season three thread but I titled it "season 3," which no longer seems appropriate. Who saw it? It was a stupendous hour of television. All sorts of shit has happened in the eleven months that have passed (in-story) between the formation of Sterling Cooper Draper Price and the beginning of season 4. The premeir was stepped in the juices of the sexual revolution. It also had a lot to say about the increasing role of the media in the success or failure of things. It was great to see Don fail a little bit, and it was exciting to consider the future implications at the end of Don crafting a public/media persona that is completely unlike his actual personality.
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05-06-2015, 04:08 PM	#842
Red Brooklyn Veteran Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY Casino cash: $8151398	This has been WAY more fun than talking about the ****ing Patriots.
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05-06-2015, 04:47 PM	#849
Discuss Thrower "You like to drink?" Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: "I like to drink." Casino cash: $3246869	Never really cared for Friends. Part of that was because I was like 8 when it began and never got into it. Seinfeld had some great moments, but even though I laughed there was always something that bothered me about the fact that I was laughing. Frasier, on the other hand, that was a great NBC sitcom. __________________ Chiefs 2016 Opponents: Home: JAX, TEN, NO, TB, NYJ. Away: HOU, IND, ATL, CAR, PIT Chiefs 2017 Opponents: Home: BUF, MIA, PHI, WSH, AFC North. Away: NE, NYJ, NYG, DAL, AFC South
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