Television thread

[Tale]

Not necessarily recommending it, but NBC is about to hit the US with 14 confidently-commissioned episodes of a comedy called Kath & Kim. It's a US remake of an Australian series, much like they remade the UK series The Office. Now is your last opportunity to google "kath and kim" and see how the internet looks before there was only ever a US series, so you can be oldschool.

[tazelbain]

Hmm.  I think Rusty is going to be happy he never made it with Dr. Quymn.  She looks like another child of Jonas Venture Sr. to me.  Genetic sexual attraction indeed.  Anyway another excellant episode.  Dean is becoming quite the stud.

[Abagadro]

For some reason Brock's line of "thanks for a new low" had me absolutely busting up.  Warburton consistenrty just rocks the delivery on that show.

[Mazakiel]

While it's been a bit weird to have so much flashback type stuff shown this season, Venture Bros. has been stellar. 

[HaemishM]

"The Power of Christ compels you! The power of Christ compels you!"

God that episode was wintastic.

[Nevermore]

My favorite line was actually at the very end:

"Where were you?"
"Getting my ass handed to me by a #@%$ orangutan!"

[Johny Cee]

Hmm.  I think Rusty is going to be happy he never made it with Dr. Quymn.  She looks like another child of Jonas Venture Sr. to me.  Genetic sexual attraction indeed.  Anyway another excellant episode.  Dean is becoming quite the stud.

Yah, they pretty heavily hint that Quymn is Rusty's half-sister.  Both having sets of twins (which is genetic) and muscle-bound bodyguards,  both have parent issues/insecurities, both seem to kind of ignore the kids while the bodyguard has a closer relationship with the kids, etc.

I mean, besides the fact that her father is obviously gay and her mother was carrying on an affair with Jonas Venture Sr.

I like the way they're taking Dean in a kind of geek chic direction.  Much more interesting than the "standard nerd" that he was in the early series.

[Abagadro]

If you aren't watching Generation Kill you should be.

[stray]

Does it glorify war with a bunch of "Hoorah", like, say Jarhead?

Or is it tragic and bleak, like Platoon?

[Nerf]

http://www.adultswim.com/americaloveslists/vb_brockbeatdowns/index.html

10 best Brock beatdowns, #6 almost made me cry.

[NowhereMan]

Fuck you non US blocked videos!

[HaemishM]

I loved this week's Venture.

"I don't know where I am. There's just some guy down here running around screaming 'I am a firestarter!'"

Prodigy. Lulz.

[Abagadro]

I liked the prodigy guy too but the previous eps. of the season were so awesome that this one suffered a bit in comparison, although the Blackula Hunter was great.

On Generation Kill, it's not rah-rah or a downer.  It's based on a non-fiction book and is more about how lower eschelon people have to deal with craziness coming down the chain of command and how individuals deal with the institutions they find themselves a part of.  It's also really funny but does have  have some pathos mixed in.

[Nevermore]

"I go where the blacktion is." 

[Teleku]

Does it glorify war with a bunch of "Hoorah", like, say Jarhead?

Or is it tragic and bleak, like Platoon?

How the hell did you get "glorify war" out of Jarhead?

[NowhereMan]

Generation Kill kicks all kinds of ass. Knowing quite a few British army types though seeing marines makes me a bit . The Sergeant Major is fucking win and the inclusion of some actual incompetent officers is a nice touch. I knew a TA captain who actually reminded me a bit of the guy in this, he was more of a clueless upper class Brit type idiot though, did two tours in Afghanistan and I'm amazed noone in his squadron died.

[stray]

Does it glorify war with a bunch of "Hoorah", like, say Jarhead?

Or is it tragic and bleak, like Platoon?

How the hell did you get "glorify war" out of Jarhead?

Well, like I said, "Hoorah" sums it up. Except for the "sort of living in shambles" end, it looks like a damn 2 hr Army of One commercial. Too much posturing for my tastes. Not as bad as Blackhawk Down, but unlikeable enough. Not enough Sgt. Barnes and mangled kids. I want to see an ending to a Gulf War film like my old neighbor's story.. totally fucked in the head, hopped up on half a dozen medications, shooting the neighborhood cats, losing his family, and then trying to win his family over every other night by creeping into the driveway with a bucket of KFC chicken. Jake Gyllenhaal living in an efficiency space just doesn't quite cut it for me.

Basically, I think any war movie that doesn't include the line (however indirectly) "The horror...the horror" is a piece of shit. Give me Glory, Apocalypse Now,  Deerhunter, and a Shot Through the Heart instead.

Same goes for games. Fucking Socom.

[Grand Design]

You are describing anti-war movies, which are different from war movies.

Give me Full Metal Jacket - fuck the preaching.

[stray]

Even Kubrick failed on the "horror" unfortunately... Well, except for the fat guy.

He made everything else way too fun.

[Grand Design]

He had already made Paths of Glory, which is as anti-war as it gets.  Paths of Glory has the best 'the horror...' moment.

FMJ is war, no politics, just war.

[Paelos]

Even Kubrick failed on the "horror" unfortunately... Well, except for the fat guy.

He made everything else way too fun.

You're a pussy. War is kickass!

[NowhereMan]

In fairness not everyone who goes to war gets completely fucked up. Couple of months ago I had a few nights out with a Lt. who'd just got back from the final part of his time in Basra and he spent a good portion of the time trying to convince me to sign up. Sandhurst was apparently one of the best times of his life and apparently life in Basra wasn't too bad and everything else was awesome.

[Cheddar]

In fairness not everyone who goes to war gets completely fucked up. Couple of months ago I had a few nights out with a Lt. who'd just got back from the final part of his time in Basra and he spent a good portion of the time trying to convince me to sign up. Sandhurst was apparently one of the best times of his life and apparently life in Basra wasn't too bad and everything else was awesome.

What he said.  There are a couple of us war vets around- we are fully functional (away from this messageboard!) members of society.   

[NowhereMan]

In fairness after a few nights out with him and seeing you post I'm not sure "fully functional" is the phrase I'd use

[stray]

I have another DS vet acquaintance who seems stable, I guess, but more in a stoic kind of way. I'm not sure if that's healthy.

Even my (late) grandpa, who was a sweet old man, still had a lot of demons. He never told me a war story once, and refused to watch anything about WW2 50 years later (absolutely refused to watch Saving Private Ryan, etc..).

[croaker69]

I have another DS vet acquaintance who seems stable, I guess, but more in a stoic kind of way. I'm not sure if that's healthy.

Even my (late) grandpa, who was a sweet old man, still had a lot of demons. He never told me a war story once, and refused to watch anything about WW2 50 years later (absolutely refused to watch Saving Private Ryan, etc..).

Dude you're reaching.  Everyone has demons, even people who've never been near a war.

[stray]

I'm not reaching anywhere. Haven't even lifted a hand. I stay right where I am, and shut up. I could never relate in any way to my grandfather, or Vietnam veterans I knew or know, or whoever. Not everyone has demons like that. War's what the real monsters are made of. I mean, I can actually talk about my demons at least.

And because of all that, I match my preference for popularized portrayals of war to go in that direction. They don't seem like "politics" to me. They seem like honest enough "horrors". There must be real reasons, not politics, on why I saw people I grew up around crack and blow their brains out. They went through shit similar in these movies. And that's the about the best way I'll probably ever understand them.

[Cheddar]

I'm not reaching anywhere. Haven't even lifted a hand. I stay right where I am, and shut up. I could never relate in any way to my grandfather, or Vietnam veterans I knew or know, or whoever. Not everyone has demons like that. War's what the real monsters are made of. I mean, I can actually talk about my demons at least.

And because of all that, I match my preference for popularized portrayals of war to go in that direction. They don't seem like "politics" to me. They seem like honest enough "horrors". There must be real reasons, not politics, on why I saw people I grew up around crack and blow their brains out. They went through shit similar in these movies. And that's the about the best way I'll probably ever understand them.

Don't be an idiot. 

[Paelos]

I'm not reaching anywhere. Haven't even lifted a hand. I stay right where I am, and shut up. I could never relate in any way to my grandfather, or Vietnam veterans I knew or know, or whoever. Not everyone has demons like that. War's what the real monsters are made of. I mean, I can actually talk about my demons at least.

And because of all that, I match my preference for popularized portrayals of war to go in that direction. They don't seem like "politics" to me. They seem like honest enough "horrors". There must be real reasons, not politics, on why I saw people I grew up around crack and blow their brains out. They went through shit similar in these movies. And that's the about the best way I'll probably ever understand them.

What? Crack? Movies?

Movies don't help you understand people. They help you understand whatever the director was trying to say. It's not real, it's an interpretation of the real.

[stray]

I only said that they "seem like honest enough 'horrors'", not merely "politics". And "about the best way" that I could understand a war experience. Not that I do understand, or that it is the best way to understand. The whole point I'm trying to articulate there is that I don't understand. Not sure how it got turned around into the complete opposite.

The only thing I know is that I've seen more tragic aftermaths than I have seen "guys telling me how fun it was". It's going to color my impressions -- and my preferences for movies. That isn't a reason to get into a debate -- comparing what people we've met (or are) isn't even possible to get into a debate about.

Or if you guys are just pissed that I don't like Jarhead, then fuck off!  I'd rather watch Iron Eagle II -- at least that one still had Chappy in it.

[Sky]

I could never relate in any way to my grandfather, or Vietnam veterans I knew or know, or whoever. Not everyone has demons like that. War's what the real monsters are made of. I mean, I can actually talk about my demons at least.

Stray, seriously. You're way off base on this one. War is only one of many avenues of horror that people won't talk about or can't cope with.

[Signe]

When I was in Nam, I just laid about doing smack and eating cheesy poofs.  Everyone seemed very nice.

[HaemishM]

Does it glorify war with a bunch of "Hoorah", like, say Jarhead?

Or is it tragic and bleak, like Platoon?

How the hell did you get "glorify war" out of Jarhead?

Well, like I said, "Hoorah" sums it up. Except for the "sort of living in shambles" end, it looks like a damn 2 hr Army of One commercial. Too much posturing for my tastes. Not as bad as Blackhawk Down, but unlikeable enough. Not enough Sgt. Barnes and mangled kids. I want to see an ending to a Gulf War film like my old neighbor's story.. totally fucked in the head, hopped up on half a dozen medications, shooting the neighborhood cats, losing his family, and then trying to win his family over every other night by creeping into the driveway with a bucket of KFC chicken. Jake Gyllenhaal living in an efficiency space just doesn't quite cut it for me.

I do believe you completely and utterly missed the point of Jarhead. Like really really badly.

It wasn't an "anti-war" movie. It wasn't about showing the horrors of war. It was about THAT war in THAT place, and how almost sanitized and far-removed from "THE HORROR THE HORROR" much of our modern military is. The main character goes in thinking he's going to be rah rah killing motherfuckers left and right and... never gets to fire a shot. It ain't Full Metal Jacket profound, but it's got its moments. It's almost war as black comedy.

[stray]

No, I knew what it was about. The rah rah still drowns out everything -- and my simple point is that I hate that shit. There are better, more respectful representations of Marines than being a bunch of perverse, chest beating retards.

Kind of the most ironic display of that kind of imagery though -- I'll give it that. It wants to focus on the chest beating, down to the very end where the guy's still all nostalgic and shit, but yet, it's one of the war stories where the guy has little excuse to beat his chest about anything. All he has are ideals. And it's not done as black comedy -- the writer/character took himself seriously.

When you say "THAT war in THAT place" though, are you just talking his specific place, or Iraq in general? Because there was plenty of "horror" there to write about apparently, from either side. I mean, sure, "action" can be a lot more remote in modern wars, but if it is, then good deal -- just don't tell me a story about it, where all I get is some stooge who was dying to shoot someone. The guys who do shoot or get shot, who do have a reason to beat their chests, are usually less idealistic about it and more cynical -- I'd rather hear what they have to say (if they'll say it). Not this GI Joe shit.

[edit] I've filled my "shit" quota for the week, I think.

[stray]

I could never relate in any way to my grandfather, or Vietnam veterans I knew or know, or whoever. Not everyone has demons like that. War's what the real monsters are made of. I mean, I can actually talk about my demons at least.

Stray, seriously. You're way off base on this one. War is only one of many avenues of horror that people won't talk about or can't cope with.

How am I off-base?

I don't understand why I have to re-qualify everything I say around here, but here goes:

"Not everyone has demons like that".

Been a victim or close by to victims of brutality, murder, and violence, for example? Then sure, I'd expect your demons to be pretty bad. They are singular, encapsulated moments of War, if you will. Private equivalents to it. I have dead friends who were victims -- but they weren't dying in my arms or anything. I saw one murder when I was 7, from a distance. Still not enough for me to relate.

I can't say that I have demons like that -- I'm not sure why saying that I lack that kind of experience is "off base" or even imagined to be a subject up for debate. I know what I have and haven't been through. That's just....how it is. Perhaps everyone is as haunted as a battle worn war veteran except me. All I know is that I can only speak for myself and say "I don't have problems like that", and won't presume to imagine that I do (and hopefully never will). If you can, then I'm sorry to hear that, but I wasn't labeling anyone but myself in the first place.