The general decline in standards today

[Nathan Dodge]

I had some friends who were big fans of the show and were constantly raving about it. So one night I sat down with my dinner to check it out. It was an episode featuring Mr. Hanky (enough said about him). Needless to say, I lost my appetite. *yucky* :yuck:

I've never seen a single episode of South Park, but I learned recently that the woman who did the voices for some of the characters blew her face off in a shotgun suicide in 1999.

 

[Gene]

I've never seen a single episode of South Park, but I learned recently that the woman who did the voices for some of the characters blew her face off in a shotgun suicide in 1999.

That is indeed true, she was a close friend of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and the original voice of Wendy.

South Park is IMO the most biting satire on television. People could dismiss it as toilet humor (of which there is A LOT) but the fact of the matter is it gets through not only to people smart enough to see what the show is lampooning but also gets through to the dummy who likes fart jokes.

It's extremely self-aware and Parker and Stone are geniuses for not only making one of the most popular cartoons of all time but using it as a vehicle to show how dumbed-down modern society has become by pretending to be just a dumbed-down cartoon. That is the brilliance of the show. It's not holier-than-thou, snooty, or overtly intellectual like some professor telling you what's wrong with society. It is in and of itself is part of the problem, but it's aware it is part of the problem. Very postmodern, very much a way to stay under the radar of those "disgusted" by it while educating those who know the difference. It's an amazing thing really.

 

[Travis Lee Johnston]

Yes, thank you^

 

[AtomicEraTom]

On the note of comedy, there wasn't much on Television last night and I was watching an infomercial for the Dean Martin Variety Show. What the heck happened to comedy like that?!

 

[LizzieMaine]

It is in and of itself is part of the problem, but it's aware it is part of the problem. Very postmodern, very much a way to stay under the radar of those "disgusted" by it while educating those who know the difference. It's an amazing thing really.

Oh, I *get* it. But I don't find that kind of "hip nihilism" especially funny -- if anything, I find it sad. A generation with nothing left to believe in but its own ironic detachment is tragic, really.

 

[Feraud]

On the note of comedy, there wasn't much on Television last night and I was watching an infomercial for the Dean Martin Variety Show. What the heck happened to comedy like that?!

Reality t.v. happened. Instead of having talented people write and perform skits we now have a camera crew follow around a nobody and hope they get drunk enough to satisfy the average television viewer.

 

[ButteMT61]

reality t.v. Happened. Instead of having talented people write and perform skits we now have a camera crew follow around a nobody and hope they get drunk enough to satisfy the average television viewer.

x10!

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I'm still mourning the disappearance of variety shows.

 

[C-dot]

On the note of comedy, there wasn't much on Television last night and I was watching an infomercial for the Dean Martin Variety Show. What the heck happened to comedy like that?!

That's what I wonder! I have all the original Dean Martin comedy roasts, and I split my sides laughing at them. Many people don't even know they exist, and worse, think the new ones are funny. They are not funny, unless you consider crude sexual humour funny. I watched the roast of that vile Bob Saget (if you've seen his stand up, you'll understand) and I lost a lot of respect for the actors on there that I used to admire, particularly George Takei. At that price, anyone can be a comedian.

 

[fortworthgal]

^ Agreed, the modern roasts are an abomination.

Don't even get me started on "reality" TV. Blech.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

^ Agreed, the modern roasts are an abomination.

Don't even get me started on "reality" TV. Blech.

I myself have my own take on "reality television", I turn the channel because in all "reality", those shows stink!

 

[sheeplady]

It's odd, perhaps, but Gracie Allen's most equivalent entertainer today is, I think, not a comedienne at all but I see shades of her in Dolly Parton. I just get that sort of wry semi-innocence from Dolly. Dolly strikes me as a throwback to vaudeville in some ways - and yes, she definitely has made a career of dressing like a superannuated cheerleader - but in today's entertainment industry, she's a bit of a lady.

I've never heard anything mean about her, either. Seems to like to spend money on silly Dollywood type stuff, but also on a lot of charities.

Just me who sees that?

I actually have great respect for Dolly Parton. She's never made light of where she came from and the fact that she grew up poor in the country, nor does she make up a story about where she came from just to get more credit for herself. She's been married once, for over 4 decades, something that is rare in the music industry. She raised some of her younger siblings. She does a lot for literacy work all over the US. She also has a smart and dry wit. Dolly has always hit me as someone who knows who she is and is very confident/comfortable in herself without being smug or self-centered. I'm not a fan of her work- I don't own anything of hers- although I have friends who do.

So, yes, she does strike me as a good-humored, honest, nice lady as well.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Don't even get me started on "reality" TV ...

... which is still in a race to the bottom: http://www.celebitchy.com/181750/courtney_stodden_the_16_year-old_bride_got_a_reality_show/

 

[fortworthgal]

^ I saw an article about that couple yesterday. I have no words. shakeshead

 

[LoveMyHats2]

That's what I wonder! I have all the original Dean Martin comedy roasts, and I split my sides laughing at them. Many people don't even know they exist, and worse, think the new ones are funny. They are not funny, unless you consider crude sexual humour funny. I watched the roast of that vile Bob Saget (if you've seen his stand up, you'll understand) and I lost a lot of respect for the actors on there that I used to admire, particularly George Takei. At that price, anyone can be a comedian.

Dean had some very good shows and guests on all the time. There are other shows of the time period also that had some honest entertainment to them. Today you have these shows that are lacking any real creative actions by the stars of them. Watch the way Dean Martin would take something and run with it, the same is true if you watched Bob Hope or any other comedian of that time period. They made you laugh and did it without going to the gutter searching for bad language to make a point! In many ways the same is true with Movies. I have watched new movies that are O.K. to watch, but they depend on special effects and all that to help make them be watchable, but watch a good movie from the 1940's or so, and it is the actors and actresses and the story that keep you entertained. We need Spencer Tracy, badly!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

It's producer, Roy Bank (the president of Merv Griffin Entertainment!) was the executive producer of such reality show 'hits' as "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?"

 

[rue]

... which is still in a race to the bottom: http://www.celebitchy.com/181750/courtney_stodden_the_16_year-old_bride_got_a_reality_show/

Wow..... just wow.

She's only a year older than my daughter? She looks 30 :eeek:

 

[LoveMyHats2]

... which is still in a race to the bottom: http://www.celebitchy.com/181750/courtney_stodden_the_16_year-old_bride_got_a_reality_show/

I would only watch that show if someone was to report that those two dogs are going to...well...."pooh" on their owners. After that it would be channel changing time.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Wow..... just wow.

She's only a year older than my daughter? She looks 30 :eeek:

It may be that she has some sort of "implants" that are 30 years old!

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I had some friends who were big fans of South Park and were constantly raving about it. So one night I sat down with my dinner to check it out. It was an episode featuring Mr. Hanky (enough said about him). Needless to say, I lost my appetite. *yucky* :yuck:

I have never watched that show either. Some people say I am too old to enjoy it, but I always would reply, I am too not willing to waste my time.