"Vendetta" means...vendetta!

[vovat]

revme linked to an article [EDIT: the article is no longer available] concerning a documentary about MPAA ratings. Sounds like it could be interesting.

As for tonight's Simpsons, Sideshow Bob episodes are usually good, and while this was hardly one of the best, it was still pretty clever. I wonder if we'll see Bob's wife and son in any later episodes. Making Lisa the one who revealed Bob's past was a nice touch. Of course, Lisa played a major part in foiling many of Bob's schemes in the past, but he never seems to remember this. Oh, well. Bob's presence saved it from being yet another "the Simpsons have wacky adventures in a foreign country" episode, which was good. There were a few of the standard jokes along these lines, but not as many as they might have done otherwise. I did like Homer's excitement at the McDonald's that served booze, and his comments on aqueducts and the unification of Italy. And Peter Griffin and Stan Smith being listed as plagiarisms was funny. I tend to interpret the Family Guy bashing on The Simpsons as being in good humor. I know other people seem to think the Simpsons staff has a serious (as Sideshow Bob's son might say) vendetta against Family Guy, and maybe SOME staff members do, but I don't believe it would be that widespread. Really, the only thing on FG that I think could really be considered a Simpsons rip-off is that the dad is fat, stupid, and drinks a lot. Some of the jokes, parodies, and situations are similar, but I'm sure they are in other comedies as well.

Maybe I should start working on getting those mix CD's ready. I'm not sure when I'll be able to get those sent out.

Comments

[kristenjarrod.livejournal.com]

It was odd seeing Sideshow Bob with a kid.

But why on earth would Sideshow Bob have his orange jumpsuit from prison on still? Is it sewn on him?

[vovat.livejournal.com]

But why on earth would Sideshow Bob have his orange jumpsuit from prison on still? Is it sewn on him?

Well, it obviously made no logical sense. The show has a lot of jokes like that, but I do think that one was delivered poorly. I think jokes like that work better when someone acknowledges that it makes no sense, or else they make it totally absurd. They didn't really do either one with the jumpsuit.

[majellen.livejournal.com]

My husband is convinced that there is some sort of rule out there that in every sitcom with a dad, and every commercial with a married couple, the husband/dad must be either oblivious or slow or dumb or a complete moron. Like the people in commercials plugging Carsense. THe guy is there holding all these strings, and then wifey comes in to show him the nifty car insurance website. Or he's on the phone with all the dealerships, and wifey pulls up the website on the laptop and shows him the exact car he wants.

Seriously, I didn't notice until he mentioned it, but keep track one night that you're just sitting around watching the major networks.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I think you (or, more accurately, your husband) might have a point there. I get the impression that that's largely a response to the patriarchal "Father Knows Best" approach that appeared a lot on early TV. Really, I think the stereotypical media portrayal of both men AND women is pretty negative. The men sit around drinking beer and watching football, while the women are either happy housewives or sluts (if not both). Obviously, there are a lot of exceptions to this, but I get the impression that it's still pretty common.

Or he's on the phone with all the dealerships, and wifey pulls up the website on the laptop and shows him the exact car he wants.

In those sorts of commercials, it can also often be a kid who finds the information on the Internet.

[travspence.livejournal.com]

Sideshow Bob's kid cracked me up. I usually go for more the more subtle, satirical gags in the show but for some reason that kid had me laughing out loud.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Bob's family, I know his wife came to accept his being a convicted criminal, but did she know that he'd been married before? I thought of that late last night, after I'd already gotten off the Internet.