It's like we're in the school's lymphatic system, and WE'RE the lymph!

[vovat]

Today, I semi-randomly thought of the game 7-Up. Did anyone else play this in school? A group of seven kids was selected, and then everyone else had to put their heads down and thumbs up. If one of the selected kids pressed your thumb down, you had to guess who it was. I used to HATE this game. I even thought of cheating by putting my thumb down before anyone could actually get to it, although I never did. I think I took it way too seriously, or something. It was probably connected to the weird social anxiety that made me unable to choose my own groups for group work.

And if you're not interested in my childhood anxieties, this post also contains cartoon reviews! Tonight's Simpsons didn't really go much anywhere, but there was some good character-driven humor. Milhouse had some great lines while in the steam tunnel. I also liked the video conversation between Superintendent Chalmers and Comptroller Atkins, and Homer and Bart mocking the other father and son at the restaurant. Also, after hearing all the mentions in the DVD commentaries about how the show used to do flashbacks all the time but doesn't so much anymore, I found it amusing that there was one in this episode, explaining how Bart got on the No Fly list. I found the scene where Bart was deciding whether or not to save Homer to be pretty tedious, though. And while I'm not so fond of endings that leave a lot of loose ends, the bit with Lisa hearing both Marge and Homer's messages on the answering machine was amusing.

Family Guy wasn't a future classic by any means, but it wasn't bad either. There were some funny moments involving Peter's stint as a professional athlete, and the family's brief move to England. bethje and I both wondered about the running gag with Jay Leno harrassing Tom Brady, though. Is there some basis for that, or was it just a random thing?

I would have to say that tonight's American Dad was one of the stronger ones I've seen. Klaus finally had a significant role, rather than just the occasional line. There were clever subplots for all of the other characters, and more funny moments than in most the other episodes I've seen: everything with the offensive Indian statue, the ridiculous products Stan bought, the parking lot sequence, etc.

Apparently the trend of really bad parody movies is continuing with Date Movie. I haven't seen any of the Scary Movie films, and I don't intend to see this. What I've heard and what the commercials suggest, though, is that they're basically a bunch of crude gross-out gags and blatant, simplistic spoofs of other movies (many of which no one saw in the first place). I like parodies as much as the next guy (and quite possibly MORE than the next guy, depending on who the next guy is), but the philosophy with that kind of movie seems to be, "If it's a reference to something, it's automatically funny! Even if there's absolutely no context or subtlety, or even a real joke!" Hey, this is like The Ring, except Anna Morgan gets caught on a tree branch when she tries to jump into the ocean! Isn't that SO funny? And apparently, if you can work in a joke about semen or ear-rape, it's even better.

Maybe you could... You scored 3% Cold and 48% Level-Headed!

In a pinch, you could do it, but you'd need a damn good reason to. And you're not going to be too happy afterward.

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 0% on Cold You scored higher than 16% on Level-Headed

Link: The Can You Kill a Man? Test written by notmarkflynn on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

By the way, you know how people do those mash-ups of songs? You know what one of them should do? The Blur song "Top Man," over the Top Man music from Mega Man 3. I can't actually remember how that music goes, but I'm sure it was intense. All the music from those games was.

Comments

[arfies.livejournal.com]

I thought the subplot of Stewie violently beating up Brian over $50 was way out of character for him, as well as more painful to watch than funny.

[kristenjarrod.livejournal.com]

I laughed way too hard at Stewie beating up Brian for some reason. I guess because it was out of character.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was kind of disturbing, and more graphically violent (as opposed to comically violent) than is typical for the show. I guess it was basically just Stewie getting totally caught up in his role as bookie, but it probably went a little too far.

[twobitme.livejournal.com]

We called it "Heads Up, 7-Up" but I thought it was a mixture of fun and the cruelest game ever played. It was fun because that meant no work was to be done, but it felt, at least for me, like yet another popularity contest I was doomed to fail. So when I wasn't selected I felt like I was hated.

Yeah, I had issues.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

It was fun because that meant no work was to be done, but it felt, at least for me, like yet another popularity contest I was doomed to fail. So when I wasn't selected I felt like I was hated.

That was essentially the opposite of how I felt, yet I still understand it pretty well.

[listenesmerelda.livejournal.com]

yeah, we called it heads up 7-up too, and although i've heard of it being done with this thumb process before we always just tapped kids on the head.

[l8erngr8er.livejournal.com]

I definitely remember 7 up, but I should...it wasn't that long ago. :)

I was listening to Family Guy while my roommate and some friends were watching it. I am so hot and cold with that show...sometimes, it's awesome, while other times, I remember why I didn't really like it in the first place. It sounded like the bits on tonight's show were getting a little old. Like that whole song thing...everyone was kind of agreeing that sometimes, they don't know when to stop with a joke.

I've given up all hope on The Simpsons and can't stand American Dad period.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

FG really does draw out the jokes sometimes. There are times when it works, like with the doctor's bit in the Fat Guy Strangler episode, and some of Stewie's rants. I did like the song, probably largely because I've seen The Music Man and knew what it was referencing, but it would have worked just as well if they'd cut it down somewhat. I mean, they did the whole song, and didn't really add that many extra jokes as it went on. I wonder if the episode originally ran short.

The Simpsons had a few fairly weak seasons, and then went on the upswing again. The recent episodes certainly aren't as good as the classic ones, but they're still funny. And I've gotten to like the characters enough that, even when the jokes aren't as good as they could be, I can still usually find something to like.

I've heard people say that AD is essentially Seth MacFarlane ripping off himself, which probably has some truth to it. I think the writers are making a conscious effort to make the show distinct from FG, so they tend to avoid flashbacks and direct parodies, even when they'd make the show funnier. I think the show has definitely improved since it started last year, but I kind of can't see it lasting that much longer.

[mmpoetatheart.livejournal.com]

I remember playing 7-up but i don't think we did the thumb thing. I know we picked seven people and i think we just raised our hands...i migt be wrong....its been a long time.

[bethje.livejournal.com]

I liked 7-Up, and I got picked a lot, and it was awesome. And I'd fake out the kids, and they'd think I'd picked them, when I hadn't, and that was awesome. People liked me in elementary school. 7-Up kicked Silent Ball's ass.

The thing with the song in tonight's Family Guy was like that other recent episode with the song from Little Shop of Horrors, in that it makes you think, "Wow, they're singing a lot of this song...are they really going to do the whole song? ...I guess they are." And I kind of appreciate it, in that I think it's a ballsy thing to do in a show nowadays, because a lot of writers would fear they'd lose the audience.

And I thought that the visuals in the Stewie-beating-up-Brian-thing weren't funny, but the dialog made up for it, putting it in the plus column overall.

And I hated American Dad just as much as everyone did, but I won't even lie. I enjoy it now. I'm saying it and everyone can read it, and I'm not afraid. I liked tonight's episode possibly more than any other, especially the parts with Roger's pets. I like Roger most. I identify with him.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

And I'd fake out the kids, and they'd think I'd picked them, when I hadn't, and that was awesome.

Yeah, I think I remember people doing that at my school, too. And what's Silent Ball?

And I kind of appreciate it, in that I think it's a ballsy thing to do in a show nowadays, because a lot of writers would fear they'd lose the audience.

That's a good point, actually. I kind of wonder how long the scene actually was, but not enough to go time it or anything. It really didn't feel overly long to me, but I can see how someone else would have thought it did.

[revme.livejournal.com]

I hated Heads Up 7-Up, but I was like the only person in class who did. It'd be all like "OK, do you want to play (say, I don't know) Hangman or Heads Up 7-Up?" and EVERYONE but me would vote for the latter.

I missed the Simpsons, but I did see Family Guy, and... yeah -- I dunno; it's was OK, but not a really great one or anything. It could have been a lot better. And I'm not sure what to think of the graphic violence with Stewie/Brian -- on one hand it was really difficult to watch, but on the other hand, that was the point.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I would definitely have picked Hangman in that situation. I can't recall ever having that choice in elementary school, although I DO remember playing both at different times. I also remember playing Battleship on the blackboard, which was fun.

[leolapyre.livejournal.com]

Today, I semi-randomly thought of the game 7-Up. Did anyone else play this in school?

Yes, I remember playing it in school. I don't recall having any fond or un-fond memories of it.

All the music from those games was.

I agree. I love the music from the Mega Man series on NES. The Mini Bosses made a fine rock and/or roll medley of the music from Mega Man 2 a couple of years ago. Have you ever heard of them?

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've heard of them, and I might have an MP3 or two by them on my computer. bethje says that the music from the Camper Van Beethoven song "Ice Cream Everyday" reminds her of a frustrating level from Mega Man.

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

Just last week I was reading an old journal from 12th grade, and there was this entry about how my old gifted class had been invited back to the elementary school to open a time capsule we'd made with our elementary gifted teacher; and we were taking a tour of the old school and visiting all our old teachers, and we walked in on a classroom that was in the middle of a game of Heads up 7-up, so two of my classmates immediately sat down at the desks and stuck their thumbs up. I'm pretty sure they got picked.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

For some reason, we once played that game in eighth grade English class. I think I might have liked it better then.

[slfcllednowhere.livejournal.com]

I remember Heads Up 7-up. It was kinda dumb. I liked the games we played in elementary school P.E. more. You know what game I really hate though? Red Rover. Ow.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I've played Red Rover before, but I don't remember it very well. Was there anything more to it than people calling other people?

[slfcllednowhere.livejournal.com]

Yeh, you had two lines of kids holding hands and then the person you called had to come running over to your side and try to break through. So you got to have a lot of pain in either your arms or your stomach. Fun.

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

I also hated red rover! The needless violence! If you were bad at it people got mad at you but if you were good at it you got your arms ripped out of their sockets! Ah well.