Running on Fumes
Back, oh say, a year or two ago I was a deprived of the channel known as The Cartoon Network and, more importantly, Adult Swim. To me it was this awesome block of cartoons that only my friends and complete strangers had. But things have changed and my backwater cable company finally got their shit together and I've been...well I want to say overjoyed to an untold level but I really can't since I find most of Adult Swim to be pretty terrible.
I guess I should clarify: I find most of Adult Swim's original lineup to be pretty terrible. Some of the Anime they show (Most recently Samurai Champloo) is great stuff (Inuyasha chews hard) but man does a lot of the other stuff stink to high heaven.
The disaster known as Sealab is a primary example of what I'm referring to. The las two seasons were unquestionably awful despite whatever blind fanboys would like to think. It relied heavily on shock value and the idea that viewers liked all the characters when in reality people loved Murphy and just put up with the other characters. I caught the last episode and it takes a certain special suck for a comedy to instill nothing but anger in a person.
Tom Goes to the Mayor is terrible (despite the amazing Bob Odenkirk's collaboration) but I'm glad to see a cartoon aimed at homosexual cartoon goers given a chance to find its audience.
The latest batch of original programming has done little to alter my opinion. "Robot Chicken" is an example of a group of writers who think they're much much funnier then they actually are (note to Seth Green and new Family Guy: enough with the jokes in the form of obscure references IT'S NOT FUNNY ENOUGH TO BASE ALL THE HUMOR ON). It was funny for a few episodes to see old action figures spouting cuss words but it got stale faster then unrefrigerated meat .
But it's not all garbage. I'm still a fan of Aqua-teen (insanity can be funny) and while Harvey Bird-man can be iffy from episode to episode the voice acting is pretty solid among other things.
Most important is "Venture Brothers". Anyone who hasn't seen this show is really screwing themselves out of one of the few diamonds in the Adult Swim rough. It's got style and humor that doesn't just rely on dick and fart jokes. I whole heartily recommend it (Expect the botched space station episode) and thank the cartoon gods it has bee green lit for a second season.
For anyone still reading this rant I thank you for sticking with me. File this under the bitch and moan category and go get yourself some fine Venture Brothers viewing in.
I guess I should clarify: I find most of Adult Swim's original lineup to be pretty terrible. Some of the Anime they show (Most recently Samurai Champloo) is great stuff (Inuyasha chews hard) but man does a lot of the other stuff stink to high heaven.
The disaster known as Sealab is a primary example of what I'm referring to. The las two seasons were unquestionably awful despite whatever blind fanboys would like to think. It relied heavily on shock value and the idea that viewers liked all the characters when in reality people loved Murphy and just put up with the other characters. I caught the last episode and it takes a certain special suck for a comedy to instill nothing but anger in a person.
Tom Goes to the Mayor is terrible (despite the amazing Bob Odenkirk's collaboration) but I'm glad to see a cartoon aimed at homosexual cartoon goers given a chance to find its audience.
The latest batch of original programming has done little to alter my opinion. "Robot Chicken" is an example of a group of writers who think they're much much funnier then they actually are (note to Seth Green and new Family Guy: enough with the jokes in the form of obscure references IT'S NOT FUNNY ENOUGH TO BASE ALL THE HUMOR ON). It was funny for a few episodes to see old action figures spouting cuss words but it got stale faster then unrefrigerated meat .
But it's not all garbage. I'm still a fan of Aqua-teen (insanity can be funny) and while Harvey Bird-man can be iffy from episode to episode the voice acting is pretty solid among other things.
Most important is "Venture Brothers". Anyone who hasn't seen this show is really screwing themselves out of one of the few diamonds in the Adult Swim rough. It's got style and humor that doesn't just rely on dick and fart jokes. I whole heartily recommend it (Expect the botched space station episode) and thank the cartoon gods it has bee green lit for a second season.
For anyone still reading this rant I thank you for sticking with me. File this under the bitch and moan category and go get yourself some fine Venture Brothers viewing in.
posted by David at 10:22 AM
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