FOT Forum
FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: hardweek on January 15, 2011, 05:13:19 PM
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Don't want to get my hopes up too high, cuz they're shooting fish in a barrel, but anyone else kinda excited for this?
Episode One:
http://bcove.me/ho4v2s55 (http://bcove.me/ho4v2s55)
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I definitely want to check it out. I still have a hard time connecting "Sleater Kinney" and sketch comedy though.
That one video that's floating around is pretty funny. I love the"Portland is where people in their 20s go to retire" line.
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Krisel brings the HEAT.
(not the Miami Heat but actual excitement and comedy genius)
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I just finished watching Ep. 1. Will watch again. I don't think it's the next Kids In The Hall or anything but really good sketch comedy. I really liked the Adult Hide-And-Go-Seek league.
I'm eagerly anticipating a sketch about Powell's Books, the most judgmental place on earth. (Except for maybe The Strand in NYC.)
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This is very promising. Some initial pluses:
* Fred and Carrie certainly have a good dynamic, no matter what characters they play.
* It's not like Seattle's "Almost Live" where they have to force everything to be This City, This City, This City, with more local references than your stomach can take... this is a totally different thing. This could really be any bohemian town, or even a large city with a bohemian neighborhood. Portlandia is just a name here.
* This kinda reminds me of League Of Gentlemen a bit.. far less manic, quieter overall, but still has a gentle insanity.
* So far, the guest appearances have been great.
The only downside is that "Dream of the 90s" theme song. They're not going to play that every episode, are they?
Overall, thumbs up!
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* It's not like Seattle's "Almost Live" where they have to force everything to be This City, This City, This City, with more local references than your stomach can take... this is a totally different thing. This could really be any bohemian town, or even a large city with a bohemian neighborhood. Portlandia is just a name here.
I had almost forgotten about that show. :D
As far as the anytown of it, I agree: it could pretty much be anywhere in the Northwest where they put a bird on it.
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The only downside is that "Dream of the 90s" theme song. They're not going to play that every episode, are they?
I think that is not the actual theme but more a cold opener. The actual title-screen was much shorter if you remember.
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I was entertained (though by no measure wowed), but I think the joke could get old fast.
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Powell's employees are way worse than the Strand employees, hands down.
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I think it was pretty funny, partly because I used to live in that kind of place.
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I still live in that kind of place, so I got a good laugh out of it.
There's also this weird way that British Columbians covet Portland like it's Shangri-la and trips down the I-5 are treated like pilgrimages. Granted, Portland is more Canadian than Canada. Will be interesting to see if the show goes that deep on little nuances like that.
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I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty hot to score some of those sweet $2 bills.
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Granted, Portland is more Canadian than Canada.
????
Do they sell All Dressed Chips in Portland?
You are right about certain Vancouverites who visit Portland, bypassing Seattle.. but most folks in lower B.C. I've met either want to a) go live out in Banff or Jasper or anywhere in the wilderness, or b) Los Angeles
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Banff/Jasper is more for twenty-year old Quebecers. Nelson is the mountain "utopia" that people in lower BC always threaten to move to when they're fed up with Vancouver/Victoria (Nelson is kinda like Missoula, with a lot more patchouli and pot).
But seriously: these days, Portland is treated like Xanadu.
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I was entertained (though by no measure wowed)
I feel the same way. It's a nice show. Pleasant and watchable and I like the people who are involved. Had a mostly "Good for them, having a TV show," mom-type attitude while watching, though.
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Banff/Jasper is more for twenty-year old Quebecers. Nelson is the mountain "utopia" that people in lower BC always threaten to move to when they're fed up with Vancouver/Victoria (Nelson is kinda like Missoula, with a lot more patchouli and pot).
But seriously: these days, Portland is treated like Xanadu.
But wouldn't Canadian Xanadu have these?
(http://www.canadiansnackattack.com/assets/images/odalldr43g.jpg)
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I dunno, I think All Dressed are kinda like the shake weed of potato chips.
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I laughed.
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Where is a good place to watch full episodes?
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Where is a good place to watch full episodes?
on TV
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Where is a good place to watch full episodes?
on TV
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing! I do have IFC, I'll check my local listings. Thank ya kindly.
Edit: Ok now I see it on IFC.com. Should've looked before I asked.
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IFC put the premier episode on Youtube.
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IFC: a great place to watch TV shows you already own on DVD.
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I watched this on my lunch hour today and liked it quite a bit.
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Powell's employees are way worse than the Strand employees, hands down.
Really? I don't think you can get much worse than the Strand employees. At Powells, on the other hand, I don't remember seeing or interacting with any employees at all outside of the checkout. This might have been annoying if I was looking for a specific book instead of browsing, but I'll still take total absence over the surly, stinky Strand employees anyway (NB: I am generalizing; I've had positive Strand experiences and have friends who have worked there. But both are in the minority).
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I thought it was really great. I've always like Armisen. I liked the part when he was stammering at the table. It reminded me of that weekend update headlines character he used to do.
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Powell's employees are way worse than the Strand employees, hands down.
Really? I don't think you can get much worse than the Strand employees. At Powells, on the other hand, I don't remember seeing or interacting with any employees at all outside of the checkout. This might have been annoying if I was looking for a specific book instead of browsing, but I'll still take total absence over the surly, stinky Strand employees anyway (NB: I am generalizing; I've had positive Strand experiences and have friends who have worked there. But both are in the minority).
Have you ever had a Strand employee make judge-y comments about the shit you're buying as they ring you up? Happened to me and/or my boyfriend-at-the-time on at least a couple occasions. The only thing I could really accuse the Strand employees of is being sort of generally indifferent to the GP and having a big boring hardon for Murakami.
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What is the GP?
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General Public.
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Ugh, snotty Strand employees.
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Imagine if the Strand employees were pinkos on top of being snotty!
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I bought a Sue Grafton book at the Strand. An alarm went off, all of the employees descended, and they mercilessly group-rolled their eyes at me.
The guy behind me in line buying "The Savage Detectives" and a collection of Borges essays kicked me in the back of the knee, dropping me instantly.
My point: Strand customers can be pretty ugly too.
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Have you ever had a Strand employee make judge-y comments about the shit you're buying as they ring you up? Happened to me and/or my boyfriend-at-the-time on at least a couple occasions. The only thing I could really accuse the Strand employees of is being sort of generally indifferent to the GP and having a big boring hardon for Murakami.
What kind of thing did they say to you at check out? I lost my shit & yelled at a record store employee that rolled his eyes at something I was buying once. At a bookstore it would be even more tempting to just punch someone.
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The only one I can remember clearly (I lived in Portland like 10 yrs ago) was when my then-bf was buying books for his little kids. Girl and boy - girl bought like a doll coloring book and the boy bought a book on snakes or dinosaurs. the cashier dude did one of those "tchyuh" noises and said "Way to reinforce those gender paradigms." He actually said "paradigms".
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IFC: a great place to watch TV shows you already own on DVD.
but my DVDs don't have Mesothelioma adverts ...
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The only one I can remember clearly (I lived in Portland like 10 yrs ago) was when my then-bf was buying books for his little kids. Girl and boy - girl bought like a doll coloring book and the boy bought a book on snakes or dinosaurs. the cashier dude did one of those "tchyuh" noises and said "Way to reinforce those gender paradigms." He actually said "paradigms".
That is hilarious!
I wish there was a device to show people how stupid they are by infusing them with knowledge and letting them rewatch their stupid selves, but then as you leave with the device they have no recollection of the knowledge and are only left with humility and fear.
[In case you are wondering: I still have the flu and i am at about 38°C]
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Have you ever had a Strand employee make judge-y comments about the shit you're buying as they ring you up? Happened to me and/or my boyfriend-at-the-time on at least a couple occasions. The only thing I could really accuse the Strand employees of is being sort of generally indifferent to the GP and having a big boring hardon for Murakami.
What kind of thing did they say to you at check out? I lost my shit & yelled at a record store employee that rolled his eyes at something I was buying once. At a bookstore it would be even more tempting to just punch someone.
What kind of thing did they syay to you?
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The only one I can remember clearly (I lived in Portland like 10 yrs ago) was when my then-bf was buying books for his little kids. Girl and boy - girl bought like a doll coloring book and the boy bought a book on snakes or dinosaurs. the cashier dude did one of those "tchyuh" noises and said "Way to reinforce those gender paradigms." He actually said "paradigms".
Back in THE DAY I was in a band that toured a lot. We cleared rooms all over.
We pulled into Portland, parked on the street, and got out to go to Powell's, get something to eat, and ask directions (pre-internet/mapquest/booking-tours-via-email days).
We walked into a cafe of some sort, asked directions, and two dudes behind the counter actually asked, "Are you driving or bikin'?"
I said, typically Midwesternly, "Driving. We're on tour."
"We don't give directions to drivers."
THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED ON EARTH.
Three dumb hicks just wanted directions, but we got a lesson in trustfundery instead.
GOD BLESS THE MIDWEST, I SAY
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I went to Powells this summer and brought a bunch of books including some junky fiction and heard no flack on the purchases or even any snickers when I asked to ship everything to New Jersey. So they're not always judgmental.
The best I got was when my niece was turning 7 and my sister said she wanted some Bratz dolls (if you're not familiar-they are basically the "bad girl" Barbies--completely trashy but "give em what they want" is my motto for other peoples' kids). I was living in Park Slope and went to the local toy store. After I asked for them, the owner stared at me for a bit and then said "I don't think any place in Park Slope does or should sell them."
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If I had IFC, I'd watch it. I saw a few clips this morning, which led me to the Monitor Mix series Carrie Brownstein did on Phish, which I enjoyed a lot. The clip from Portlandia about reading stuff is pretty awesome.
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The first episode had some great moments. It seems like the jokes would be limited, but some aren't necessarily Portland-specific, just specific to certain kinds of liberal/college towns/ sensibilities. If it can manage to be appealing to people who've never lived in Portland, hopefully it can last more than a season or two.
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I really, really liked it!
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There are parts of most big cities that are like this.
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Also certain small, smug towns. Blue Hill, Maine, springs to mind, and I bet New Paltz has a bit of it, too (lord knows it had the seventies equivalent way back when). Also Woodstock, whether New York or Vermont.
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Not to derail the thread, but you know sometimes you hear some fact and you think, Wait, what? How did I not know that already? Or, incredulously, That's true??
Some variant of this experience occurred to me when I listened to Fred and Carrie on the Sound of Young America when Fred casually mentioned that he was married to Sally Timms (of the Mekons, etc.).
Really? News to me and something I feel I should have already known or come across randomly...
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My town could use some Portland in it. (the meth part is covered)
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Also certain small, smug towns. Blue Hill, Maine, springs to mind, and I bet New Paltz has a bit of it, too (lord knows it had the seventies equivalent way back when). Also Woodstock, whether New York or Vermont.
New Paltz, NY is hilarious. It's like Mayberry with dreads, vegan pizza and hacky sack. That's not to say I don't like going there once in a while.
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I watched the first episode Friday and something about it reminded me of the website Hipster Runoff for some reason, but i liked it.
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Also certain small, smug towns. Blue Hill, Maine, springs to mind, and I bet New Paltz has a bit of it, too (lord knows it had the seventies equivalent way back when). Also Woodstock, whether New York or Vermont.
New Paltz, NY is hilarious. It's like Mayberry with dreads, vegan pizza and hacky sack. That's not to say I don't like going there once in a while.
It sounds like it would be delightful in small doses. Like fudge.
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I'm waiting for the skit involving juggalo drama on the MAX.
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The latest episode of Judge John Hodgman was pretty on point. ("Is your dog's name "Meta"?")
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Also, I'm waiting for a Pig Champion reference.
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The latest episode of Judge John Hodgman was pretty on point. ("Is your dog's name "Meta"?")
This cart-owner had the most douchy voice ever.
That ticked me off. Argh
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This cart-owner had the most douchy voice ever.
That ticked me off. Argh
Wait 'til you see the pics on Hodgman's website. [/stab]
Hodgman's treatment of the guy had me rolling.
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This cart-owner had the most douchy voice ever.
That ticked me off. Argh
Wait 'til you see the pics on Hodgman's website. [/stab]
Hodgman's treatment of the guy had me rolling.
Yeah i saw those...
All i would have to say to the guy:
Stop trying so hard to be a weirdo.
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Crow eater's bump.
Last two episodes have been very good!
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I really like the show. I'm from Oregon (not Portland, but Eugene, which is basically a scaled down version), and it's kinda nice to have something to relate to on TV. I like having people ask me if "that's what it's really like in real life". And I live in Chicago now for school, so it helps with the homesickness to see my home state on a regular basis, even if it is through a TV screen.
But on the same token, the show isn't anything incredible. It's just a nice, well-written commentary on Pacific Northwest mentality. And, while exaggerated, it's pretty spot-on.
So that's my two cents.
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Where are you guys catching the newer episodes? They don't seem to be on the IFC website and I don't get the channel unfortunately.
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iTunes season pass is like ten bucks.
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From comic's comic:
IFC renews Portlandia for second season, 10 episodes in 2012
Halfway through its initial six-episode order, Portlandia already has become enough of a critical new fave that IFC has renewed the comedy for a full 10-episode, second season, to air in January 2012. Congrats all around. If you're not yet watching it, you should be. Funny stuff from the minds of Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein.
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Episode Four (I think) is my fave yet. Armisen demonstrating how dangerous turning off a light can be and the "krazy" ad agency bit made me laugh out of my mouth.
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Episode Four (I think) is my fave yet. Armisen demonstrating how dangerous turning off a light can be and the "krazy" ad agency bit made me laugh out of my mouth.
I'm gonna bite: As opposed to what?
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Episode Four (I think) is my fave yet. Armisen demonstrating how dangerous turning off a light can be and the "krazy" ad agency bit made me laugh out of my mouth.
I'm gonna bite: As opposed to what?
Well, now I feel self-conscious.
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Episode Four (I think) is my fave yet. Armisen demonstrating how dangerous turning off a light can be and the "krazy" ad agency bit made me laugh out of my mouth.
I'm gonna bite: As opposed to what?
Well, now I feel self-conscious.
You shouldn't! We all do it...
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It's when one talks out of one's ass that one should worry.
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It's when one talks out of one's ass that one should worry.
uh-oh...
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I loved in last night's episode when Fred said "I think you might know a friend of mine." I had a hipster acquaintance a while back who had a five minute introduction to my girlfriend at the time consisting of trying to figure out if she knew any of his friends and how close his Fishtown apartment was to her NoLibs apartment. As Tom would say "These are
rich kid hipster problems."
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* It's not like Seattle's "Almost Live" where they have to force everything to be This City, This City, This City, with more local references than your stomach can take... this is a totally different thing. This could really be any bohemian town, or even a large city with a bohemian neighborhood. Portlandia is just a name here.
I had almost forgotten about that show. :D
As far as the anytown of it, I agree: it could pretty much be anywhere in the Northwest where they put a bird on it.
I hadn't even heard of Almost Live! so i checked out some clips on youtube and it was so local it isn't even funny. I did laugh at the politically correct bit though.
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It's when one talks out of one's ass that one should worry.
uh-oh...
Merely a general observation.
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The final two episodes kinda fell flat.
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I disagree.
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I disagree.
I agree with your disagreement!
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Some of the bits got really Tim and Eric-y but I still liked all of it.
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All in all, I didn't like it. I thought it was smug. It was of a piece with what it was lampooning.
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I disagree.
I agree with your disagreement!
I hope Portlandia airs for at least six seasons.
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I thought it was smug. It was of a piece with what it was lampooning.
Please point out what led you to that conclusion. I thought it was very funny at times and at others not so much. The women's bookstore wasn't for me as i happen to know real radical feminists and they are even more over the top...
But please elaborate, Sarah.
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I disagree.
I agree with your disagreement!
I hope Portlandia airs for at least six seasons.
It might've been mentioned in this here very thread but at least it's coming back for a second season.
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Too tired today, effecT. When I have a little more gas in the tank, I'll try to put into clean words what is currently an amorphous feeling of distaste.
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All right, I have a bit more vim this morning, so here goes:
Almost all of the humor in Portlandia derives from making fun of people who are utterly convinced they are superior to others, often for reasons that seem absurd to outsiders. In making fun of them, however, Armisen and Brownstein are acting just like their targets: they are as persuaded of their rightness and the wrongness of others as those feminist bookstore owners or the bike messenger. The humor has everything to do with "us" (Armisen, Brownstein, and the viewers) ridiculing a series of "thems." Maybe A. and B. are aware of the irony that they are engaging in the same behavior as those they deride, and I'm just missing it; but, even if they are, the humor remains cheap and mean-spirited. I may find annoying most of the "thems" on the show, but I sure as hell don't like "us," either.
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All right, I have a bit more vim this morning, so here goes:
Almost all of the humor in Portlandia derives from making fun of people who are utterly convinced they are superior to others, often for reasons that seem absurd to outsiders. In making fun of them, however, Armisen and Brownstein are acting just like their targets: they are as persuaded of their rightness and the wrongness of others as those feminist bookstore owners or the bike messenger. The humor has everything to do with "us" (Armisen, Brownstein, and the viewers) ridiculing a series of "thems." Maybe A. and B. are aware of the irony that they are engaging in the same behavior as those they deride, and I'm just missing it; but, even if they are, the humor remains cheap and mean-spirited. I may find annoying most of the "thems" on the show, but I sure as hell don't like "us," either.
I think in this asessment you are presupposing a certain vantage point. I don't think Armisen and Brownstein to be bullies who just have a laugh at the expense of counter culture. Heck, counter culture is where they are coming from. What they put in their crosshairs are extreme positions and their logically derived excesses. For example: I was listening to "Citizen Radio" with Jamie Kilstein, because Sam Seder recommended it. I was also interested in the Bill Ayers interview they did. They are somewhat extreme vegans, which i am not. Aside from that disagreement i was willing to tune out their rhetoric and just take the good with the bad. But at some point i couldn't anymore. Jamie Kilstein exclaimed at one point: "If you are still a meat eater I just don't want to talk to you."
I thought that was great and turned off the podcast forever.
I am somewhat radical in my viewpoints but i will still talk to anybody and have a civilized argument and respect/expect that you have most likely some sort of reasoning as to why you arrived at this position and we can start from there.
There are dismissive extremes in counter culture to ensure congruence and differentiation. Exactly that radicalized dismissiveness is what Armisen and Brownstein are trying to point out and ridicule. They are calling for at least some reexamination of the sacrosanct in counter culture. They do hit and miss and do not nail everything as one would hope but they have a legitimate target. They are not ridiculing the individuals or the philosophies per se but rather their mutations. I also do not think their humor is cheap and/or mean, because they are using characters here that are supposed to be beyond good and evil. They are over the top and not to be taken for the real thing, which can be a lot worse if you ask me. If radical feminists on youtube, who i regularly watch, call for the extinction of all males that basically humbles all of A.'s and B.'s characters.
Also A. and B. don't follow up their program with shouts of "Get a job, you dirty hippies!". They are just calling for moderation of conviction and examination of principles.
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Yeah, that's a good point -- I think the main problem right now is that goofing on countercultural types, at least from an indie perspective, used to be something that actual artistic/bohemian/subcultural types used to do as a way of poking fun at themselves (which I'm guessing Portlandia is meant to do). Then it turned into a way for aging punk rock dudes to whine about poseurs ("man, these kids haven't earned it, I used to get beat up for dying my hair green and listening to the Misfits" -- as if high school kids aren't getting beaten up right now for wearing skinny jeans and listening to Hot Chip). Then it blew up into a big internet trend and now it's basically a way for self-conscious dudes who mistrust anything artsy or "weird" to sneer at "pretentious" people (http://www.cracked.com/funny-4573-hipster/). I knew something was wrong when I started seeing people use the word "hipster" to denigrate other people for not liking $100 million dollar summer blockbusters.
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I gave it a chance but I'm not a fan of the show either. It has it's moments but I've stopped watching. The show does seem to have an undercurrent of mean-spiritedness to me. I know a lot of comedy is kinda mean at it's core but this isn't mean in a way that I find funny.
Also, I get tired of seeing the guy in a dress. When you do it every other skit, it changes from funny to, "wow, that is one ugly and annoying woman".
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"Put a Bird on It!" made me laugh. And the Sarah McLachlan piñata, oh my god.