Reading and watching roundup (such as it is)

[hamsterwoman]

Oh hey, remember how I used to consume fiction? and have thoughts about it and stuff? Let's try that again.

Books: I'm still not reading much (as an understatement). Since I stopped commuting to work, a full 4 months ago, I have finished three (in numbers: 3) books.

11. C.J. Cherryh, Cyteen -- my first novel-length Cherryh (I think I read a

Comments

[hamsterwoman]

One part of the finale worth remembering/rewatching is the post-credits bit with the family playing the Community board game,

Oh right! I do remember that part, now that you mention it (and it was fun though, I dunno, I'm not sure having that be the very last part of the show really resonated with me. On the other hand, it doesmake sense to end it with something weird and meta...)

I pretty much always love the spoofs on other genres, paintball and lava floor particularly.

I always found myself perking up for the spoofs! Loved the lava (even though I'm not sure I've ever seen an original of the thing they're spoofing -- but I'm familiar with it through fannish osmosis); paintball ones were kind of a spectrum for me depending on the genre -- I loved "Modern Warfare" (which was also the first), and from there I'd rank them as > the spy one > the Star Wars one >> the western, just because I apparently really don't care about westerns even in this spoof/meta form.

Everyone's sprite was so cute.

Yes! I think in terms of purely visual re-imaginings of the characters that's my favorite of the other-medium ones -- I loved all the sprites!

Did you hear that "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" has been removed from Netflix and Hulu? Really unfortunate, I think.

No I hadn't! Because of Chang's "blackface" when he's dressed up as his drow character? That is unfortunate... It was a really good episode, and IIRC there was enough commentary in-scene that it wasn't, like, unexamined. Well, I'm glad I watched the show when I did so I still got to see it.

[perpetual]

Oh right! I do remember that part, now that you mention it (and it was fun though, I dunno, I'm not sure having that be the very last part of the show really resonated with me. On the other hand, it doesmake sense to end it with something weird and meta...)

What I liked was that the disclaimer managed to summarize the entire show, right down to the way shippers are bound to be disappointed. I can't remember any direct quotes myself, I just know it gave me a warmfuzzy to hear the producers speaking directly to the audience to say their goodbye.

I figure the lava was the post-apocalyptic adventure genre, right? Like Mad Max. The Western one really tickled me but that was mostly because of the guest star from Lost who is, I'll say it, more handsome than Jeff.

Yeah, all kinds of comedies are having their blackface jokes targeted right now. Some of them are pretty tasteless, so it makes sense, but I really feel like this one was innocent and a real waste of a good episode.

[hamsterwoman]

Yeah, I can definitely support shows pulling episodes with blackface jokes that are, like, unexamined, but IIRC this particular one was both commented on (by Shirley?) and explained by Chang. And is the loss of a really good episode with an unusual message, too.

I figure the lava was the post-apocalyptic adventure genre, right? Like Mad Max

Yeah, that's what I was assuming, too (but I've never actually seen any of the Mad Max movies, not even Fury Road, because I don't like the genre. Probably the closest I've come to seeing a movie of this genre is Tank Girl, of all things -- which I watched for a college class on dystopias, because the lecturer's friend was doing her thesis on it. Which was an interesting way to see Tank Girl, but did not sell me on either the movie or the genre. :P

The Western one really tickled me but that was mostly because of the guest star from Lost who is, I'll say it, more handsome than Jeff.

Ha! I didn't know where the stranger had come from, but I do agree he was more handsome than Jeff (I actually don't find Jeff that handsome, I must confess. Like, he's got a great body! And the "Jeff is blindingly handsome" schtick grew on me over the course of the show because Joel McHale sold me on it with his charm, but in terms of physical attractiveness, his facial features do nothing for me -- just not at all my type. (Josh Holloway is still not entirely my time, but a bit closer to it. Maybe it's the resemblance to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau...)

[perpetual]

Oh, I love Tank Girl. I think. It's been a while. :)

I think Jeff is decently hot for an actor, but in a real life setting like a community college, he'd probably stand out as a lot more than decently hot. So I saw it as kind of a subtle gag about real people having a different standard of good looks than television, but it would have worked better if half of the other members of the group weren't just as good looking as he was.

[hamsterwoman]

but in a real life setting like a community college, he'd probably stand out as a lot more than decently hot

That is a very fair point! But, yeah, kind of undermined by how good-looking most of the other study group members also are. (Which is kind of funny, because like the other recurring students are much more average-looking, but I guess the show needed its pretty leads for real-world reasons.)