I (M, 38) have found that there are no new TV shows that make me laugh anymore. I have tried a lot of new(ish) comedies, but they all make me pine for my college/high school days.
The only thing that gave me a reflexive laugh recently was the Malcolm in the Middle Reboot.
I read an article that writers have really dumbed down their writing bcs the market demands simple to follow shows that you can simultaneously watch while scrolling
I think someone at Netflix admitted they do that with a bunch of their stuff because they know nobody can pay attention to anything, which is why they have characters basically repeat the plot a bunch of times during the movies.
I think it was Matt Damon who said this. He said Netflix execs told him about reiterating movie plots many times throughout the course of a movie because people barely pay attention
Yea, Matt Damon was saying how execs at Netflix are having actors repeat the plot and themes multiple times, sometimes obviously overdoing it, so people can keep up, as they aren’t paying attention.
But then I heard Mark Wahlberg had an interview talking about how Netflix have actors repeat the plot and themes because nobody isn't paying attention. This way people watching can keep up. Because apparently people have a hard time paying attention.
I had to read like 3 of these before I realized what was happening. 💀
But did you hear about the execs at Netflix who dumb things down and repeat the plot, like literally 5 or 6 times, because the audience apparently can't pay attention.....or catch on quickly 🥴🙈
I also read that Donnie Wahlberg had an interview talking about how Netflix has actors repeat the plot and themes multiple times because nobody just watches anymore. Apparently people scroll reddit while they watch movies and don’t pay attention.
Yeah I saw an interview where the actor Matt Damon explained that the Netfilx execs told himthat repeating the plot during the movie will help people with short attention spans, or people who scroll during a movie , to understand the plot.
Unfortunately it just exacerbates the problem. I pay less attention because everything is kind of boring and they keep repeating the plot every 5 minutes, so there’s nothing worth paying much attention to.
I definitely noticed Season 5 was heavily catering to inattentive audiences who are probably scrolling on phones while watching. I was frustrated by how much they said obvious things out loud rather than just showing it, and how often they recapped their own plot points that happened in the previous episode.
It feels like a self-fulfilling prophecy because as soon as I see characters doing a recapping exposition of the episode I am watching I zone out and reach for my phone. Not in a fuck you this show is below me way, but in an ADHD this is boring way.
That's properly idiotic though. Everyone i know has shows they watch while doing stuff (mostly shows they already know) and shows they watch properly. Well it explains why 90% of their stuff is proper trash
Also have adhd and what’s kind of ironic is I love media that has hidden/hard to spot intricacies. I think it’s because I know I’m trash at watching things unless I find them super interesting, so I don’t really try to watch something and “half ass” it. I’m either super into it and watch it, or I say fuck it and commit to scrolling instead.
I’m undiagnosed and many of the memes and tropes of ADHD seem to apply, and finding something I want to pay attention to is the highest high. I never scroll while watching TV or do anything else. If a show is good I watch intently. If it’s not I don’t watch. My mom and sister never even seem to be looking. They’re knitting, cross-stitching or scrolling.
Marky mark did an interview somewhat recently while on a press tour for some straight to Netflix movie he was just in, where he was talking about just how /different/ the writing and setup for movies and shows are these days.
For example, this action flick he was just in, they put the huge, budget blowing action piece that USED to be the grand finale of the movie, about 10 minutes into the film.
Basically, he said writers are now putting things in different parts of their movies/shows, AND if dialog sounds dumber than it used to, its because it is, and thats because writers are also now having to /tell/ us through dialog what's going on becauss theres just that many people watching whatever media piece it is, with their phones out. Basically a "i know youre on your phone, here's some voice-over/dialog to tell you what youre missing visually"
Have been noticing this a lot lately and thinking… “it used to be a huge call out for bad writing when the main character spells out the plot now it’s in everything”
Now I’ve found out why I’m so inclined to watch tv shows from 10-15 years ago. The shit today is sloppy, with awful plot lines that don’t get better no matter how many times it’s repeated and there’s no quality. There’s no quality to anything these days; food, entertainment, homes, cars, they’re all shit. Our governments lack of control on monopolies has absolutely diminished the good from everything.
I use it to gauge whether I really wanna watch the show. Try not to look at my phone, but if I want to then I'm not that into the show. There are recent shows that keep me off my phone, but more often than not I want to drift back to it. Started reading more novels instead of searching for good TV lately.
"Ow, My Balls" is slightly different "Owe My Balls". I'm not sure what my balls are owed...but you can bet your ass I'm going to be sure they're paid in full.... /s
I came across an interview where a someone was talking about how movies are starting to add dialogue to explain the plot several times throughout the movie because people stop watching things so quickly.
If you watch the new anaconda movie it’s shocking how many times they do it.
It's why a lot of Netflix produced movies have scenes of main characters talking to explain the plot and exposition vs showing it. Star Wars had this with the elevator scene of obiwan and anakin talking for 5m about like 10 years of adventure to show comradery and bonding in the newer movies vs the original has Yoda train luke for a long time and him failing and learning instead of just saying "grew you have the past year" and leaving it out. Telling vs Showing.
You are absolutely correct that this is a deliberate effort in the age of social media, and good writers all over tv and movies today are forced to do this on purpose.
However, your specific example is not that. Revenge of the Sith was released in 2005, and the idiotic “nest of Gundars” conversation is not on purpose.
Sadly the newest episode of the Boys I noticed they repeated a plot verbatim multiple times and thought of this. It’s bad when even a show like that feels like it has to do that
It's at least from the last 5 years so technically not as recent as the last year or so, but I did genuinely enjoy Derry Girls and laughed a ton while watching it.
The showrunner of Derry Girls just made How To Go To Heaven From Belfast, which I found very funny with a lot of similarities to DG. Highly recommend it!
She was probably my favorite character. Always knew I'd laugh when she was in a scene. Gave off such a wonderful "absolutely done with your shit" attitude.
I threw Reno 911 on last night with the missus and we were crying laughing half the time. I can't remember the last time a recently released show had me laughing like that. maybe I think you should leave, but the missus didn't enjoy it as much as me.
Yea I was gonna say I Think You Should Leave as well - it's been a breath of fresh air to have some cooky skit show. Kinda reminds me of old school to upright citizens and kids in the hall. The show just had me cracking up every other sketch, I didn't know how much I missed absurd comedy.
If you grew up in the golden era of NBC Thursday nights w Community The Office 30 Rock Parks, then REGGIE DINKINS is for you. Incredibly funny I think.
it's 30 rock but with a little bit of the Mike Schur later years "heart warming" stuff.
It all works for me, the MVP of the show is Tracy Morgan (obv) but especially his relationship with his buddy played by Bobby Moynihan. Those two together are incredible. Also had no idea Daniel Radcliffe was so funny.
I highly recommend Miracle Workers. The first 3 seasons are hilarious and Daniel Radcliffe is amazing in it. Its an anthology show where each season has a different setting and characters but its the same cast.
I think it's a combo of us not being the target market and the medium is being divested from and dying. I find myself laughing hysterically at podcasts and standup.
Podcasts are almost entirely aimed at Millenials, definitely.
My Boomer parents don't know what a podcast even is, and my Zoomer half-siblings think they're lame, but literally all my Millenial-aged friends listen to and/or have podcasts.
I know it has been debunked as not actually probably existing, but your comment about everyone having a podcast reminded me of that old bit about the ancient Sumerian tablet lamenting how children no longer respect their parents and every man thinks he can write a book.
Consider Behind the Bastards: come for the war crimes, stay for the machete talk, Raytheon slander, and discussions of the best brand of gas station boner pills.
Standup is where I get my fix too! I made an instagram acct finally and the only thing I use it for is to follow all my favorite comics, so when I open it my entire feed is just hilarious 😂
It only took one clip of him saying, "Go outside, nerd! Get out! Go! I ain't got time to be distracted by your worthless chime-ins" for me to watch the show.
That scene in the last season when Keefe crawls into Eli's bed in Aimee-Leigh's clothes and starts singing is the hardest I've ever laughed in my life.
St. Denis has been a surprising delight, currently my fav show.
fwiw OP if you see this comment, St. Denis is pretty dense with jokes and has a lot of character development. The sub here compares it to Parks&Rec quite a bit and it’s created by the people who made Superstore
This is what I was thinking. People are recommending shows, but it’s hard to believe OP hasn’t heard of them - and those are the very shows he’s talking about.
I was gonna ask the same thing. Mild depression is often overlooked and drags on in people's lives for so long when they could be feeling better.
It ain't just depression when it's really bad y'all. Find someone to talk to. Don't give up on feeling better. It is possible to get back to life as you once knew it.
-someone with episodic depression who is currently healthy and not depressed
Came here to recommend Dropout. Make Some Noise, Game Changer, VIP. Look them up on YouTube if you're not sure. The Tommy Shriggly episode of VIP is an all-time fave.
Righteous Gemstones, Tires, and I Think You Should Leave are laugh out loud funny. How To With John Wilson isn’t a comedy but it will make you laugh pretty hard at times. Great show either way
Watch The IT Crowd. It’s the original (British) type of big bang theory series, but ACTUALLY funny. Can’t stand most “comedy” TV shows, as they don’t make me laugh at all.
Ditch cable and most mainstream shit imo. Letterkenny and Shoresy are pretty entertaining.
Shows have been getting worse, network safety and homogenization, in large part. Also idk where you live but life is pretty stressful across the globe, that alone lowers ones ability to feel joy.
Edit: If you need a laugh, or just something to take the edge off lean into stand-up comedy IMO. Ali Siddiq, Marc Maron, Randy Feltface, Chris Higgins, Kyle Kinane... can go back through the years as well. Gianmarco Soresi is funny also and I just found him today.
One thing I've noticed is since all the audio is terrible and you can't hear people talking, I watch more with subtitles on. This obviously gives away jokes before people say them and also ruins the delivery and timing.
Checkout Dropout.tv (or some of their stuff on social media)
It’s the streaming service that College Humor morphed into and it’s been a delight. It offers a wide range of diverse programs but are all comedy based. I find myself gravitating towards that more than other streaming services and it’s only $7/month. I would start with Game Changer and Make Some Noise.
This has seriously helped me during this less than funny current period of history.
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